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| Trekking | |
| Canyoning | |
| Paragliding | |
| Skiing | |
| Off-piste skiing | |
| Ski touring | |
| Snow shoeing | |
| Ice | |
| Spas | |
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Snow
report and events now on News |

Ski Mountaineering - Ski Touring
The Pyrenees are an ideal place to get off the beaten tracks and into the real mountains. For Winter 2010 we are offering ski touring holidays using qualified local guides with a lifetime of experience skiing and exploring the area. The wild interior of the mountains can be opened up to skiers who are comfortable on red-runs, have some experience off-piste, and are confident at controlling their speed with a turn. For our introduction weeks the guide will meet you on-piste for tuition and practice, before moving off-piste.
Dates for Winter 2010: We are now taking bookings, PLEASE ENQUIRE
During a week’s guided ski
touring you will discover the breathtaking scenery of the Pyrenees National
Park and the wild glacial lakes of the Neouvielle Nature Reserve, ski to the
summit of a 3000m peak, and watch the sun setting from a remote, high mountain
refuge. Photo
Gallery![]()
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Ski
touring Pyrenees - ascent of the Bolou valley, near Bareges |
Ski
touring Pyrenees - lunch looking onto the Pic de Leviste |
Ski
touring Pyrenees - Telemark turns in powder |
What is ski touring?
Ski touring is a technique, which allows experienced skiers to travel across all different types of terrain in the open mountains. It uses a special type of binding, leaving your heel free for uphill skiing. Skins are attached to the bottom of the ski, which grip the snow for easy climbing. During descents, the heel is clipped down and you ski in a normal, Alpine fashion. Our ski touring holidays are also open to "free heel" Telemark skiers.
Ski touring trips are led by experienced, qualified local guides. For avalanche safety, you will carry a transceiver, probe and snow shovel whenever you are skiing off piste. The use of avalanche security equipment is covered in our "introduction to ski touring" course and also reviewed and practiced on any touring trips.
Introduction to ski touring week; suggested itinerary (routes may change due to weather conditions)
Saturday Ski touring day 1 |
Flights to Pau Pyrenees airport, transfer to Bareges, arrive late afternoon. Arrange equipment and lift passes. |
Sunday Ski touring day 2 |
A day in the local ski resort looking at downhill off-piste skiing. We familiarise ourselves with the new equipment and off-piste techniques. We may try our hands at the legendary decent from the Pic du Midi (2877m), or take the lifts to the top and cross over the Pas de la Crabe into the magnificent Neouvielle nature reserve, descending the Aigues Cluses "clear waters" valley. |
Monday Ski touring day 3 |
We leave the resort and the ski lifts behind us and ascend into the beautiful, sunny bowl of the Plateau d'Aoube. This is a wild area of rolling terrain, excellent for practicing touring techniques, off-piste skills and use of the avalanche security equipment. |
Tuesday Ski touring day 4 |
A day tour next to the UNESCO world heritage site of the Cirque du Gavarnie. We climb the Pic St. Andre and admire the towering 3000m summits of the Spanish frontier. A day focusing on uphill techniques, kick turns and the use of skins. |
Wednesday |
The start of a three day hut to hut tour in the spectacular Pyrenees National Park. We start with a gentle, picturesque ascent of the glacial "U" valley of the Marcadau, passing gnarled Scots pines and working our way up into an open grantic landscape. We spend the night at the historic refuge Wallon, the first ever refuge of the Pyrenees. |
Thursday |
An early start for a challenging day, climbing towards the Pic du Cambales and its ice locked attendant lakes, as we tour up this enchanted hanging valley. The descent from the col du Cambales is both breathtakingly beautiful and great fun! |
Friday |
Another full day's ski touring, returning to the Marcadau valley via Pic Wallon and the hidden valley of Pouey Trenous. Night back at the chalet for drinks, a sumptuous meal and plenty of stories to share! |
| Saturday Ski touring day 8 |
Depart. |
The first four nights, and last night of accommodation are based in the village of Bareges. Our chalet is situated just off the main street, close to all the local shops, bakery, bars and restaurants and the thermal baths. We have five en-suite bedrooms, a heated equipment room, sauna, dining room and spacious lounge with a wood-burning stove, bar, library, reading/games corner, music centre and big-screen home cinema.
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We use fully qualified local ski instructors and mountain guides for our ski touring, who will tailor their instruction and routes to the particular skills and requirements of your group.
