Tue
Jan
03
2006
Skiing in the Pyrenees - PEYRAGUDES
Peyragudes , is probably the closest Pyrenean resort to home for us and it is very easy to get to.
View of Peyragudes from Col de la Flamme
It is a combination of 2 resorts Peyresourde and Les Agudes joined by high speed chair lifts and wide open blue pistes.
It has a good beginners run close to the main restaurants and base and most of the skiing is easy blue cruising.
There is plenty of easily accessible off piste and depending on snow conditions some serious fun can be had on mainly wide open sections off piste.
The guys at Pistehors.com have made a very useful off-piste map here which shows the major accessible off piste routes.
Over all it is a good resort for a day or two however the ski lift pass prices are starting to increase in price, a day this year (high season) costs 27 Euros + 2.70 Euros for insurance.
It also forms part of the NPY ski pass scheme which covers several resorts in the Pyrenees, to be posted soon.
Useful info: if you drive up there it is quicker and better to start on the Peyresourde side, continue past the first section of the resort and follow your nose to a large carpark at the bottom of the slopes.
Lunch costs about 11 euros for a menu in the ‘expensive’ restaurant and about 5 euros for a chicken and chips in the cheaper restaurant.
Ski hire is from Sarat sport (the same guys that are at the base in St Lary) and you can get brand new equipment if you want, they had Seth Pistols and Rossignol Bandit B3 / B2 s available the price for a days hire is typical of the Pyrenees from 12 Euros to 25 depending on what you take.
Factoid 1: the Peyresourde side has a mountain top runway and it was used for the opening sequence of the Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies
Factoid 2: the Col de Peyresourde is often used during the mountain stages of the Tour de France, it is considered to be one of the easier climbs (ha)! And links the towns of Arreu and Louchon
