Skiing - Alpine and Nordic

Carve fresh tracks or glide along wide pistes

Downhill Skiing and Snowboarding

• Feel the carves or glide for the first time
• An exhilarating activity for a great price

20km and 15-20 minutes drive or train ride up the valley from Chez Arran is the ski town of Ax les Thermes, with fast gondola access to over 75km of pistes from 1,400m to 2,400m. The season is usually December to March. There’s something for everyone, from gentle open slopes to off-piste tree-runs, and the extensive network of snow cannon will ensure there’s always plenty of snow. It’s good value too – currently a one-day lift pass costs only 31€ and if you took the SkiRail train between chez Arran and Ax les Thermes

you got both train and lift tickets for a lot less! You buy tickets from the machine outside the train station or from Tourist information in Tarascon Sur Ariege. There is often a hoppa bus to take you from the Station to the lift station where you exchange your ticket for a pass - or sometimes in the train station. At those prices the cool après-ski beer tastes so much better! For the webcam check www.ax-ski.com

We recommend Ascou or Les Puymorens for families, and Andorra resorts if you like to combine skiing and
shopping. Ski hire shops are easy to find in Ax and on the way. Lessons are available at most resorts and best booked in advance.

To book ski lessons check out this site 

www.esf-info.com/ax 

Hiring Ski equipment

There are a few places between Tarascon sur Ariege and Ax where you can hire ski equipment. Main options include: Ax les Thermes Sport 2000 http://ski-hire-sport2000.co.uk immediately to the right of the main ski lift in Ax. Telemark Pyrenees http://www.telemark-pyrenees.com/en/ is closer to the entrance of the town. 

Nordic & Ski touring

• The perfect winter cross-training for runners, cyclists & triathletes
• A fun way to glide around the mountain in tracks or off the beaten track

The Plateau de Beille  http://www.beille.fr is the Pyrenees’ premier cross country ski venue. At over 1,800m, just 20 minutes drive from home, no less than 70km of beautifully maintained circuits will delight and challenge Nordic skiers of all abilities. You’ll also find many marked snowshoe trails. It’s a great panorama from the top of Beille and you can also try dog sledging with some fabulous huskies and Pyrenean mountain dogs.

Chioula is also well worth a visit and skis are available at Telemark Pyrenees. The Pyrenees is a fantastic place for ski-touring. There are routes to suit all levels of experience and fitness.