Ski Cauterets 2013 December
Snowboard rentals Cauterets in the French Pyrenees.
Snowboarding holiday in the French Pyrenees is a unique experience, and Cauterets is as far from the commercialism of the French Alps you can get.
Cauterets is easily reached by flying to Lourdes Stanstead, but I was traveling with fellow journalist Luke Rees AWE365 and was more convenient for us to travel to Toulouse from Heathrow Once there we took our rental car and started our road trip with a drive three hours to Cauterets.
We started to make progress in the south and away from the bustle of Toulouse, our pleasant and relaxed drive took us through the rural French countryside, picturesque towns and winding mountain roads.
The closer we got, the more excited I became; after all, was the French Pyrenees where Xavier De Le Rue, the best freestyler in the world, learned his trade alongside his brother's family are legendary around these mountains.
With only one that English is not widely spoken skiers snowboarders in the French Pyrenees are British, you may want to touch your French resorts are delightfully old fashioned and unpretentious, with a large number of local skiers donning combinations ski 80 s or 90 s which was great to see.
Cauterets is a spa town which is typically French in architecture and history packed into a popular hangout for celebrities and politicians during the first part of the 20th century, today is a quiet town with no grand thing after the slopes close.
The main ski area is accessible by a 12 minute ride in a gondola Cauterets This is actually one of two ski areas that make up the track-quarter Cirque du Lys, but the other ski area is mainly for racquets and cross-country skiing; not something that we believe attack on a snowboard.
This small compact ski area was formed around a pool and since all paths lead to the same place, it is almost impossible to get lost, even for me In total there are only 36 km of slopes that form 22 tracks with 12 4 ski lifts are drags.
Unfortunately, time was set and we had an incredibly poor visibility the day we were there, so could not enjoy it as much as we would have liked It also meant that large snow park Cauteret Oakley Park was also closed, which was a shame as I have heard so much about, and is claimed to be one of the best in France We could not even see the features, but apparently it has a boardercross that I love, a tower wall and also usual rails and pipes.
That said, we made the best of the situation and we enjoyed the long ridges blue trail that weaves around the top of the basin, then up the Gondola station is also ideal for families with excellent facilities and two dedicated beginner areas near the top of the gondola lifts with the conveyor belt covered.
There is limited off-piste options and only a few black runs, so not much to hold the attention of advanced skiers snowboarders for over a day, it is an ideal resort for beginners and intermediate level appreciate developing their skills on UN-crowded slopes.
As for all the French Pyrenees, there was a comforting feeling unobtrusive and relaxed at the resort, with little or no queuing for the lifts.
Lunch was at the restaurant at the top of the Gondola Canteen style, they had a good selection of local dishes including black pork skin and the duck with plenty on the menu I went for the unusual chilli duck that I loved and would again; you would not find this dish anywhere in the Alps.
We did brave the weather and venture out again after lunch, but visibility is worse and the snow turning to rain, we decided to call it a day and head for the Spa Well well, Cauterets is a city spa it would be rude to.
Les Bains du Rocher Spa is conveniently located near the bottom of the gondola and behind the Hotel Le Lion D or.
There is a friendly atmosphere very pleasant indoor Jacuzzi that has different sections, but the main feature is the outdoor pool you access to swim through the inside Cold air striking the beautiful and warm temperature of water causes the steam swirling that rises from the pool.
It offers stunning mountain views of the pool and was very impressed watching the sunrise and sunset the moon above the top of the mountain covered with snow, while relaxing in the pool.
It was a great way to end the day and relax our muscles in our first day of sore boarding, and even though we really enjoyed the experience, it was pretty basic and not as luxurious as I would have expected of a spa town.
We stayed at the Hotel Lion d or which was pretty basic but nice and pleasant enough rooms are traditional and quite small but comfortable and clean the bathroom was compact but had a good shower with constant hot water exceptionally, the toilet was segregated separately from the bathroom, but some appreciate this oddity added to the charm of the hotel.
Breakfast we found in the French Pyrenees, was as simple as you can get with cold cuts and cheese, croissants, bread and jam, yogurt and a thin selection of cereals, no choice food hot not I was expecting a full English, but the choice of eggs and bacon are still favorable.
With a small street in front of the hotel and parking that constantly seems the day and night, parking can be a bit of a problem.
A great aspect of the hotel is that if you leave the hotel at the back, it gives you quick access to the main square of the cable car tracks.
In summary, the Hotel Golden Lion is a traditional, well-run, small hotel with no thrills, but with very friendly staff who are very attentive and accommodating.
We found a nice local bar near the hotel, but we found Cauterets very quiet; a great contrast, it will be that day's hay there 100 years during Off, ideal for those who enjoy peace and quiet, especially if you have a young family For me though, it was a little too quiet.
The food and drinks were very reasonable and far from exorbitant prices of popular seaside resorts in the Alps.
Cauterets as a ski resort is small, original and delightfully uncommercial Ideal for young families, it will not keep the interest of advanced skiers or snowboarders for a few days.
The town is quaint and a million miles monstrosities built commercially littering many French resorts in the Alps with a sense of real history that seems to ooze from the very brickwork buildings This will please some, but the calm and After missing ski does everyone.
For the first day of our trip through the Pyrenees, it was a pleasant experience and we set up for the rest of the week.
22 tracks 36 km 2 A gondola 5 chair lifts 4 lifts 3 treadmills 2 lifts 1 Park dedicated Newbie Areas 1 French Ski School.
More information Hotel Golden Lion Les Bains du Rocher Spa Erna Low Tour Operator in Cauterets.
Snowboard rentals Cauterets in the French Pyrenees, Cauterets, snowboarding, vacation.
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