INTRODUCTION
Our Nordic highlights cross-country skiing holiday is a must for any
track skiing enthusiast looking for an exciting alternative to
Scandinavia. We tour the Pyrenees visiting 5 different cross-country
ski areas, each with their own character, offering us a staggering
360 km of prepared and marked trails. The high altitude of the ski
areas ensures good snow conditions, while the proximity to the
Mediterranean gives us longer, sunnier days.
This xc skiing holiday is best suited to people with one or
more weeks cross-country skiing experience (both classic or skating) who we know will enjoy the challenge of going the distance and
travelling through the varied ski terrains that we come across
during the holiday.
Group holidays are great fun and skiing in good company is always
a pleasure, however, this itinerary also allows you the freedom of
independent skiing should you desire it. Your guide, James Thompson,
SSE Nordic Ski Instructor, will be available every day for
orientation and ski tours at different speeds and distances.
However there
is no obligation to ski in a group, or with others, and we would
encourage you to get exactly what you want out of this cross-country
skiing experience. We are fortunate to have such high quality
cross-country ski areas
on our doorstep, where the tracks are beautifully maintained and
clearly marked so orientation is very easy.
This cross-country skiing holiday is based in two very different mountain towns:
Ax-Les-Thermes
is a pretty thermal spa town straddling the river Ariège
while Font-Romeu is a more cosmopolitan town set on the vast sun
baked plateau near the Spanish border.
HOLIDAY ITINERARY
This
cross country skiing holiday 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 minibus, so at any stage during the day
you can have access to spare clothing, different skis, etc.
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Day
1:
Travel day
Today is about getting to Ax-Les-Thermes in time for dinner at the
Hotel Terminus. Airport transfers are provided to tie in with
flights listed below. Hotel Terminus, Ax-les-Thermes.
Day
2:
Cross-country skiing at the
Plateau de Beille
After breakfast there will be a briefing to go through all aspects
of the holiday. We will then transfer to the Plateau de Beille via
the ski hire shop.
There will be time for an
introductory ski before lunch. In the afternoon there will be an
informal lesson for improvers and a guided ski to help you orientate. Hotel Terminus,
Ax-les-Thermes.
Day 3:
Cross-country skiing at the Domaine du Chioula
Transfer
20 mins to the ski area of the Domain de Chioula. Hotel Terminus,
Ax-les-Thermes.
Day 4:
Cross-country skiing at Pyrenees 2000
In the morning we transfer 1.5 hrs to our new hotel in Font Romeu,
drop the bags and continue to the ski domain of Pyrenees 2000.
Hotel Y Sem Be, Font Romeu.
Day 5:
Cross-country skiing at Capcir
Transfer 20 mins to the Col de la LLosa in the ski domain of Capcir.
Hotel Y Sem Be, Font Romeu.
Day 6:
Cross-country skiing at
Font Romeu
Transfer 10 mins to the cross-country ski area of Font Romeau called
la Calm. After a full day of skiing we transfer back to
Ax-les-Thermes. Hotel Terminus, Ax-les-Thermes.
Day 7:
Cross-country skiing at the
Plateau de Beille
Transfer 40 mins to Beille where we have the chance to ski to the
far end of the station. Hotel Terminus, Ax-les-Thermes.
Day 8:
Travel Day
The morning if free to relax in Ax before transferring to Toulouse
airport in
time for the flights listed below full of the memories of a
fantastic holiday xc skiing.
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WHY CHOOSE US?
As an experienced classic and skating skier himself, James knows what makes a good cross country skiing experience. For
him it is about really emphasising the 'cross country' aspect of
this winter activity, and covering not only some distance, but
experiencing different landscapes and terrains. Within the
area of the Eastern Pyrenees, this is exactly what we can offer you,
and you will be able to ski across high mountain plateaux, through
beech and pine forests, and along valley floors, all in the space of
the week. All the skiing is on groomed trails allowing you to hone
your technique and get the maximum glide possible during your
skiing.
To get the most from the cross country skiing holiday you will need to be in a
relatively good shape. However, due to the flexible nature of the
holiday, you are free to ski as much or as little as you like, and
all apart from one of the ski centres have cafe's available for you
to sit and take a well earned break (generally on a sun baked
terrace with panoramic views!). This means that this trip can work
well for mixed ability couples or for those wanting to mix
downhill and cross-country skiing (downhill skiing is an alternative option on
every day of this trip).
Director of Marmot Tours, James has been leading cross-country skiing holidays
for over 7 years and has been in the leisure industry for even
longer. He is approachable, energetic and enthusiastic,
and should you want any top tips on improving your cross-country skiing technique,
then he will be happy to help you out.
If you are fairly new to cross-country skiing then we feel that our
centre
based trip would probably be more appropriate for you. It is important to us that people book
the correct holidays so please do not hesitate to contact
us if you have have any questions.
2010 HOLIDAY DATES
Sunday 2 Jan - Sunday 9 Jan 2011 (Trip Code XFT K02)
Sunday 30 Jan - Sunday 6 Feb 2011 (Trip Code XFT K06)
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
The holiday costs £650, starting at Toulouse Airport. 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).
