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Cross-country track skiing holiday in the Pyrenees, France

A flexible week aimed at beginners and intermediates wanting try out or progress in this excellent winter activity

Stunning mountain views.
Reliable Snow due to altitude and aspect of ski areas.
120km of marked / graded Loips.
Guided or independent skiing.
XC Ski instructor throughout.
2* friendly and comfortable town hotel.
Easy access from UK airports.
Option of downhill / telemark skiing


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Why come cross country skiing?

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 tranquillity 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 in a week away, you will find you make huge improvements and can really 'travel' some distance to explore the furthest corners of the ski stations.

If you are a complete beginner and know nothing at all about the activity, or 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.  This will give you a better idea about whether you think it might be for you (we know it will be!).  Do not hesitate to contact us with any questions you might have regarding the sport generally or our holidays in particular.

Why come to the Pyrenees with Marmot Tours?

What is different about our group holidays for beginner and intermediate skiers, is that we offer supreme flexibility so that you get all the benefits of being in a mixed skill group (meeting others, having a laugh, teaming up with people at your level), with none of the disadvantages (feeling like you are slowing the group down, feeling like you have gone back to school, being out of your depth or conversely being held back by others in the group!)

The area around our centre (Ax les Thermes) is the perfect base for our holidays, offering the best dedicated xc ski stations in the Pyrenees, with over 130kms of groomed pistes, where they have excellent facilities in terms of cafe's, parking, water etc,  and where they maintain their dedicated cross-country ski areas beautifully.  They also happen to be situated in stunning locations with panoramic mountain views.

Guiding/Instruction: The holiday is led by James Thompson, who is a qualified Snowsport England XC ski instructor and offers 'top tips' to both beginners and improvers in either 'classic' or 'skating' styles of skiing.  Beginners are also encouraged to do a formal class on their first morning, with the resident XC ski instructors at the Plateau de Beille (cost is about 34E/hr and is divided between those in the group having a lesson).  As the director of Marmot Tours, James has been leading skiing holidays for over 7 years and has been in the leisure industry for even longer.  He knows what makes a good trip and is approachable, energetic and enthusiastic.

Both cross-country ski domains that we use (Plateau de Beille and Chioula) are easy to orientate around, allowing us to run this week so flexibly.  Within a couple of days you will have a feel for where you are going so can then have the confidence to head off independently to either get some km's under your belt, or to practice some of the techniques you have just learnt.  James will suggest various routes for various members of the group, depending on your skills, and you will be sure to find others in the group at a similar level, and with similar aspirations to yourself. He will also lead groups on some xc ski tours at different speeds and for different distances during the week, as well as being around for individual input if you need it.

Then, at the end of the day, or whenever you have done enough skiing, you can grab your book and sit on the sun baked terrace with a vin chaud or a beer and rest up before the group heads back to the hotel - it is a holiday!

We include a rest day in our weeks itinerary so that you can, as it suggests, rest up for a day (there is a lovely new spa centre in Ax opening in Febuary 2009), or so that you can try some other local activities such as downhill skiing or snowshoeing, or do a spot of sightseeing.

If you are an intermediate skier who wants to travel some distance and explore a larger area of the Pyrenees, or an experienced skier then you may be more interested in our Nordic Highlights holiday.

HOLIDAY DATES

Sun 21 Dec - Sun 28 Dec 2008 (Trip code XFA H51) £755
Sun 28 Dec 2008 - Fri 2 Jan 2009 - New Year mini break, £450
Sun 11 Jan - Sun 18 Jan 2009  - self catering week, £475
Sun 25 Jan - Sun 1 Feb 2009 (Trip code XFA I04) £645
Sun 8 Feb - Sun 15 Feb 2009 (Trip code XFA I06) £665
Sun 15 Feb - Sun 22 Feb 2009 (Trip Code XFA I07) £745*
Sun 1 March - Sun 8 March 2009 (Trip code XFA I09) £645*
Sun 8 March - Sun 15 March 2009 (Trip code XFA I10) £645
Sun 27 Dec 2009 - Sun 3 Jan 2010 (Trip code XFA I55) £780

* please note different transfer times mentioned below.

HOW MUCH DOES THE HOLIDAY COST?

The 2009 prices vary depending on the particular date - please double check the price above.  Flights are not included in the quoted price but can be picked up fairly cheaply if bought well in advance. This holiday is being run in conjunction with Exodus Travels and can be booked directly through them as well as with Marmot-Tours. If you book through Exodus, they are offering a package price including flights from Gatwick.

Allow about £50 for drinks and the meals not included (outlined below).

Please note that we offer a 5% discount if you book more than 3 months before the departure date. We also offer group and loyalty discounts.

This price includes:

Airport transfers, 5 days transport to different XC skiing regions, 5 days  access to the cross-country ski stations, 5 days guided XC skiing, 7 nights comfortable and friendly **hotel,  6 evening meals, services of your guide.

NB: The price above is based on sharing a room. If you would like your own room for the holiday there is a supplement of £120 - this must be arranged on booking.

