 Poster: A snowHead
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Hopefully this is the right forum, I did think about posting in report resort reviews. If admin feel this is the wrong forum please move the post. I have searched the forums and thought I would also ask the question.
We are used to skiing the larger resorts in France and Austria and would consider ourselves as more red/black run skiers than blue/red and also enjoy off piste when conditions allow. We are considering a trip to Andorra for the last week of February or first week of March. Would most likely be half board in a hotel.
Interested on peoples views, hints and tips on Andorra, which are the better resorts/hotels to be at given our skiing preference and also the time we are looking to go will this be too late in the season.
Any views or feedback would be much appreciated.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@MogulMonkey, bit confused - are your going late in the season or end of Feb, start of March?
My thoughts after only one trip to Andora (in April) is that Soldeau cosists mainly of easy blues and reds. The blacks on the piste map were very straightforward.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@johnE, thanks for the reply..trip will be at end of feb or beginning of March. Already booked Tignes in jan and ischgl early feb.
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I've skied in Andorra for many years, mainly because a friend had an apartment there.
In reality, the Grandvalira ski area is the only area comparable to France in interlinked piste Km of 200+, Pas de la Casa (not pretty but easy access to the pistes) Soldeu, My favourite, El Tarter and Canillo link to this area. Encamp also links to this area via a long cable car & can't be skied down to unless there is a big dump of snow to low levels. (Canillo also can't be skied down to)
Whilst advanced skiers can find terrain to entertain themselves in Grandvalira, there isn't that much, certainly on piste, I wouldn't class any of the pistes in Grandvalira as challenging, however, because it is a very beginner / intermediate resort, the reds and blacks are usually very quiet and pisted flat so if carving such runs at mach 10 is your thing, it is a good place to go. I can never remember the names of pistes but there is a very wide & steep black run that faces Soldeu village which is super fun doing massive carved turns across the full width of the run, occasionally catching some air in the edge change.
There are some freeride areas that are ok even without fresh snow and as with almost any resort there are some good offpiste opportunities with new snow.
Bottom line is that, on the face of it, it is not a resort for advanced skiers but they can have fun if they think outside the box
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@tangowaggon, sorry to jump on, to ski Grandvalira can you access the piste from el tarter and soldeu? or are these different pistes which link to Grandvalira? I booked here last season but didn't end up going due to covid rules but it did confuse me when booking diy.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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El Tarter and Soldeu are adjacent villages that have lifts an pistes that link to the GV ski area, you can ski from Soldeu to the lower village of El Tarter
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My daughter and I skied Grandvalira last year from Pas de la Casa.
Good big-ish area of pistes, certainly enough for a week, I've done plenty and she's done a season so we can happily ski anything. Most of the grading is probably over-stated, not much that would be above a tough red in some resorts although the blacks into Soldeu are fun and normally quiet. There are some good gated Freeride areas and they stay unpisted so give you something different to go at. Off piste wise there's a fair bit between the pistes so if you don't mind a bit of exploring you'll keep yourselves amused. Ive not got a crystal ball but that's not late season, pretty much mid, so I'd think snow wise you'll be fine.
Some good on mountain stops but some are eye wateringly expensive (not just for Andorra but in general) so check before you order.
In town everything's generally good value.
I've got a friend who stays at the Nordic in El Tarter regularly and its a genuine ski-in/out hotel. I can't recommend Pas though, I know it has its fans who will be along shortly to tell me I'm wrong, but we found it packed with drunken groups, had to hop over puddles of vomit on more than one occasion. Its not somewhere I'd like my girls to be going on their own either.
Don't get me wrong I'd go again if an offer came up but only in Soldeu or El Tarter.
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As already mentioned Pas de la Casa is a total dump if that has any impact on your decision.
It makes Magaluf seem posh....
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@andy n netty, said. Don't get me wrong I'd go again if an offer came up but only in Soldeu or El Tarter.
My thoughts exactly, they are the only places I’d stay in.
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Stayed in Park Piolets in Soldeu 1st week in March 2020. It was a nice hotel: there was a minibus to run you down to lifts and back (but not a huge walk). Good spa and food was excellent.
