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Snow
report and events now on News |
News and special offers
* Last minute ski availability this season: 20th March onwards * Video by one of our guests:Snow shoeing on the Youtube site * UPDATED 2009 : Read our visitors' true comments from the last 8 seasons... |
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New slide shows: of |
News
& Happenings
*Latest photos
taken 9th March
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March 19th - 2010 Spring is in the air this week, with temperatures climbing almost 30 degrees compared to last week's glacial chill! The meadows around Luz are beginning to green-up and the first sheep have been let out for a stroll in the sunshine. The warm weather and blue skies this week have melted off all of the snow at village level, and the conditions on piste are "Spring" - hard in the mornings and getting slushy in the afternoons. There is still good cover on the pistes though, and the resort is 90% open including 17 green runs, 19 blues, 18 reds and 4 black pistes. Things are looking a bit Summery down at Tournaboup but there is still plenty of skiing, and the temperature is due to drop again during next week - perhaps with some snow on Thursday. Based on the weather conditions of previous years, we would be surprised if the conditions didn't turn Wintry again before March is out. |
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6-man chair out of
Tournaboup |
Tourmalet chair |
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Quatre thermes piste |
Beaute piste, towards
Pic du Midi |
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Gypaetes piste towards Ardiden |
Looking up the 4 Thermes
chair |
Weather forecast - last updated 19th March
Mild with hazy sunshine today and tomorrow, turning damp on Sunday with rain on the lower slopes. The snow line should be around 2200m. Fine weather should return for Monday and Tuesday, with more precipitation due for the end of the week. This will start as rain, but should turn to snow as the temperature drops.
Our new arrival
Everyone who stayed with us last Summer is already in the know about my pregnancy, and awaiting news of the arrival of our first baby. Well, she is finally here - a little girl, Jennifer Helene Mason, born on the 19th November weighing just over 8.5lbs. She is very big and alert, growing at an incredible rate and keeping us rather busy! We have high hopes for a new British ski champion in the making!
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Jenny
Mason, 5 days old |
Leaving
the hospital |
Snuggling
up after a bath |
Off
for a walk with Daddy |
Tour de France fever
Following the release of the 2010 Tour route on the 14th October, we have had a frenzied rush of enquiries from cyclists all over the World! Our guided cycling trip filled up within two days of the release date, and we are now completely full for this special week.
The Tour will be passing through Bareges not just once, but TWICE, with the 22nd July finish on the Col du Tourmalet itself. Adding to the excitement, the "Etape de Tour" for amateur riders will also be following the route of the Pau-Tourmalet stage, so 9000 cyclists will be coming through Bareges on the 18th July. Find details of our local stages on the cycling holidays page of our website.
On a more seasonal note, with the Winter fast approaching
now, we have just been looking at the competition - the big
Alpine ski resorts and have noticed a few interesting things...
Pyrenean skiing myths explored
1. The Pyrenees are low-altitude 2. They are not snow-sure 3. Skiing in France is expensive...
1. Bareges-La Mongie ski resort (also known as Tourmalet) ranges between 1250m and 2500m in altitude. If you include the World-class off-piste itinerary from the Pic du Midi at 2877m, there is a maximum vertical descent of 1627m (one vertical mile!). The Tourmalet resort has higher top lifts than many of the major Alpine ski areas, and the Tournaboup lift departure area (official start of the resort) is at higher or equivalent-to altitude than many of the Alpine stations:
| Ski resort | Resort height | Lowest piste | Highest lift |
| Bareges-La Mongie (Tourmalet) | 1250m (Bareges) |
1250m | 2500m |
| Chamonix-Les Houches (Mont Blanc) | 1035m (Chamonix) |
1040m 950m |
1900m |
| Les Contamines (Mont Blanc) | 1164m | 1164m | 2500m |
| St. Gervais (Mont Blanc) | 850m |
1150m | 2350m |
| Argentiere (Mont Blanc) | 1250m | 1250m | 3280m |
| Megeve (Mont Blanc) | 1100m | 1050m | 2350m |
