But loads we couldn't get into or down through due to the lack of snow.
A good excuse to go back when there is.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I see the RN 116 has been closed again this time due to some rather large cracks near the previous repair site! Any one with any inside info? I’m sure there will be pressure for a fix somehow!
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
I see the RN 116 has been closed again this time due to some rather large cracks near the previous repair site! Any one with any inside info? I’m sure there will be pressure for a fix somehow!
I see the RN 116 has been closed again this time due to some rather large cracks near the previous repair site! Any one with any inside info? I’m sure there will be pressure for a fix somehow!
Oh dear! Flying out on the 16th for a week's skiing of a series of day trips from a base below the incident using that road.....8 hours return daily is not possible and even if we get a place at short notice there is a long trek getting there... One would hope in the French school holidays they would be moving heaven and earth to get it sorted by then but looks quite serious!
Have bitten the bullet and booked a not unreasonably priced apartment in Llivia as I doubt it will open soon...anyone used this town as a base? We should be able to go there direct from Barcelona airport after having met up with my parents and at least spend a few days skiing, and only one big detour journey to do rather than several!!
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Llivia is fine, though largely an artificial town made up of second homes. (But is that really any different from Font-Romeu, for example?) It's a natural base for the Neiges Catalanes, and just a couple of minutes by car from Bourg-Madame and Puigcerdà.
Your change of plan is a good move, I feel.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Does anyone know if there is a convenient place to buy snow chains or socks on the way from Barcelona el Prat airport to the tunnel of Cadi? I probably won’t need them but you never know (may be icy/snowy on access to property as Llivia is 1200m up in the mountains) and there is no guarantee that the hire company will rent them!
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Dr. Will wrote:
Does anyone know if there is a convenient place to buy snow chains or socks on the way from Barcelona el Prat airport to the tunnel of Cadi?
Based on the current forecast I doubt you’ll need them , but there is a “Feu Vert” in El Prat
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Also there's a large Alcampo pretty close to the airport, which sells a wide range of chains and snowsocks. But as mrvinegar says, you're unlikely to need them - especially to get to Llivia. They stand more chance of being used up at the car park of Cambre d'Aze, for example. But even then, without a change in the forecast you'll be fine without them.
Do check that your car hire allows you to take the car cross-border; some don't.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Dr. Will wrote:
...and booked a not unreasonably priced apartment in Llivia...
Beautiful surroundings, sunny dry climate (like all of Cerdanya) at strategically well positioned between a lot of interesting ski areas.
Cambre d'Aze nearby, Les Angles idem, La Molina also within sight.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Well one thing has been good most days this season and that's been the visibility.
Another cloudless day in Grandvalira, but cold and the snow stayed hard all day.
Pistes in pretty good condition even with the lack of any new snow and not too busy considering it's the first weekend of the French School Holidays.
Lots of traffic coming up as we were going down so expect it to get busier.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Thank you very much for your helpful advice guys. Think I’m going to probably ask my parents to pick up a child booster seat on the way to Barcelona as including that is a ridiculous 88 euros on top the car hire, about seven times the value of a cheap seat!
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Bareges(Grand Tourmalet) had a late start on Monday due to naff snow (only green/tree run open at 10am), we aborted the visit to go to Luz Ardiden instead, which was the usual ice cube & snow gravel on hard pack start with softer conditions developing according to sunlight. Didn't go up today, but mountains looked pretty naff from Luz given low cloud.
Conclusion: everything appears just like 'end of season' except for slightly cooler temperatures, so wait for fresh snow before venturing into this area. Even so, sunny conditions will still provide an enjoyable days' skiing on what remains - until that snow.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
The last 3 days in Baqueira have felt more like April than February.
Each day more runs were being closed, with the Beret area suffering the worst.
Still some good skiing to had as the snow softens up in the sun, but more brown and bare patches appearing in all 3 areas.
2 weeks away from the mountains for me. Hopefully, a weather change and some snow for when I'm back.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Yet more obstacles put in place for my annual ski trip with Storm Dennis and Easyjet combining to cancel the outbound flight on Sunday to Barcelona, forcing me to rebook the outbound flight to 2 days later- grr!
So after having previously booking accommodation to account for the RN 116 landslide closing the normal access road from my parents' house, going to forfeit 2 of the days and having to book 2 extra days elsewhere so can have more than 2 days skiing....
The 2 extra days are in pretty much the last hotel with rooms in the region, Hotel le Catalan, about 2 miles from Pyrenees 2000/Font Romeu
which hasn't got brilliant reviews but it's a bed and plenty of opportunity to ski during the day! Then we will drive directly back to Barcelona on the last day.
Think I’m going to probably ask my parents to pick up a child booster seat on the way to Barcelona as including that is a ridiculous 88 euros on top the car hire, about seven times the value of a cheap seat!
Just FYI, for future reference, you're allowed bring a child seat for free on any plane journey with a child. Car rental is rip off and if you review Ryanair baggage prices they actually include a charge for these items, but if you're travelling with kids its free. Just in case you didn't know.