WHERE DO WE STAY

During this holiday we stay in the family run 2 star Hotel Terminus, which provides us with a comfortable base for the week. Alain and Elizabet offer a warm welcome in their lovely hotel. They are proud to serve up delicious evening meals using meat and vegetables from local producers. The rooms are large and all have a window overlooking the river Ariège. The hotel is a 5 minute walk from the centre of Ax les Thermes, opposite the railway station. Each room has an en-suite bathroom, as well as a telephone and television. The kitchen produces excellent authentic Pyrenean dishes. Please note that we also run a self-catering version of this trip for people wanting a bit more independence.

FOOD

All breakfasts are included and are continental style. 6 evening meals will be taken in the locally famed hotel restaurant, where we will be spoilt with fine home cooking. On the Wednesday evening you are free to try out one of the many restaurants in town. No lunches are included, enabling you to make up your own picnic from the many patisseries in town, or eat at the quality restaurants on the xc ski areas. Vegetarians are welcome and will be looked after very well.
 

MASSAGE SERVICE

On most evenings of this trip Cathy Thompson will be offering Therapeutic Massages at the Hotel. More info>>

GETTING AROUND

Throughout the trip you are transferred to and from the xc skiing areas a  private minibus. James has lots of experience of driving in snowy conditions. The buses are naturally fitted with snow tyres and snow chains are carried. Each day we transfer 30 to 45mins depending on snow conditions on the road. 

CLIMATE

This part of the Pyrenees generally has more snow for a longer season than further West. Also the proximity to the Mediterranean gives us longer sunnier days. On the slopes we can expect anything from -10 to +20, while in Ax-les-Thermes it very rarely gets below freezing. 

CROSS-COUNTRY SKI HIRE

XC Ski / boot / pole hire is not included in the cost of the holiday to allow different people to hire kit to suit their skill levels and many people bring their own kit. The basic package for ‘classic’ skiing is €49 for 6 days. Skis can be exchanged throughout the week as your confidence / ability increases. Good quality skating gear can also be hired for an additional €10 per day. The classic skis have ‘fishscale grip’  with NNN (Rossignol / Rotterfella) bindings - these are not compatible with SNS boots. It is not necessary to pre-book these.

NB: You are welcome bring your own skis on this holiday. However, the ski areas are not suitable for wide skis with metal edges and 3 pin bindings. Grip-wax skis can be used but are not recommended (apart from in January) due to range of snow temperatures that can be experienced within one day.

WHAT TO BRING

Cross-country skiing can be fairly energetic, so lots of layers are best, ending in a windproof shell. You will need to be able to carry some water with you while you are skiing. You will be sent a full suggested packing list on booking.

HOW DO I GET THERE?

Please see the Transport section for all travel options (air, road and rail) plus information on getting to the Hotel Terminus independently of the group transfer from Toulouse Airport.

For our tips on more environmentally friendly travel (the train is a very possible alternative to air travel for this holiday), please see our Green Travel pages.

For this cross-country skiing holiday the airport transfers are scheduled to tie in with the British Airways flights from London Gatwick. If this flight is delayed then the transfer will naturally be rescheduled.

OUT: Flight BA7953 departs LGW at 1515, arrives LGW at 1755.
IN: Flight BA 7954 departs TLS at 1835, arrives LGW at 1930. 

Alternative flights can also be found with Easy Jet (LGW to TLS) and from various regional airports with KLM, flying to Toulouse via Paris or Amsterdam.  If you are not intending on using the group flight, please discuss your travel arrangements direct with us before booking. 

XFA I07 - This is half term week, so our usual flights are ridiculously expensive. Consequently we have decided to offer transfers to coincide with the following BA flights. We appreciate that the hours are not very sociable and as you arrive late on the Sunday night missing dinner, all the subsequent evening meals will be included.

OUT: Flight BA7955 departs LGW at 1930, arrives TLS at 2210.
IN: Flight BA7950 departs TLS 0700, arrives LGW at 0800

XFA I09 - British airways change their timetable half way through this week, so the transfers will be made to tie in with the following flights:

OUT: Flight BA7953 departs LGW at 1515, arrives TLS at 1755.
IN: Flight BA7950 departs TLS 0700, arrives LGW at 0800

HOLIDAY ITINERARY

NOTES

This cross-country skiing holiday is designed to be totally flexible, to accommodate the desires of the group and to make the most of the snow conditions. However we hope to spend 2 days at the domain de Chioula and 3 days at the Plateau de Beille.

We intend to be cross-country skiing by 10am and aim to finish by 4.30pm. You do not need to be on the go all the time, as both areas have cafes offering fine mountain views from a reclined deck chair. In addition, at Beille there is the dog sledding area and a company that offers paragliding if you fancy trying something different for a few hours!

You will be given a key to the van, so at any stage during the day you can have access to spare clothing, different skis, book etc. 

Thursday is the planned rest day when  you can do any of the other local activities.



Contact Marmot Tours: info@marmot-tours.co.uk
Tel/fax: 0033 561 02 80 43. French Mob: 0033 (0)6 30 01 12 98
Marmot Tours Ltd