Skied down to Pas de La Casa once and was relieved we weren't staying there!
Had bad/ no visibility most of the week but were rewarded with thigh high powder on the last day (was best European ski day ever had!)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| tangowaggon wrote: |
I've skied in Andorra for many years, mainly because a friend had an apartment there.
In reality, the Grandvalira ski area is the only area comparable to France in interlinked piste Km of 200+, Pas de la Casa (not pretty but easy access to the pistes) Soldeu, My favourite, El Tarter and Canillo link to this area. Encamp also links to this area via a long cable car & can't be skied down to unless there is a big dump of snow to low levels. (Canillo also can't be skied down to)
Whilst advanced skiers can find terrain to entertain themselves in Grandvalira, there isn't that much, certainly on piste, I wouldn't class any of the pistes in Grandvalira as challenging, however, because it is a very beginner / intermediate resort, the reds and blacks are usually very quiet and pisted flat so if carving such runs at mach 10 is your thing, it is a good place to go. I can never remember the names of pistes but there is a very wide & steep black run that faces Soldeu village which is super fun doing massive carved turns across the full width of the run, occasionally catching some air in the edge change.
There are some freeride areas that are ok even without fresh snow and as with almost any resort there are some good offpiste opportunities with new snow.
Bottom line is that, on the face of it, it is not a resort for advanced skiers but they can have fun if they think outside the box |
I've skiied Grandvalira a couple of times being based in Soldeu and was going to comment but tangowaggon has summed it up perfectly!
The black run going into Soldeu is called Avet and is a FIS World Cup run - great fun!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I live in Andorra. Before I moved here, I’d skied here once but mostly skied in Austria with a few trips to Italy and France thrown in. As has already been said, it’s a reasonably big area but most of the pistes are not massively challenging for experienced skiers in normal conditions. That’s not to say they’re not fun.
There’s also a decent amount of between piste/off piste fun to be had. This year, the Grandvalira pass has become the Andorra pass. It means that you can ski the other areas in Andorra without having to buy an extra pass. It remains to be seen whether there will be a complimentary bus service between the areas. It probably takes 30 mins to get from Soldeu to La Massana and an hour to get from Soldeu to Arcalís (lovely quiet small area - host to a round of the FWT).
Unless you like nightlife, it’s not worth staying in Pas - the skiing is fine - it’s just a not very nice place! Soldeu and El Tarter are the best places for access to the slopes. I live in Encamp and despite what Tangowaggon says, there’s no chance of skiing down to the town. You might if you are very lucky be able to ski down to the mid station (no pistes down to there, just off piste). It’s a 20 min uplift/down lift from the village. Whilst there is tourism in Encamp, it’s mostly a normal town full of people who go off to work every day! Canillo is ok and more touristy, but not really skiable to/from - no pistes down but the lift up is quite short.
End of Feb/beg of March will be fine. Feb is quite often lovely and sunny. March can be stormy so stands a good chance of there being good snow. They’ll be doing all they can to make sure conditions are good - Soldeu and El Tarter are hosting the World Cup finals from 13th March this season.
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Stayed at El Tarter in late March/early April (last week of the season, 2017) and Arinsal in mid-December (first week of the season, 2021).
We're thinking of going back, and Arinsal is our choice.
Lovely little village. Plenty of bars and coffee shops. Unbelievable value for money.
We stayed at Hotel Montane and the food was excellent.
Opposite the gondola.
Skiing in Arinsal was wide open pistes and off-piste between the runs.
Cable car over to Pal area was easy and quick.
Loads of tree lined skiing in Pal area.
Arcalis is about 30 mins away - private transfer, rental car, a couple of the hotels have shuttles, public transport.
6-day Nord Pass covers Pal-Arinsal and Arcalis, and 1-day at Grandvalira.
Much cheaper than Andorra Pass.
One of the best holidays I've been on
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You know it makes sense.
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| Mike Pow wrote: |
Stayed at El Tarter in late March/early April (last week of the season, 2017) and Arinsal in mid-December (first week of the season, 2021).
