 Poster: A snowHead
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Planning to go skiing in the spanish pyrenees in first week of Jan for 4 days.
Have been looking at Cerler or Boi Taull. We are a small group of good skiers.
which one is best for a few days of skiing this early in the season or can anyone recommend
Another place in the area.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Haven't been to either of these areas but If i were you I would go to Baqueira Beret or Formigal.
Both are good sized areas,Formigal has a really modern lift system.Baqueira has extended its terrain for this season and has had incredible amounts of snow the last three years.Was there feb 2012 and had a metre of snow in two days.
There are a number of 5 star hotels which you will be able to pick up in january for a fraction of the price you would pay in the alps.
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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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I would agree with Angus for the Spanish side. But as I live in a resort on the French side I have to put in a good word for the North facing side of the Pyrenees too... The biggest resorts are Grand Tourmalet, St Lary and Peyregudes, cheaper with modern lift systems and good mix of terrain. Head for the Pic du Midi de Bigorre if you after good off-piste
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Driving from Madrid why we are considering the spanish side. Both Formigal, Cerler and Boi Tau are slightly closer. My main concerning is the snow availability...
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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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Have done formigal from madrid ,long drive, think it took 5 hours but it's closer then Cerler.You can also do a day In Panticosa .They are really close.Snow should be ok in january.If you live in madrid you can do Val desqui or Puerto navacerrada if theres snow this winter.
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@Sweetski, welcome to SnowHeads!
That's an interesting couple of resorts to choose between; I'd hazard a guess that even a fair few Spanish skiers haven't heard of them! Both are medium size, with Boí-Taüll being somewhat smaller than Cerler.
I'm not sure many people from Madrid would choose Boí over Baqueira merely on the basis of saving 30 minutes; they are utterly different resorts and the decision should be taken based on other tastes and requirements. Boí is untamed and unpretentious with many fewer services but is isolated and offers a crowd-free back-in-time experience but with some good chairlifts; whilst Baqueira is one of the big players in the Pyrenees and likes to present itself as upmarket, although in practice you can pay attention to that as much or as little as you please. Boí would be an eclectic choice between those two - but maybe you're already aware of and comfortable with that, given the two resorts you originally picked out to compare. (I like Boí rather a lot, by the way!)
Cerler is the geographical heart of the Pyrenees, with views right over the highest peaks of the range. It's fairly extensive and varied, and I know many good skiers who say it's their favourite resort of the Spanish Pyrenees. The neighbouring town of Benasque, where most people stay due to better services and much better evening life, is lively and just 5-10 minutes' drive away, and gives a more "self-contained" feeling than Baqueira's Val d'Aran. (Boí has no town to speak of at all, and has no piste-side accommodation.) Personally I think that Cerler is the better choice unless Boí is specifically the kind of get-away-from-it experience you're looking for.
Formigal-Panticosa, which are linked by a free bus this year, form an area which is as extensive as Baqueira, and people tell me it's a lot like Grandvalira in Andorra, including in terms of auxiliary services and après. I've heard it's got quite mellow terrain - although it seems to have plenty of blacks on the piste map!
There'll be snow in all of the resorts, although for off-piste I'd say Baquiera is more reliable than Cerler which is more reliable than Boí; and I can't comment on Formigal. (The area around Cerler can receive huge storms, but can suffer from strong winds.) As has been mentioned, the western French Pyrenees are also an option from Madrid, and get great snowfall too.
What dates in January are you going? If it's for the Reyes long weekend and you're doing the trip on the standard start and finish days then be prepared for horrible traffic snarl-ups, which affect Baqueira more than any other of the Spanish resorts mentioned so far on this thread.
To narrow it down further you'll need to give more criteria, but you won't be disappointed if you opt for Cerler out of your initial choice.
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Thanx for the Advice. We will be leaving on Jan 2nd and heading back on Jan 7th, so I guess we should expect some traffic. Baqueira accomodation is a lot more expensive than Cerler and I'm not sure it's worth it. Have skied most of France, Arabba, Gressoney ( one of my favorites) and Whistler but never visited the Pyrenees. With relatives in Madrid we decided to do a combo this year. We want some good skiing and good food. Party is not in focus. sounds like Cerler might be a good choice.
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In which case, I think Cerler might be right up your street! I'll be based there this season, so keep an eye on the Pyrenees thread in the Snow Reports forum for regular updates on the conditions there.
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