If you have skied or boarded in Europe, you’ll be familiar with Poma and T-Bar lifts. I can remember my first poma lift, taken in the Spanish Pyrenees. The fast-moving vertical suspension did not resonate with me at the time, but later I came to understand that these lifts are designed to bring you to incredible powder that would otherwise be inaccessible.
This is the case for the Va et Vient lifts, which to my knowledge are only available in Portillo. In steeper shoots where regular chair lifts would be impossible, the Va et Vient allows the more adventurous snow-seekers to reach terrain even after big snow shifts. My experiences on European pistes and US bowls made me more confident taking single and double suspension lifts, but the Va et Vient in Portillo is a whole new ball game. It’s a four-person Poma that pulls the ‘passengers’ at a speed comparable to a roller coaster. The first time I took the lift, I was with a Brazilian child who needed more reassurance than I could offer. But the two of us made it up safely and brought us to our run quicker than any four person chair lift.
(See YouTube video, Right)
The same day I discovered the access and the speed of the Va et Vient, I also discovered a little known fact about the ski staff at Portillo. It must be an understood prerequisite for the staff to have dance skills that surpass any team outside of South America. While this ‘gringa’ is in process of learning her Latin dance moves, the lyrics of a Portillo disco favorite aptly describe the Va et Vient- “ven aquí rápido,” or ‘come here quickly.’
A huge thanks to the Va et Vient lifts for providing access to the best powder of the season yesterday!
ReplyDeleteAnd not only do they get you to some amazing Portillo terrain, the ride up is just as entertaining (like waterskiing uphill on snow at great speed...with a few friends)
Can't wait for the next Portillo powder day!
And looking forward to your next blog Maria.