 Poster: A snowHead
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Anyone been?
Flying to Toulouse for a long weekend just before half term and out of the four of us I have three beginners with me (well they've done 5 days skiing each but two need to tread carefully). I have searched for somewhere with a few greens for them to get their legs in and then progress to plenty of blues. I also need loads of reds and one or two challenges and the ski area at Ax looks to have it and a nice town to boot. It's only 1.5 hours from the airport but as ever, it's snow dependent. I've looked at Les Angles too and it fits the criteria as well but is another 1 hour plus on a winding road so not sure. I know I can go westwards too and La Mongie looks to have plenty of greens and blues. Flew to Girona this Feb and skied Masella which considering the poor snow around was good for all concerned. I'd highly recommend this area (Alp 2500) for families as there's plenty for everyone.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Ignatius, I think La Mongie is more snowsure and better skiing for all level than Aix les Thermes, but Aix is nicer, more like a little town, and I agree about Masella/ alp 2500, but its better to fly to Barcelona/ La Prat, shorter transfer in time, better roads, and also possible to stay one day or two in this wonderful town
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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've been to Font Romeu which is in the eastern Pyrenees too. Would suit the beginners, a few reds but no real challenges. Quite a nice town too.
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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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Thanks Guys, I think I'll wait to see what the snow is doing before booking accommodation as there shouldn't be any problem. I'm put off by La Mongie's unattractiveness but if it was just me I'd do Tourmalet, but it's not and nice treelined slopes and a pretty town are important for the rest of the gang. Maybe next year they'll be ready for something more serious!
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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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i've been to Ax quite a few times. It is quite a nice little town with nice thermal baths. The ski-ing is pretty limited. In 5 trips i've only been lucky enough to have the whole domain open once when i've been there. My experience has been that they struggle to keep runs open and often get stuck with just a handful of (admittedly quite good) reds and blues. They claim to have dozens of runs but in reality it's a pretty small resort.
Having said that, it was all i needed in the early part of my snowboarding career so I wouldn't knock it. If you have a car, you are about 1/2 hour from Pas de la Casa in Andorra which is a much better domain with much better snow, so if the snow is wick, you'd still have options.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I am very tempted by Ax-Les_Thermes this winter - We have been last 3 years to Pyrennes but my wife insists we go back to Luchon.
Lovvely small town, great spa.
There's a gondola up to Superbagneres from the centre of Luchon. - with tree skiing! A daily bus to Peyragaudes, and if you have a car, the chance to drive to.
Mike aka "Ski Guide" on this forum kindly pm'd me the following: "Each resort has its benefits and charms. Everything at Peyragudes is above the tree line, but the runs are longer and wider and there is a lot more to choose from. However in bad weather it can be awful without the trees.
Superbagneres has fantastic views, and some wonderful pistes including areas with trees which again helps in bad visibility.
Personally I would just wait until you arrive, look at the weather and decide on the day. You can buy the Peyragudes lift pass in the town anyway if you want to. "
I loved Superbagneres. Wife likes to ski some days.
Just a suggestion - as I said, I;d love to visit Ax as i haven't been before 
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Not sure if Superbagneres has enough beginner stuff for the other three. Les Angles looks better ski-wise than Ax I think but it's further from Toulouse. I may wait to decide until a couple of weeks before. Had a trip to Baqueira Beret a few years ago and thought it was a great intermediate area. However, we had so much snow we couldn't ski for two days! Val'd'Aran is lovely and highly recommended.
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I've been to Les Angles. It's quite a nice resort for families, lots of easy tree lined skiing with some more challenging (albeit short) reds. I didn't try any of the blacks when I was there. Everything sort of centres around the cafe complex at the top of the gondola, so it's a good place for a mixed group to ski in proximity to each other. If you have a car (we didn't) you could always buy the 'Neige Catalan' pass, which gives you access to smaller and presumably empty resorts such a Puyvalador and Eyne which are very close by.
The village itself is rather misrepresented in promotional photos. There's an old village which is very pretty, but it's somewhat swamped by slightly clumsy apartment developments on most sides. I wouldn't describe it as ugly though, just maybe not as picturesque as it's presented as being. I would recommend it if you want to go somewhere very french, with gentle skiing (and quite low prices!). There's some really nice cross country there too.
I should comment on the snow quality - there were 2 metres of snow in the village when we went in Feb 2005, but that was in blizzard conditions. On mountain, much of the snow had been blown off due to high winds, and it was quite icy. I once ready another review of Les Angles somewhere else that mentioned this problem. Something to consider.
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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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One of the best things about Ax is that there's a daily, direct sleeper train from Paris getting you there for around 8-9am. I saw some very cheap tickets for this last year around £100 for a return (all the way from St Pancras) making a weekend feasible from a time and cost point of view. Hoping to give it a go this season.
Monsieur Neige
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| Ignatius wrote: |
| Thanks Guys, I think I'll wait to see what the snow is doing before booking accommodation as there shouldn't be any problem. I'm put off by La Mongie's unattractiveness but if it was just me I'd do Tourmalet, but it's not and nice treelined slopes and a pretty town are important for the rest of the gang. Maybe next year they'll be ready for something more serious! |
If it is just the looks of La Mongie that put you off, you could stay in the orriginal spa village of the resort on the West side of the col du Tourmalet - Bareges. It is a niec mountain village and still connected to the ski resort, only down side is that I live there!". The resorts name is Grande Tourmalet and is under one lift pass (which includes the Pic du Midi now), but it covers the two sides (Bareges and La Mongie).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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in garbure we trust, how do you access the skiing from Bareges? Looking on the piste map there doesn't seem to be a lift?
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