Beginners
Beginners (both adults and children) staying in Arinsal will be taught by some of the UK's best ski instructors in the Vall Nord Ski School. If you stay in La Manssana, the ski school starts at nearby La Caubella every morning there are many British instructors. Under careful guidance beginners will soon gain enough confidence to use the chairlifts and start exploring the area on the wide blue runs. After 2 or 3 days there is no reason why a confident beginner can't make it over to Pal and La Taberna at La Caubella for lunch. By the end of the week beginners should get up to Arcalis where they will be rewarded by long, wide open blues - El Tunel from the top back to the base station is a lovely, gentle winding run that takes in some breathtaking mountain scenery.
Intermediates
Intermediate skiers will thrive in Val Nord. Start the week cruising, then blues are red runs in Pal and Arinsal - try the FIS Slalom run down to Coll de la Botella; perhaps brave a couple of the the black runs at Arinsal? Let the skis run down La Solana in Arinsal then carve up the wide tree lined reds over in Pal. It is definitely worth taking the bus up to Arcalis - you'll love the wide open pistes accessed by fast chairlifts. La Portella del Mig is a long sweeping red from Les Portelles back down to the base station - head right as you come down to the base station to try the steep FIS race pistes, or back up to Les Portelles and the fabulous La Balma and Ls Canaleta reds which swoop back down to the valley. Take the Cota chair for your first taste of Freeride skiing!
Advanced
First things first - don't be put off by the piste map. We were and it is something that we regret! While Pal and Arinsal are generally better know as beginner/intermediate resorts you will be surprised - let your skis carve up the long, perfectly groomed reds of Corpalance, Fontanals and Cubil. For the more adventurous, have a crack at La Comellade - a steepish black through the trees down to Els Fontanals.
Over in Arinsal head up La Capa - a short sharp drag tow to the summit - La Capa is a black run down the face, but also you'll often find some untracked off piste up here. The Tub de Coll drag serves a couple of steep reds and a black, otherwise swoop down the reds and blues at pace down to the main lift station at Comallemple.
You'll need to spend a few days up at Arcalis - Arcalis is fast becoming a freeride mecca of European skiing. Te ski area has won all sorts of awards and has hosted a round of the Swatch Freeride tour - other rounds are held in Chamonix, Alaska and Verbier - which just shows what high regard the freeride community have of Arcalis.
The pistes are all long wide and well groomed - great for warming up. Then start on L'Hortell - to the left of the drag-lift there are some wonderful steep gullies - be careful not to go too far to the left or you'll end up on the main road waiting for the free ski bus to get back to the lifts! Jump on the fast 6 man chair up to Les Portelles - take La Balma a flying red to the exclusive Freeride Drag tow - all the terrain from the top of the drag is off piste with various routes either back to the base station or down to the La Canaleta red piste. But the real attraction here is La Cota - a quad chairlift up to 2625m which opens up one big freeride mountain - go anyway but be careful - the mountain is patrolled but it is off-piste! Oh and did we mention heli-skiing? Yes, heli-skiing is available in Andorra with drops available all over the principality from Arcalis.
Family Skiing
Val Nord is perfect for skiing with the family. British run ski schools, wide open slopes, some technical slopes to keep the faster skiers happy and of course Arcalis. Just a short bus ride away, the skiing for all levels is fabulous - kids revel in the long, wide pistes, trying to beat mum and dad back down to the bottom! Over at Arinsal all runs come back to the Comallemple so there is no chance of anyone getting lost even if they take a different run down. Pal offers the protection of skiing in the trees so even on days it's not bluebird conditions, you can enjoy wide gentle runs served by fast chairlifts.
Ski Schools
Vall Nord has three ski schools - one in each sector and employs over 250 instructors. Many are British and the influence of BASI (British Association of Snowsport Instructors) is very apparent throughout the ski schools. Class sizes are no more than 10 and all levels are catered for. Private lessons, guiding and off piste freeride are also available.
Heli Skiing and Speed Riding
Heli-skiing is available throughout Andorra. Bookable with the ski schools or book a private adventure. Groups of no more than 8 per guide can explore some of the hidden off-piste terrain Andorra has to offer. Or have a go at speed riding - a cross between skiing and paragliding - point your skis down hill, inflate your speed glider (bigger than a kite small than a paraglider) and jump float, land and skim your way down the mountain! A truly exhilarating experience awaits you in Andorra.
Ski Hire
We recommend SchSki for all our guests' ski hire. They have shops in both La Massana and Arinsal and offer a high level of service with the latest skis, boards and safety equipment available for rent.
Free Ski Bus
Vall Nord operates a free ski bus that connects Andorra La Vielle (the capital of Andorra) with La Massana (to ski in Pal) and Arinsal. The ski bus runs every 15 minutes between Andorra La Vielle, La Massana and Arinsal. There is also an evening bus down to and from Andorra La Vielle - for shopping and to visit Caldea - the fabulous spa swimming pool. The ski bus to Arcalis runs every 30 minutes from 8:15-10:15am then the return is from 15:15-17:15pm.