One of the best holidays I've been on |
Hi MikePow,
Have you been to many other ski resorts in France or Italy? We're looking at our options for this coming 25th Feb, and having done El Tarter, Soldeu and Pas de la Casa, am tempted to try Arinsal.
Have also been to various French and Italian resorts, so also looking at trying Serre Chevalier or going back to Sauze. Interested in seeing how they (or similar resorts) compare to Arinsal.
Cheers.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| gsmyth555 wrote: |
| Mike Pow wrote: |
Stayed at El Tarter in late March/early April (last week of the season, 2017) and Arinsal in mid-December (first week of the season, 2021).
One of the best holidays I've been on |
Hi MikePow,
Have you been to many other ski resorts in France or Italy? We're looking at our options for this coming 25th Feb, and having done El Tarter, Soldeu and Pas de la Casa, am tempted to try Arinsal.
Have also been to various French and Italian resorts, so also looking at trying Serre Chevalier or going back to Sauze. Interested in seeing how they (or similar resorts) compare to Arinsal.
Cheers. |
Been to a number
FRANCE
Avoriaz
Montgenevre
ITALY
Madesimo
San Martino di Castrozza
Trafoi
Solda
Gressoney
Would recommend them all
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Poster: A snowHead
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[quote="Mike Pow"][quote="gsmyth555"]
| Mike Pow wrote: |
Stayed at El Tarter in late March/early April (last week of the season, 2017) and Arinsal in mid-December (first week of the season, 2021).
Been to a number
Would recommend them all |
How does Arinsal hold up against them lot?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@gsmyth555, I'm not Mike, but I can help answer as well. Arinsal is a fairly small area. It's linked to Pal which is a bigger area, but even then combined it's not massive. A reasonable skier can ski practically every run in a day. So it really comes down to what you like doing - if you like to travel around an area, that is tricky. If you like to repeat runs that you find fun and have a chilled day/week then it's probably perfect. You can also have days out in Arcalis and Grandvalira if you want to mix it up a bit. I mainly ski Grandvalira because it's closer (1km to a lift, as opposed to 15km for Pal/Arinsal), but I still like going over there for a day every so often. If you have a bundle of fresh snow it's a lot of fun.
Serre Chevalier is an excellent area. It's much bigger than Arinsal/Pal and I think a bit bigger than Grandvalira. In honesty, I probably prefer Serre Che to Grandvalira it's a little more varied. Never been to Sauze so I can't comment on that.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| hammerite wrote: |
@gsmyth555, I'm not Mike, but I can help answer as well. Arinsal is a fairly small area. It's linked to Pal which is a bigger area, but even then combined it's not massive. A reasonable skier can ski practically every run in a day. So it really comes down to what you like doing - if you like to travel around an area, that is tricky. If you like to repeat runs that you find fun and have a chilled day/week then it's probably perfect. You can also have days out in Arcalis and Grandvalira if you want to mix it up a bit. I mainly ski Grandvalira because it's closer (1km to a lift, as opposed to 15km for Pal/Arinsal), but I still like going over there for a day every so often. If you have a bundle of fresh snow it's a lot of fun.
Serre Chevalier is an excellent area. It's much bigger than Arinsal/Pal and I think a bit bigger than Grandvalira. In honesty, I probably prefer Serre Che to Grandvalira it's a little more varied. Never been to Sauze so I can't comment on that. |
Can't argue with that
I prefer smaller, uncrowded areas with access to good off-piste
I like repeating runs rather than high mileage for the sake of it
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@hammerite, @Mike Pow
Same. Plus our group is varied abilities so I don't need to go charging around a massive hill for the sake of it. Saving money and avoiding half term is what we're after. Though I've head Serre Che is quiet in comparison that week.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@gsmyth555, if it helps, the local half term here is 18-26th Feb. Not sure how it compares to elsewhere.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| hammerite wrote: |
| @gsmyth555, if it helps, the local half term here is 18-26th Feb. Not sure how it compares to elsewhere. |
thank you.
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Been to GV 5-6 times. I agree with what has been said above. Big area but not super challenging for advanced skiers (sadly still challenging for me!). One point not made; check your mobile phone charges for Andorra. It is not in EU so can be cripplingly expensive. Most on piste restaurants and cafés have Wi-Fi so try to only use that.
