 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all, long time lurker here 
I'm a beginner/intermediate skiier, I went to Tignes in Jan for a week and had the time of my life, a few of my friends got me to parrell turns and I was happily doing the blues and most of the reds within a few days.
The GF is literally just starting to learn up at Hemelhempsted 'The Snow Centre' and we are looking to go away on Jan 12th 2014 (So she is starting to learn around the same time away from the holiday as I did last year!)
At the moment I am looking at a 2 Adult deal with Neilson to Xalet Casale, El Tarter for 7 nights, catered chalet £1300 (thats with 2 lift passes, ski&boot hire for her and ski hire for me!)
Any experiences of Xalet Casale or the resort? I'm new to looking at resort maps etc, as everyone else did this for me last year! Hopefully we can get some good newbie snow!
Mostly be doing piste skiing, maybe some of the off piste surrounding the runs
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Iv been to Andorra either 4 or 5 times (twice to pas and twice or three times to soldeu), i cant really remember as its a bit of a blur. I went to pas when i was 9/10 years old and soldeu the few years after. It is a great ski area. Rather high with plenty of snow cannon coverage. From sol or el tarter there are a few lifts to the main ski area. A bubble from each and a slow chair from each. It is often worth jumping on the slower chair first thing in the morning depending on the que (even with the que it never took overly long (10 mins max id say)). It is a huge ski area with plenty of long sweeping blues as well as some very good reds and blacks. If anything its probably a touch short on blacks. Id say the runs on the pas and west (as you look at the piste map) grau roig side are the busiest, but if you took the long sweeping runs round the outside they where often empty. In terms of apres ski pas is more lively than soldeu. In the 4 or 5 times iv been we only ever had one bad year with snow, which i believe was the time we went for christmas so still early season but again the snow cannons where all blasting away and id say 40/50% of runs where open. One year (late jan or possibly feb half term) we lost a day and a half (came back after an hour on the first day and resort was later shut at lunch and the the second day was fully shut) due to a huge snow dump. But the conditions for the next few days where the best iv experienced.
I am now looking at going back with mates now im older and would highly recomend the place. Just avoid european holidays if you can.
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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?
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Hey mate, I've been to Andorra a good few times over the last few years. Girlfriend loved it, she is a good intermediate level now. I took her to tignes for her second week on snow and most of the runs there terrified her!
The grandvalira are is huge, there are no super steep or any really scary runs but enough to keep most people happy for a week and a great area I'd say for confidence boosting. Whole area has good lifts and there are cannons everywhere for poor snow times.
El Tarter it's self has a bit going on a couple of lively bars etc, it's also very cheap! Food on the mountain is very poor, all junk food snack style with the exception of a nice barbeque that does steaks, burgers, baked potatoes etc just above else tarter.
I've always booked diy via hotelopia, they normally have deals for accomm that include ski passes, half board, hire etc. Works out very cheap compared to a package.
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Another thumbs up here for Andorra! I went to Soldeu 2 years ago for my first ski trip and it's a great place to learn. Lots of beginner friendly blues which are typically well groomed. Even after a just a couple of days of skiing there was a lovely long blue that I was capable of skiing, from the top of the mountain back into Soldeu and then along to El-Tarter - a nice long ski without anything too scary on the way 
Loads of snow cannons so you won't be lacking snow if nature doesn't provide. And Soldeu is also a good night out too!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Screamface, when are you thinking of going? Not speaking from personal experience but I'm sure I've heard/read on here that Andorra snow comes a bit later, so really good in March bit risky in January.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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You heard wrong Gämsbock, another vote for Andorra- great place for beginners/ early intermediates. Good, affordable lessons too- take advantage of them!
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Nadenoodlee, I stand corrected. I did hear all of this too,
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great place for beginners/ early intermediates. Good, affordable lessons too
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Ideal place to learn to ski for lots of reasons. Great value on and off piste food, great food, great wine and beer.. Snow and resorts easily good enough. Actually lots of snow.
Went with my 2 eldest kids the season before last at Feb half term- expecting to hate it- quite the opposite.
We stayed in Arinsal- which is probably best for beginners / intermediates with less than 5-6 weeks skiing but from where you can get the bus to Arcalis which is a gem of loft accessed free ride unlisted loveliness.
Go for it!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I've spent many a long weekend in Andorra in the past, and I'll be in El Tarter for the winter this year. Everything everyone's said so far is spot on, including the fact that in the Pyrenees we quite often have an anticyclone in the first half of January that means higher temperatures and no snow dumps. But that's only an issue for off-piste addicts; there's no issue for on-piste beginner/intermediates because there'll already be plenty of snow on the ground and the resorts are heavily supported by snow cannons. And in any case, Grandvalira is big with loads of terrain suitable for starting off-piste pretty safely, and there's bound to be some fresh somewhere.
The ski schools, with lots of Brit instructors, have an excellent reputation there too.
You'll have a blast! (Get yourself over to the Pla del les Pedres valley for the natural twisty blue half-pipe piste and the great red piste of the same name.)
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Thank you ALL for being so helpful, I'm definitely going to do this
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