Skiing in the ski resorts of Languedoc's Pyrenees

If you're thinking about skiing in Languedoc's Pyrenees, then read on. In this report we list all of the ski resorts in Languedoc's Pyrenees, what each offers, and how to get to them.

Skiing in Languedoc's Pyrenees
Languedoc's Ski Resorts

The Pyrenees mountains rise like an enormous barrier, separating France and Spain. They stretch 430 kilometres from the Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean of Languedoc - and are older than the Alps. Unlike the Alps, they are home to very few great lakes, but have far more hot springs - which are perfect for relaxing in after a strenuous session on the slopes.

The Pyrenees of Languedoc make up about a sixth of the total - rising from the Mediterranean in the east (near the charming town of Collioure) and ending near the strange and ugly duty-free enclave of Andorra. They are mostly granite (unlike the Western Pyrenees, which are mostly limestone). The Pyrenees aren't as high as the Alps, nor do they offer quite the glamour and sheer size of skiing facilities. However, they are beautiful, and the Spanish flavour of the villages and the cuisine makes them quite interesting culturally. In the Languedoc Pyrenees, the border town of Bourge Madamme-Puigcerda - is lots of fun - well, at least the Spanish side of it is, with lots of good restaurants and a real buzzy atmosphere.

The main road up into the Languedoc Pyrenees and its ski resorts is the N116, which passes the large town of Prades (not very interesting) and the gorgeous walled village of Villefranche-le-Conflent (great place for lunch on the way up). Eventually and unsurprisingly, it gets very narrow and curvy, and in winter you'll need chains to get very far (the police will turn you back otherwise).

The Pyrenees, like the Alps, offer a wide range of skiing opportunities. The avalanche risk here is lower than in the Alps, and there's much less risk of falling into a crevasse. The Pyrenees do not, however, offer quite as much powder snow as their Alpine cousins, and late in the season the snow can get a little mushy thanks to relatively high levels of rainfall and lots of warm, Iberian sunshine. It can also go quite hard, thanks to high winds. However, the snow quality tends to be superior on the French, Languedoc side of the mountains than on the Catalan Spanish side.

That said, the snow and the skiing is pretty excellent by any standard for most of the winter, and the high levels of sunshine make skiing and apres-ski activities a real joy. Snowboarding has become pretty huge in the Pyrenees at all the ski resorts. Snow-blading is more rare, but is starting to spread. The abundance of hot springs and sulphur baths also make apres-ski recuperation all the more enjoyable in the Pyrenees of Languedoc - something badly missing in the Alps.