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Thinking of an Andorra trip 1st week in March, and reading with interest. I'm thinking of driving, so parking at lift stations is an issue. The questions: is parking plentiful; and is it free? Ta.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Charliegolf, depends where you go. Free parking in Arcalís is plentiful. Free in Pal (plentiful) and Arinsal (limited) for Vallnord. Finally, Encamp (park and ride, reasonable availability), El Tarter and Grau Roig (plentiful).
You pay in La Massana, Encamp Funicamp (€5.50 a day I think), Canillo, Soldeu and Pas de la Casa.
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@Orange200, I think most of the lift stations have WiFi too as do some village centres.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@hammerite, Cheers for that.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Depends on many things including budget, what you like and so forth. I've been once to Arinsal when the two eldest kids were small - it was v good. Excellent food and great VFM. A trip to Arcalis was amazing but with a lengthy transfer. Easy to get native English speaking instructors, if you want that. But v little social cache and not Kensington in the Alps.
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| hammerite wrote: |
@Charliegolf, depends where you go. Free parking in Arcalís is plentiful. Free in Pal (plentiful) and Arinsal (limited) for Vallnord. Finally, Encamp (park and ride, reasonable availability), El Tarter and Grau Roig (plentiful).
You pay in La Massana, Encamp Funicamp (€5.50 a day I think), Canillo, Soldeu and Pas de la Casa. |
Technically in Arinsal, it is only limited when parking at the gondola in the middle of the village. There is more parking higher at at the Josep Serra lift and you can drive up all the way to the ski station itself. As long as you get there by 9:30 you'll find parking. Arcalis is the same. If you only goign to get there by 11:00 on a busy weekend you'll struggle to find parking.
El Tarter & the nearby Hotel Nordic parking fills up fast on a busy day.
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You know it makes sense.
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Andorra is a small country located in the Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain. It is known for its skiing and snowboarding opportunities, with a number of resorts offering a range of runs for skiers and snowboarders of all abilities. The ski season in Andorra typically runs from December to April, so the end of February or early March would still be a good time to visit for skiing.
If you are an advanced skier and enjoy challenging runs, you may want to consider staying at one of the larger resorts in Andorra, such as Grandvalira or Vallnord. These resorts offer a wide range of red and black runs, as well as some off-piste opportunities. Both resorts have a number of hotels and other accommodations available, so you should be able to find a suitable option for your trip.
It is worth noting that the snow conditions in Andorra can vary depending on the time of year and the weather. Late February and early March may be towards the end of the ski season, and the snow conditions may not be as good as they would be earlier in the season. It is always a good idea to check the weather and snow conditions before planning your trip, and to be prepared for possible changes in the conditions during your stay.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@ysb33r, yeah, I was thinking about the spaces at Josep Serra! But yes, I might have underestimated the number of spaces there.
As they’re a snowhead, I made the assumption that if they’re driving, they’ll be getting there early to park so just went by the size of the car park from memory! There seem to be a lot of later risers around these parts so if the car park is big-ish they’ll be able to park. Should be ok on a week day at the beginning of March as I think most of the school hols are over by then!
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Poster: A snowHead
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I think the big holiday is around 20 Feb 2023 (Carnival) so after that it might be more quiet.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I popped my Andorra cherry last January. I normallyt go in a boys trip to the french / austrian alps end Jan but cos covid we erred on the side of caution and didn't organise anytrhing for 2022. Last minute, myself and a mate booked the Hotel Del Clos in El tarter with Neilson last week of Jan. We had a great week and I agree with all of the above comments regarding it as a great intermediate area which suited us. It was fantastic value. the food on the mountain was great, a few buzzy bars in Soldeau. I can best compare it to Morzine/les Gets with 20-30 year old lift infrastructure. If you are used to being whizzed around the mountain on heated 8 man chairs in Austria you could be in for a shock. The pace is rather more sedate. We got snowed in Pas la Casa one day and got a cab back as the visibility was awful and it was getting late (long boozy lunch) They have their own version of Uber called Andy and its very cheap!
Will be returning at 1/2 term 2023 with my daughter.
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