Snow in Spain

Snow in Spain
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Snow in Spain? Oh my yes! Most people come to Spain looking for sun, beaches and cultural toursim, but as winter rolls around, many locals are thinking of snow. As befits a country on the southern edge of Europe, Spain only gets snow in the mountains, with a few snowfalls in the lowlands that usually doesn't last very long. But in a country with a lot of mountains, that means a surprising amount of snow, if the weather does the usual thing, which is far from certain these days! Spain has a fair number of ski stations all over the country: near Granada, near Madrid, in Galicia (northwest Spain), in the mountains that border central plain to the north, but above all in the Pyrenees.
	Most of these ski stations are just for alpine skiing, but there are enough cross-country skiiers to support tracks at the alpine ski stations, a few isolated marked tracks (like Madrid's Cotos track, see end for link) and a growing number of stations just for cross-country (x-c from here on). Most of the x-c stations are in the Pyrenees: here you can learn about some of those x-c stations, organized by the three Spanish Pyrenees regions of Navarra, Aragon and Catalunya, with a few notes on Andorra and France. At the end there are links for more information.
But first, a word about off-track skiing. Experienced, fit skiiers who like untracked snow and who have the right equipment and navigational skills can find lots of places to x-c ski. In the Pyrenees, Catalunya is probably the best, as there are lots of forest roads at snowy altitudes and the terrain is moderate enough to make x-c an option. By contrast, Navarra's mountains are a little lower and in Aragon the terrain is more abrupt so less appropriate for offtrack x-c skiing, except perhaps for very strong skiiers. Offtrack skiiers in Navarra: be VERY CAREFUL as there are sinkholes near Larra-Belagua and some other parts of the region - what looks like an innocent dip in the snow may be the top of a hole hundreds of feet into underlying caves. General info on x-c in the Pyrenees: Track fees at most stations is 8-10 euros / day; some smaller stations are cheaper and a few are free. Stations shown here all have more than 10kms/6mi of track; there are some small x-c stations in Aragon, and some alpine stations have short loops for x-c. Most stations have x-c rental and many have classes. Please check websites below for additional information.
Navarra (western Pyrenees): Abodi in the upper Salazar valley (north of Ochagavia). Not very high but if you get Abodi with snow it's fantastic; the southern tracks look down the valley and have a fantastic view of the Aragon Pyrenees to the east; the northern tracks are in the Irati beech forest that straddles the border between France and Spain. Larra-Belagua in the upper Roncal valley (north of Isaba). Navarra's easternmost valley, this station is higher than Abodi. One of the tracks is a fun loop almost on the French border, another is through the forest behind the Belagua mountain refuge. Aragon (central Pyrenees): Candanchu (north of Jaca). Alpine station with an excellent network of x-c tracks at the top of the station, some partly in France. Quite high, fairly reliable snow, varied tracks, nice x-c atmosphere, good infrastructure for hotels, good highway to Madrid; a good choice if you live in central Spain and want a weekend in the Pyrenees. Partacua in the Tena valley (north of Sabiñánigo, near Tramacastilla and Escarrilla), newer station with lots of marked track. Fanlo del Valle de Vio: (southeast of Torla), x-c skiing in famous valley of Ordesa, near Monte Perdido mountain. Llanos del Hospital station (north of Benasque, eastern edge of Aragon). Good x-c station with marked tracks and good places for off-track x-c. Andorra (Central Pyrenees): La Rabassa: 20 kms of x-c track in this mini-country in central Pyrenees. Near the best alpine skiing in the Pyrenees, so a good choice if you have a family or a group with different tastes in skiing. Catalunya (Eastern Pyrenees): X-C stations: Be VERY CAREFUL driving near all these stations, especially early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Most are located on small local roads, sometimes unpaved, and can have icy patches from frozen snowmelt. Bonabé (north of Llavorsi). Near town Alos d'Isil. This smallish station is a little low but fairly well protected by high mountains all around. In addition to the station tracks, this is more or less near the end of a long off-track ski down from Baqueira-Beret - see next section. Viros-Vall Ferrera in the Ferrera valley (northeast of Llavorsi), near towns of Alins, Araos, Areu. San Joan de l'Erm (northwest of La Seu d'Urgell). Just west of Andorra, station is fairly high, based around a mountain refuge with dorm-style accommodations and great food. Aransa and Lles Both these stations are just north of Martinet, off the southeast edge of Andorra. Both are a little beyond villages of the same name, and the two connect at the top, near Estany de la Pera. Guils-Fontanera (west of Puigcerda), a very pretty x-c station, not far from the alpine station La Molina so another good choice for a mixed group. Tuixen-La Vansa, (southeast of La Seu d'Urgell). This station is really in Sierra de Cadi instead of the Pyrenees proper, but it's so close to others that it's a good station to know about. Often chosen by people from Barcelona as it's a bit closer than others. Alpine stations with x-c tracks: Espot Esquí (southeast of Vielha, near Aiguestortes-Sant-Maurici park). Baqueira-Beret (east of Vielha). In addition to the loop track in the Pla de Beret, if there is enough snow you can ski north-northeast to tiny, semi abandoned village of Montgarri, and if there is a lot of snow strong skiiers can continue down the valley to village Alós d'Isil, where a jeep can pick you up and take you back up the mountain. Tavascan in the Cardos valley (north of Llavorsi), better x-c than most alpine stations. Port Aine (south of Llavorsi) has a x-c track and also can be linked with San Joan de l'Erm x-c station. Offtrack skiiers: Vall d'Aran (between Vielha and Bonaigua pass) is one of the best places in Catalunya for offtrack skiing. The valley itself is lovely, and there are lots of side valleys with minor roads or forest roads that are not plowed in the winter - so great for off-track skiing! (see above for an idea to ski down from Beret ski station). As always, when skiing offtrack, research your planned route carefully, evaluate the physical stamina of everyone in your group, keep an eye on the weather, on the time and navigate carefully. This is not extreme back-country, but it is high mountains and getting stuck, lost or even coming back at night can be a nasty experience for you or for the people who have to rescue you. Be careful coming down the Ruda valley (valley off the southeast part of Aran valley) - the sun disappears earlier and the snow can by rock-hard by 4PM. France: A few ideas for x-c in the French Pyrenees: Just on the other side of the French border from the Larra-Belagua x-c station (Navarra): Arette-Pierre St. Martin. Northeast of Candanchu station, almost directly north of Vignemale peak: Cauterets station has some x-c tracks. East of Puigcerda: the odd nook of France around Font-Romeu has several x-c stations. More info on websites shown below.
Useful websites: for more information on these ski stations and others not shown above see www.todonieve.com and www.buscanieve.com . In Spanish, also has information on alpine skiing. For both sites, click on the Pyrenees then the region where the ski station you want is located, as shown above. You'll get fairly complete information and often a webcam. "Buscanieve" seems to be a little more informative; note that on this site Navarra is listed together with Aragon. For some information on snow in Madrid, click HERE Click HERE to return to Travel Tips

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