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, 6 days transport to different ski regions, 6 days
guided cross-country skiing with one or two guides, informal
cross-country ski instruction, 5 nights 2** Hotel in Ax-Les-Thermes.
2 nights in 2**
Hotel near Font Romeu. 7 breakfasts and 7 evening meals. Cross-country
ski
pass that gives access to the prepared cross-country skiing tracks.
NB: Prices are based on sharing a twin room. The single
supplement for this holiday is £120 - please liaise with us
regarding availability for this at the time of your booking
WHERE DO WE STAY
Ax-les-thermes:
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 afar. Traditional French breakfasts are
also provided. The hotel is a short walk from the town centre, and is situated on the banks of the River Ariege.
All the rooms have views over the river and have a TV with UK news
and free WIFI access.
Font-Romeu: We stay in a chalet style 2 star hotel, Y-Sem-Be, just outside
town. It is situated at 1800m on the sunny plateau of the Cerdagne,
enjoying stunning panoramic views. It is well placed for
accessing the facilities in the centre of Font Romeu. The hotel has
a pleasant and airy restaurant where we take our evening meals.
FOOD AND MEALS
Breakfast: 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 or sarnies in each of the ski areas or you can make up
your own picnic from the many bakeries in town.
Dinner: 7 evenings meals will be taken together in the hotel
restaurant and normally consist of 3 generous courses of local
French specialities.
Special diets: Both hotels are used to providing
excellent meals for vegetarians and celiacs. Please
contact us if you have any other special dietary requirements.
GETTING AROUND
Throughout the holiday you transferred to and from the cross-country ski areas in a private
minibus. James and Cathy (2nd guide with larger groups) have 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
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 it very rarely gets below freezing. Font-Romeu
get more sun than anywhere else in France, this has been exploited and
there are several huge solar energy stations in the region.
CROSS COUNTRY SKI HIRE
Cross-country ski hire is not included in the holiday cost, so you can hire the type and quality of ski
you want, or even try out different skis / boots as the week progresses.
We are very lucky to have a dedicated cross-country ski hire shop
with an excellent selections of equipment. Classic XC ski hire starts at €49 per week, including boots and poles.
Good quality skating ski hire starts at €79 per week, including
boots and poles (and a set of classic cross-country skis are
included in the price). All skis 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
cross-country skis on this holiday. However, the cross-country ski areas are not suitable for wide skis with
metal edges and 3 pin bindings. Grip-wax cross-country skis can be used but are
not recommended (apart from in December and January) due to range of snow temperatures that can be
experienced within one day.
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 and brushes etc
can be borrowed from Marmot Tours - all you need is your wax.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
There is no 'official' rest day during this holiday, but you are
invited to take it
easy whenever suits you. Both Ax and Font Romeu have downhill
ski stations. All the ski areas have marked snowshoe trails and Snowshoes
can be borrowed free of charge from Marmot Tours. At several of the stations you
could try dogsledding
or paragliding. Relaxing is always an option!
MASSAGE SERVICE
On most evenings of this holiday Cathy Thompson will be offering
Therapeutic Massages at the Hotel.
More info>>
WHAT TO BRING
Please see this holidays
packing list
for details.
Cross-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. One of the
joys of skiing in the Pyrenees is that even in January we are skiing
in temperatures over 12°C, so you do not
get cold when you stop.
TRAVEL :: HOW DO I GET THERE?
We get people coming on our cross-country skiing 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.
Free minibus transfers to / from Toulouse Airport are offered to tie
in with the flights listed below from
London, Bristol and Manchester.
If it is easer for you to take a flight that arrives before or after
our transfer then you will need to make your own way to Ax-Les-Thermes
(easy & cheap bus & train journey). Alternatively you could extend
your holiday by arriving the day before and spending an afternoon /
evening exploring the vibrant and ornate red bricked city of
Toulouse.
Please see the
transport
section of our website for all travel options (air, road and rail) plus
information on getting to Ax Les Thermes independently of the
group transfer from Toulouse / Carcassonne or Barcelona Airports.
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.
Airport transfers:
For this cross-country skiing holiday we offer two airport transfers
which tie in with the
flights listed below. If any of these flights are delayed then the
transfer will naturally be rescheduled: People arriving on the
earlier of the flights will be expected to wait at the airport (max
2hrs) for the later flights to arrive:
MORNING TRANSFER
BMI Baby flights from Manchester.
OUT: departs Manchester at 0625, arrives Toulouse at 0930.
IN: departs Toulouse at 1030, arrives Manchester 1140.
British Airways flights from London Heathrow.
OUT: departs Heathrow at 0705, arrives Toulouse at 0950.
IN: departs Toulouse at 1040, arrives Heathrow at 1135.
AFTERNOON TRANSFER
Easy Jet flights from London Gatwick.
OUT: departs Gatwick at 1325, arrives Toulouse at 1610.
IN: departs Toulouse at 1645, arrives Gatwick at 1735.
Easy Jet flights from Bristol.
OUT: departs Bristol at 1425, arrives Toulouse at 1710.
IN: departs Toulouse at 1740, arrives Bristol at 1830.
Alternatively , flights with independent
transfers:
Please see the
transport section of our website. If you have any questions, do
not hesitate to get in contact.
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