Grandvalira heads into the weekend with more slopes open and a packed schedule of activities

Grandvalira heads into the weekend with more slopes open and a packed schedule of activities

•  The resort is working towards opening the Àliga World Cup slope to the public soon
•  Family activities, sports experiences and plenty of culinary opportunities will fill the resort with winter fun

Grandvalira heads into the weekend with all six sectors running at full capacity. The resort is currently working to increase its kilometres of skiable slopes. It now has 90% of its ski lifts up and running and plans to prepare 170 km of slopes.  The latest news is that El Tarter plans to open the iconic Àliga slope to the public. This season, the piste will become one of the venues for the 2019 World Cup Finals.

Weather forecasts indicate that, from Thursday 17 January, clouds will gather in the mountains and leave some fresh layers of snow. Meanwhile, teams on the ground are working hard to guarantee the quality and safety standards required for winter sports.

Activities for all the family

This weekend, Grandvalira aims to fill the resort with a wide range of activities for all audiences.

World Snow Day:

On Sunday 20 January, the Soldeu sector will mark World Snow Day with a series of activities for children. Parallel skiing, giant slalom and mini ski cross sessions will begin at 9:30 a.m., as well as various workshops in the Ski School’s snow garden. Hot chocolate will be served at 11:30 a.m. at Pla d’Espiolets.

Sledding by night:

Grandvalira is now offering night-time sledding on the La Solana/Tubs slope in the Pas de la Casa sector. At the bottom of the La Solana chair lift, visitors will find a marquee with sleds available to rent for €10 (no time limit, until 8 p.m.). Users can enjoy a discounted price of €5 in the final hour (7 p.m.–8 p.m.). The slope, which also offersnight-time skiing, is lit up every Thursday and Friday from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. to host these two activities.

Zipline:

The zipline, located in the Canillo sector, is also open to the public (except on Wednesday 16 January). It is 550 metres long and 40 metres high and riders can zip down at speeds of up to 80 km/h.

Snowshoes:

The most adventurous among you can trek along various routes in snowshoes. Visitors can hire a guide to take them on a journey through the El Tarter or Grau Roig sector. There is a snowshoe route for excursions without a guide in the Canillo sector.

Activities for foodies and après-skis  

Snow Club Gourmet:

Once again this season, the Grandvalira Mountain Club is bringing together skiing and food for the third edition of the Snow Club Gourmet: an initiative for food-loving skiers that offers unique culinary experiences. Next 19 January, the Pi del Migdia restaurant in the El Tarter sector will host a Show Cooking-style dinner by one of the most renowned brands in the international gourmet panorama. In a special “2019 World Cup Finals” edition, the evening will involve personalities from the culinary world like cocktail master Javier de Las Muelas, who will be offering up a concoction designed specially for the occasion. For the first time, this year, the Snow Club Gourmet events are not aimed exclusively at Grandvalira Mountain Club members; anyone can attend (booking required). (Price: €90 for members and €120 for non-members. For more information and bookings: +376 388 784).

Nomad Food Ratrac:

From next Thursday, weather permitting, the Nomad Food Ratrac will be back in the sectors of Soldeu and El Tarter. This vehicle, transformed into a travelling restaurant, offers culinary options for skiers with the most refined palates.

L’Après-Amélie:  

 The après-skis of Grandvalira continue to offer a leisure alternative for the end of the ski day.  From Wednesday (tomorrow) to Sunday, the terrace in the Encamp Base space at Funicamp, L’Après-Amélie, will offer live performances from its resident DJ, Ángel de Andrés.

 L’Abarset:

On Saturday 19 January, the L’Abarset terrace will host DJ UNER, one of the biggest names in the new generation of DJs and producers, who is bringing his experimental, versatile style to El Tarter.

Activities for adventurers

Snowbike:

This week will also see the registration period open for the second edition of Snowbike Grandvalira, a competition involving conventional or electric mountain bikes, which will take place on 9 and 10 March in the Grau Roig sector. (For more information and registration: https://www.grandvalira.com/ca/event/snowbike)

Snowparks:

 On a different note, Grandvalira’s three snowparks (El Tarter Snowpark, Sunrise Xavi by Henrik Harlaut in the Grau Roig sector and Sunset Park Peretol by Henrik Harlaut in the Grau Roig-Peretol sector) offer various modules and lines for all freestyle levels.

 Grandvalira Mountain Guides – GMG:

Grandvalira continues to invest in the only certified mountain guide centre in Andorra included within the skiable domain. The guides accompany visitors along routes suitable for all physical and technical skill levels.

For more info on Grandvalira go to http://www.grandvalira.com

You can read a post on how the FIS commended the good job from Soldeu and El Tartar for the World Cup Championships. 

The-Ski-Guru TRAVEL can organise your bespoke ski trip to the Americas, Alps or Japan, including for those going from Britain to Europe, booking your Eurotunnel trip, and for all trips: lodging, lift tickets, rentals, ski school, and all you need for an excellent vacation. Go to https://www.the-ski-guru.com/travel and upload your information – this page will be updated soon with more travel ideas. Check our Easter offer to Obergurgl-Hochgurgl and Sölden to ski with your family.

You can start thinking about your trip, by reading the articles on the Planning your Ski Trip tab.  Or how to pack for your family ski trip.  If taking your furry friend abroad to the continent, read about the new Pet Travel Scheme update from DEFRA. Check out our tips for driving to the mountains.  If flying and renting a car in Europe, beware of the extra charges they will pass to you if you want winter tyres, snow chains or ski racks. If driving, check the winter tyres news for Europe and North America.

