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Nordic Skiing Highlights of the PyreneesWell suited to both intermediate skiers who are wanting to travel some distance, and to experienced skiers, this trip offers a tour of the 5 best track cross-country skiing areas in the Pyrenees. |
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Vast ski area to explore. |
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About this tripOur 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.We market this trip only to intermediate and experienced cross-country skiers (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 week. Group holidays are great fun and skiing in good company is always a pleasure. We find that even in mixed ability groups there is nearly always someone else who is looking for the same kind of experience as you are, either in terms of distance or speed. However, we also promote your independence on this holiday. Whilst James Thompson, your guide, will be available every day for orientation and ski tours at different speeds and distances, 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 (Plateau de Beille, Domaine de Chioula, Capcir, Font-Romeu and Pyrenees 2000) on our doorstep, where the tracks are beautifully maintained and clearly marked so orientation becomes very easy to do independently. This trip 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. Why come to the Pyrenees with Marmot Tours?As an experienced classic and skating skier himself (and SSE XC instructor), James is a nordic skiing enthusiast who knows for himself 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 plateaus, 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 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 option on every day of this trip as an alternative). 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 trip so please do not hesitate to contact
us if you have have any questions. DATESSunday 3 Jan - Sunday 10 Jan 2010 (Trip Code XFT J02)Sunday 17 Jan - Sunday 24 Jan 2010 (Trip Code XFT J04) Sunday 31 Jan - Sunday 7 Feb 2010 (Trip Code XFT I06) Sunday 7 March - Sunday 14 March 2010 (Trip Code XFT I11) HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?The holiday costs £630, starting at Carcassonne 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, 4 nights 2** Hotel in Ax-Les-Thermes. 3 nights in 2** Hotel near Font Romeu. 7 breakfasts and 6 evening meals. 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 trip is £120 - please liaise with us
regarding availability for this at the time of your booking WHERE DO WE STAYAx-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.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. FOODAll breakfasts are included and are continental style. All evening meals will be taken in the hotel restaurants where we will be spoilt with fine home cooking. On the Wednesday you are free to try out one of the many restaurants in town. No lunches are included - this enables you to make up your own picnic from the many patisseries in town, or eat at the quality restaurants on the ski areas. Vegetarians are welcome and will be looked after very well.GETTING AROUNDThroughout the holiday you transferred to and from the cross-country 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.CLIMATEThis 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.SKI HIRESki 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. Basic classic ski hire starts at €49 per week, including boots and poles. We are very lucky to have a dedicated cross-country 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 cross-country skis can be used but are
not recommended due to range of snow temperatures that can be
experienced within one day. OTHER ACTIVITIESThere is no 'official' rest day during this holiday, but you are encouraged to take it easy on at least a couple of days. 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 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. 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. A full packing list will be sent to you on booking.HOW DO I GET THERE?2010 flight schedules have not yet been released, but here are the 2009 details Carcassonne Airport is only 2hrs from Ax by road and is well served by Ryan Air flights from various UK destinations. Minibus transfers at specified times are included in the cost of the holiday. Please see the Transport section for all travel options (air, road, and rail), plus getting to the start point independently of the group transfer.If you are in any doubt about which flights you need to book, please just email us for confirmation. We are proposing the use of Ryan Air flights into Carcassonne from either Stansted or Liverpool Airports. OUT: Flight FR72 dpt Stansted at 11.25, arr in Carc. at 14.20. OUT: Flight FR9116 dpt Liverpool at 09.00, arr in Carc at 12.00 On the OUTWARD transfer, we will meet the Liverpool flight at 12.00 and look after your bags, dropping you in Carcassonne to look around and grab some lunch before picking you up after the Stansted flight has arrived at 14.20 in order to transfer to Ax. On the RETURN transfer we will drop off for the Liverpool flight for 13.30 and for those on the Stansted flight, we will look after your bags and drop you in Carcassonne, picking you up again to take you to the airport in time for your 14.45 departure. Alternative flights into Toulouse are available with British Airways and Easy Jet from London Gatwick or Heathrow, or with KLM from various regional airports via Paris or Amsterdam. If these are more attractive to you, then it is possible to easily catch a train from Toulouse to the start point in Ax les Thermes. Please ask us to advise you regarding this journey option. |