Or at least it was free prior to Brexit! Am assuming its one of those pro-consumer rules from our European overlords
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Mm off to Soldeu on 1st March -hopefully it will cool down and snow a bit before then
Baqueira is holding up well, had the cannons on last 2 days in morning, not this morning though.
Feeling a little warm, but perfect for enjoying the sun at the moet bar
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Definitely still v much skiable in the Pyrenees Orientales, some of the more sun exposed runs in Font Romeu and Les Angles are closed but still a good 90%+ of runs open.
Currently staying in the somewhat rustic “Hotel Catalan” at la Cabanasse that was booked at the last minute to extend skiing time after Storm Dennis set back our outbound flight by 48 hrs. However has surprisingly decent food if you choose wisely! Looking forward to half day blast in Espace c’Ambre d’Aze before we head back to Barcelona for a late flight. The important thing is that my children got enough lessons for my 5 year to get hooked on skiing with a bear cub badge at the end and the eldest to get a shiny golden star badge
After all it is free
After all it is free
Rain is forecast in the next couple of days in the Pyrénéan foothills, but the thing is, is that going to be snow up top? And how low will the snow line be?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Got back at the weekend from my first ever visit to Baqueira for my 50th - absolutely loved it. Warm all week so we were restricted to the pistes apart from a bit of spring snow off piste in the afternoons. Very excited to come back with my middle aged free ride crew next season and hopefully get some good snow.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
soldeu last week - so hot monday tuesday, really windy and cold wednesday thursday, friday was lovely!
no new snow but they are doing a great job on the pistes, nearly all open. a bit icy in the am and slushy in the pm, but all good. i was a bit worried before going but was fine.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
A big dump forecast for this week - finally!
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
@AlunAlun, perfect timing
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Arrived in Soldeu last night and it’s been snowing all night
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
I know this is all about the skiing, but took a walk (with guide) around the Pont d'Espagne National Park when in Cauterets at half-term. If you want to mix it up, this is a beautiful way to spend a morning/afternoon (sorry can't seem to get photos to work...!)
If you put '.jpg' on the end of your image urls, then it'll probably fool it into working.
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Tue 3-03-20 14:07; edited 1 time in total
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I spent the backend of last week on a mini tour around a few of the ski areas in Andorra.
Plenty of good skiing across Grandvalira, Pal/Arinsal & Arcalis.
We went to Arcalis to see if the Free Ride World Cup event was going ahead, but the event was postponed due to lack of snow off piste.
That pretty much summed up the skiing. Excellent coverage even lower down in all the areas on piste, nothing much worth looking at off piste.
Good to see from today's live stream the FreeRide event was run in powdery conditions. It looks like the snow has finally come back to the Pyrenees with it forecast to snow for the next few days.
Back to Baqueira later this week for hopefully some long awaited powder turns.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Tue 3-03-20 15:59; edited 1 time in total
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
It's raining pretty heavily in the Pyrénéan lowlands, so should be dumping down up top.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Advice please!
So Sunday is looking like it might be a great day trip opportunity from Barcelona - Friday will see half a metre, followed by a bit more snow but very windy on Saturday. It seems like a perfect day to avoid the fleshpots of Andorra and explore the off-piste at one of the Neiges Catalanes resorts (I’ve only ever been to Font-Romeu, once).
I was thinking Porte-Puymorens as it is closest, and seems to have good off-piste. Les Angles as a back-up.
Seems like there’s been a proper old dumpage. Arinsal closed today due to high winds it seems. Pal webcam shows blue skies and lots of happy people enjoying fresh snow
Praying it keeps this up until I arrive at the end of the month
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
AlunAlun wrote:
Advice please!
The snowboard comp in LA today has been postponed until tomorrow because of the weather.
If I were to go on a voyage of discovery in the Pyrénées orientales with decent snowfall, I'd go to either Formigueres or Cambre d'Aze
After all it is free
After all it is free
News from the west end of the Pyrenees , we had 80cm of snow yesterday and blue skies predicted for tomorrow!!! Unfortunately I can’t get up though, but back to work Monday to sample the pow!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Magnificent day in the eastern Pyrenees today. We didn't get quite as much snow as out west but there was 30cm of lovely powder. We ended up going to Les Angles.
The south face of the Roc d'Aude was technically closed but it didn't look particularly avalanchy in the morning cold, so we risked it and were rewarded with several runs through perfect powder.
By the afternoon the temps had risen and low down the snow was getting mushy. Higher up on the northern end of the resort the powder was still good, though getting quite chopped up and challenging to ski. My thighs were cramping towards the end of the day.
Today looks like there has been a fresh dusting but this week there is a thaw coming, so good conditions for piste cruising in the sun.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Looking at getting away 14-21 March
Andorra resorts showing snowfall Sunday in to Monday. Not sure beyond that, can't see on snow-forecast.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
