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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 develop their skills. We spend 2 days at the
Plateau de
Beille and 1 day at
Chioula.
During the weekend 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 hosts a
newly opened Luxury Roman Baths for those wanting to relax in the
evenings.
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
Wednesday 16th to Sunday 20th December 2009 (Trip Code SFW I51)
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
The holiday costs £350, 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 £80 - 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 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 etc. in both ski areas or you can make up your
own picnic from the many bakeries in town.
Dinner: 4 evenings meals will be taken together in the
hotel restaurant and normally consist of 3 generous courses of local
French specialities.
Special diets: The hotel Terminus is very used to providing
excellent meals for vegetarians and celiacs. Please
contact us if you have any other special dietary requirements.
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 on a one to
one basis to those in the group 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 Cathy 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 €27 for 3 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.
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.
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 holiday the airport transfers are scheduled to tie in with the
following flights. 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:
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.
BMI Baby flights from Manchester.
OUT: departs Manchester at 1455, arrives Toulouse at 1800.
IN: departs Toulouse at 1900, arrives Manchester 2010.
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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