News archive

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!

MountainBug in the Press!
The Guardian, is a national UK newspaper, which every week has a "Readers Tips" travel section.

This Saturday, over their breakfasts, the people of the UK got to read about where's great for skiing and winters-sports...and we are in there!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2012/oct/26/skiing-winter-sports-snowboarding-resorts

Thank you to our guests for all your support. For a small, independent business like us, the reviews you write about us on Trip Advisor and other sites, the recommendations you pass on about us, and submitting to things like this make a massive difference. We appreciate it.

Tour de France 2013
This morning the Tour de France 2013 route was announced at a Press Conference in Paris.

After teasing us all with speeches and an excellent montage film of the highlights of the 2012 Tour (is it just us who still get goosebumps watching Mark Cavendish win on the Champs Elysees and Wiggo take the crown?), the route was announced.

For the first time in years, the 100th Tour de France will be exclusively in Franc. It will begin in Corsica, before heading to Nice for its mainland tour and heading to the Pyrenees unusually early.

The two Pyrenean routes are Stage 8 from Ax 3 Domaines and then towards us for Stage 9.

Stage 9 on Sunday 7 July, goes frrom Saint Gironnes to Bagneres de Bigorre, which is a 45 minute drive from Bareges. It is a relentless stage, with five climbs during the 165km route.

Therefore, our Tour de France guided cycling week this year will begin with a bang on Sunday 7 July, as we head cycle over the cols to Bagneres de Bigorre, ready to watch the pros as they cycle over their stage finish.

As well as our Tour de France guided cycling week, we're also offering our week long cycling holiday from the 13 to 20 July. This Classic Cols week allows you to cycle some of the famous Pyrenean Tour de France routes and Cols. Alternatively, if you're short on time, come and join us for our cycling long weekend, from the 22 - 25 June.

Useful sites
We've been looking at these sites and their commentary on the route.
http://www.teamsky.com/article/0,27290,17553_8190984,00.html
http://www.itv.com/tourdefrance/news/2013-tour-de-france-route-revealed/

Grand Tourmalet ski resort - latest news
The Grand Tourmalet (Bareges-La Mongie) ski resort is scheduled to open on the 24 November 2012.

In preparation, NPY (the company who own the lifts and pistes) have made even more improvements to the resort:

• there have been works on the Beaute and Marmotte pistes, including 42 additional snow-cannons
• this means most of the on-piste skiing is now covered by cannons
• two old-button lifts at La Laquette have been replaced with a new beginner magic carpet
• this means beginners can get up the four-man lift and have more areas to practice in before taking the green or blue piste back down to Tournaboup.

NPY have been improving the resort every year, with new lifts, more snow-cannons and better facilities. We can't wait to get out there and the recent snow in Bareges has got all the locals excited and telling tales of a good winter to come.

See you on the slopes!

End of season
The summer season is now over and autumn has truly arrived.

We had two different trips running for our last week of the season - one in the French High Pyrenees and one in the Spanish Pyrenees in Aragon.

Despite what looked like a shaky start with some rain, both trips had fantastic sunshine and our "bring hat and gloves" warnings seemed a bit doom and gloom in retrospect.

We're now writing our end of season round up newsletter. If you'd like to receive it, please visit our website and sign up to it.

As the last of our guests left, the weather took a cold turn. The sheep and cows have been brought down from the mountains and are grazing in the lower meadows. The autumn lambs and calves are happily trotting around the fields, as the leaves turn golden brown, and birds of prey are hopefully circling near them. Because there is more moisture in the air, we are seeing fantastic low cloud formations, with banks of fluffy cloud suspended in the valleys.The peaks are getting dustings of snow already, which isn't melting as the freezing line keeps dropping.

We're already taking bookings for the winter season (and summer next year!) for ski accommodation, snow-shoeing, ski-touring and off-piste.

Enjoy some of our off-season autumn photos and we'll keep you up to date with MountainBug news throughout the off period, as well as answering our phones and emails.

Bareges in the autumn sun

Cirque de Gavarnie with snow on the top

Autumn colours at Gavarnie

Winter flights to the Pyrenees
There are several ways to get to the Pyrenees by plane.

