Chile's Ski Resorts Sustain Only Minor Quake Damage
Mar 4, 2010; 4:08 PM ET
Regions outside the epicentre of the massive earthquake (8.8 on the Richter Scale) that rocked Chile Saturday, Feb. 27, were largely spared from the tragedy that unfolded, leaving ski regions largely unaffected.
Turismo Chile told OnTheSnow the country's tourism infrastructure has, overall, fared well, reporting little damage. The mountain regions have been preserved and the Chilean ski resorts of Valle Nevado, Portillo, El Colorado, La Parva, and Ski Arpa are intact. News from Termas de Chillan and Villarrica/Pucon has not yet been verified. But, Chile's ski country is indeed moving straight ahead toward the 2010 ski season, which will roll out as usual, in June.
The quake struck just off the coast near the cities of Concepcion, Talcahuano, and Constitucion. Santiago, located 310 miles north of the epicentre, experienced damage to older structures in the downtown area. Santiago Airport, currently in limited operation, is expected to resume normal schedules very soon.
Henry Purcell, owner of Ski Portillo, says the resort has escaped without damage, "We have some superficial cracks and some painting to do, but the roads to Portillo and all the lifts made it though the earthquake without incident. We are very fortunate to have escaped without any injuries or damages, but we grieve for the people of Conception."
Similiarly, General Manager of Valle Nevado, Ricardo Marguilis told OnTheSnow, "Following an exhaustive inspection, engineers found only a few minor surface damages at Valle's hotels and buildings like broken windows, fallen ceiling panels, and things knocked over."
Ski resorts in Chile and Argentina are popular destinations for skiers and snowboarders in North America and Europe who can't get enough of their favorite sports and are unwilling to trade in ski poles for golf clubs.
Alicia Taylor for OnTheSnow.com
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