 Poster: A snowHead
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Went out today. It was snowing a decent amount but visibility was pretty poor which made it hard going. My OH commented that she’s ready for spring now. She thinks we should be skiing in bright sunshine until 14:00 and then sat on the terrace in t-shirts with a beer by now.
@Jonathan Bell, Are you in Grandvalira? There’s actually quite a bit between the pistes. I like the bowl around Pla de Les Pedres (either side)/Asaladors chair. Look out for wooden gateways branded Black Diamond. These go into freeride areas. Some are just alongside pistes and lead back on further down, some go into wooded areas, some are steep chutes and some just head off into nowhere where a hike might be required to get back out. Scope some out before entering. https://www.grandvalira.com/en/resort/freeride
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@hammerite, thanks for the tips. I’m staying in Anyos so probably closest to the lift in Massana. We will have a at so will check out all areas.
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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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@Jonathan Bell, in that case, Arcalis is best for freeride. Do you have a car? Or does the place you're staying in (Anyos Park?) run a shuttle there?
Pal Arinsal is quite limited for freeride but there's an area below Col de la Botella to play in, plus some other areas under or near to the Cubil lift.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@hammerite,  am looking forwards to it.
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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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Snowing again tonight.
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@hammerite, great to hear. 
How's the piste holding up?
I've been looking at high France and Italy for next week but the Pyrenees have come into scope. I would be there a week today.
It looks like there has been plenty snow and the forecast is quite cold. Am I correct that the outlook is good?
I've never been to Andorra but have been to Baqueira a couple of times.
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@sean1967, conditions are excellent at the moment. There’s probably more snow on the pistes than I’ve ever seen in Andorra since I’ve been here. The forecast for the next few days is snow on and off and remaining cool yet April is only a week away.
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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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@sean1967, staying in Andorra La Vella is a perfectly feasible plan. It means that you can get to ski Pal/Arinsal or Arcalis easy enough too.
However, if you plan on skiing from Encamp most days, why not stay in Encamp? I understand hotels are good value and there’s a free shuttle bus that goes around the town up to the Funicamp. There’s not loads going on in Encamp but there are a couple of bars/restaurants. It only takes 10-15 mins to get the bus into ALV if you want to go there for an evening. Likewise, you’re then only 20 mins or so from Soldeu if you want to head up there for a beer. If you want to ski Pal/Arinsal or Arcalis it’s probably just as quick to drive there from Encamp as it is ALV (much slower on the bus though).
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I'm there next week too, was going to stay in la villa for same reasons, but got a cheap deal in arinsal, there is the l6 bus ,8am from bus station to arcalis, passes through la massana, will do a day on that, also for anyone staying in arinsal there is a free bus to grandvalira on Wednesdays and one to arcalis on Thursdays,I'm there solo too, if you fancy a ski give me a message, cheers.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Gitty, you can get a bus from La Massana throughout the morning any day to Ordino and then transfer onto a free shuttle bus from Ordino to Arcalis… just in case you miss the 8am bus.
Also check the free buses to Grandvalira and Arcalis on Wednesday and Thursday respectively, you might still have to book a seat even though it’s free.
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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.
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Cheers, yes imbooked on link from arcalis website, did the piste from arinsal to pas get done, it's been 2 years since I was there?
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@Gitty, do you mean Arinsal to Pal? No it hasn’t been done yet. It’s kind of gone quiet considering it was supposed to be ready by 26/27.
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You know it makes sense.
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Sorry yes pal,
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I note there's a few runs/lifts closed in Grandvalira at the mo- about 168 out of 215 km skiable pistes accessible. Is that because of avalanche risk stabilisation still needed post snowfall (can't imagine it is a lack of snow!) or do they close areas towards the end of the season?
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Poster: A snowHead
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It can change day to day. They might be saving some money by running certain lifts which closes down an area (still skiable if you can get to it!). Also towards the end of the season in March there'll be a bunch of lifties who have built up holiday entitlement and are being forced to take the days off because they won't get paid extra! They'll take the holiday now because they might not be working in April or being told to take it before the easter holidays/end of season.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Not just lifts that are closed - some of the restaurants were also closed today, to our surprise. I assume they will open again to cater for weekenders.
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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 think they appear to have closed the Peretol sector which is fair enough but a bit annoying if I can't get to do quite a lot of decent reds and blacks in the Grau Roig, Canillo Pas de la Casa sector when I get there- those runs off the Montmalus skilift and Jordi Angles are some of my favourites!
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@Dr. Will, Peretol closure is just the sunset park I think. You’ll be able to get to Pas/Grau no problem.
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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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Looking v pretty on the webcams currently now the latest storm has cleared, top of El Tarter is looking like a high altitude French Tarantaise resort in a good season! Never known the quoted snow depths for Soldeu to be 200-230 before!
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@Dr. Will, skied all sectors apart from Canillo today. Good snow on piste. Off piste very crusty early on turning heavy. It does look like some lifts have closed for the season but they’re ones that can be avoided.Assaladors is one that’s a bit frustrating that it’s closed. The track from the top of there down to Colibri is also closed but I suspect this might be more to do with wind and the pisteurs not getting time to sort it out.