Ryanair have now published their winter timetable, flying on Saturdays and Tuesdays from London Stansted to Lourdes and back again. Perfect for long weekend breaks in the snow!

EasyJet fly from Bristol and Gatwick to Toulouse.

There are other airports that service the French Pyrenees and, of course, there are always other options. Many of our guests enjoy catching the train (direct train from Paris to Lourdes), driving to us (an ideal way to carry all that ski gear), or doing a combination of different transport means.

Our Getting Here information pack contains useful information on how to reach us, including good websites to help you plan your journey.


Transfer times:

Lourdes airport to Bareges 45 minutes
Pau to Bareges 90 minutes
Toulouse to Bareges 2.5 hours
Biarritz to Bareges 2.5 hours

Walking from France to Spain and back again

Last week our most international walking group yet (Dutch, French, British and Australian, with 4 languages between them), headed off on our three day Gavarnie and Ordesa trek.

The hike began at the Col des Tentes, above the Cirque de Gavarnie, in the French High Pyrenees.

We traversed on the French side above Gavarnie for about 2 hours, crossing a glacier before making the steep ascent to the Breche de Roland - the entry point to Spain.

Lunch time was spent sitting in the Breche, alternating our views back to Gavarnie and across the Spanish Plains.

Now firmly in Spain, we traversed the Mularis Plateau to our destination, Refugio de Goriz, at the head of the dramatic Ordesa Canyon.

After a lively night involving a Japanese film crew, some amateur martial arts, a lot of good rioja and some impromptu star gazing, we set off on Day 2 down the canyon.

In front of the Breche de Roland

Clouds in the Cirque de Gavarnie

Spain, as viewed from the Breche

Mularis Plateau

Refugio de Goriz above the Ordesa Canyon

Looking back to the refuge from the Ordesa Canyon

Day 3. Back to France
From Torla, we went straight up the valley, heading North and over the Col du Bujaruelo. The weather was amazing for our slow steady climb back up in to France and the chalet with its honesty bar, hot showers, and great food.

Our valley hike

Not a bad spot for a photo

Neouvielle Lakes trek
As the Autumn colours start to come through, last week's Discoverer guided walking holiday culminated in the three day trek round the Neouvielle Lakes. This mini-trek involves ascents of over 1000 metres, walking up to 15km a day, a couple of optional peak ascents, 2 nights in different refuges, and an impromptu lake-side fitness class...

We'll let the photos speak for themselves.


Day 1. Weds 13 Sept.






































Day 2. Thurs 14 Sept.

























Day 3. Friday 15 Sept.

Summer to autumn...the times they are a changing...
Summer 2013 has been a memorable one. We started with the unforgettable Tour de France week cycling holiday, where our cyclists and walkers alike were swept up in the excitement of watching professionals at the top of their game rush past us in a blur of wheels, colour and cheering. For those of you that may have missed it, did we mention there were three Brits on the podium? Just worth mentioning again! At the same time as the Tour whizzed through, our High Pyrenean Route (HRP) trekkers began their ascent in to the mountains, some of them only coming out again to collect more people on what could be a three week epic.

We then began our summer of multi-activity holidays, thrilling, scaring and encouraging all ages as they discovered new skills, new abilities and just how versatile and great the High Pyrenees are (on both the French and Spanish sides).

Thank you to everyone who has joined us this summer for walking, trekking, cycling, and multi-activity holidays. It's been great to meet you all and we hope to welcome you back sometime soon.

Autumn is now slowly creeping in as the leaves are starting to turn but the sun has turned the heat up again. It is exceptionally gorgeous hiking weather and we're pleased to welcome our Discoverer level hikers this week. They are heading out on a three day mini-trek to the Neouvielle Lake District on Wednesday for a three day mini-trek, led by MountainBug guide and Director, Rob Mason.

We've four more weeks of hiking and walking holidays left, and of course accommodation only options, so do get in touch if you want a last minute breath of fresh air in some stunning scenery.

Last week's Multi-Activity guests had loads of fun and we even remembered to take our cameras with us to get some photos.There is a full gallery of them on our Facebook page and some from the week before (last week of August). We are currently compiling a Multi-Activity photo gallery, so please do email us your photos from your time here.

