Arinsal Andorra

After this week we have two more weeks of skiing before Arinsal and Pal close for the season on 11th April. Arcalis will remain open until the 18th. In spite of a recent spell of warm weather and some rainy days there is still plenty of snow on the pistes, enough to last well past the closing date.

All in all it has been a good season. New snowmaking and good management of the snow have meant that La Capa and Les Marades, two runs wich were previously very susceptible to snow and wind conditions, have been open throughout the length of the season. Snow conditions have been good, with regular snowfall topping up the pistes, although there has not been quite as much sunshine as we might have liked. So far we have not had a single closed day this season, and there was only one last winter.

Of course Arinsal is still here in the summer, and the main ski lifts will re-open after a break to transport hikers, sight-seers and mountain bikers into the mountains. There are many activities on offer in Andorra in summer - watch this space for a run-down of what is available.

8th November 2009

Vallnord have announced the official opening and closing dates for this winter season as the 28th November and the 18th April respectively. As usual these are subject to change depending on snow conditions - last year the resorts opened early and closed late due to the excellent snow cover - and visitor numbers. These dates apply to Vallnord as a whole. Usually Arcalis opens slightly longer than Pal and Arinsal so Arinsal may shut a week before on April 11th. Remember that the resorts close in April because of a lack of customers, not because the snow has gone, and there has always been (even in relatively poor seasons) plenty of snow to ski on right up to the last day of the season.

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.