Safaris

You have all the time you need. Your own experience tells you so. Little by little you will get to cover all the trails around the Baqueira Beret area and, as is usually the case, our Safari starts off at the INFO CAFÉ in Baqueira 1.800. Skis well waxed.
Binding adjusted to the right point. Helmet. Glasses. Zips done up...

Of course you have all the information about which slopes are open. The quality of the snow, atmospheric temperature, and you’ve even found out about the risk of avalanches. Map of the Red Safari (Advanced)... Your experience means you have thought of everything. Let’s go!

We set off on our way to the Mirador TSD (8’). As always we pay special attention when crossing the beginners’ area and meeting points for the courses and classes in Baqueira 1800. Mirador TSD, eight-minute journey. All set?

The Solei trail is waiting for us when we get off the lift. Perfectly groomed, it looks inviting to many skiers, and more and more people look for a more daring and different way to get to the Argulls that takes them away from the crowds that can affect other areas of the resort.

Solei comes from SUN. I wonder why…
The first and last couloirs are the steepest and in between them any “red” skier would even dare to leave his or her mark, if that is the case, in the virgin snow of the surroundings, or take up a more aerodynamic posture along the easy final stretch that meets up with the Ta Argulls trail.

Take care now, and stand up from that posture that was so enjoyable because you are now arriving at an important crossroads where the skiers coming down to Argulls are also going fast, using the counter slope to brake – and that is when you appear! All skiing together, we make our way down Argulls. Watch out at the crossings! Look for the sign that show the way to the Teso dera Mina TS next to the Parrec d’Argulls and get on it...

At the top of the Teso we go straight on following the Lhastres dera Mina trail, cross the Bonaigua trail and towards the left we find the start of the Tuc de la Llança TQ(5’).

When you descend towards them you will notice how the temperature gets a lot colder but then rises again the moment you climb a few metres on the lift. A curious change in temperature.
The Tuc de la Llança TQ goes up to the highest skiable point in Baqueira Beret, 2,520 m altitude.

We let go of the pole and ski off to the right. Here is where the Muntanyó trail begins, one of Baqueira’s most beautiful and varied trails.
A skier like you will take a breather before this spectacle of mountains. Hard to leave this magnificent place. What a view! If the scenery is breath-taking, then the trail will cure you of hiccups: moderate runs including a vertiginous couloir gives you the chance to slow; a unique slide, a natural “half pipe”; easy and open stretches to “descend”; small walls which will lift us up in the air. What a trail! And so we reach the Port of the Bonaigua.
Watch your speed here! There are a lot of people skiing down from other places and they all end up on the route that takes us to the Port to cross the bridge that spans the road and reaches the chairlifts.

Cap de Port (4’) TS, two-seater. We get off at the halfway station – don’t miss the stop, and opposite we look for the signs to the Del Riu trail, a real downhill slope! – Fiind out if the Del Riu trail is open first before getting on the Cap de Port TS, to avoid getting off at the halfway stop. If it is closed, then go to the end of the TS’s route and go down the Pleta del Duc trail until the La Peülla TSD.

A dozen wide turns lead us to a narrowing which takes us to a steep slope opening out onto a wider slope that gently takes us down to the La Peülla TSD. Don’t forget to pick up speed on this slope so that you can easily get to the entry to the ski lift.
Did you enjoy the descent?

La Peülla, the Àneu Valleys, a beautiful place the other side the Bonaigua; a unique, undiscovered place. Let’s go there! La Peülla awaits us!

We go off towards the left. The “Red” of la Peülla gives us the chance of a breather at first and shows us the difference in altitude between where we are and the bottom of the valley, surely to give us that marvellous feeling of vertigo. From now on the trail becomes steeper in the midst of an extraordinary atmosphere until it reaches the bottom of the valley. We are not saying any more. Pleta del Duc and onto the lift once again. The way down La Peülla will take your breath away…

Another route awaits us which has nothing to envy the slope you have just skied down. The Red slope of the *Pletiu d’Arnaldo is different, daring and solitary. This time we ski off to the right and go along the Pleta del Duc on the way to the top of the mountain. You’ll see the turning on your right where another of the red slopes in this area starts, the Perdiu. Sometimes only the chimney of the Pletiu d’Arnaldo cabin is visible because of all the snow that builds up in this stretch of our Safari. We reach the Pleta del Duc and we are once more back at the La Peülla detachable chairlift. We guarantee you’ll want to give it a second go!

*Pletiu, Pleta, in the language of Alt Áneu and Aran is the name given to the refuge and resting place for the shepherd and his flock high up on the mountain slopes.

