This year for Spring Break, we are having a staycation. We decided to finally try our hand at skiing the Andes, and we headed to Valle Nevado for three days. Each morning up the twisty mountain road to Farellones and then another 15 kilometers to Valle Nevado ski resort. Greta and Wyatt took classes each day while Paul and I got our ski legs under us. By the end of day one, both kids could "pizza" but Wyatt wasn't exactly sure why anyone would want to slow down. He decided he would keep his skis in the "french fry" parallel formation so that he could go fast! Greta, ever cautious, uses the pizza and was positively glowing when we picked her up. Day two, Wyatt still didn't want to stop himself while skiing and decided that he'd just fall over if he needed to stop rather than use the pizza. And frankly - - he didn't want to ski. He finally just decided to play in the snow bank after his lesson. Greta could do the bunny hill with efficiency and decide to try a nice long green run - Camino Bajo. She made it all the way down without any problems and was elated. Day three, Wyatt decided that he did want to learn to ski, if only to keep up with his sister. He could do the pizza and make turns down the ski school hill. Greta was going down the ski school hill between cones with no poles while balancing a tray that had a giant clump of ice sliding around on it. By the end of the day, each kid did the green run twice after ski school. Wyatt came down both times with me, kind of riding between my legs with his arms holding onto my poles which I held out in front of him. It's one thing to come down the mountain by myself. It's quite another to add 40 pounds of dead weight. Wyatt was super proud of himself, though. He kept his little skis in the pizza aligned just right with mine. Greta came down both times totally alone, sometimes in front of Wyatt and me and sometimes behind us. Amazing what little kids can do!
The drive up. If you look just in the crease of those mountains, you can see Santiago.
On the lift!
Ski school snack time.
We had bright sunny days and t-shirt weather our first two days. Our third day was much colder and it looked like it would snow any second.
Having a break after ski school. We ran into our buddies Kurt and Alani. This sweet girl is in Wyatt's class at school. She and her dad skied together all day.
Our view as we drove up the twisty turns to get to Valle Nevado. And this is the straight part of the road!
More to come from our staycation, but the first three days of it were glorious.
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