Arinsal Andorra

2nd November 2009

29th October 2009

Vallnord have announced that all lift passes and ski/snowboard lessons this winter will remain at 2008/2009 prices in Arinsal, Pal and Arcalis. This means that an Adult Day pass will still cost 30.50€ low season and 36.00€ in high season. One hour's private ski lesson (1 - 2 people) will cost 38.00€ / 40.50€. You can see the full pricelist here.

11th October 2009

The Big Snow Festival will be coming to Arinsal from the 14th to 21st March 2010. The lineup is still to be confirmed but there should be some big names including at least one Radio 1 DJ. We will let you know more details as soon as we hear them, so watch this space.

The biggest change in store for skiers in Arinsal this coming winter is the reshaping and improvement of the Les Marades piste down to the Crest Hotel. This project has been in the pipeline for a while now, and the first phase was completed for last season with installation of a new high speed six seater chairlift. Over this summer the piste has been widened and snowmaking has been installed. This should ensure that the piste is skiable throughout the whole season, and will be accessible to a wider range of skiers.

For those unfamiliar with the resort, Les Marades is the only groomed piste which descends to the village level - the majority of the pistes in Arinsal are on the upper part of the mountain. Les Marades was the original access road used for the construction of the ski area, and in summer is a pleasant forrest track which winds its way through the trees towards the head of the valley. A section of it also forms part of the signposted nature walk through the lower part of the Coma Pedrosa National Park. In winter the run has always been a narrow track which whilst not steep was nonetheless difficult for first and second time skiers due to the narrow width of certain sections. This meant that one of the most scenic runs in the resort, not to mention the pleasure of skiing back to the village rather than taking a skilift down, was out of reach for many visitors to the resort.

Watch this space for upcoming photographs of the work in progress.

Today is the last day of skiing for this winter in Arinsal and Pal. There is still plenty of snow, and this is a week later than last season's closing day due to the excellent snow cover this season.

The lifts in Arcalis are open for another couple of weeks until May 3rd, and conditions should be pretty good for ski touring at the moment. So winter sport is not completely over for the spring.

Most people are looking forward to the summer however. The major Arinsal and Pal lifts will reopen for summer sports (hill walking and mountin biking in particular) on June 6th.

We have entered the last month of the season, and as usual at this time of the year the slopes are quiet and the snow is good. Also as usual, there is something of a festive mood in town, as bars hold (nearly) end of season and closing (soon) parties and the resort staff try to get in a last few nights out before heading home. Those in resort are enjoying some great skiing with warm weather, underlining why the spring is one of my favourite times in the season. It is a real shame that more people do not take advantage of spring and Easter skiing.

This week the weather has turned warmer, the sun is out, as are the barbecues, and there is still lots and lots of great snow in the resort. All the runs are still open and the snow we have will still be here in April, May and probably June. Snow melts very slowly on most of the slopes here and it will take a long long time before this amount of snow starts to disappear. The people on holiday here at the moment have picked a great week to come, and next week is likely to be equally good.

It is rare for skiers to complain about having too much snow, but at the moment that is the situation here. Arinsal is currently cut off as the road here is closed. The whole of Andorra has imposed a 30km/h temporary speed limit, and snow chains are compulsory for any vehicle in the country. All the primary and secondary schools are shut and the Arinsal ski area closed at 2pm this afternoon due to the increasing avalanche risk. The risk is currently 5 out of 5 and predicted to stay that way until at least tomorrow night. Around a metre of snow has fallen so far over last night and today, and more is forecast.

Whilst this might not be great news for the people on holiday here this week, it is fantastic for anyone coming out next week. When the snow stops there will be a lot of fun to be had on the slopes which were already the best for a long time. Hopefully tomorrow we will get at least some chance to go and play in the white stuff. In the meantime - well there are snowball fights on every corner, the traffic police are shouting at people snowboarding down the road, sledges are selling like wildfire and the pubs enjoyed a busy afternoon after the slopes shut. In short everybody is making the most of the white stuff.

Here in Arinsal we are having an absolutely fantastic season. It keeps on snowing, all the runs are in good condition. The resort is already digging out the snow cannons - something they usually do in March if they decide that there is enough snow to last the rest of the season. Doing it now is a sign that they are confident we already have enough snow to last well into April whatever the weather decides to do. Vallnord are rumoured to be considering extending the season beyond the planned closing date in late April, possibly even opening into May. All in all, if you were considering a trip to Arinsal, this is one winter you don't want to miss out on.