We go back to the Port. The open Pleta del Duc trail starts to slowly narrow and we have to slow down. There is quite a steep drop down around a small copse of trees and leads us opposite the Cap a Baqueira trail.

Another descent where it is essential to get up some speed so we do not fall short and have to use our sticks, if you see what I mean…

We take the Bonaigua TSD (4’) towards the Collado de Argulls. The Argulls and Argulls bis trails are very popular with children and novice skiers. Watch your speed! We ski down towards the base of the Manaud TS(9’) which will take us back to the Cap de Baqueira.

From the top of the Cap de Baqueira we are going to link up with three spectacular red slopes which will take us down the Baqueira mountain until Orri where we will connect up with the area of Beret. Look the signposts for our Safari!

Slope nº 1 Guineu descends slightly to the right of the Mirador TSD route looking towards the valley. And those who look at us will be the skiers in their chairlifts watching our descent down the Guineu. So, as they won’t be able to take their eyes off you, you can proudly show off your technique!

Guineu finishes at another important crossing which takes a lot of skiers towards the Cara Nord and Isards. At this crossroads everyone is skiing very fast. Try to keep to your left and control your speed.

Slope nº 2 Isards, the natural continuation of the Guineu. At this point the Mirador TSD will be on our right and we will carry on making our way down. Isards ends with a good slope and slightly narrows. You have to come to a standstill at the end of the slope at an important junction and a closed bed which marks the beginning of …

Slope nº 3 Tamarro* which takes us towards Orri crossing the Cara Nord. Watch your speed here and pay attention at the crossroads. Here, a lot of skiers of all levels appear from the various slopes that all converge in the Cara Nord on the way to Orri.

*Tamarro A mythological creature dating back to the time when animals reigned in the valleys of the Pyrenees. Nobody has ever found the Tamarro who was heir to the old king of the animals although many have long looked for it.

(If you wish to finish the first stretch of the Red Safari (Advanced) in Orri, the Dera Cascada slope will take you back to Baqueira 1.500. From there you can take the Baqueira TC and get back to the INFO CAFÉ in Baqueira 1.800. When you are ready to do the second stretch, you can go back to Orri from the INFO CAFÉ by taking the Era Cabana TSD (3‘) and then make your descent via Ta Orri and Cara Nord.

If your final destination is Beret, you should take the Jesús Serra TSD and go back to the Beret Plain by the Ta Beret I . When you feel ready to go on with the Safari from Beret, you should head for the Blanhiblar TSD.)

Jesús Serra TSD (6‘). Rest. By now we have accumulated a good few kilometres in our legs. This is how we now reach the open area of Beret. We make the descent down to the immense Beret Plain along the open trails of Ta Beret I. Just enjoy this blue paradise!

We get to the Beret Plain and get on the Blanhiblar TSD* (6‘). At the upper station the best thing to do is to take a break on the Parrec de Blanhiblar terrace, have a refreshment and why not even start to celebrate our Red Safari (Advanced) with a glass of Cava and a slice of Iberian ham.

*TSD. Blanhiblar is a place where liquorice grows abundance. Blanheu means liquorice in Aranese, the language of the Aran Valley, and the mountain gets its name from the abundance of Trifolium alpinum – or clover -, from the delicious liquorice-flavoured roots and exquisite food of the mountain deer.

But, anyway, there’s no rush! We can make a stop before or after going down the Peira Arroja slope. We recommend you take your break before attacking that Iberian ham sandwich. The slope begins under El Parrec and takes us away from the detachable chairlift and towards a welcomingly wide riverbed where the quality of snow is excellent. After this, you can build up some speed as you go down the long diagonal slope that takes us towards the place where we join the Blanhiblar slope. There we can again take the Blanhiblar detachable chairlift. And now you can finally enjoy a well-deserved rest and a mouth-watering sandwich! The view from this privileged point of Beret and Baqueira is unique. Take as long as you need!!

We will continue on our Safari by making our way down the Roques d’en Macià trail. This slope runs between some spectacular rocky gendarmes watching our movements. There are two small drops with a steeper slope, which once crossed will make us pick up speed when we take the Costarjàs TQ (6‘), a two-seater ski lift which will take us up to the peak of the Costarjàs mountain.

Here a magnificent white valley opens out in front of us, the valley that dominates the Tuc de Costarjàs and the Tuc deth Miei; the beginning of the trail that runs along the whole valley is right here. The start is open, wide, white, gentle, and the Tuc deth Miei trail becomes an intimate mountain trail, tucked away from the most popular slopes that lead to the Beret Plain from Costarjàs.