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At pal today,very good till 12.30 then still ok , link closed for wind , gondolas down and bussed to arinsal , better cos the new lift doesn't come all the way down not hard to do 55 k today , might do same tomoz or try to bus to arcalis, at gv on wed from encamp , both mountain bars closed at pal, but everything open at arinsal.
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@Gitty, which new lift do you mean?
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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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New last year, the one from half way ,to the top, ,replaced the old slow chair and button lift.
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@Gitty, Ah ok. Wind should be better today.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Looks like it is going to be pretty warm for my visit- I think the 161-165 km open is pretty much set for the rest of the season which is fair enough- can always break it up with a day trip to Arcalis. Bit of rain on Sat but hopefully snow will hang around till a week on Sunday!
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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.
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@Dr. Will, yeah, you’ll be fine. There’s plenty of snow and not much rain forecast.
Might be worth a day at Pal/Arinsal too if you fancy a change.
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@Dr. Will, it didn’t rain today.
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You know it makes sense.
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@hammerite, Arcalis was great the day after the bad weather. Off piste held up well given where we are in the season. That are will be epic when I get to know it better. Thanks for the tip?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| hammerite wrote: |
| @Dr. Will, it didn’t rain today. |
Indeed some of the rain predicted seems to have been satisfyingly downgraded! Currently on my way to Soldeu via Andbus about 2 hrs away and the skies still look v blue
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Dr. Will, have a great time. We skied all the sectors in Grandvalira yesterday and I have to say piste conditions were excellent. A bit sticky towards 15:00 but great otherwise.
Annoyingly, the chair (Cubil) to get back over from Grau was closed and we had to take the rather flat Valira 1 and 2 to get back. It's a bit tiresome once it starts to slush up! Hopefully it was just a Sunday afternoon maintenance thing as it was open earlier.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hi, I havent followed the snow conditions in the Pyrenees over the season, so I was wondering how are the conditions at the moment? offpiste? was it an average winter or below average? I see conflicting reports, so I'm not sure what to think. I seem to remember about some huge snowfalls around February?
Im considering a cheeky 3 day trip (easter weekend) to the Pyrennes driving from SW of France but wonder if its worth the hassle. Open to suggestions. Currently looking at Andorra, Baqueira or Pic de Midi. I snowboarded for a week in February this year in Austria, but I usually go at least twice per year....I don't mind spring snow, freeze/thaw snow cycle.
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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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For the time of year, in Andorra, conditions are very good. The main snowfall was over a few weeks in March. It’s been the coldest and snowiest March since 1998. Pistes are good. Off piste is very changeable. It can be crusty early on, starts to soften and then gets heavy - typical for April so you have to time it right.
It’s getting pretty warm now so that may impact what conditions are like in a week and a half, but there will be enough snow to get some skiing in. You could easily do a day in Pal Arinsal, a day at Arcalis and a day at Grandvalira.
Actually, just checked the weather forecast. At the very end of the forecast (so take it with a pinch of salt), it looks like it might cool down and get snowy.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I am from North America, so correct me if I am wrong but it appears that 80% of the terrain is off piste in many areas with a few groomed runs in between wide open areas.
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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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@Blakegreid, which area are you referring to? Andorra or elsewhere? If Andorra and Grandvalira, then kind of. The area is predominantly pistes with some accessible off piste. The whole area isn’t wide open though. There’s some forests that are pretty much unskiable and some areas that flatten out or take you nowhere near lifts. There are plenty of areas to go at between pistes too though if snow conditions allow. One of the main problems with off piste in Grandvalira is a lack of snow. Because of snow cannons, pistes can be fine and when it snows naturally the snow sticks. However, quite often in Andorra snow arrives with a decent storm - it gets very windy - it means that the snow sometimes doesn’t accumulate off piste.
There are fewer bits of off piste to go at at Pal Arinsal. It’s mainly pistes.
Arcalis is better. There are pistes but there are lots of accessible freeride areas.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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In Grandvalira at the mo. Def limited off piste and it’s clear that the runs that didn’t have an artificial snow base earlier in the season are struggling a bit in the heat- I thought the closure of some of that runs and lifts (now approx 150km out of 210 odd open) was due to winding down staff wise end of season but is clearly a sensible move to concentrate resources on the other runs- had a great descent all the way down from the top of the Aliga World Cup run to the bottom of El Tarter yesterday! Snow in Grau Roig area (that is open) holding up quite well too. Thursday is looking a bit rainy (though the forecast has thankfully been dialled down somewhat) so will prob have a break then on my 5 days out of 7 ski pass and check out the pool in Canillo and do some shopping and give Arcalis a go on Friday before returning to the Grandvalira for our final day on Saturday.
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Hi,
I should have been more specific. I was talking about at least some areas of the above treeline part of grandvilara.
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It snowed high up last night and has been snowing down to El Tarter village tonight.
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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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@Blakegreid, look on the Grandvalira map. The areas highlighted pink are freeride areas. Good fun if the conditions are right.
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Just spent the last 3 days of the season at Grandvalira. Friday was good but got a bit soft in the afternoon. Saturday was a nghtmare .. had to give up at 1pm (they closed the lifts shortly afterwards) ... but today was epic. Great condtions (though a bit soft down in El Tarter and Soldeu, unsurprisingly), excellent over most of the rest of the mountains. Really pleased i headed out even if i basically lost a day thanks to the joys of weather.
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FAQ
