Pre Christmas cross country skiing mini-break weekend holiday in the Pyrenees, France

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Cross Country track skiing minibreak holiday in the Pyrenees, France

4 great days of inspiring early season cross-country skiing


4 days of cross-country skiing. 65km of marked / graded Loips. Ski in group, or by yourself. Ski instructor throughout Easy access from UK airports. 2 star hotel in Thermal Spa town. Massage service.
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OVERVIEW

The Pyrenees offers the perfect climate for any cross-country skier looking for a early winter fix in preparation for a Scandinavian holiday later in the season. Despite being the depths of winter the sun does not disappear over the horizon until about 5.30pm and with 130km of perfectly groomed pistes to get around we need all the daylight we can get.

This holiday is aimed at any track skier (classic or skating) who wants to travel some distance and develope their skills. We spend 2 days at the Plateau de Beille and 2 days at Chioula.

During the week you will be accompanied by James Thompson, a cross-country ski instructor, who will offer daily guided tours to his favourite corners of the mountainside. However the loips are well marked and graded so you are free to go exploring on your own, if that is your choice. The Plateau de Beille and the domain du Chioula both have excellent south facing mountain cafes, with a stunning panoramas, so you do not have to be on the go all the time.

We base ourselves in the pretty spa town of Ax-les-Thermes, which gives us easy access to the two dedicated cross-country ski stations that make up the 'Espace Nordic des Pyrenees'. The New Years Eve celebrations normally centre around the open air thermal footbath.

Why come to the Pyrenees with Marmot Tours?

This unique group holiday is that totally 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!).

Firstly the area around our centre (Ax les Thermes) is the perfect base for our trips, 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, drinking water on tap, and where they maintain their ski areas beautifully. They also happen to be situated in stunning locations with panoramic mountain views!

Guiding/Instruction: The trip 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. As the director of Marmot Tours, James has been leading skiing holidays since 2003 and has been in the leisure industry for even longer. He knows what makes a good trip and is approachable, energetic and enthusiastic.

Both ski domaines 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 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.

DATES

Sunday 28 December 2008 to Friday 2nd January 2009

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

The holiday costs £450, starting and ending at Toulouse Airport. Flights are not included but can be picked up cheaply if booked in advance. Allow about £60 for drinks and lunches.

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. More Info >>

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 £100 - this must be arranged on booking.

WHAT DOES THE PRICE INCLUDE?

4 days entrance to the cross-country ski areas at Beille and Chioula. Transfers to from Toulouse Airport. Vehicle support during the weekend. 5 nights in the Hotel Terminus. 4 evening meals, 5 breakfasts. Services, instruction and guiding of James Thompson throughout the minibreak holiday.

WHERE DO WE STAY?

Throughout this cross-country skiing mini-break 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.

FOOD

All breakfasts are included and are continental style. 4 evening meals will be taken in the locally famed hotel restaurant, where we will be spoilt with fine home cooking. 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 ski area. Vegetarians are welcome and will be looked after very well.

GUIDING AND INSTRUCTION

There is no formal instruction in this holiday but James will be more than happy to offer top tips and suggest exercises to those wanting to fine tune their technique.

GROUP

There is a maximum of 16 people (minimum 4) plus James on this weekend holiday. James will be assisted by another leader for groups over 8. Bookings from single people are welcome as activity holidays are a great way to make new friends.

MASSAGE SERVICE

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

TRANSPORT

Throughout the minibreak holiday you transferred to and from the cross-country ski areas in a private minibus. The bus is naturally fitted with snow tyres and chains are carried. Transfers will be from 20 to 45 mins each way depending on snow cover.

CLIMATE

The area around Andorra gets more snow than any other in the Pyrenees (often more than the Alps). Most years the snow sits on the hills until the end of April, while the proximity to the Mediterranean results in a warmer, more stable climate. The latitude ensures that we can enjoy long sunny days in the hills. Even in December we can expect to be skiing in +10 Deg C.

SKI HIRE

Cross-country 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. The basic package for ‘classic’ skiing is €36 for 4 days. Skis can be exchanged throughout the week as your confidence / ability increases. Good quality skating gear can also be hired for an additional €5 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. However, the ski areas are not suitable for wide skis with metal edges and 3 pin bindings. Grip-wax skis can be used in December and January

WHAT TO BRING ON HOLIDAY

Cross country skiing can be fairly energetic, so you will need 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 kit 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 trip), please see our Green Travel pages.

For this trip the airport transfers are scheduled to tie in with the Easy Jet flights from Bristol. If this flight is delayed then the transfer will naturally be rescheduled.

28th Dec: Flight EJ 6141 departs BRI at 1320, arrives TLS at 1605.
2st Jan: Flight EJ 6140 departs TLS at 1235, arrives BRI at 1325.

Alternative flights can also be found with British Airways (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.

HOLIDAY ITINERARY
DAY 1	Pick up from Toulouse Airport
DAY 2 / 3 / 4 / 5	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 there is a great cafe offering fine mountain views from a reclined deck chair. There is even a special dog sledding area as Beille, if you fancy trying something different for a few hours! We intend to spend two days at the Plateau de Beille and one day at the domain du Chioula.
DAY 6	A morning of relaxing before tranfering back to Toulouse

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