Prices
975 € per person, based on a minimum group size of four people (max 8). This includes all accommodation, breakfast, afternoon tea and evening meals, minibus transport and the use of our qualified instructors. Equipment hire is priced at around 25 € a day for touring skis, skins, crampons and boots. An avalanche transceiver, probe and snow shovel are provided by our guide. You are welcome to bring your own equipment. Lift passes for days in the ski resort are 30 €. You will also need some cash for drinks, lunches and snacks in the ski resort and refuges.
Winter 2010 |
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DATE |
TRIP |
PRICE/euros |
3-10th
April |
Introduction to ski touring |
975 € now on offer: 875€ ! |
Other
holiday dates Please enquire! |
Custom touring
trips - any level - groups of 4+ only |
975 € |
Please contact us to check prices, itinerary and availability.
The best snow conditions for ski touring are in the Spring (March or early April), although our guide is also happy to run trips in February. For independent tourers, we can arrange a mountain guide on an daily basis. Prices are around 270-300 euros per day, for groups of up to eight. We provide accommodation and advice for skiers of every ability. If you have your own guided itinerary to propose (groups of four or more), please feel free to discuss your ideas with us.
Mountain refuges
Each year the Pyrenees are opening up more and more to ski tourers. Many of the major refuges on the Pyrenean Haute route are now open and manned for ski tourers. We are pleased to announce the complete refurbishment of our nearest retreat, the Refuge de la Glere, which re-opened this Summer. The Glere is a wonderful base for exploring the Neouvielle Nature reserve - one of the wildest and most unspoilt parts of the Pyrenees. For the more adventurous tourer, all of the unmanned refuges are open and accessible during the Winter. You will need to carry your own provisions, but these refuges provide a special seclusion which you will find nowhere else. Our two favourites are the Refuge Packe and the Turquerouye - traditional Pyrenean refuges perched in the most unlikely of places and with stunning views.
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Ski
touring Pyrenees - Refuge Baysellance, below the Vignemale |
Ski
touring Pyrenees - Refuge Packe |
Ski
touring Pyrenees - the Breche de Roland |
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Ski
touring Pyrenees - Refuge de la Glere, above Bareges |
Ski
touring Pyrenees - Refuge Sarradets, below the Breche de Roland |
Ski
touring Pyrenees - Refuge Turquerouye |
Independent Touring (accommodation only)
We offer accommodation for independent ski tourers at our lovely village house in the centre of Bareges village. The house has a 3-star rating, with six well-appointed en-suite bedrooms, sleeping up to 14 people. We are ideally located for the Bareges-La Mongie ski resort (only five minutes ride on the free ski bus) and for the Neouvielle Nature reserve and the Pyrenees National Park.
For independent ski touring, there are excellent day-itineraries, including trekking up to the Refuge de la Glere, and on into the Neouvielle National Park via several beautiful unspoilt routes. You can even connect to the neighbouring ski resort at St Lary Soulan. For a longer itinerary we suggest starting in our sister valley at Cauterets. From here, trek into the lovely Marcadau valley and overnight at the Refuge Wallon, then ski further towards the Spanish frontier, spending another night at the Refuge des Oulettes de Gaube. On your third day, traverse below the glacier of the towering Vignemale, and drop into the breathtaking Cirque de Gavarnie, travelling on the spectacular Pyrenean Haute Route.
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Option |
Price
|
Price
(School holidays) |
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Half
board accommodation |
490
€ per person (2 sharing) |
595
€ per person (2 sharing) |
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Pau
airport transfers |
40
€ per person |
40
€ per person |
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Ski
touring Pyrenees - Hautacam |
UIAGM
mountain guide daily rate |
300
€ per group |
300
€ per group |
Ski
touring Pyrenees - Pic de Montaigu |
Half-board prices include your accommodation in an en-suite bedroom, generous continental breakfasts, afternoon tea & cakes and delicious three course evening meals with after-dinner coffee.
Fitness and training
To get the most out of your holiday you should be a confident skier, able to make parallel turns on red runs. You will also need to be fit and healthy - able to walk uphill for two and a half to three hours a day (with an average height gain of 800m). Most of our clients like to undertake some form of fitness training prior to their holiday.
RECOMMENDED SKI TOURING KIT LIST
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Booking and availability: Please contact us for more details