The big news so far for the coming winter is the expansion of Baqueira-Beret timed to coincide with their 50th anniversary:
The agonizingly-slow Vista Beret fixed three-seater has been replaced by a detachable four-seater which now boards next to the Jorge Jordana lift and exits a little further than before towards the Dera Reina lift
The highlight amongst the changes is almost certainly the new Saumet draglift which opens up the Saumet shoulder of the Baciver peak. This new sector will have one red piste and three blacks, including one going down into the River Malo valley to end up at the Moët bar in Orri. But of course, it'll open up a ton of off-piste on that side of that valley, just as Escornacrabes does on the other side.
A bunch of rather unnecesary-looking extra blues have been added on the Vista Beret slope down to the Pla de Beret.
The two most far-flung and peaceful official itineraries have been converted into pistes: Gerber in Bonaigua is now a black, and Barlongueta in Beret is now two reds.
Similarly, a number of other classic off-piste routes are now black pistes: the run that heads skier's left off Manaud into the secret valley that ends up in the top half of the Argulls valley floor; the traverse from the top of the Tuc de la Llança drag that runs above the Montanyó piste (and leads to the one-time official itinerary known as Lo Boscas), presumably with the aim of facilitating access to the steep slopes that drop down to Montanyó; the run from the exit of the Teso dera Mina chair down towards Port de la Bonaigua; the alternative that's skier's right of the Perdiu piste in the Peülla sector, that cuts out the awful flat bit of blue that runs underneath (this is a red); and the steep line known as Pasarell down the north-west face of the Cara Nord zone, that starts off from the Luis Arias black and runs straight down to the Moët bar, from where there's a grandstand view (this one must the the Marketing Director's favourite!)
All in all, there are 21 new pistes (reducing the number of official itineraries from 5 to 3), giving a total of 153km.... Baqueira is now Spain's biggest lift-linked resort and the second biggest in the southern Europe (behind Grandvalira in Andorra)!
Thanks for posting. Hope to visit one day as it seems as a great place!
(seems a bit odd adding a new drag lift nowadays, but maybe makes sense if it is mainly to serve black runs or off piste, would you know how long it is?)
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?
Tom W wrote:
Thanks for posting. Hope to visit one day as it seems as a great place!
(seems a bit odd adding a new drag lift nowadays, but maybe makes sense if it is mainly to serve black runs or off piste, would you know how long it is?)
How about Costarias drag lift on the very left of the piste map? Would anyone know how long and how friendly for hmmmm......boarders? Seems to serve lots of runs........
Pyremaniac, there is also a map of snowmaking and looks like the right side of piste map is not covered at all. Is that true and how would that affect the cover there?
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Pyremaniac, Cheers for the update. Looking forward to skiing the new Saumet lines. Good that Pasarell is included again(?) and presumably avi controlled. A nice line.
>>the traverse from the top of the Tuc de la Llança drag that runs above the Montanyó piste (and leads to the one-time official itinerary known as Lo Boscas), presumably with the aim of facilitating access to the steep slopes that drop down to Montanyó;
So Lo Boscas is still out of bounds? I'm gutted to have missed it when it was official. I recall us trying to find it but ended up following the traverse around to the road side and skiing a line off there. Unfortunately the sun had got to it so not very pleasant.
Thanks for posting. Hope to visit one day as it seems as a great place!
(seems a bit odd adding a new drag lift nowadays, but maybe makes sense if it is mainly to serve black runs or off piste, would you know how long it is?)
To deter beginners and boarders
Yeah, deterring beginners is one of the happy side-effects, as the resort sees it. (Any snowboarder who is deterred by this draglift is also a beginner! There aren't many snowboarders in Baqueira, but those that are generally know how to ride.)
The real reason is because of the frequent high winds that cross the summit, which the resort studied and decided would cause too many days of closure if a chairlift were used.
The lift will be relatively short, and quite steep.
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Mon 20-10-14 23:52; edited 1 time in total
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Tom W wrote:
How about Costarias drag lift on the very left of the piste map? Would anyone know how long and how friendly for hmmmm......boarders? Seems to serve lots of runs........
Actually, this one's a bit of a bügger! It's a T-bar (which in itself makes things a bit awkward for snowboarders when there's nobody on the other side of the pole), and part of the track goes downhill! Skiers don't even notice since their snowplough is automatic... but on a snowboard we have to push against the pole to stop ourselves sliding ahead of the lift! It's also long and slow, and (like the Tuc de la Llança button lifts) does an annoying dog leg that tries to wipe us into the pylon. All in all, a hassle to get to and a hassle to use, but I can't deny that it does open up some nice open and long terrain.
Quote:
Pyremaniac, there is also a map of snowmaking and looks like the right side of piste map is not covered at all. Is that true and how would that affect the cover there?
