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The Transpyrenean cross-country ski marathon challengeTour of the best track cross-country ski areas in the Pyrenees in preparation for the Transpyrenean Marathon. |
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5, 21 or 42 km XC skiing Marathon
challenge. |
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 To
photo album (external website)
To other winter holidays |
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INTRODUCTIONThis trip is for those of you out there, either experienced xc skiers, or fit beginners, who are looking for a winter holiday with a difference! We are lucky enough to have the Transpyrenean xc ski marathon happen on our doorstep each year, offering its entrants the opportunity to skate or classic around either a 5km, 21km or 42 km route at the Plateau de Beille. In order to prepare us for the event we offer 4 days of fantastic and varied skiing across 3 of the best cross country ski areas in the Pyrenees. You are led by James Thompson, our director, and a SSE XC ski instructor, who will help you to reach your full skiing potential before the race.Even if you are a complete novice to XC skiing, but are either a regular road cyclist or runner, then this could be the winter training challenge that you are looking for. For athletes who have good overall aerobic fitness, plus reasonable balance and coordination, it is not only feasible that you would be able to complete the Marathon after only 4 days of learning, but also we are sure that you will become a complete convert to the sport, and use it as winter training for years to come. Believe us, there is an alternative to being stuck in the gym during those grey British winter months! Whilst this trip keeps the flexibility that we have in our other xc holidays, where we aim to offer a balance of orientation and ski tours, plus promoting your independence, what this holiday offers in addition, is a rolling training programme to hone your skiing techniques and posture aided by video feedback techniques. These are naturally voluntary so those of you who just want to get some distance in, gather some speed and maximise your glide, can concentrate on covering the km's. We are fortunate to have such high quality dedicated cross-country ski areas on our doorstep, where the tracks are beautifully maintained and clearly marked so orientation becomes very easy to do independently. During the week we base ourselves in Ax-Les-Thermes which is a pretty thermal spa town straddling the river Ariège with everything you would expect from a French town and the addition of a recently refurbished Thermal Bath. HOLIDAY ITINERARYThe itinerary remains flexible to accommodate for the snow conditions. We intend to be on the slopes by 10am and aim to finish by 4.30pm. You do not need to be on the go all the time, as all areas have cafes offering fine mountain views. 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, etc. Every morning there will be formal instruction into a particular aspect of the skiing technique with video feedback and rolling programme of training during the afternoons.
IS THIS TRIP FOR ME?This track cross country skiing trip is aimed at fit beginners (eg runners or cyclists) who are looking for a new challenge, roller-skiers who are wanting to move over to snow or seasoned skiers who are looking for a new goal or a challenging aspect to their normal skiing trip.The holiday is open to both classic or skating styles, although 'beginners' are advised to concentrate on the classic technique during the week. If you are a complete beginner and know nothing at all about the activity, or want a reminder about the types of skiing and kit, 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!). Please note that there is no off-piste skiing on this holiday. It is important to us that people book
the correct trip - Please do not hesitate to
contact
us if you have have any questions. THE TRANSPYRENEEN SKI MARATHONThe Transpyreneneen is one of the top 4 cross-country ski marathons in France. It is a celebration of the sport and is open to everyone, regardless of age or skiing experience. The event is not sold as a 'race', but the people near the front naturally try to go as fast as they can! You can choose between the 5, 21 or 42km events and there are sub categories for men / women and classic / skating styles. You can decide on your distance 2 day before the event. The exact route changes every year, but it should be noted that it is one of the more challenging ski marathons in Europe with over 1000m of climbing. Whether you are new to cross-country ski events or a regular competitor, you will love the buzz of this event.DATESMonday 8th March to Monday 15th March 2010 (Trip Code XFP J11)HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?The holiday costs £630, starting at Toulouse or Carcassonne Airports. Flights are not included but can be picked up very cheaply if booked in advance. Allow about £50 for drinks and the meals not included (outlined below). Accommodation is normally allocated on a twin share basis with shared facilities but a single room can be guaranteed for a supplement of £120 (please let us know at the time of booking). There are no other local payments or hidden costs. 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 ski regions, 4 days
guided skiing with one or two guides, formal ski instruction, 7 nights 2** Hotel in Ax-Les-Thermes. 7 breakfasts and 6 evening meals. Ski
pass that gives access to the prepared ski tracks. Entrance
fee for the Ski Marathon. WHERE DO WE STAY
We stay in a small, comfortable 2 star hotel in the town of Ax-les-Thermes.
Known for its friendly atmosphere and good cuisine, the
Hotel Terminus
source the meats and fish for their traditional French dishes, from
local producers.
The house wine is organic, plus they have an extensive wine list with
choices from both near and far. Traditional French breakfasts are provided. The hotel is a short walk from the town centre, and is situated on the banks of the River Ariege.
All of the peaceful rooms have views over the river.
FOODBreakfast: Continental style breakfasts are provided by the hotel. We supplement these with cereals and 'ready brek'.Lunches: These are not included so you can choose your own diet while skiing. There are excellent restaurants serving soups, salads, pasta etc. in both ski areas or you can make up your own picnic from the many bakeries in town. Dinner: 6 evenings meals will be taken together in the hotel restaurant and normally consist of 3 generous courses of local French specialities. A special 'sportif' dinner will be served on the Saturday night and the meal on Sunday is not included, so that you can try one of the fine restaurants in Ax. Special diets: The hotels are very used to providing excellent meals for vegetarians and celiacs. Please contact us if you have any other special dietary requirements. GETTING AROUNDThroughout the trip you transferred to and from the ski areas in a private minibus. James has lots of experience of driving in snowy conditions. The buses are naturally fitted with snow tyres and chains are carried. Each day we transfer 15 to 45mins depending on snow conditions on the road.CLIMATE / SNOW CONDITIONSDuring March we can expect the daytime air temperatures to be from 10 to 18 deg C in the sunshine. However it is fairly usual to get fresh snow falling at some stage in the week so temperatures can drop way below freezing. Despite the sunshine the snow remains in good condition due to the very cold night-time temperatures (the ski areas are very high) and the meticulous daily piste preparation. We do however get some transformation of the snow during the day.SKI HIRESki Hire is not included, so you can hire the type and quality of ski you want, or even try out different skis / boots as the week progresses. Basic classic ski hire starts at €49 per week, including boots and poles. We are very lucky to have a ski hire shop with an excellent selections of equipment. The Ski's are mounted with NNN bindings. In addition there is a very good outdoor clothing and gear shop in Ax-les-Thermes, 200 meters from our hotel - see Telemark Pyrenees (external website).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 classic skis can be used but you need to be aware that the snow temperatures can vary a lot as the day goes on during March. There is a waxing room at the cross-country ski hire shop which is available for all our clients to use even if they are not hiring skis. The room is kitted out with vices and irons. Brushes etc can be borrowed from Marmot Tours. MASSAGE SERVICEOn most evenings of this trip Cathy Thompson will be offering Therapeutic Massages at the Hotel. More info>>WHAT TO BRINGCross country skiing can be fairly energetic, so you will need lots of layers, ending in a windproof shell. You will need to be able to carry some water with you while you are skiing. A suggested kit list will be sent to you on booking.TRAVEL :: HOW DO I GET THERE?We get people coming on our holidays from all over the world, so it
is impossible to include all the information on our website. The
notes below are tailored to travellers from the UK. People from other
countries please
contact us for advice. We would like to emphasise that for this cross-country skiing
holiday the 'ski train' is a fun, cost effective and environmentally
friendly alternative to air travel, please
see our
Green Travel pages.
Easy Jet flights from Bristol to Toulouse. |
