 Poster: A snowHead
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Anyone have experience of Baqueira .
They seem to be big on the heli skiing side which is calling to me, and have lots of nice intermediate runs for Mrs Scarbski .
Guessing its somewhere to watch the snow/temps closely and book as late as poss' ?
Skiing in Spain, just doesn't seem right some how 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Baqueira is regarded by many as the best resort in Spain, and has plenty of good off-piste to offer, spread over three rather different sectors. It also has the most reliable snow cover, and aside from the various in-resort itineraries it has a couple of well-known out-of-resort runs down to neighbouring villages which a guide or ski school could show you. (I've seen Baqueira British Ski School be recommended on here, for that.) It could be perfect for your requirements. The valley in which it sits, the Val d'Aran, is lively with a lot of character, and well known for its good food and warm welcome. If you search on here, you'll find a fair bit of discussion; the 2012-13 Pyrenees snow report thread in particular will give you some photos.
I'd definitely recommend looking at the snow and temps, what with this season being complicated so far all across Europe (although Baqueira is doing pretty well). Not sure that there's much in the way of Tour Operator involvement in the Pyrenees outside of Andorra though, so you'll probably want to investigate your DIY options in advance, even if you don't book until later.
I don't know anything about the heli-skiing, but I'm aware of a company called Pyrenees Heliski which operates nearby; perhaps it's the same thing. Another option to consider is Arcalís in Andorra (part of the Vallnord lift pass). The heliskiing is probably the cheapest in Europe, and the off-piste terrain is steeper, and the place is isolated and charming. But the runs are short and the resort is small - and has less to offer for intermediate piste skiers.
If you decide to go for it, drop in on this season's Pyrenees thread to ask for recommendations - and don't forget to post your trip report there afterwards! 
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| Skiing in Spain, just doesn't seem right some how |
You've just stumbled upon a well-kept secret 
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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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Thanks, will let you know how I get on .
and 'mums' the word
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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It's a great area @scarbski, loads of inter-piste off piste as well as the more extreme routes, very underrated as a whole so extremely quiet, uncrowded pistes, great for those who like long well-groomed reds! Even on a busy weekend day lift queues are pretty much non-existent and you can still be making fresh tracks off piste where in other resorts it would be skiied out. I went with Ski Miguel who have a chalet hotel there, the Salana, very good, walking distance to lifts, nice laid back crowd in their 30's 40's and 50's. Two ski guides took out clients each day so your OH would almost certainly have someone to ski with while you're doing your gnarly stuff!
Downsides (for me) were that it's not a 'charming' resort and there's very few mountain huts - but I'm being picky, it's worth going for the skiing. If you want a lively, more traditional village stay in Salardu down the valley, but that would mean a drive up to first lift each day.
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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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Here's a couple of pics to whet your appetite!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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(Yup, Baqueira village itself is least attractive part of the valley, so if you have a car and aren't going on the busy Easter weekend it's better to stay, well, anywhere else!)
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@scarbski, A trip report here including heli pic's
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=1494016&highlight=baqueira#1494016
A lovely Valley and great skiing. If you didn't choose the heli skiing there is a guides office down in Vielha. Alternatively the guys from the BB ski school will be able to show you the ground. The bus services which run up and down the valley are pretty good so a trip down to Salardu is an easy job on the 'night off'. If you drive or go DIY then staying in Salardu (or other villages) is the way to go.
The Heli Ski operation flys out of the Vielha.
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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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@scarbski, I think all but one are Brits, the head guy Tim, is in a few of the pics.
Actually the only photo from the heli trip was the one with the heli in it. The other are either in resort or dropping off the back, out of bounds, down to one of the local villages.
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