Ski Portillo Urges its Access Road to be Opened to All Traffic
14th August 2026
The road to the resort in Chile has been closed for more than a month after huge amounts of snow. A handful of people are able to use it but not everyone, and it is having severe economic consequences. NEW
In the past month more than 7m of snow has fallen.
That’s around the same amount that falls across an entire season.
It has caused travel problems with roads closed as they were threatened by avalanches in the relentless snowfall.
Last weekend it was reported that the access road would be reopened, but only for guests that had a confirmed booking at the resort’s main hotel.
Prior to that a small number of people were able to reach its ski slopes by helicopter.
We reported on the move at the time, but it has still not been confirmed by resort authorities.
The Los Liberatores pass has remained closed to everyone else despite crews successfully clearing the access road to the resort late last week.
Now a Chilean ski resort group, ACESKI, is urging the government to open the road to all and to stop hampering ski tourism.
“The Chilean Ski Resorts Association (ACESKI) expresses its deep concern about the repeated preventive closures of access roads to mountain resorts, particularly on Route G-21 and the Los Libertadores International Pass, measures that, once again, seriously affect the development of the winter season,” said ACESKI.
“As a professional association, we fully understand that the safety of people must always be the highest priority.
“No one intends to put human lives at risk or disregard the responsibility that falls on the authorities in the face of complex weather events.
“However, we believe that the country must engage in deep reflection regarding the criteria used to make these decisions.”
The resort has lost nearly a third of its three-month winter season.
The shutdown has directly impacted over 550 resort workers and their families, as well as a wide network of local vendors and regional tour operators.
” While the route remains closed workers, their families, suppliers, and the entire tourist activity in the area are affected,” said the General Manager of Ski POrtillo, Miguel Purcel
“In a season that lasts only three months, we have already lost practically a third of the operation.
“Opening this route is not just a decision about Portillo; it is a decision that benefits tourism, employment, and the prestige of Chile as an international destination.”
ACESKI continued: “Chile cannot continue to react to snow as if it were an extraordinary emergency.
“Snow is part of our geographical identity, our natural heritage, and an economic activity that generates thousands of jobs, attracts international tourism, and represents a development opportunity for numerous communities.”
ACESKI suggests that the Chilean government create a National Mountain Management Policy and a group to review current protocols and assess new ones.
Ski tourism directly contributes more than $280m to Chile’s economy, according to ACESKI.
It fears the attitude and actions of the authorities will also put off people from coming in the future.
“The impact also extends to Chile’s international image.
“Every winter, thousands of tourists from Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Uruguay, the United States, and other markets travel specifically to experience our snow and mountain sports.
“Many of them only discover upon arrival that access is closed, ruining a trip planned for months and creating a profoundly negative experience for one of the tourist destinations Chile seeks to promote internationally.”
“Chile must learn to live with the snow and not be paralyzed by it,” ACESKI says at the end of its press release.
The season in Ski Portillo is currently planned to end on 26th September.
Here at PlanetSKI we’ll keep you posted…
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