Finally for 1998, Portillo has added a new performance rental shop which offers an expanded line of shaped skis and new boots from Rossignol. The pass was first crossed by mules and horses and later by the Trans-Andean international train, reputed to be one of the most spectacular rail journeys in the world. Once the international road was built, the train service became uneconomical and obsolete and ended in the mid-1970s. Many guests also come from Mendoza in Argentina. Note that this remote location means that there is nowhere else to stay or eat in the region except at Portillo's own facilities.
Storms approach from the southern Pacific Ocean.
Suddenly cooled by the extreme elevation and unable to penetrate the Andean barrier, the heavy clouds dump loads of snow throughout the area. The weather conditions are either clear and sunny or snowing and blowing with few days finding a compromise. The high altitude dryness insures light snow and no rain and provides ideal conditions for making artificial snow. In 1991, Portillo thus installed South America's only snowmaking system. The resort may operate weekends outside of the normal season if snow conditions permit.