News

Snow, ski and sun
The ski season is truly under way, with 20cm of fresh powder landing on the resort yesterday.

Our guests have been getting out enjoying the pistes. While all the locals are muttering about how busy it is, those who have worked or skied in other European ski areas are looking in disbelief and saying "Queuing for 10 minutes to get on a lift and ski down a piste with 5 people on it does not mean busy!". We are spoilt here!

While temperatures have dropped again, after a warm spell, the winter sun is shining providing clear, blue skies to ski under. Our first snow-shoeing holiday of the season starts on Saturday, so we are hoping the weather continues, so that our guests get good views of the mountain scenery.

As is traditional, January is a much quieter month, so if you want to enjoy out of season skiing and snowboarding, do come and join us. Take a look at our Special Offers page to see the discounts we are currently offering.

Finally, happy new year to all of our past, present and future guests. Here's to 2013 being a good one for all of us.

Library photo as we've not been able to get out yet!

The MountainBug team

See our new map of where we run holidays
Now there are three ways you can choose your MountainBug holiday - by date, holiday type and location.

If you are interested in a certain section of the Pyrenees, then click on our new map. This map divides the Pyrenees into the three regions where we run our holidays; French High Pyrenees; Eastern Pyrenees (Cathar Country) and Spanish Pyrenees. You can then see which holidays we have running in each region.

If you are constrained to certain dates, then click on either our summer or winter calendar to see what we are running then and remember - for groups of four or more we can run trips that aren't advertised.

Finally, if you wish to do a particular activity, please look at our holidays listings, on the left hand side menu of our home page.

**Snow-shoeing discount**
Come snow-shoeing with us in January for 635€ per person for one week instead of 735€!

This is for our week long snow-showing holiday, arriving on 5 Jan, depart 12 Jan, staying full-board (except on your day off, breakfast only) in the chalet or hotel. Your price includes:

• 5 full days of guided snow-shoeing and tuition
• snow-shoes and poles
• avalanche safety equipment
• transfers to and from the beginning and end of the walks
• 5 packed lunches
• 6 nights full board - including afternoon tea
• 1 day breakfast only

Who's snow-shoeing for?
Have you ever wanted to see the winter mountains but not strap a pair of skis on? Or do you love skiing but have a partner who's not so keen? Have you ever tried...snow-shoeing?

Snow-shoeing in an excellent way to get deep in to the winter mountains, far away from the pistes. You wear your hiking boots and strap on to the bottom of them some "snow-shoes", which, frankly, look like tennis racquets with mini-crampons on them. Grab a couple of poles and start walking. You are now snow-shoeing.

Our week long snow-shoeing holidays are perfect for hikers who don't want to stop walking because it's snowy or snow-lovers who want to get away from the pistes and see the mountains in their glorious wintry coat.

As with all our walking holidays, you will be with a qualified, experienced International Mountain Leader, who will not only teach you how to snow-shoe effectively but also point out to you local flora and fauna.

To find out more, contact us, and come on a memorable winter holiday.

In the Aygur Clus valley, near Bareges, Feb 2012

Today's dump
A whopping 70cm has fallen today on top of an already amazing base layer. The Grand Tourmalet resort opens tomorrow and we're all ready for it!

Our photos say it all. Please like us on facebook (MountainBug) and follow us on Twitter @mountainbug to keep up to date with the latest photos as we take them.

The lifts at Tournaboup

Welcome!

The ski lifts at Tournaboup

Rob off in the distance

Snow cannon. No need for that today!

**Ski accommodation discounts!**
Still thinking about your skiing holiday? Not booked yet? Perhaps our Christmas week and January discounts will interest you!

With a foot of fresh powder lying across the resort, we're looking forwards to its opening on Thursday. While we're fully booked for February at the chalet and with limited space at the hotel over peak periods, we've put together some tempting offers.

