Recent converts

We headed off to look for some snow.

We dropped out of the hills,  after our walks around Montseny, and headed for a large town down on the plain, Vic. Nothing to report here except an Aire overlooking the sports fields, it was a peaceful night. We then began limping up into the south Pyrenees. We had identified three skiing areas; Vallter2000, Espot Esqui and Vall de Nuria.

Now although we enjoy some vaguely controlled sliding down a hillside we do also have some reservations; the cost seems exorbitant when you add it all up, the environmental cost also seems ridiculous and the impact to the landscape is massive. But for a days entertainment, we can be hypocrites.

As we only wanted to ski for one or two days the size of the resort was not a concern. A friend, Felipe, had recommended Vall de Nuria. Ideally we wanted to stay the night, but it seemed quite expensive. There were two other resorts, but this one seemed a bit special as it was accessed by a small railway. Espot Esqui ended up being kilometres away, not where our map said it would be at all, so we plumped for Nuria, and we are glad we did.

After we popped into the information office at Ribes de Freser. We found that a combined train ticket and lift pass came to €30 for the day, and we could get 10% off . So a days skiing, including ski hire would come in about €100 for the two of us, not too bad. Everything planned for tomorrow, we could even park at the station overnight as tomorrow was a weekday and the car park was not going to be full, happy days. Lunch and then a walk we think.

It is quite alpine around here, but we are well below the snow line. Our planned route will take us up the valley to a refuge. Quite a short trek for us.

We head out of town past the castle and are soon well above the village following small, sometimes overgrown paths through bushes.

These eventually change to a dense pine forest.

We cross several four by four roads (actually one which is also zigzagging up the hill) before we reach the refuge.

The refuge is surrounded by a slushy carpet of snow.

A large group have dumped their rucksacks in a pile on the ground. Suddenly shots ring out, as several dressed in period costume accost the group, encircling them, getting them to kneel in the snow before tying the hands and blindfolding them. They seem to be re-enacting some sort of independence showdown. These Catalans take this separation from Spain quite seriously. Not surprised really .

We head back along the road, hoping it will be easier. The road is caked in slushy snow, which is hard going, wet and cold. We decide to head off-piste through the pine forests. At the bottom we take a different route back through the small village of Ribes de Altes. A really nice walk, to end a great day. We are really looking forward to our skiing tomorrow.

 

We get up early the next day to catch the first train at 7.30. We want to make the best use of the slopes and the next train doesn’t go up until 9, arriving at 9.40, by the time we hire our kit half the day will be gone. We get our tickets, although they have surreptitiously added skiing insurance, we will have to argue that one later as the train is about to go .

We are surrounded by ski instructors and other people that presumably work on the slopes. It has just gotten light as the train moves off.

The journey is absolutely stunning, as the train winds its way stepper and steeper up the valley, an amazing engineering triumph.

The journey ends in an even more stunning landscape. The setting for the hotel is fantastic, but yet again we fail to take that photo. You will have to check out the videos to get the gist.

We head off to the ski hire shop.

It doesn’t open till nine. So much for getting up here early, probably the lifts don’t open till then either. It was still nice to see everything in the early light.

We go off for a hot chocolate and to abuse the hotel Wi-Fi.

Eventually we get on the slopes. There are very few people here, it being a weekday. We pretty much have the slopes to ourselves.

There are no queues for the lifts, quite the contrary, they are on demand. They only turn them on when you turn up.

The resort is also really small, with limited infrastructure;

A couple of drag lift cover the nursery slopes.

Then there is a four person chair lift and some cabins, which are bizarrely tied together in two groups of four, these are very slow.

These serve three red runs, three blue and a black with a couple of minor variations.

By midday we have done all of the routes (bar the black) two to three times.

The slopes are a bit busier now as the school children have arrived, slithering around the slopes like snakes as they follow one another with their snow ploughs.

We are also are having fun playing with the Go Pro. Susana thinks it is hilarious strapped to the head. We also strap it to the legs and the boots, both forward and back. You can see the results later.

Susana is also extremely jealous of my green boots! We stop for a quick lunch, our flask from Asda is crap, and we have only lukewarm soup. Sometimes it doesn’t pay to economise.

As we get into the afternoon clouds start to gather around the hill tops.

We are getting tired, a few more runs and that will be it for the day. Some of the blue runs are quite slushy now, it is just a bit to warm here, and not really high enough. The slopes that have had less use are a bit better. I tentatively make my way down the black run, probably the cleanest slope left.

It has been a fine day, we head off. We have that fantastic train journey back down the valley.

Susana looks exhausted and spellbound.

What to do. We quite like the idea of another days skiing, but not at Nuria. We have an hours daylight so we head to Vallter 2000 to see what it is like.

We get there in the dark. It has been a tiring drive up the very curvy road, especially when the snow appeared at the road edges. We find a car park and pull over for the night. It is very peaceful and the sky is crystal clear with a billion billion stars.

The next day clouds are heading up the valley, although it is clear above us.

We head up to the ski resort to see what is going on. The slopes are enveloped in a thick soup. We do not like the look of it, but spend some time checking email etc. on the free Wi-Fi. When we go back outside it has cleared, but it is later now, so we still decide to head off.

GDR