Or you can read our last news on equipment as seen at the London Ski Show. Also, the new range of skis of Black Crows, one of our favourite brands. Lots of snow makes you wonder how the resorts deal with the avalanche danger. Here you can read the interview to Coco Torres, former Head of Operations of Las Leñas, in Argentina, as how they dealt with avalanches at the resort. 

Or perhaps you may choose to read the Ski Resort News, Ski Passes News, and the Must-Read Guides to Lech,  Zermatt,  Courmayeur, Val di Fiemme and Crans-Montana. Coming soon will be the guide to St Anton. Or  watch an amazing heli flight over the Mont Blanc Massif. Also see tips on how not to be scammed when booking a ski chalet.

You can also read what’s new at Les Trois Vallées and the last article on what is new at the Tirol ski areas,  in Cervinia, in La Plagne, in 3 Zinnen Dolomites ,  in Adelboden, Lenk and Kandertal, in Gstaad, in Chamonix,  in Georgia’s Gudauri Resort and in the Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn. And how the US Ski Team has chosen Alpe Cimbra to train for the following four ski seasons as their European home.  Here is the link to our post on the My Voucher Codes ranking of best European Ski Resorts.  

Crested Butte will have a new chairlift to replace Teocalli lift for the 2019/20 ski season.

You can plan where to eat in Aspen Snowmass or which events to attend on-mountain while there.  Sudtirol ski areas have started and their famous Christmas markets have kicked off too. And Cortina D’Ampezzo is getting ready for this winter and the 2021 World Ski Championships.  

Another classic resort, such as St Moritz has been in the news for its famous Cresta Run be opened again for women after a 89 years ban.

Also, you can read how Grandvalira will be staying together as one lift ticket company and how they are adding Ordino Arcalis to  this offer. And also read how someone tried to sabotage some lifts in Vallnord’s Pal Arinsal. And as if it is starting to be a trend, there were two lifts sabotaged in Passo Rolle, in Val di Fiemme, Trentino. Fortunately they were repaired in record time to open to the public.  Also, Mt Hood Meadows was forced to evacuate one lift with 150 skiers and boarders due to a power failure. And the same was the case in a lift with 140 skiers/boarders in Whitefish, Montana.  Or read about the latest investments in Whistler Blackcomb. Or see how Taos is going against the industry trend, and instead of merging with the two biggest oligopolies in skiing at the moment, it goes and buys an airline to get more bums in resort. Or how Jackson Hole is appealing to families and beginners – it is not only a resort for expert skiers anymore. Another great area for families is Stubaital in the Tirol. And a new coming ski area that got funding for its first lift is Skeetawk in Alaska.  Courmayeur is opening this season two new trails, one that is 70% steep – not for the faint-hearted! Or read how a group of experienced industry insiders got together to purchase Tamarack Resort. And how Peak Resorts finalised the acquisition of the resorts of Snow Time. You can also check how Vermont’s ski passes are the most expensive in New England. And talking about Vermont, you can read on how Killington is planning to change its North Ridge triple chair with a fixed-gripped quad.

Also read how one employee of Aspen Ski Co got caught in an avalanche but got out unscathed while scouting terrain for the Aspen Mountain Powder Tours. Or how the a gondola of the new American Eagle lift from Copper Mountain crashed into the snow in a trial run. The resort confirmed that the chondola will be fixed before it’s opening day. Plus this week, some gondolas got tangled in Hochzillertal. And there was a gas explosion at the Grand Hotel Zermatterhof that injured six, before its opening date.

You can keep up to date on how are the sales for the EPIC and IKON passes are doing here. Read how Emma, the first Digital Mountain Assistant, is launched in Keystone now and will be rolled to eight other resorts this season. And even read about the new incorporation to the IKON Pass: Valle Nevado. Here is also a post on the South American resorts.  

Also, Rob Katz and his wife Elana Amsterdam donated 2 million USD in grants to support mental and behavioural health programs in ski towns of North America. And see how Aspen Skiing Company released its sustainability report 2018. 

And here is a summary of a report by LISTEX on the State of the UK Snowsports Market.

And what Switzerland could look by 2060 due to climate change.

Or check out how now with the EPIC Pass you can ski in Europe, specifically in Les Trois Vallées and the resorts of Skirama Dolomiti in Trentino’s Italy. Or see our review of L’Héliopic Hotel Sweet & Spa if thinking in staying in Chamonix this winter.

You may want to read the interview we made last year to Coco Torres, former Head of Operations at Valle de Las Leñas on how to control avalanches in this high -prone avalanche area.

We have already covered many news due to this latest spat of snow storms in Europe, as the hotel that was hit by an avalanche of 300 meters of width in Eastern Switzerland. And two ski patrollers got killed setting avalanche control charges in the French resort of Morillon in the Grand Massif.

Recently a British skier was killed after suffering a cardiac arrest on a chairlift falling 32 feet to the ground in Méribel resort in Les Trois Vallées. You can see our recent article on how avalanches claimed two lives in Switzerland the past week. And read more what is the real risk of avalanches. Three Germans have been killed by an avalanche near Lech and a fourth is missing.

Featured Image: Photo: Grandvalira: 15 Jan 2019. Grandvalira heads into the weekend with more slopes open and a packed schedule of activities.