When the slope starts to near the bottom of the valley it joins up with Pales deth Miei, and here it is highly advisable to pick up speed, as much as you can, in order to cross the Arriu dera Serra and connect with the end of the Blanhiblar, trail, which now slopes very gently downwards to cross the Beret road by a bridge leading to the Plain.
Now we all carefully gather up speed, until we reach the beginning of the Dera Reina TSD!

In the area of Beret our target is to reach three peaks with their respective descents which form a triangle around this immense space. We have reached the Tuc de Costarjàs at an altitude of 2,338 m. We keep going on towards the second, Dera Reina TSD at 2,350m altitude and the third is the peak of Tuc de Dossau at 2,516 m, the northern-most point in Baqueira Beret. We can do it!

Dera Reina TSD. We go off to our left. The Ta Dossau trail stretches out ahead of us like this: two well-marked drops, the first right at the start of the descent and the second a few metres below. Take care to go towards the right just before the end of this drop and Ta Dossau , enjoying its varied and entertaining route.

And take into account that the Ta Dossau trial crosses most of the slopes in this area. Take care at all the crossings, by controlling your speed as you need it.

Dossau TS, three-seater (12’). Hold on, where are we going?
The views from the top of the Dossau are breath-taking no matter which way you look, and the slope that awaits us below leads to the classic open white slopes of the Beret area: Colhet de Marimanha and then Egua 3.

The Dossau TC (2’) is just a few steps from the peak. The route to Egua 3 can be found right after letting go of the TC pole and once we have started to make our way down towards the Colhet.
Wouldn’t we love to take off and fly like birds! What a slope! What mountains! Enjoy it, and as nobody’s watching, you can leave your mark in the virgin snow.

Egua 3 converges with Egua 2 and then further down with Colhet de Marimanha at the bottom of the great white valley of Beret. Be sure to follow the signs on our Safari, and go, go, go! Take care as you make your way down towards the Beret Plain* and the new two-seater platter lift at the Slalom Stadium, dedicated to the Fernández Ochoa family. We are entering the beginners’ area! Easy now!

* Beret Plain Important route in the past for people travelling between the Aran Valley and the Pallars Sobirà. Dividing the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, this is where both the Garona and the Noguera Pallaresa rivers have their source, although they go off in different directions.

Rubbing shoulders with the corredores runners ? skiers? who train in this part of the Stadium, we go up on the Fernández Ochoa platter lift (5’). When we get off there is a sign that shows the way to Baqueira along the Marmotes and Vista Beret slope. We will pass in front of the entrance to the Snow Park as well as the upper station of the Jesús Serra detachable chairlift. But, take it easy!!! STOP!! Don’t go past the entrance to the Saumet* platter lift which didn’t want to be left out of Baqueira’s 50th anniversary for expert skiers!
After drinking in the breath-taking views that the Saumet peak awards us, take the red slope that bears the same name and start by doing short turns at a good pace. Then cross the platter lift line. Careful! You can get your breath back near the forest and then you come to a wide corridor, that is steep and well-marked, Saumet, that takes you back to the Vista Beret slope and the bottom of the platter lift.

Another fantastic descent down Vista Beret on the way to Orri looking for your friends, the best runs in Baqueira Beret.

*Saumet in Aranese means Donkey, Ass. Place name associated with the traditionally intense work of the shepherd on the Beret mountain: Baciver, Orri, Saumet.

And so it is that we reach Orri and straight to the Jorge Jordana TSD which will transport us up to the top of the Cap de Baqueira.

And now we going to look for the Guineu – the Fox - , Isards – Mountain deer- , Os – Bear -, all the fauna of the Pyrenees are your beloved mountain companions.

We know where the Guineu (fox) is hiding just under the route of the Mirador TSD. From the start of the Jorge Jordana TSD we ski around the aerials at the top of the Cap and reach the beginning of the Guineu.

Isards, as you know, is the natural continuation of Guineu, and to get there don’t forget to take care at the junction. When you finish Isards and come back to the same bend and crossroads of slopes where you were a few hours ago, go right along the Tamarro slope that takes you to the north face. Just a few metres away you’ll find the “Bear’s Den”!! 

The Os is right there as soon as you get off your Choza, a steep slope that pans out as you come to Perdiu Blanca on the way to the Mirador.
Cross it and without going down, go towards the Pla de Baqueira. Cut across the red Baqueira Plain and under the TSD you can reach the blue Pla de Baqueira.

Before you, the Aran Valley!

Many years ago it all began in this very place where you are at this moment. As a git, we offer you the final run to Baqueira 1.500 by the first slope that was opened on this magic mountain, Baqueira, the number 1.

This is our present to you. Enjoy it!
Well done!