Grand Tourmalet-Bareges/La Mongie Skigebiet Guide (Bareges & La Mongie)

Bareges & La Mongie are part of the Grand Tourmalet ski resort, the biggest ski area in the French Pyrenees. The Grand Tourmalet has over 100km of pistes, 31 lifts and extensive snow-making capacity, offering skiers an incredible 1250 metres (4000 feet) of vertical descent. It is a very varied resort, Alpine in style and incorporating 5 different ski areas. There are accessible nursery slopes, long cruising blues and challenging red and black pistes. For expert skiers, the resort is also famed for its off-piste and has access to the Pic du Midi (2877m), an entirely un-pisted mountain that attracts world cup freeride competitions. There is a large terrain park with boarder cross, big air, bumps, rails and boxes. The nearest airports are at Pau (1.5 hrs) and Ossun (Tarbes/Lourdes) (45 min). Toulouse and Biarritz are within 2.5 hours by car and the nearest train station to Bareges & La Mongie is at Lourdes. Accommodation : the resort has two contrasting centres either side of the Col du Tourmalet ; La Mongie and Bareges. La Mongie is purpose built directly on the pistes with mostly self catering appartments but with a large selection of bars, restaurants & ski shops. Bareges is an authentic mountain village, with a fabulous thermal spa complex, friendly locals, three ski schools, and a good selection of services: cinema, bars, restaurants, 1,2 & 3* hotels and one of the only catered ski chalets in the Pyrenees.