Grandvalira officially opens the season this Friday 3 December with 136 km of suitable skiing areas and all sectors connected
The accumulated snowfall is up to one metre, and it expects to have more than 150 km of suitable skiing areas for the Immaculate Conception bank holiday weekend
The COVID certificate is required for skiing, riding the ski lifts and accessing enclosed areas
After the preopening of the Pas de la Casa and Grau Roig sectors this Tuesday, Grandvalira will officially open the season this Friday 3 December with the start of the Immaculate Conception bank holiday weekend. The snowfall accumulated over the past few days – reaching up to one metre of new snow – has made it possible for the ski resort to have its main sectors connected with 136 kilometres of suitable skiing areas, which are expected to be extended to over 150 km during the Immaculate Conception bank holiday weekend.
Following the announcement of the new COVID measures by the Government of Andorra, which makes it mandatory to present the COVID certificate in order to access the ski resorts, Grandvalira faces the new season with an optimistic outlook and expects the number of visitors to be similar to pre-COVID levels.
Weather permitting, the Grandvalira ski season will be extended until 18 April, coinciding with the end of the Easter holiday.
NEW COVID MEASURES: THE CERTIFICATE WILL BE MANDATORY
In view of the evolution of the COVID-19 epidemiological situation, and with the aim of saving the season, yesterday, the Government of Andorra announced new measures that made it mandatory to present the COVID certificate to access the ski resort. This certificate can be easily obtained through a:
- Vaccination certificate: with both doses given more than 14 days ago or having had the disease more than six months ago and receiving a dose of the vaccine more than 14 days ago.
- Disease recovery certificate confirming that the individual has recovered from COVID-19 in the last 6 months.
- Negative diagnostic test certificate, which will have to be either a PCR or TMA test done within the last 72 hours or a rapid antigen test done within the last 12 hours.
For its part, Grandvalira is maintaining the safety measures it put in place last season to protect its customers and employees. The most important of these is the mandatory wearing of face masks or similar face coverings for those over 6 years old on ski lifts, in waiting areas and boarding areas for mechanical installations, as well as in enclosed areas, buildings and common areas such as restaurants, schools, shops and ticket offices.
More detailed information on all measures implemented and the latest updates can be found on the website:
https://www.grandvalira.com/medidas-de-prevencion-contra-la-covid-19
OPENING CONDITIONS
The start of the season at Grandvalira is promising with snow depths of between 20 and 100 cm throughout the 136 km of suitable skiing areas, with a total of 82 slopes open to skiers and 50 ski lifts in operation – with this number expected to increase to a total of 55 during the bank holiday weekend.
Activities and services available:
CANILLO: Zip line, Màgic Gliss and Explor Games®.
EL TARTER: Mushing and First Snow (Wednesday and Saturday)
SOLDEU: Snake Gliss and First Snow (Wednesday and Saturday)
GRAU ROIG (Roc Roi Activity Centre): Snowmobiles, mushing and snowshoeing.
SKI SCHOOL: All services will be operational except for those of the Soldeu platform.
TICKET OFFICES: All ticket offices in the Pas de la Casa, Grau Roig and Encamp sectors will be open. In the other sectors, the ticket offices in Tarter (Obac), Tarter Vell, Soldeu and Canillo will be open.
Restaurants
As for restaurants, practically all of them will be open, including exciting new developments this season featuring Piolet Brasserie, Vodka Bar, IQOS Terrace, La Vermuteria, In The Snow Veuve Clicquot or Nomad Full Moon Bar, which offers a night-time experience. You can also stop by the exclusive Wine&Meat Bar by Jean Leon, enjoy a fondue at Roc de les Bruixes or sample traditional cuisine at Refugi del Llac de Pessons.
ORDINO ARCALÍS INCREASES THE PERCENTAGE OF SLOPES OPEN TO SKIERS
Ordino Arcalís, which started the season today with 25% of its slopes open to skiers, will have almost all the ski lifts in operation and most of its areas suitable for skiing for the start of the Immaculate Conception bank holiday weekend. According to the latest update, the ski resort has snow depths of between 30 and 70 cm.
All the ticket offices of Ordino Arcalís will be operational, as well as its restaurants and the ski school’s services. Snowshoeing will also be available.
DYNAMIC PRICING
As a new sales strategy and with the aim of promoting the use of digital channels, Grandvalira Resorts is launching dynamic pricing this winter season. This formula is based on the fluctuation of prices depending on the time of the year and the day of the week. This rate is only available through the Grandvalira website and comes with a low price guarantee, with discounts of up to 15% for early birds. The new system will also allow for more accurate control over the actual capacity.
DISCOVER GRANDVALIRA WITH THE NEW ITINERARIES
This season, have even more fun discovering the different sectors of Grandvalira thanks to the new Easy Way and Fun Way routes that criss-cross Pas de la Casa, Grau Roig and Encamp. Easy Way is intended for the whole family as it only runs along blue slopes and it can be done in less than four hours, passing up to 6 slopes. During the itinerary, among other iconic spots at the ski resort, skiers can stop by the new Photopoint, a 15-metre long sculpture spelling out the name Grandvalira which, starting Christmas, will be located in the Las Antenas area. The Fun Way, in contrast, is an itinerary that requires more experience as it only runs along red slopes. With this route, you’ll discover the most unusual corners of the three sectors while skiing along up to 11 slopes.
