More Ski Resorts Open in Spain
10th December 2020
Last modified on May 13th, 2021
The Catalan ski areas in the Pyrenees are opening. Last week’s planned openings were delayed. Some smaller ski areas in Spain have fired up their lifts with skiing underway for locals only. UPDATED
Baqueira Beret was due to open on Friday December 11th, and over the weekend announced it would open today.
“We open the 2020-2021 season next Monday, December 14,” it said in a statement.
“Together with the rest of the Catalan stations we will open doors with all the relevant Covid19 security measures.”
Just before the lifts turned this is what it looked like for the opening day.
“The season of 2020-21 is on. We’re starting! With hope, snow and above all much security. Are you ready? Enjoy the first day of season!” said the resort.
There is a snow depth of 50cm, 13 lifts are running with 36km of slopes open.
The avalanche risk is ‘considerable’ (3 out of 5) after recent fresh snow.
Last week Molina in the Catalan Pyrenees said it was staying closed.
It said its “decision is based on the sense of prudence and responsibility towards our first priority, which is the health of our visitors, our workers and all those living in our environment.”
Today, Monday 14th, it decided to open with online purchase of lift passes, restrictions on lifts and other measures in place.
“We start the 2020-21 season on the 14th of December. We are certified by (the authorities) as a safe space. Thank you for trusting the whole team at La Molina,” the resort said.
Boi Taull, Port del Comte, Vallter 2000 and Vall de Nuria in the Pyrenees have also opened.
Sierra Nevada in Granada usually opens by the end of November and it has announced it will also be opening this Friday.
In the Aragon region of the Spanish Pyrenees the resorts of Formigal, Panticosa, Cerler and Valdelinares and Javalambre have delayed opening until the situation is clearer.
Formigal has announced it will be opening on December 23rd.
“We can finally announce to you that this Christmas we will be able to enjoy the snow, skiing, outdoor sport, nature and pure air of the Aragonesian mountains,” said the resort.
“We understand that the measures imposed are for the common good and we must all make that effort so that we can enjoy more and better winter.”
Staff at the resort, and others in Aragon, remain on Spain’s furlough scheme, ERTE.
We looked at which resorts may open in an article posted last week.
Some other small Spanish ski areas opened up their slopes last week.
Valle Laciana-Leitariegos is in the northern province of Leon and was the first in Spain to open this season, but only locals are able to enjoy the slopes.
It is a small resort that has 8 pistes covering 5km and is in the mountains north of Leon on the border with Asturias.
But restrictions on movement mean that only locals are able to enjoy the resort as Castilla y Leon has closed the borders around its autonomous community.
200 skiers and snowboarders turned out for the opening.
It has 30cm of snow at the base of the resort and 80cm at the top.
The ski area is 440km to the north of the Spanish capital, Madrid.
Near Madrid the Valdesquí ski area is set to open over the next few days if weather conditions allow.
Here’s what it currently looks like:
It is a ski area situated near the town of Rascafría in the Sierra de Guadarrama.
The area is close to the Navacerrada resort.
The delayed opening of the main resorts in the Pyrenees is a cruel irony as there are some of the best early snow conditions in recent years.
Andorra and France have closed their resorts in the Pyrenees until January at the earliest.
In the Alps Italy, Germany and France have closed their ski resorts.
Austria is opening for locals only on December 24th with strict restrictions in place.
Switzerland continues to keep its resorts open with some restrictions in place.