They haven't updated that map from last year, and indeed there was no snowmaking on Peülla. I can't comment on whether that was historically a problem, since the last few seasons have been great and Peülla has been repeatedly dumped on. But this season they've installed cannons on a couple of the pistes there. I'm not best pleased about that; one of the things that made the Bonaigua sector (and in particular, Peülla) special was the lack of junk and accompanying orange crash mats on the pistes. (Pity about the two parallel lines of electricity pylons that cross the mountain there... but it if wasn't for that "prior industrialization" they wouldn't have been granted permission to extend the resort over to Peülla in the first place!)
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Mon 20-10-14 23:56; edited 3 times in total
After all it is free
After all it is free
AndAnotherThing.. wrote:
Pyremaniac, Cheers for the update. Looking forward to skiing the new Saumet lines. Good
that Pasarell is included again(?) and presumably avi controlled. A nice line.
Yeah! So it used to be a piste? Interesting. I'm a sucker for ski resort history! I hope they haven't mown down the little cluster of trees that blocks the entrance to the steep bit. Surely anyone good enough to ski Pasarell is good enough to push past a couple of trees.
Talking of which, it's impossible to piste Pasarell, so that gives me hope that all the other fun stuff that are now black pistes will rightly remain unpisted forever. Avvy controlled for sure (just as were the old itineraries, or at least as legend has it), but now presumably marked too. In other words, with luck a lot of the new pistes just carry on being the same runs as they always were, but the resort's piste map and piste ratings now looks a lot more meaty.
Quote:
Pyremaniac wrote:
the traverse from the top of the Tuc de la Llança drag that runs above the Montanyó piste (and leads to the one-time official itinerary known as Lo Boscas), presumably with the aim of facilitating access to the steep slopes that drop down to Montanyó;
So Lo Boscas is still out of bounds?
Yeah, I don't get the feeling they'll reopen it. The exit to the road crosses some fairly avalanchy terrain, so my guess is that they couldn't guarantee its safety. And the fact of having to unclip and cross the road probably itself throws up a health-and-safety issue these days that they can't be bothered with.
Quote:
I'm gutted to have missed it when it was official. I recall us trying to find it but ended up following the traverse around to the road side and skiing a line off there.
Cool, that's a nice alternative. Actually, I found Lo Boscàs to be a PITA with the snowboard! Instead some of the guys we hung out with occasionally on Peülla showed us to climb the little peak of Tuc de la Cigalera and ride down its ridge to the road. (The ridge separates your route from Lo Boscàs.) That was a fun route, so I don't think I'll be bothering with Lo Boscàs again until my skiing gets good enough to attempt it on two planks!
Quote:
Unfortunately the sun had got to it so not very pleasant.
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Pyremaniac wrote:
Yeah! So it used to be a piste? Interesting. I'm a sucker for ski resort history! I hope they haven't mown down the little cluster of trees that blocks the entrance to the steep bit. Surely anyone good enough to ski Pasarell is good enough to push past a couple of trees.
I recall seeing it listed as the last 'guided' run of the week on an old wall chart in the office of a Chalet there, so it's possible it was an itinerary rather than a piste. I was quite surprised to see it there !
I'm due back in Baqueira over half tern and should be free skiing the following week. If you want to hook up that would be cool. I'll be with a guy who'll give you all the history of the place.
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AndAnotherThing.. wrote:
I'm due back in Baqueira over half tern and should be free skiing the following week. If you want to hook up that would be cool. I'll be with a guy who'll give you all the history of the place.
I'm going to be spending this season in Cerler, but I'll be visiting Baqueira a couple of times for sure; would be great to time that with your trip so that we can meet up! Let's keep in touch about it.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Baqueira have published a video showing the layout of their new lifts:
Possibly, the scene at 0:03 is of the old Vista Beret lift (and hence shows skiers returning from Saumet to Vista Beret), and I think the scene at 0:05 is taken from the higher part of Saumet looking down towards the River Malo valley, and hence we're looking at the great-looking new long black.
I'm pretty certain that the climbers at 0:10 are hiking up Baciver (above the Saumet shoulder) on the ridge that's easily seen at 0:21, and that the coulour at 0:55 is the canal that comes down the "corner" of Saumet towards Orri, that can be seen from the Vista Beret lift. (The "corner" that I described in one of my trip reports from the 2012-13 thread.)
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.
Pyremaniac wrote:
Tom W wrote:
How about Costarias drag lift on the very left of the piste map? Would anyone know how long and how friendly for hmmmm......boarders? Seems to serve lots of runs........
