Original activities to do in the snow

The mountain resorts in Catalan Pyrenees have activities available for you to enjoy during the snowy season without strapping on your skis. Here are some suggestions to start planning your next getaway to the snow.

Just two hours by car from Barcelona, Masella sets itself apart from other mountain resorts by opening its facilities at night as well. There is nowhere else in the Catalan Pyrenees or in Spain which can offer enthusiasts 10 kilometres of perfectly snow-covered and lit slopes.

Its lighting network illuminates 13 main slopes at the lower and medium altitudes of the ski area. The sensations you get when skiing at night are totally different. In the resort’s distinctive pine forests, the lighting fashions unique contrasts which coupled with the starry sky help to shape a unique ambience.

Ski mountaineering or ‘skimo’ is one of the most traditional kinds of skiing around yet has always lagged behind in terms of popularity because it is really challenging. For the last few seasons, the Guies Nord Sud team has been publicising it at Vallter 2000 to make it more accessible for seasoned skiers who are looking for fresh mountain experiences. And they are getting there, because their beginners' course is increasingly successful.

This is a guided activity lasting about three hours for skiers or climbers who have at least the level of alpine skiing technique required to go down red slopes.. Following technical and safety explanations, you start out on a route to the remains of the former Ull de Ter high mountain lodge (the first of its kind in the Iberian Peninsula) at the source of the River Ter in the Capçaleres del Ter i del Freser National Park.

Are you up for discovering the most fun side of skiing?

Snowshoeing is gaining more and more fans every winter. If you haven’t yet been tempted by this sport, at Boí Taüll Resort they have a route for you to try it out for the first time. It’s a guided excursion on snowshoes for beginners to climb a small peak which is very close to the resort. From the top there are stunning panoramic views of the whole Vall de Boí.

It consists of a 2.5 kilometre trail which takes two and a half hours to complete. This is a great option to do with friends or family because its technical difficulty is easy to moderate. Children aged 8 and over can manage it without too much trouble. After climbing the mountain, you then have a fun descent down to Boí Taüll’s bus stop.

Baqueira Beret invites you to go on a snow safari. The resort has three routes identified as Safaris (blue, red and black) to explore most of its expanse and with varying degrees of difficulty to suit the skier’s level. You can do them with a guide or following the instructions on the website where they are described in detail including the starting point, lifts, how long they take and which slopes they connect. On the Safaris you’ll glide down some of the finest slopes in the resort’s three sectors.