After enjoying the magic of Christmas in Andorra, it is high time to take it to the next level. Add winter, its flakes and the mountain and you get...? Skiing of course! And when it comes to sliding, the Principality of Andorra, whose territory is located at an average of 2,000 metres above sea level, has more than one advantage up its sleeve. Whether you are a demanding professional, a scorched head running down the slopes at lightning speed, a contemplative skier crossing the passes and valleys at a slow pace, an enduring cross-country ski enthusiast, a beginner curious to learn the principles of sliding or simply an attentive spectator of the exploits of these mountain athletes, Andorra has all the ingredients to satisfy you. With its three huge alpine ski resorts in the heart of the majestic Pyrenees - Grandvalira, Vallnord Pal-Arinsal and Vallnord Ordino-Arcalis - the Principality has a total of just over 300 km of green, blue, red and black slopes, but also the routes dedicated to Naturlandia's only Nordic skiing. If you feel like going beyond the sensations offered by the classics winter sports disciplines, namely skiing and snowboarding, learn here that Andorran mountain resorts offer variants such as snowbiking, snowmobiling or snowshoeing, but also more modern and unusual disciplines, allowing you to enjoy the slopes in a fun way, whether on airboard or snowsnake ! Finally, winter sports enthusiasts will have the opportunity, during the 2018-2019 winter season, to attend for the first time in Andorra the finals of the Alpine Ski World Cup, which will bring together the top 25 skiers in each specialty on the Grandvalira slopes from 11 to 17 March 2019. Other major events are also to be expected, such as the Freeride World Tour Cup in Vallnord or the Kilometre Launched World Cup. All that's left is to tighten the fasteners and get to the slopes!
Grandvalira, Vallnord and Naturlandia
Whether you are a beginner, intermediate or experienced skier, you will certainly find the right boot for you in Andorra. Straddling the parishes of Canillo and Encamp, the largest Andorran alpine ski resort, which is also the largest in the Pyrenees, is Grandvalira. It has no less than 200 kilometres of trails suitable for all levels. Indeed, 14 green, 49 blue, 41 red and 19 black slopes await holidaymakers. Divided into several sectors (Pas-de-la-Case, Grau Roig, Soldeu, El Tarter, El Tarter, Canillo and Encamp), the resort is easily accessible and has all the necessary infrastructure and services to make the most of the slopes - equipment rental points and schools - but also to spend relaxing moments during and at the end of the day, with free wifi zones everywhere as well as very good restaurants and bars
The other major ski area in Andorra is made up of the Vallnord Pal-Arinsal and Vallnord Ordino-Arcalis downhill ski resorts, with 15 green slopes, 23 blue slopes, 27 red slopes and 6 black slopes, for a total of more than 100 kilometres of downhill skiing! As in Grandvalira, there are all the essential local services but also a wide range of activities for non-skiing visitors.
Another option is the one offered by Naturlandia. If it is an adventure park in the heart of nature in the summer season, when winter comes, it is the only area in Andorra where you can enjoy Nordic skiing on more than 15 kilometres of slopes. In addition to providing equipment rental services and traditional Pyrenean cuisine, Naturlandia has unique attractions such as the Tobotronc, the longest alpine slide in the world, or the Airtrekkk, a vast wooden structure perched 13.5 metres high on which you can take an adrenalin-filled walk, dotted with 54 obstacles to overcome!
New ways to enjoy the mountains in winter
If you are tired of the ordinary disciplines of skiing, whether it is downhill, cross-country or freeride, or if you simply want to try new and fun downhill techniques, Andorran resorts have what you need. Starting with the very fun airboard: it's lying on a small inflatable mattress that you will start on the slopes. Careful, it's a mess! Unless you prefer the friendly snowsnake, a combination of sleds fixed together that allow you to ride down the snow-covered slopes together! Also worth mentioning is the daring fusion of cycling and skiing that is snowcycling, reproducing the sensations of downhill cycling mixed with the pleasant feeling of sliding. Speed and mechanical enthusiasts will opt for snowmobiling while avid walkers will wear a pair of snowshoes to wander between hills and valleys.
Another way to enjoy the beauty of the mountains is offered by the Vivac arcalís Experience by North Face excursion. This is a snowshoeing or cross-country skiing trip to the Creussans peak (2,679 m) or Tristaina peak (2,879 m), the two highest points of the Vallnord Ordino-Arcalís resort, accompanied by a high-mountain guide. Once at the top, participants set up camp - tents, sleeping bags and insulation blankets are provided - before dinner by the fire, under the starry sky. In the early morning, what a stunning sight it is to see the sunrise unfolding its rays over the valley! A true moment of communion with nature.
Highlights of the season
In addition to all these sporting celebrations, this year there will be some fine performances in Andorra, starting with, for the first time in the Principality, the finals of the Alpine Ski World Cup, the most decisive competition after the Olympic Winter Games and the World Championships. The 25 representatives of the world's elite in each discipline will meet on the prestigious Avet and Àliga slopes in Grandvalira from 11 to 17 March 2019 to give their best and thrill the public! On the program: slalom, giant slalom, super giant slalom and of course downhill, in both the male and female categories.
But that's not all! For the eighth consecutive year, the "La Font Blanca" Skimo World Cup will be held in Vallnord on 26 (Vallnord Ordino-Arcalís) and 27 (Vallnord Pal-Arinsal) January 2019. One month later, on 23 and 24 February, the Principality hosted the Skimo Andorra cross-country ski touring competition, then, in Vallnord Ordino-Arcalís, the Freeride World Cup events will follow from 2 to 8 March 2019, while the Freeride El Dorado events will be held on 3 March. At the end of the month, Snowpark El Tarter (in Grandvalira) will receive the Total Fight competition for the snowboard events, from 28 to 30 March to be exact, and Freeski from 4 to 6 April. Finally, the Riberal track (in the Grau Roig sector of Grandvalira resort), being the only one in Europe adapted to the discipline, will host, from 10 to 13 April 2019, the KL World Cup, for Kilometre Launched! In other words, this winter, on the slopes of Andorra, entertainment is on the agenda! In a future article, we will reveal the activities, skiing apart, to be practiced in the snow in Andorra
More information about Andorra
More information about the World Cup.