Actually, this one's a bit of a bügger! It's a T-bar (which in itself makes things a bit awkward for snowboarders when there's nobody on the other side of the pole), and part of the track goes downhill! Skiers don't even notice since their snowplough is automatic... but on a snowboard we have to push against the pole to stop ourselves sliding ahead of the lift! It's also long and slow, and (like the Tuc de la Llança button lifts) does an annoying dog leg that tries to wipe us into the pylon. All in all, a hassle to get to and a hassle to use, but I can't deny that it does open up some nice open and long terrain.
Thanks for replying. Maybe they will upgrade it one day then
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
There's another major improvement for the upcoming season, this time at Porté-Puymorens in the eastern French Pyrenees. They've replaced the 50-year-old fixed wooden two-seater (I kid you not!) that takes you from the village up to Fontfrède - it's now a modern four-seater (fixed but with loading conveyor) with four times more skiers-per-hour capacity. That change is accompanied by two new green pistes and corresponding drag lift.
They've also installed a viewing platform which overhangs the towering Fontfrède cliffs towards the La Mine sector and Andorra, from which it'll be possible to watch some extreme skiing from directly above. (On my one and only visit, last year, I was taken aback by the standard of some of the skiers on those steep couloirs there! Motivating stuff - especially when I was being well and truly challenged by the black piste nearby; certainly the steepest piste I've encountered so far on my travels around the Pyrenees, although I guess the new status of Baqueira's Pasarell as a black piste is in the same ballpark.)
This is a fantastic development for this peaceful, unassuming, wild, passive-aggressive little resort which was on the point of going under just a couple of years ago. Whilst Puigmal sank under its debt, and the Catalan government had to take over Vallter and provide a couple of significant low-interest loans to Boí-Taüll, Porté has managed to push on, spending its money wisely or not at all (since even with the replacement lift, there are still two ancient wooden two-seaters that together form the agonizing yet beautiful 20-minute journey up to the top of La Mine) and eking out a sustainable business in this valley. And despite the investments, they've kept the lift pass price at €29 making this resort one of the most affordable in the Pyrenees. Truly a gem of the Neiges Catalanes.
Last edited by 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 on Thu 30-10-14 15:34; edited 1 time in total
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
I've just started receiving Snow Forecast reports of snow due in the Pyrenees. Hopefully, the start of another good snow season. I already have a few trips planned, including a couple to Baqueria, and it will be interesting to see the terrain opened up with the changes to the lift system from my visits last season.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
The first proper snowfall of the season fell last night and today across the whole of the Pyrenees!
Here's the webcam image from Cerler in the central Spanish Pyrenees:
As usual, Masella is hoping to be the first to open; they've pencilled in the 15th. Many resorts are planning to start up on the 29th.
Not long to wait!
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
In other news for this season, Masella has added snowmaking to the La Pia and the Coms de Das sectors, thus guaranteeing skiing in every sector of the resort. A new red piste has been cut through the woods in the Coms de Das sector, and various piste widening and flattening operations have been undertaken over there, which has generated some backlash from people who appreciated the wilder aspect that that sector offered.
They're also introducing a bus service from Barcelona (thus finally competing with their neighbour La Molina which for years has offered a day package based around the train from Barcelona (but which doesn't include Masella despite the fact that the two resorts are lift-linked and offer a joint pass; La Molina is publicly owned and managed by the Catalan nationalized train service, whereas Masella has always been a private enterprise, and relations between them have always been prickly even after they started offering a joint pass).
Their most unusual novelty for this season is the introduction of a ski clothes hire service - the only one in the Pyrenees!
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
What would you recommend for 4 days of skiing in early Jan? Cerler, Boi Taull or Formigal? Baqueira is a too far drive for us.
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?
@Pyremaniac, how long is the bus ride from Barcelona to Masella? I am in Barcelona early Dec so was considering going to Soldeu as it was the only one I thought would be open with a bus link!!
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@Pyremaniac, how long is the bus ride from Barcelona to Masella? I am in Barcelona early Dec so was considering going to Soldeu as it was the only one I thought would be open with a bus link!!
@kitenski, my guess is that Masella would be an hour quicker than Soldeu. Masella takes 2 hours by car if you go through the painfully expensive Cadí Tunnel (which the bus will do), so I guess 2.5 hours by bus?
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@Pyremaniac, thanks, will keep an eye on this thread then as to who is open, best snow etc
After all it is free
After all it is free
i looks like a warm week ahead for the western pyrenees. plenty of snow right now but i will be surprised if we get a november opening this year....
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raymann wrote:
i looks like a warm week ahead for the western pyrenees. plenty of snow right now but i will be surprised if we get a november opening this year....
I would agree, its been warm so far this week in the Hautes Pyrenees, freezing overnight but just. Im hoping the wet weather coming through on monday/tuesday will bring a little more snow!
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any news of any openings this weekend?