Chlorofil Tree-top park. Wheeeeeeeee!

Family caving...bye bye daylight...

Multi-Activity hike in the stunning Cirque de Troumouse

Last week's guests taking a breather near the Spanish border...

...before carrying on in the high Pyrenean peaks

Follow my leader, or better still, the guide

Via Ferrata...time to face your fear of heights...

Crisp autumn weather - perfect for hiking
We said goodbye to the last of our summer families on Saturday, sending some very tired but happy people on their way home.

After some dramatic thunder and lightning storms (only at night! Our activities were never affected by them.) the weather changed over the weekend and we are now having days that are a mixture of sun and cloud but with a significant temperature drop. "Il fait froid" is a common greeting round the village now, as we start putting our jeans and jumpers back on.

While chilly if you are sat in an office on the pc (!) it is ideal activity weather, as it is pleasant but you aren't getting too hot or too cold. Our last Multi-Activity holiday of the season is underway and began with a cracking hike yesterday. The group drove up to 2200 (metres), a little bit of a cheat, and then walked in to Spain via the Col de Boucharo and took the lost path along the vire (a path notched in to the side of a cliff) to the Pic du Escuzana at 2848m . One guest even managed a bit of scree-running as an aside.

The group has a fun-filled week ahead of them, which we're sure they'll rise to the challenge of.

Soon our autumn hiking season begins in earnest. We still have a few spaces left on various guided walking holidays and expect to get some last-minute bookings while this perfect hiking weather continues.

The weather is also producing some moody, atmospheric sunsets but the local rumour is that summer isn't over yet. The belief is the Pyrenees may give us one final hurrah and put us all back in shorts and t-shirts before the season is over.

School holidays almost over....
As we enter our last week of the UK school holidays, the Pyrenees are already quieter as the French are heading home, preparing for the new school term.

The action hasn't slowed down for us or our guests though as we are still running adrenaline-fuelled multi-activity holidays as well as an Explorer walking holiday.

Last week we had three holidays running at once, including a two-country canyoning holiday. Our guests enjoyed a range of activities and the weather held for them throughout. Interestingly, last year we had a lot of younger families join us for activity holidays (children between 8 to 12 years) but this year has been older children and adults. We're intrigued to see how next summer pans out!

After the threat of a thunder-storm yesterday, it turned in to the perfect weather for being out and about - sunny but with a cooling breeze. Our guests made it back from their day hike when we got a phone-call: "Paragliding tomorrow afternoon is off. Can your guests come NOW?" They'd barely had time to get their hiking boots off and drink a cup of tea before we were knocking on the door and bundling them up to the take-off spot.

The skies were busy in our valley as paragliders made the most of the excellent conditions. The last 15 days have seen appalling weather for paragliding (the wind was coming from the south, Spain. Great for everything else as it is a nice, warm wind but terrible for flying) so there was a real air of relief and excitement amongst everyone.

This morning our activity families enjoyed the fantastic Heas canyon, before having time for a leisurely lunch at Gedre, while our walkers enjoyed the village to village route from Bareges to Luz.

As the mad rush of high season is over, the locals are all starting to come out to play and enjoy spending time with their families and friends. The Hotel du Tourmalet's restaurant has been a popular place for them to visit, with the chef's reputation gaining momentum.

Next week is our last multi-activity week of the season. There are still places available for those who want a last minute summer holiday before autumn starts to settle in. We're then switching to walking holidays, in both France and Spain, before we go on our holidays.

Already our thoughts are turning to next summer and we've added some new holidays to our Summer 2013 calendar. We're hoping our supported cycling long-weekends will prove popular as well as our guided canyoning long weekends. Our new Cathar Walking holiday has already had enquiries, despite dates not yet being published, and the Taster-Valleys and Views has already had its first booking.

Multi-Activity holidays- keeping you busy!
We're in the middle of our high season multi-activity holidays, keeping people on their toes, under-ground, up high, wet and speedy for a fun week.

Last week we had two different holidays running concurrently, with activities from MountainBiking (MBX) to canyoning to via ferrata to rock-climbing to rafting on the schedule. The ever popular Chlorofil, as usual surprised and challenged people with its high ropes, swings and climbs. MountainBug Director Martin went with the group last week and came back looking tired but happy.