| Abondance (Portes de Soleil) | 1000m | 1000m | 2000m |
| Les Gets (Portes de Soleil) | 1170m | 1000m | 2000m |
| Morzine (Portes de Soleil) | 1000m | 1000m | 2460m |
| Chatel (Portes de Soleil) | 1200m | 1100m | 2200m |
Morillon (Grand Massif) |
1100m | 700m | 2500m |
| Flaine (Grand Massif) | 1600m | 1600m | 2500m |
| Samoens (Grand Massif) | 1600m | 720m | 2500m |
| Peisey-Vallandry (Paradiski) | 1600m | 1300m | 2300m |
| Serre Chevalier (Grande Galaxie) | 1350m | 1200m | 2800m |
| Valmorel (Le Grande Domaine) | 1400m | 1400m | 2550m |
| Le Praz (3 valleys) | 1300m |
1300m | 2740m |
| La Tania (3 valleys) | 1350m | 1400m | 2740m |
| Meribel (3 valleys) | 1450m | 1100m | 2950m |
| St. Martin de Belleville (3 valleys) | 1450m | 1450m | 3200m |
* resort information taken from "J2ski website"
2. The Pyrenees regularly receive more snow that the Alps due to their Maritime climate. Last year was one of the best Winters in 30 years, with the Pyrenees being second only to Corsica for the amount of snow falling over the 2008-2009 season. We could ski home to Bareges virtually right through the season, from late November to late March. Right at the end of the Winter, in mid April, we still had over 3m of lying snow in the Neouvielle Nature Reserve above Bareges (unbelievably good ski touring!), meanwhile some of the resort in the Northern Alps were closing early due to lack of snow! Needless to say, there was no need for artificial snow-making last Winter, but it is reassuring to know that the Tourmalet resort has snow cannons on almost all of nursery slopes and blue pistes, covering the entire resort axis between Lienz and La Mongie.
As demonstrated above, the Tourmalet resort is higher altitude than many of the major Alpine ski areas, so it keeps its snow well right through the season. Early in the Winter, while you might be tempted to go to a high altitude mega-resort, barren rocky, high-level pistes require a thick cover of snow before they can open, while runs with a grassy base (the majority of the pistes here) need only a nice sprinkle to come into condition. All good news for the Pyrenees!
3. Skiing in the Pyrenees is around 1/3 cheaper than the Alps for lift passes, lessons, equipment hire and meals out on the slopes. Here, you can get a typical "plat du jour" for 8-10 euros, and a sandwich for 3-5 euros. Of course, if your euro notes are all in the three digit-denominations, and you don't mind paying 10 euros for a hot chocolate, there's always Courchevel.....
Winter 2009 round-up
We had a fabulous Winter season in 2008-2009, with an extremely early start to the season as the first snows fell right down to the village at the end of October. Cold conditions throughout November, December, January and February meant that the thickening snow-pack was well preserved even at low altitudes, and it was lovely to ski right back to Bareges all the way through the season. Regular snow falls kept the skiing conditions excellent, with notable storms bringing 50-70cm to the Pyrenees on the 25th January, 100-150cm of snow at the beginning of February, and an additional 50-70cm at the start of March. Overall, a cumulative thickness of 8 metres of snow was recorded at 1700m in the Western Pyrenees - one of the two best Winters for the last 20 years. March was mild and sunny, but the enormous snow depths were barely affected, and it wasn't until the end of April that the Spring thaw began to take hold.
For us, this meant a wonderful Winter with excellent skiing conditions on the pistes and many a happy customer! Even more exciting was the incredible off-piste snow cover - perfect for our guided snowshoeing, off-piste and ski touring weeks. The Summer landscape of craggy peaks, deep valleys and massive granite boulders was transformed by a thick white blanket, leaving the terrain rounded and rolling, sculpted with wind-carved cornices and sparkling crystal-white in the sunshine. On our ski touring week in mid April, we made tracks into the Neouvielle Nature Reserve, where not a single human trace could be seen. What a privilege to be able to experience this fantastic wilderness all year round!
Winter 2009-2010 is already on our minds, with bookings already beginning to come in for the school holiday weeks. We are expecting another action-packed season of downhill skiing, snowshoeing, off-piste and ski touring. Please do get in touch if you have a trip to propose, and would like to join the fun.
Any questions about the Pyrenees or us you would like answering? Please mail us.