These discounts, combined with the MoutainBug 10% off ski hire at Intersport, Bareges, and the cheap flights Ryanair are offering, are making January out of season skiing look even more attractive.

Christmas week, 22 to 29 Dec

Pay our normal low season rate of 495€ per person instead of our high-season rate of 599€ at the chalet only.

Last two rooms available, including the family suite (2 separate rooms, one bathroom, can take up to 5 people) and family room (can be a double, triple or quadruple).

This price includes:

• half-board accommodation in ensuite bedrooms
• full Christmas dinner and complimentary bubbly on Christmas Day
• afternoon tea.

This discount cannot be used in conjunction with any other MountainBug discounts.

January 2013

Be like a local and enjoy quiet, low-season skiing, on pristine, almost empty pistes.

Chalet discounts
If you choose to stay in the chalet, deduct 100€ per person from our normal low-season rate of 495€.

Pay 395€ for the same high standard of accommodation, food and service but with the added benefit of quiet pistes.

This offer:

• is based on 2 people sharing an ensuite bedroom
• is for half-board, including afternoon tea
• is for one week stays only, Saturday to Saturday
• applies for stays beginning on the 5 Jan, 12 Jan and 19 Jan.
• can be used in conjunction with the 50€ off per person for groups of 8 or more who book and pay together. So groups of 8 or more can have 150€ off per person
• cannot be used in conjunction with any other MountainBug discounts apart from the large group discount.

Hotel discounts
If you book the Hotel du Tourmalet through MountainBug, we can offer you 15% off all bookings made for the period 5 January to 25 January (so departing Saturday 26 January), for stays of 7 nights or more.

Please contact us to take advantage of these great discounts.

Ski resort opens Thurs 6 Dec at 9am
N-PY have announced that the Grand Tourmalet ski resort will open this Thursday 6 December at 9am.

MountainBug can offer ski accommodation from Saturday 15 December. Beat the crowds - come and ski with the locals before Christmas.

Bareges in the snow
Last night and this morning Bareges received over 10cm - the first snow to truly settle in the village this season. With this much snow down here, you can imagine what it is like in the resort. Check out our Facebook page (MountainBug) as we'll be updating it regularly with photos and news as we get out there.

The ski resort is due to open imminently - we're waiting for a confirmed date from N-PY. You can book rooms through MountainBug at the Hotel du Tourmalet from the 15 December (it's the same price as going to the hotel direct). There are also still a few rooms left at the hotel and the chalet over Christmas and New Year if you are still thinking of a white festive season.

See you soon!

Take your skiing to the next level...
Skiers! Want to take your skiing to the next level? Join us for a week's off-piste skiing, January 19 to the 26.

You'll spend 5 days with an instructor, learning/perfecting your off-piste technique the best way possible - by going off-piste.

You'll explore the beautiful, remote, winter Pyrenees and also tackle the famous Pic du Midi descent.

Fresh snow on the resorts!
NPY (who manage the ski resorts near us) released this photo this morning of one of our local resorts (there are four you can reach from Bareges).

The even better news is that they have been running the snow cannons too...this normally happens just before they open the resorts!

Our closest resort, Grand Tourmalet (Bareges-La Mongie) is due to open on the 24 November and the Pic du Midi off-piste on the 9 Dec.

The Hotel du Tourmalet opens on Saturday 15 November and the chalet, Les Cailloux, on Saturday 22 December.

Snowy peaks
The snow has been here on the peaks for a few weeks now and it keeps coming...at the moment the freezing level keeps rising during the day so by the time we get our cameras out, the snow line has risen.

This weekend they are forecasting over 12cm of snow at between 1450m-1800m (the resort begins at 1400m and Bareges is at 1250m).

There are a few rooms left in both the chalet and the hotel over Christmas and New Year, although they are selling quickly. January is looking quiet at the moment but February is very busy with the chalet almost fully booked most weeks. Do email us to find out availability. See you on the pistes!