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
After an early start to the last two seasons, it looks like we're stuck with a re-run of 2011 this year. Whilst Sierra Nevada has managed to get things going already, us in the Pyrenees are still waiting on the weather. There's been plenty of precipitation but unfortunately it's just been far too warm recently!
The good news is that the cold weather looks to be setting in now, but there's a lack of precipitation forecast for the next couple of days. It starts to look more positive nearer the weekend, with snow currently given for Thursday through to Saturday... that would make a great last-minute rescue of the Spanish bank holiday weekend.
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.
really interested of hearing any resort openings in the western pyrenees!
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
@Pyremaniac, Have fun inn Cerler, I love it there. I might try and get to Spain in March to get a bit more skiing in!
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
It looks good for the Eastern Pyrenees in the next couple of days.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Would love to be able to comment on the Western Pyrenees but I haven't seen the mountains for the last week or so due to rain and clouds hiding them from view! Hopefully heading up this weekend so fingers crossed there'll be some snow by then!
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
glp9 wrote:
@Pyremaniac, Have fun inn Cerler, I love it there. I might try and get to Spain in March to get a bit more skiing in!
Thanks! It still feels weird embarking on a season in a resort that I've never even skied in before, but I've visited it in summer and it looks great, and many people whose opinion I trust have told me it is (which is what leads me to try it out this year), just as you have! I'm heading up there for Friday, since it looks likely that they'll open something then.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Talking of Friday openings, the Pyrenees' highest resort, Boil Taüll, is looking in great shape at the moment; they're the first to confirm their opening date as being this weekend, and there'll be good conditions above 2200m (which is a totally reasonable proposition for a resort whose base station lies above 2000m!) Arcalís in Andorra has also confirmed, although with fewer kilometers available. Baqueira say they'll try, as I imagine will many others... but for my money, I'd be off to Boí - but I'll settle for Cerler which will also have respectable conditions it seems. The forecasts are still giving snow from Thursday onwards, so fingers crossed!
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?
@mark_ski_MTB, keep us informed of the state of the western Pyrenees; sadly it's the part of the range that gets the least coverage on here!
@Pyremaniac, Yes I will do, my intention is to try and get up to one of the n-py (www.n-py.com.fr) resorts each weekend this season whenever possible. I had planned to head to one this weekend but it's looking like they've all delayed their openings till the 13th December due to lack of snow. Do you know if the Spanish resorts of Baqueira / Cerler / Boi Taull will definitely be open this weekend and if they are - will they be worth it with the snow conditions ? (I have a couple of mates coming over hoping to do some skiing)
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Baqueira is still unconfirmed, but both Boí and Cerler will have some runs open (more in Boí). Grandvalira in Andorra has announced 35km of pistes for the weekend, with the connection between Pas de la Casa and Grau Roig running - the biggest opening of the weekend I believe. Even so, that still doesn't steal Boí's thunder in my book, what with a ton of people with bookings at Baqueira's Val d'Aran no doubt taking advantage of the fact that Boí is just down the road.
I wouldn't go out of my way to visit Baqueira this weekend, and probably not for Cerler either if it implied a journey... I think Boí's where it's at.
Snowing on and off for most of the day here in the Central Pyrenees with wet snow down to 600m. With falling temperatures and more snow forecast for both Monday and Tuesday, and with the snow cannons running full on, it is looking positive for our resorts to open next weekend.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Baqueira Beret have opened their season this weekend following yesterdays snow and are reporting 25 pistes open just in time for the Spanish holidays.
After all it is free
After all it is free
With more snow forecast overnight and tomorrow as well as over the weekend both Superbagneres and Peyragudes will also be opening.
Baqueira now has 35 runs open with 35cm on the lower slopes and 80cm on the upper slopes.
Turning colder again tomorrow for a short while so everyone will be running their snow canons at full belt.
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Well, it was a complicated bank holiday weekend across the Pyrenees! The two Andorran resorts got in first, along with little Vallter - all opening on Friday, with Grandvalira having the most comprehensive offering. On Saturday, Boí Taüll joined them with good conditions, but Cerler wasn't able to beat the winds and so had to postpone until Sunday; Baqueira opened some runs on the Cara Nord for season pass holders only. On Sunday, Cerler opened for a couple of hours, and was joined by a number of other newcomers including Masella. And Monday was the best day, with Masella being the first resort to open their full vertical descent, and Grandvalira giving everyone else a beating with an offering of 120km of pistes - by far the most impressive of the weekend.
There was a decent snowfall overnight, but strong winds have been causing mayhem in the Central Pyrenees, such as in Cerler, Boí and to a lesser extent Baqueira and Andorra. Let's see how much snow still remains on the mountain for the weekend. Cerler has closed until then, and the others have wound down. Fingers crossed for Friday!
Ski the Net with snowHeads
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Grandvalira looking nice and snowy this morning on the webcams.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
Seems to serve lots of runs........