Meanwhile, watch out Team GB...one group went rock-climbing last week, at the beautiful location of Lac de Glere (2100m). One of the girls impressed Henri, our veteran rock-climbing instructor, so much he declared "She is agile, like a cat". She was indeed. The next Olympics are going to have rock-climbing in them...rest of the world, watch out! You heard it here first.

Other interesting occurrences last week were the multiple snake sightings. Unfortunately, team MountainBug saw none of them, but over half a dozen snakes, some up to 1 metre in size were seen by our guests in various locations over the week. Two guests (on two separate occasions) had a snake land at their feet. Literally. Both times the creatures fell out of trees. We're pretty sure a species of snake that loses its balance is an evolutionary dead-end but interesting all the same. Luckily one of the guests it happened to is a reptile enthusiast - his only regret was not being able to get to his camera fast enough!

This week we have three trips running. Two multi-activity holidays, based from Bareges, and a two country canyoning trip, beginning in Bareges then moving to Spain tomorrow, with our capable canyoning guide, Thomas.


The warm weather continues with cool dips in lakes, rivers and the local outdoor pool a must, although it is threatening to break with a storm. There was a bit of lightening last night, but, in true Pyrenean style, it changed its mind before it became anything else, so the warm weather is continuing.

The Inter-Commune Games
Not to be out-done by the London 2012 Olympics, Bareges hosted this year's inter-commune games. With teams from the local fire-fighters and neighbouring villages of Betpouey and Sers, les anglaises de Bareges felt compelled to enter.

Unfortunately, Team GB only got to compete in one event, the tricky carry water while strapped to two snow-boards and your partner, because time ran out and we all had to run off to cook and welcome new guests. If we'd stayed, naturally, we'd have won :-)

Chalet host Geoff & MountainBug Director Martin successfully navigate the tricky "round the fence" section

On the home run now...

The rest of Team GB are ready to refill the water

Les Anglaises de Bareges. Some stereotypes are true.

Late Summer Explorer Walking holiday - 25 August
Our very popular Explorer - Valleys, Villages and Cirques walking holiday has two rooms only left in the chalet.

Running from the 25 August to the 1 September, we'll spend a week walking in the mountains, up to 4 or 5 hours a day, enjoying the stunning Pyrenean scenery and local culture at an enjoyable pace.

Interestingly, the last week of August is always quiet out here in the Pyrenees...families prefer to stay at home, getting ready for the "Back to School" push and people without children believe that because it is still the school holidays, the area will be busy with families. We like this week, as normally there's still the glorious summer weather, long days (it stays light until 21.00ish), and the mountains to ourselves and our guests.

Slow and fast
Last week we had the frenetic pace of a full on multi-activity week and the more laid back pace of the Taster - Valleys and Views holiday.

While the multi-activity crew jumped off rocks into icy canyons, delved in to underground caves, rafted and hot-dogged down rivers, and flew like birds among other things, the Taster group enjoyed some gentle mountain walking and sight-seeing. Everyone enjoyed the sun and the aim of this week was to enjoy ourselves while not sweltering in over 30 degrees of heat. Luckily icy rivers, lakes and shady woods are in abundance here in the Pyrenees, so we all survived!

Relaxing by Lac D'Estaing on the Taster holiday

Icy mountain lakes: ideal for chilling locally brewed beer

This week sees more break-neck paces, with two multi-activity holidays running together. The temperatures are cooling down slightly but the great thing about Bareges is it is hot during the day then cools off at night, so you can get a good night's sleep, ready for the next day!

Last Multi-Activity of Summer!
September 1st to the 8th is our last multi-activity holiday of the season - and we've offering it at a discount.

For this out of school holidays special, we've dropped the price by 90€ per person to 895€ so you can enjoy a multi-activity holiday with us before autumn starts to creep in.

The itinerary that week is:

Saturday Arrival and Welcome Talk
Sunday Guided day hike
Monday Canyoning
Paragliding
Tuesday Rock-Climbing
Weds Free day
Thursday Adventure Caving
Friday Rafting
Via Ferrata

Please get in touch if you'd like to join us for this great week.