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History of Skiing in Chile Getting from point A to point B in the rugged Andes was a cinch in summer. Come winter, though, deep snow, howling winds and massive mountain passes meant going anywhere east or west was nearly impossible. Skiing in South America was a necessity before it was considered a pleasure. On both sides of the imposing Andes Mountains, skis were first strapped on by explorers, engineers and military trainees attempting to travel across treacherous mountain terrain, to colonize remote valleys and to guard both sides of the border. Portillo, the first ski resort in Chile, and Catedral, the first one in Argentina, were created by visionary immigrants who had a sense of the adventure potential of the amazing Andes. Picture the poor guys laying the railway tracks beneath the tall Andes. Working in the freezing snow 3,810 m above sea level, in knee-deep snow. When their European bosses suggested strapping on wooden boards so they could head back to the work camp faster, they must have been intimidated. But after a few quick lessons on the basics of skiing, the wooden boards surely made life even a little bit more fun. When eager athletic types from Santiago joined them for winter weekend ski trips, the essential became an indulgence. Isolated from the rest of the world by the Andes, with a long coastline, Chile had little reason to attempt mountain travel until the Trans-Andean railway was built in the early 1900s, connecting Valparaiso near Santiago with Mendoza, Argentina. The tall peaks that formed the country's western border were simply seen as too large and too difficult to explore. When it opened in 1910, the railway crossed the highest mountains in the world outside the Himalaya, and changed the way Chilean saw the snowy peaks. Travelling on skis proved the only way for workers (led by English and Norwegian engineers who'd brought their boards over from Europe) to make the Uspallata Pass, not far from what is now Portillo resort. Skis were necessary for transportation before they became a source of fun. Portillo The new sport introduced by European railway engineers caught on in Santiago, particularly amongst social clubs of Europeans who established a company, Hoteles de Cordillera S.A. that would build a hotel just west of the Uspallata Pass. The first chair lift went up at Portillo in 1946, making it the first in South America. The resort opened in 1949, and was an instant hit with Chileans from Santiago. The resort was purchased by Americans Bob Purcell and Dick Aldrich in 1962, and hosted the World Alpine Ski Championships in 1966, drawing world-wide attention. In 1987, Michael Prufer broke the record for speed dsecent at Portillo, clocking 217.68 km per hour. Since then, other ski resorts have opened up and down the Chilean Andes, including Termas de Chillán in the 1970s and La Parva, El Colorado and Valle Nevado in the 1980s.

One of the popular winter holiday vacation ideas is family ski vacations. If you love winter activities these vacations can be a lot of fun.

You can enjoy different winter activities like skiing, snowboarding, tubing and sledding if you opt for any of the ski vacations this winter during the winter holiday vacation. If you have not been much into winter activities, it is a great time to learn it as well! You can also teach these sports to your kids as they learn faster during their childhood.

Ski vacations with the family are not just limited to sports. This is a great time to enjoy the snow and have fun with your kids.

Why would you want to plan your family ski vacation during the Christmas holidays? Because, with the onset of the winter, many people experience the winter blues. The best antidote for these blues is sitting down and coming up with some great Christmas vacation ideas.

Family ski vacations during your Christmas holidays can be great therapy, and can give you the chance to recharge your batteries for the coming months ahead. Another practical reason for planning family ski trips during the Christmas holidays is that during these vacations, you get enough time off, no matter which walk of life you come from. School-going kids get a long holiday during this period. The more time you get to stay away holidaying, the fresher you will feel. Also, this will give you more time to learn and hone your skiing skills.

Planning the Ideal Family Ski Vacation

While family ski vacations may be great Christmas vacation ideas, the next thing to do after deciding to take one is to plan for it.

The first step in planning such a vacation is to identify a good ski resort in a scenic locality, a place that is child-friendly and has good accommodations. All ski resorts may not be suitable for families and skiers who are at the beginners' level. While some resorts may have lovely accommodations, the skiing slopes may not be suitable for beginners. However, it will not be difficult for you to find such a resort, as there are plenty of resorts that are great for new skiers.

Once you have identified a few such resorts, you now need to look at which of these offers the best holiday package. Your idea behind a skiing vacation is to pack in skiing with having fun with the rest of the family as well, and the resort you choose should fulfill that objective.

If any of your family members are beginning to learn skiing, opt for a resort with all amenities for beginners. The ski resorts should have beginners slope so that learners can come back to top easily. All skiing gear such as boots, skis, etc should be available at the hotels for the beginners as well as the experts. The winter vacation resort should also be well equipped with poles and training sessions that make learning to ski an easy task for the whole family.

What Makes a Good Ski Resort? Today, ski resorts are enormously profitable ventures. Now days, there are numerous ski resorts, all of which provide custom or specially-designed slopes and facilities for profit in their business, by providing their customers good facilities. There are numerous ski resorts offering free tickets for kids. There are other incentives as well – some offer free tickets and free lodging while buying a ticket for you.