A selection of photos from wonderful Winter
2008-2009
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Bareges
blanketed with snow early in the season, December |
New
Year on the Col de Port Vielh |
One
of our first ski-touring outings into the Neouvielle in January.... |
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and
the way back down.... |
Our
first snowshoeing group in January - blue skies and perfect snow |
Ski-touring
day during our January off-piste week - Pas de la Crabe |
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Off-piste
in the Aygues Cluses, Neouvielle - January |
Descending
off-piste from the Pic du Midi with Philippe Trey, January |
Avalanche-risk
three on the slopes - if you can find the sign! |
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After
the February snows - head-height at Tournaboup nursery area |
On
the slopes of La Laquette with siblings - family visit in March |
Our
guided ski touring week in April - over 3m of snow still lying! |
Here
is a short video from our off-piste skiing week at the end of January,
and another of Rob on New Year's day - both films were taken in the Neouvielle
Nature Reserve: |
.... and photos from action-packed Summer
2008
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Flippers
at the ready! |
Lounging
in Rio Vero canyon, Spain |
Tour
de France passing the Col in July |
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The
new Via ferrata route |
Hydrospeed
on the Gave de Pau |
Lazy
river - canyoning, Sierra de Guara |
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Mountain
biking with a view |
Paragliding
from the Col du Tourmalet |
Team
Hamish - Canyon de Viey |
.... and from several of our favourite walks from May to September 2008
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| Adventurous walkers - Cirque d'Estaubé | Refuge
Goriz - Gavarnie & Ordesa trek |
Pic
d'Ardiden (what we do on our day off!) |
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HRP trek
- Spanish lakes |
HRP - Dinner
beside Lac d'Arremoulit |
HRP - above
the Pineta canyon |
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Spring
flowers, Plateau de Saugé |
Snow crossing,
Cirque de Gavarnie |
Getting
wet at the Grande Cascade |
We are now taking bookings for Summer 2010. The Pyrenees holidays with a blue background are PROPOSED but not fixed. Holidays with a green background are CONFIRMED. Our calendar is flexible, so please don't hesitate to contact us if you have your own itinerary or dates to suggest. Drop us an email and we'll get back to you as soon as possible with all the information that you need.
**Accommodation-only for independent holiday makers is available throughout**
| Dates 2010 | Euros p/p | Activity | |
| May | 15 | 490 € | Accommodation-only - half board - for independent family activities, walkers, cyclists etc. |
| 22 | 665 € | Gentle guided walking | |
| 29 | 665 € | Gentle guided walking - discover the Spring meadow flowers | |
| June | 5 | 680 € | Intermediate guided walking - Spring flowers special |
| 12 | 975 € | Multi activity adrenalin week - adults only! | |
| 19 | 680 € | Intermediate guided walking | |
| 26 | 925 € | Intermediate guided walking - Val d'Azun special - FULL | |
| July | 3 | 680 € | |
| 10 | 680 € |
Intermediate guided walking - Guided trip full, space for accommodation-only | |
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17 | 490-685 € | Tour de France - FULL |
| 17 | 715 € | HRP guided trekking - Stage 1 (Pyrenean Haute Route: Etsaut:Luz-St. Sauveur) | |
| 24 | 995 € | Multi activity holiday - FULL | |
| 24 | 715 € | HRP guided trekking - Stage 2 (Pyrenean Haute Route: Luz-St. Sauveur-Luchon) | |
| 31 | 750-975 € | Multi activity holiday - choose your own itinerary | |
| 31 | 865 € | HRP guided trekking - Stage 3 (Pyrenean Haute Route: Aneto & the Encantats) | |
| August | 7 | 875 € | Multi activity holiday - please enquire for itinerary |
| HRP - Pyrenean Haute Route | 14 | 750-975 € | Multi activity holiday - choose your own itinerary |
| guided trekking | 21 | 975 € | Multi activity holiday - please enquire for itinerary |
| available in July & August | 21 | 715 € | HRP guided trekking (Pyrenean Haute Route - stage 4: Ariege & Andorra) |
| 28 | 695 € |
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| September | 4 | 645 € + hut fees | Intermediate guided walking, including a 3-day mini trek - Gavarnie & Ordesa special |
| 11 | 665 € | Gentle guided walking | |
| 18 | 680 € | Gentle-intermediate guided walking - |
