Cross Country Skiing Holidays in the Pyrenees

Topics

BASI Nordic Instructor

The leader of this holiday is a qualified Snowsport England and BASI Instructor

Attention: open in a new window.

Last Updated on Friday, 12 October 2012 11:08

The Eastern Pyrenees are ideal for 'on track' cross-country skiing. Our dedicated ski areas are well marked and the pistes lovingly prepared by modern equipment. The mountain views from the fine restaurants are also worth a mention! This fantastic activity allows you to get a real buzz from exploring the stunning mountain landscapes in the winter. What is great is its flexibility - you can potter around the pistes at your own pace, enjoying the tranquility and views, or you can push yourself hard and love the exercise of it all. What is more, it is not a difficult sport to learn to do, and with a week of informal instruction, you will find you make huge improvements and can really 'travel' some distance to explore the furthest corners of the ski-able mountains.

xc-skiing-beille-main-drag-top

If you are new to cross-country skiing or have had several weeks experience then our centre based Beginners and Improvers holiday in Ax-les-Thermes would be ideal. Marmot Tours director, James, is a cross-country ski instructor so will get you started or fine tune your technique. If you are an experienced skier and want to travel some distance in a wide range of scenery then our Nordic Highlights holiday would take some beating.

If you enjoy competing in ski marathons or are a fit beginner looking for a challenge then consider coming on our Transpyrenneen Ski Marathon holiday. We also run a Learn to Skate Holiday for those wanting to take up this fantastic sport.

transpyrenean-ski-marathon-corner

During your cross country skiing holiday, you will also get an opportunity to try out other winter activities if you so desire, such as snowshoeing and dogsledding. We also do both full week and minibreak Snowshoeing holidays.

For a complete beginner who knows nothing at all about the activity, or if you want a reminder about the types of cross-country skiing and what you might need for it, you may find it useful to have a quick read of our xc skiing article, which explains a bit more about how the sport works, the equipment etc.

Cross Country Ski Areas

All of the ski areas that we use on our Pyrenean xc ski holidays are lovingly groomed and fresh loipes are pressed into the snow every night by specialist cross-country skiing piste bashers. They are all suitable for both classic and skating styles of cross country skiing. Depending on which cross country skiing holiday you have chosen, you will be using some or all of the XC ski stations in the Eastern Pyrenees.

For our centre based Beginners and Improvers holiday, and for the Transpyrenean Ski Marathon, you will be using the XC ski stations of Plateau de Beille and Domaine de Chioula. For our Nordic Highlights and Learn to Skate cross country skiing holiday you will be using these two stations as well, but also the stations of Capcir, Pyrenees 2000 and Font Romeu.

Plateau de Beille - 70km of trails between 1800m to 2000m

This was the first purpose built cross-country ski area in the Pyrenees. It is located on a high altitude ridge high above the valley of Ax. The trails take us through a mix of thinning pine forest and open plateau offering us 360 degree views of the high peaks of Andorra. There is a fine south facing restaurant / bar which is the perfect place to relax when you have had enough skiing. There is the option of trying dogsledding or paragliding here.

Domain de Chioula - 60km of trails between 1240 to 1650m

This is thought by many as one of the most beautiful ski areas in France. It is spread out over a series of ridges giving breathtaking views in all directions. Skiing at this altitude takes us through ancient beech forests and open meadows. For many the highlight of the Domain is the Refuge du Chioula, set in the middle of the ski area offering a reclined deckchair and an unrivalled 'chocolat chaud' . Both the Plateau de Beille and Domaine de Chioula (external website) have marked Snowshoeing and walking trails if you fancy a change from the skiing.

Capcir - 100km of trails at 1500m

This vast area is often know as 'the Norway of the South'. There are 4 very different ski domains at Capcir (external website), taking us around villages, through ancient pine forests and over vast lakes. In contrast to Beille and Chioula the mountains here are towering above us and there are excellent views of the Pic de Carlit. The Refuge du Torn in the centre of the offers us a welcome break.

Font-Romeu / Pyrenees 2000 - 100km of trails between 1500 to 2000m.

These two areas of Font Romeu and Pyrenees 2000 (external website) have recently combined, opening up a vast area for us to explore. It is set on a high altitude plateau supporting one of Europe's highest forests. The trails take us huge distances across this land of snow laden trees and frozen lakes. Something to satisfy all tastes!