Again, some of them have childcare facilities, also. They take special care of those children who are raw in this sport and easily get tired on the slopes.

It does not matter if you are a beginner at skiing or have brought your children for first family ski vacations , you can make your Christmas memorable, if you find a perfect ski resorts with the help of some research!

Teenagers are adults-in-training. They crave independence, but they still require guidelines. Vacation planning can be a daunting task for any parent of adolescents.

Make your job easier - involve your teenagers in the planning process. Arrange a family brainstorming session and decide on a holiday that everyone will enjoy.

A vacation plan should take into consideration each teen's likes and dislikes. A teenager who participates in science fairs may enjoy touring scientific exhibits. A history buff will enjoy museums. A budding musician might like a tour of Graceland. Ask for specific feedback. Teenagers sway from requiring guidelines and curfews to believing that they know everything - and insisting on doing everything their own way.

Here is a partial list of activities that you might want to use as a springboard for your initial vacation-brainstorming session:

Laser tag Paint ball Arcades Amusement parks Theme parks Skiing Snowboarding Snowmobiling ATVing Skateboard parks Adventure tours Dude ranch vacations All-inclusive family resorts Horseback riding Mountain biking Whitewater rafting Hot air ballooning Kayaking Scuba experience Water skiing Jet skiing Houseboating Factory tours Farm vacations Mountaineering and hiking

Family cruises are frequently cost-effective. Everything is included - and parents can relax knowing that their teens are involved in nearby activities. Some cruiselines even sponsor special youth clubs. Recreational opportunities may include arcades, bungee trampolines, and outdoor movie theaters. Your teens can associate with other teens and participate in the family vacation - while retaining a degree of independence and freedom. Try to locate a cruiseline that provides walkie-talkies so that you can keep in touch.

If you decide on a land-based holiday, give your teenager(s) a feeling of autonomy, space, and privacy: consider reserving adjoining hotel rooms instead of a family suite. Don't get frustrated if your teens want to sleep in! Instead, make use of the time to go shopping, swimming, or for a walking tour of the neighborhood.

Most teens nowadays are very internet savvy. Don't isolate them from their friends. Allow them to remain in contact via cyber cafes, hotel guest-computer systems, or laptop computers. If they must leave the hotel to access a computer at a cyber cafe, insist on a buddy system. Teenagers should never venture out alone.

Not the hotel-room type? Family camps are like traditional summer camps for kids - but they have activities for the entire family. Some operate all summer. Others provide functions on selected weekends throughout the year.

Some teens will feel more comfortable if they are permitted to invite a friend. Of course, there will be budgetary concerns involved with such a holiday. Invite the other teen's parents to pay for their teen's expenses.

Older teens who insist on a vacation by themselves might enjoy a backpacking/biking escape - travelling with a friend and staying at hostels along the way. Hostelling is very popular in Europe, and what better way is there to experience a country than by bicycling through its countryside? Another activity an older teen might enjoy is a language immersion program abroad.

When the vacation has finally been arranged, the rooms have been reserved, and you are ready to pack, prepare a list of necessary clothing and accessories - but let your teens pack their own suitcases.

Utilize your vacation as a time to reconnect with your teenagers - both during the planning phase and the actual vacation itself.

©Copyright Kathy Steinemann: This article is free to publish only if this copyright notice, the byline, and the author's note below (with active links) are included.

Exercise is one of those activities which, while universally accepted to be good for the body, is, as much as possible avoided by most people. For those who exercise due to their doctors' order, the activity is like one of the bitter pills to swallow. What is needed here is motivation. With the right motivation one can do even difficult tasks. So, how does one get motivated? First, you have to know yourself in terms of motivation. What motivates you? Are you the kind of person who is externally motivated- that is, you need outside motivation in order to move or start with whatever project is at hand. Or, are you the type who is internally motivated, which means the power to stay motivated is within you. Maybe, you are both internally and externally motivated. Whatever makes you motivated, it should be clear to you. Then, set your goal which, in this case is to exercise. Goals must be specific, measurable and time bound. By time bound it does not mean that one has to stop after reaching the goal. It could be continuous if that is the timeline stated in the plan. Examples of goals are: to lose 2 kilograms weight within 10 months or to walk 2 kilometers daily after 6 months. Record these goals which could include realistic photos after the target weight loss has been achieved or a chart showing the target walking distance per month. Make a plan on how to achieve the goal. The goal should state the overall goal and the short-term goals .Make a list of activities with specific dates. Many goals are not achieved because there is no clear set of action plan or activities to reach the goal. The plan should include the schedule and place of the exercise. The plan should also be written. If you are motivated externally, let people whom you think can help monitor your progress know about the goal and the action plan. Implement the plan. There should be some record here to document compliance to the plan. It could be as simple as a mark in a calendar. Measure the results every short term period. If you planned short term goals every month, make a record of how much weight was lost or the new distance walked. If the goal was achieved, reward yourself. If the short term goal was not met, analyze why and make catch up plans to be on target next month or reset the goals. Make a commitment to faithfully follow the plan. If the results show that the plan does not give the desired results, review the plan by yourself or with the help of experts. Commitment is the most important part of the success of any program Make exercise a part of your day to day activities. Make a schedule when you have to exercise and not just accommodate it if you have extra time. Be well informed of the benefits of exercise. Make a separate plan to educate yourself on the benefits of exercise. This should be a more extensive reading list. If only every person is so well informed about the functions of the different systems in the human body and how exercise helps to keep them healthy, exercise would not be like a burden. Modern technology has resulted to many machines and gadgets that need thorough study on how it functions before they can be used effectively. Many people consider mastery of the operation of these machines a must to keep up with modern living. Why not master too the only body each of us has? Exercise does not just result to weight loss or harder muscles. There are more important benefits inside the body that one can appreciate only if he or she is well informed of how the body functions. Exercise should be an enjoyable activity. One way is to make exercise less boring by listening to your favorite music while walking or doing whatever exercise you have in your plan. Another way is to exercise with family members or friends. Start to exercise and you will have the most effective motivation to continue - the good feeling of a healthy person.

