Grandvalira - Best sector for Ski school?

A snowHead

Travelling for Feb half term to Andorra for first time, with 4 kids (2 experienced skiers, 2 newbies), we are staying in La Massana but want to ski in GV rather than Vallnord. Any recommendations on which sector is best to access the resort and book the ski lessons from for the the 2 youngest. We will be driving each morning and I know Encamp will be the first resort we come to but would it be better to drive a bit further and access in either Canillo or El Tarter? I'm not sure where the ski lessons take place, nor where the best parking is (ideally free parking).

any advice gratefully appreciated

A snowHead

There are large free surface car parks at El Tarter & Grau Roig, but can't help with ski schools, sorry!

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

10 years since we were in Andorra stopped in El Tarter - All went to ski school at top of El tarter ski lift, english speaking really good value with great staff and as Luigi said large free car park at that time.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Second top of either El Tarter lift or top of Soldeu gondola, I think the English speaking school is spread over both sites. They had a great experienced skier group, we were lucky to be in the middle of a dump and got great tips on how to manage powder and moguls with style. And if you wanted to park in El Tarter but the ski class
was at the top of the Soldeu gondola it’s just one extra fast chair once at the top of the El Tarter gondola to get over there.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

GV always make an effort to get native English speakers as instructors.
ET gondola drops you 50m above the ski school. I think I’d prefer Soldeu as a learning place, seems flatter and more sympathetic for real beginners. (Edit) Both have a magic carpet. Soldeu just 5 mins past ET on the same road. Make sure you ask for the English school, in ET they are based in the same building but via a side door, I don’t know about Soldeu.

You'll need to Register first of course.

All 3 of my children learned to ski in GV,
Use either the Soldeu or El Tarter ski schools, both are very catered to english speakers & run by Gordon, an English guy since the 80s.
El Tarter has a big, gentle sloping area behind the ski school, possibly a little better for beginners than Soldeu but all 3 of mine started at 3 yrs old at Soldeu no problems.
Both ski schools are at mid stations so you need to take a godola or chair up to them, probably cheaper & easier to park at El Tarter which is the first you will come to as you drive up the valley from Arcalis.
You can access GV from Encamp or Canillo but can't ski down to them.
My advice would be to park at the big, open air car park at El Tarter, get the gondola up & use the El Tarter Ski School.
It is very busy first thing Monday morning at half term so get there early. It quietens down after Monday.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

El tarter car park and beginners field circled,hopefully white at the moment

After all it is free

Firstly your skipass now covers all areas, assuming that you get something like the GV+ pass.

Given that you don't want to go to Arinsal or Parl, which both have a good ski schools and learning slopes, your best bet is going to be El Tarter (as per @tangowaggon). The Gondola gets you up to a learning area and you can ski all the way down to the car park on a gentle blue run (or the beautfiful black l'Aliga for the experienced ones when it is open Very Happy

).

Thanks all - decided on El Tarter and lessons are booked!

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Enjoy! But I would debate the assertion of @ysb33r about the gentle blue back down, at least for beginners on the first few days. Esquirol has several pitches which seem worryingly steep for beginners, while the other longer one (forgot the name) is a narrow road, not steep but appearing too narrow for beginners to calmly traverse or slow down, so they just straightline to terminal velocity… ask me how I know…

Id suggest to download for 2-3 days, then try it mid morning with softened snow, but not later in the day when everyone has mogulled it, and definitely not at 4pm when the whole hill wants to get home at the end of the day, whatever their skill level!

If you are not aware, look for Espunyes ski shop in ET on the left as you drive up, lots of bargains, and the excellent grilled meat restaurant opposite.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Thanks - the rest of the group are experienced skiers so we will do a quick recce of runs before we try any with the younger ones… appreciate the advice

Is parking easy at ET?

snow reports

@shortname73!, yes parking is very easy usually. It might be a bit trickier at half term though so you’ll need to get out early just in case.

I agree with @Orange200, go to Espunyes to hire kit. Probably the cheapest place in Andorra and the kit is usually good quality.

You know it makes sense.

@hammerite, it never occurred to me to hire kit there, I was thinking more of clothing bargains. We hire ours online and pick it up from the shop literally on the slope by the chairlift. The plus side of that is they have overnight lockers so absolutely no shlepping to/from in ski boots. Collect skis, walk 10m to snow, clip in, 5m to chair Little Angel

I guess the one thing with the OP is that means a 30m walk uphill from the gondola at the end of the day.

Another tip; I found the trattoria by the ski school building excellent for lunches. But do get there before 1255, as the world and his wife arrives at 1pm. That means when lessons finish, run for it. I think actually you can reserve tables.

And switch off mobiles and data roaming when you get to Andorra or they’ll strip 50 quid off you in minutes! Most mountain cafes have Wi-Fi, use that.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@Orange200, I think it’s €45, €65 and €120 to hire skis, sticks and boots for the week from Espunyes for the three different levels. It clearly helps to have a car because it’s a bit of a trek otherwise.

I have a bunch of mates who have hired the basic skis, sticks and boots for the season (first year of living here) for the princely sum of €145!

A snowHead

Any reason why you dont want to ski in PAL or Arinsal I should know about? I ask because were going to stay in La Massana and ski that area this year just for a change from the Pas De La Casa usual destination?

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Having had 6 years of ski school there I can say El Tarter is favourite. Good nursery and beginners pistes, fab instructors and either English or fluent in English so no language barriers. Also Le B’arset is good for an after ski beer.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

I agree with @Orange200 re Esquirol towards the end of the day. When we got better we always took the black Aliga down to avoid the carnage. The other blue down, Gal de Bosc, is definitely nicer. And if you go to Espunyes you must must must go to the supermarket. There’s always a tipple and meat on offer to try and if you want a full size cow statue or a copper still it’s the place for you!

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

We were in El Tartar two years ago. The instructor we used said he thought Soldeu was preferable for teaching beginners, the layout worked better for progression, the gradients were better and the lift assess more appropriate/easier.

You'll need to Register first of course.

Help!!

Grandvalira - Best sector for Ski school?

snowHeads Forum Index >>> The Piste