There are also new things in store for ski mountaineering enthusiasts. For one thing, the Skimo Way was launched, which runs along the same routes as the Easy Way and the Fun Way, but which should be done using ski touring skis. The Skimo Way connects Pas de la Casa and Encamp, and lets you visit their most iconic spots. And for another, two new ski mountaineering circuits – La Solana del Forn and Els Maians – were added, which means that visitors can now reach the four summits of the Canillo, Soldeu and El Tarter sectors. In addition to the five existing circuits, the ski resort now has a total of 22 kilometres and an elevation difference of 4,500 metres for ski mountaineering.
The ski resort also has something new for those who love snowshoeing, a sport that’s clearly on the rise, with the creation of five new itineraries that go on a circular circuit around Grandvalira’s three sectors.
BREAKS WHILE SKIING WITH THE NEW TERRACES
The 2021–2022 ski season brings many exciting things to Grandvalira’s restaurant areas, such as the terraces.
The famous Piolet Brasserie has set up a My Corner on its outdoor terrace, which is perfect for breakfast and lovers of healthy food, as well as anyone who wants to enjoy a treat.
The terrace of the select In the Snow Veuve Clicquot has changed location this year and is now in the El Tarter sector, right in the middle of the Pi del Migdia slope, where you can enjoy a wide selection of gourmet products and fondues prepared by Xavier Fromager Affineur accompanied by the best Veuve Clicquot champagne.
There are two newly created terraces: La Vermuteria, which will serve the best Petroni vermouths, tapas and pinchos, and IQOS Terrace, a terrace lounge with a DJ playing. Both are located in the Soldeu sector.
L’ABARSET: THE NEW TEMPLE OF APRÈS-SKI
One of the latest developments this season is the new L’Abarset, which was designed by David Alayeto and is set to become the best après-ski in Europe. Covering over 2,000 square metres on two floors, with a 700 m2 terrace, L’Abarset features unique décor and furnishings, with a focus on organic forms – walls with sculpted trunks and trellises constructed from branches and clay that emulate rocks emerging from the ground. The new concept brings together leisure, music and gastronomy in a unique experience with culinary offerings and great music from Monday to Sunday. It is nearing completion and an opening date will be announced shortly.
MORE FUN ON THE SLOPES WITH NEW CIRCUITS
At El Tarter, skiers and snowboarders of all levels can put their skills to the test starting Christmas with the Guineu Fun Cross, a new 675-metre route with a 150-metre descent featuring fast corners, banking, jumps, dubbies, tunnels and entertainment, among others.
The youngest members of the family will also have a new skicross circuit, the Marmota Junior Fun, located on the Pla d’Espiolets in Grandvalira – Soldeu, which was specially designed to improve their skiing skills while having fun.
UNIQUE ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS
Spending the night at the ski resort is possible and Grandvalira gives you the chance to do so at any of the unique Epic Andorra properties, such as Cabana Piolet, which is found at the foot of Montmalús, amidst its forests, and imitates a treehouse. You might want to go for the Domo Lodge – a heated igloo in the Coma 3 area in the Grau Roig sector – instead, as this year, it comes with a jacuzzi and a renovated terrace. There’s also the Borda del Buno, which is found at the entrance to the Vall de Sorteny Natural Park (Ordino), an idyllic location with spectacular views of the valley.
SPORTING COMPETITIONS
Grandvalira will once again host major sporting competitions this season.
· Alpine Ski Europa Cup Finals (from 14 to 20 March): One of the most important international events, which will be held in Andorra for the fourth time in its history. There will be eight races in the slalom, downhill, giant slalom and Super-G categories.
· Speed Ski World Cup (from 31 March to 2 April): Grandvalira will host the ninth edition of the Speed Skiing World Cup.
· La Sportiva Andorra Skimo: La Travessa Dels Refugis (19 and 20 February): the most popular long-distance cross-country ski event in the Pyrenees.
· Finals of the 2023 Alpine Ski World Cup: Next season, Grandvalira will be the focus of the Alpine ski world’s attention from 13 to 19 March 2023, as it hosts the most important Alpine ski competition after the Winter Olympics and the World Championships.
Candidates for the 2027 World Championships
The excellent sporting reputation gained in recent years by organising the Alpine Ski World Cup in 2012 and 2016, and the Alpine Ski World Cup Finals in 2019 at Grandvalira has enabled Andorra to take on the challenge of submitting its application to host the 2027 Alpine World Ski Championships. In May 2022, the FIS Council will decide whether Grandvalira will hold the Championships or whether this honour will go to one of the other three great candidates – Crans Montana (Switzerland), Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Germany) and Narvik (Norway).