of the most unfortunate health consequences of calcium deficiency is osteoporosis, the weakening and loss of bone. And the only way to combat that, of course, is to make sure that you have adequate calcium to keep you bones strong and adequate blood calcium levels for other bodily functions. Basically, calcium is the be-all and end-all when bone building is concerned - it is the key ingredient for that process, after all. But not everyone gets his recommended calcium intake - and this calcium does not simply refer to the mineral, it refers to a specific elemental calcium. Elemental calcium is the amount of calcium that is available to actually work in the body. Study your daily diet and see if you can and should increase your calcium intake through the food you eat. Generally, the best elemental calcium-rich foods are the nonfat or low-fat dairy products, and nondairy food like green, leafy vegetables, salmon, sardines, and soy products like tofu. Of course, you're not always sure if you're getting enough calcium from the food you eat. There are times, maybe, that you believe you get enough calcium on today's diet... sometimes, you believe you get enough, other times you're just not sure. But dealing with the possibility of bone fractures or osteoporosis, you can't afford to be lenient about your calcium intake. If you're not sure about getting enough calcium, you can make a choice - either start eating calcium-rich food religiously, or take calcium supplements. Calcium supplements are the logical choice, especially for women experiencing menopause. You are sure that you're getting a level of calcium everyday. Of course, read the labels carefully to ensure that you are getting the right amount of elemental calcium - just because the label says that the calcium supplement has 2500 mg does not mean that this is the amount of elemental calcium in it. Some supplements will list their elemental calcium, other times it won't be mentioned at all. So to be sure you're getting the calcium that your body needs, it is imperative that you know the percentage of elemental calcium in the different forms of calcium available. The type of calcium that you are taking could make a huge difference in your quest for perfect bone health. There are so many forms of calcium and calcium supplement out there, and though they appear to be the same thing, there are differences between the different forms. Each is not entirely calcium - there's a degree of foreign substance attached to the molecule. The percentage of the compound that is actually elemental calcium is, then, an issue. Inorganic Calcium Forms: -Calcium carbonate is the most widely-used form of supplement of all types, and also the cheapest. Also, it has the highest degree of elemental calcium - 40% of the total molecule. Taking a 1250 mg of calcium carbonate tablet means getting 500 mg of elemental calcium. Unfortunately, like inorganic forms, it is the most poorly absorbed, with only 5-10% taken in by the body. But unlike the other inorganic forms, calcium carbonate requires the most acid. It is a good idea to drink more water than usual when taking calcium carbonate. -Calcium Phosphate contains approximately 39% elemental calcium. It is easily digested, and it is the calcium type that is used to fortify orange juice and soy milk. Unfortunately, it is the most expensive. Organic Calcium Forms: -Calcium amino acid chelates has 65-80% absorption rates. They are fairly expensive and not as easily found. -Calcium ascorbate gives you the benefit of Vitamin C as the other part of the molecule sans the acidity of the vitamin. It's both expensive and hard to find. -Calcium aspartate is the second best absorbed - 85% - of the commercially available types of calcium. Along with calcium orotate, it is the hardest to find. -Calcium citrate is the most recommended by doctors, because it is the most easily absorbed. Unfortunately, it contains only about 21% of elemental calcium - you have to take more tablets to get enough calcium. -Calcium gluconate and calcium lactate contain about 15% elemental calcium, similar to citrate in terms of absorbability and lack of side effects. But these cost more - as much as 3 to 10 more than the cost of calcium citrate -Calcium orotate is the best absorbed of the commercially available types of calcium with 90-95% absorbent rate.