Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the Pyrenees

Every day we are closer to enjoying our favourite winter sport and to exploring one of the most beautiful landscapes in Spain. The Aragonese Pyrenees is a wonderful destination all year round, but it is even more so in the winter season, allowing us to contemplate the unparalleled image of its deep valleys and high peaks, dyed white.

On this occasion, we are pleased to have our friends from MASPIRINEO to help you discover everything that the Pyrenees offers to snow lovers; as well as to propose experiences with which you can enjoy the season to the fullest, sharing fun and unforgettable moments, surrounded by a dream landscape.

MASPIRINEO is a Ski-Mountain School that has been developing active tourism and teaching activities for 25 years, at all times of the year, with the aim of offering a personalized product, adapted to the needs and physical conditions of its students.

What are the highlights of the Aragonese Pyrenees as a destination for snow lovers?

The diversity of the valleys in terms of landscape makes each one unique. Also, for this reason, in each valley, the different ski resorts have their own specialty, managing to bring together everything you are looking for the best snow vacation.

In each valley stands out a geological structure with the same origin of glacial erosion but capricious in its result. For this reason, there are valleys that are more rugged than others, more open, closed or deep. At the bottom of the valleys, where since ancient times, people settled, we can be proud of preserving, to a large extent, the structure of the ancient mountain populations, adapted, however, to our times.

There are magnificent ski resorts, such as Aramón Cerler, one of the best ski resorts in Spain and the world, and the Llanos de l'Hospital resort, the best destination for Nordic and cross-country skiing.

All of this is complemented by the unique mountain gastronomy, where the cuisine of our grandparents is intermingled with modern cuisine, or also the culture, which maintains ancient traditions, but also gives room to the most current issues.

Tell us about the different winter sports alternatives that we can enjoy in the Pyrenees

There is a great range of winter sports on offer, no matter which valley we choose. For me, it is worth highlighting minority sports that allow you to enjoy winter nature, such as cross-country skiing or snowshoeing.

Cross-country skiing allows us to enjoy skiing in total connection with the tranquility and the landscape and decide at what level we practice it: leisure, sports or specific training.

Snowshoeing invites us to discover untouched corners and we can also adapt it to our technical, physical and safety level. It offers us the possibility of getting started in the winter mountains.

We can also highlight ski mountaineering since when there begin to be good conditions for its practice it gives us the possibility of making the best ascents in the Pyrenees, as well as extending our ski season until the end of May at the beginning of June, making ascents such as Aneto, Maladeta or Posets.

What aspects would you highlight about the slopes of Llano de Hospital?

The Llanos de l'Hospital Nordic ski resort has a location that is practically unique in Europe, because it is above 1,700 meters on the north face of a 3,404-meter massif such as Aneto.

Its circuits have a large amplitude for three well-differentiated levels and perfectly adapted to the natural orography. Pla de l'Hospital for beginners, a wide, comfortable circuit with hardly any difference in altitude. Pla d'Estan of medium level, which runs through the Paderna forest with medium differences in altitude and is full of small charming corners. Finally, Besurta-Villamorta circuit of high level, with significant differences in altitude and a large viewpoint of the Maladeta massif.

Courses and programs that we propose from MASPIRINEU and SOMMOS Hoteles, to make the most of the snow season in the Pyrenees

At MASPIRINEO we offer a wide variety of programs, adapted to all levels and types of groups. On this occasion, we have designed together with SOMMOS Hoteles, special packages, with everything you need to live an unforgettable experience in the snow, such as the 5-day courses: “Nordic Freedom” and the “FIVE NORDIC”, or the “Two days Nòrdic” course.

The Nordic Freedom Course (Monday to Friday) includes three days of cross-country skiing and two days of snowshoeing with an introduction to Nordic skiing in classic technique and a visit, with snowshoes, to the Aneto viewpoint (Aigualluts pass) and Paderna lake-Renclusa refuge, on the second day. This option allows us to enter the mountains in their purest form, virgin snow and living nature, as well as enjoy the winter landscapes in the hands of freedom.

For its part, the five-day FIVE NORDIC Course, also from Monday to Friday, is ideal for learning and progressing in classic or skate technique and, at the same time, learning or improving speed skiing.

Finally, in the “Two days Nordic” Course, we offer a day of cross-country skiing and a morning of snowshoeing or two days of cross-country skiing, which allows attendees to get started in cross-country skiing, enjoying a day of gliding in a unique environment in the Pyrenees. Likewise, how to discover with snowshoeing, the possibilities that take us into the winter mountain, its fauna and vegetation, the hidden geology of what was before the Glaciers era.

In all three options, accommodation at SOMMOS Hoteles is included, as well as all cross-country skiing and snowshoeing equipment, so all you have to worry about is enjoying the snow.

We choose SOMMOS Hoteles, because it offers the best and safest facilities to enjoy rest after a day of cross-country skiing due to its services such as, for example, the spa or the indoor pool, and good food, with the gastronomic offer of restaurants.

In Benasque, and with the parking areas, SOMMOS Hoteles, have an ideal location if your plan is to enjoy a wonderful snow destination, whatever your skiing preference, just 10 minutes by car from the Aramón Cerler ski resort or 15 minutes from the Llanos de l'Hospital Nordic resort.

So, if you want to start planning your snow vacation, you can check out all the program information here.