La Mongie-Bareges- a superb ski resort

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La Mongie-Bareges is France's best kept ski resort secret. The two ski areas are linked by a fast chair. The skiing and facilities are truly excellent, with a massive area to ski, plenty of lifts and without the crowds. It is situated almost midway along the length of the Pyrenees. It is readily accessible from Toulouse or Pau and Lourdes (through Ryanair), where air fares are cheap and flights plentiful.

In total there are 38 French ski resorts in the Pyrenees and La Mongie-Bareges is the largest by far. Not only is La Mongie the largest ski-area in the French Pyrenees - with over 125 km of runs and around 45 lifts - but it also has the most technical skiing in the Pyrenees. At the top it's 2450m (8100 feet) with over 1100m of vertical drop. Overlooking the resort is the very impressive Pic du Midi, from which you can arrange a long off-piste descent under the guidance of a local guide.

                             The Pic du Midi                                                     View from the Pic du Midi                        Contemplating a run down the Pic

Centre of La Mongie. La Mongie is a modern, purpose-built ski station situated at 1800m on the east-facing slopes of the Pic du Midi de Bigorre.

What's it like to ski here?

The weather here is great for skiing, with early snows to build up a good skiing base by Christmas each year, and many days of clear, sunny weather. There are some really challenging black pistes along a wide with extensive family-orientated red, blue and green slopes and a wide range of off-piste areas. Here you get all the advantages of a skiing holiday in the Alps but without the crowds or the Alpine prices! It is a resort that the British holiday companies have yet to discover, so you will only find discerning British people here. And there's a real benefit - the air fares are unbelievably cheap from Stanstead to Pau or from most UK airports to Toulouse. Both airports have good car hire facilities, and you'll need a car to get up to the slopes (15.5 miles from Bagneres de Bigorre, but an easy run.)

Col De Tourmalet from the top of the resort                                                                   View of the resort centre

La Mongie is a small centre, typical of a ski station. Bareges is an older, more traditional mountain village situated at the foot of the west face of the Pic du Midi. (Download a piste map from: www.skicrazy.co.uk/download/Plan_du_Tourmalet.pdf

The two areas are linked by a new, reliable and fast chair lift, providing a very large total ski area.

Access to the skiing

Access from Bagneres de Bigorre to La Mongie is the easier entry point, and offers the best route to the variety of slopes. There is plenty of parking, in the town centre, the entry to the town, and at the La Mandia centre. Each one is at a lift, so you don't have to carry skis any distance. Total distance from the accommodation to the resort is 15.5 miles of easy road.

The Skiing

Beginners

First few days on snow                                                                                       Lessons are good fun!

There is a central area specially built for beginners, with good lifts and well groomed slopes. However, there are long blue runs nearby which provide excellent snow-sure cover where ice is rarely a problem.

Floodlit skiing

A great bonus is that there is a floodlit night ski slope open 5pm to 9pm Tuesday and Saturdays. This is free and is a great warm up when you arrive on the Saturday if you are too late or tired to ski in the day. Night skiing is great for the keenest skiers and a place were chlidren can be safe. Bars and restaurants are adjacent so it is easy to have a warming drink before heading off. 

Intermediates
     

There are plenty of red runs and cruising blues. There's also a good chance to get into off-piste skiing at the sides of the red runs and in cutting the corners. The more adventurous may want to try the unpisted blacks if conditions are particularly kind.

Advanced

There is no shortage of black and off-piste skiing. Much of the off-piste never gets skied, unlike in the Alps where the powder has gone at the end of the first day after a snowfall. The blacks are unpisted, and there is a dramatic and excellent run over the top from the La Mongie side to the Bareges side of the resort.

Boarding

Boarders have a great time, with a good number of chair lifts taking them to the many well groomed red runs and unpisted blacks. On top of that, the off-piste opportunities are wide, and very under exploited. For those who like something acrobatice there is a snow park with ramps, half pipe and lots of jumps, boardercross, tables, big air, rails.

Restaurants in the resort

                 Mountain restaurant, Bareges                                                              Plenty of restaurants and cafes at La Mandia

There are some excellent restaurants in the resort, from the multitude of restaurants at the centre of La Mongie, at the mid point of the resort and near the top, where you can also take your own picnic or the packed lunch we supply for catered accommodation guests.

Cross country
In the Bareges part of the resort there are several cross country trails through some beautiful parts of the resort, in wooded areas. In addition, the sport of snow shoe exploring is very popular, and followed by locals and visitors.

Why not have a different day, snow shoe walking?

Ski and equipment hire

There are plenty of hire shops in the resort. You can choose from those in the centre or at the La Mandia complex. The shop assistants and technicians frequently speak English, and are very helpful. Prices are generally lower than those in the Alps, and can be reserved at a substantial discounted rate through the Snowrental website, at http://www.snowrental.net/be/ski.asp

Travel to the accommodation

The journey from Pau to Bagneres is 40 miles along excellent roads. From Toulouse you can plug into the motorway system and soon burn up the 91 miles from the airport. Travel from Bagneres to the resort, an easy 15.5 miles, is best achieved by car to provide flexibility. However, a public ski bus runs during the season, picking up at a central location in Bagneres, and dropping off at the centre of La Mongie. There are 2 buses at different times in the morning and 2 return mid and late afternoon.

Parking in the resort is easy, with several central car parks all close to the slopes, and a large overflow and coach car park which has easy access to all of the slopes.

Instruction

The experts in ski instruction in France are ESF. Many speak excellent English. They are of a very high standard and tightly controlled for safety and capability by the French state. So you can be sure you will be well looked after.

Skiers' accommodation and facilities  

The accommodation offers something for everybody. There is a pair of linked rooms ideally suited to a family of 2 adults in a double bed, and two other people in single beds.

There is also an individual room with a double bed and wash basin. Recently renovated is a pair of linked rooms which accommodate a single bed in each.

All told, that makes it possible for up to 8 in a party to be comfortably accommodated.

You'll note that there are no beds in lounges or corridors, and that each bedroom is a proper room intended for that purpose (unlike many in ski resorts.) Though children are welcome the accommodation does not really suit those aged less than 5. When it comes to showers and baths there is unlimited hot water in each of the two bath/shower rooms. In addition there are a total of 3 loos.

Skis can be stored indoors, and boots can be dried in a heated room. 

In the pleasant and spacious residents lounge you can also watch your favourite programmes from home on satellite TV, or plug in your laptop, use our free desk tops,  to free Wi-Fi. 

Apres ski