Portillo is a ski resort that has become a legend among skiers for the strange reason that it is so small. A single yellow hotel stands on the shore of the Laguna del Inca, a lake of astonishing turquoise, at nearly twenty-nine hundred metres, with the peaks of the Andes closing around it on every side. The valley is narrow, steep and exposed, and the setting is extraordinary in any season. In 1966 the resort hosted the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, the first held in the southern hemisphere, which put it on the map.
The road that brings you here, Route 60, is the main road between Chile and Argentina, and for a rider the approach is the main event. The last section, above Los Andes and Río Blanco, climbs steadily through the dry upper valley, and the bends tighten as it rises. The air is thin, the light is hard and clear, and the asphalt is in decent shape, though in places it is scarred by trucks and by winter. In summer the Laguna del Inca is a startling blue against the grey and ochre rock, and in winter it freezes and the whole valley is white.
This is serious mountain terrain, and the weather deserves respect. Snow can fall at any time of year at this altitude, avalanches are a real hazard in winter and spring, and the road is often closed for periods between June and September when storms hit the high Andes. Ice can persist on shaded corners long after the snow has melted. The wind is a constant and can be strong enough to unsettle a bike. Even on a clear day, the temperature can be close to freezing, so dress for a much colder place than the one you left.
The hotel is a place for winter guests, but in summer a few services are open, and the cafe at the lake is a reasonable place to warm up. Altitude may affect you, particularly if you have come up quickly from sea level, so take it easy and drink water. Late summer and early autumn, with the snow gone from the road and the sky clear, are the best months for the ride.