We got up early to set off to the high Pyrenees to use up another free ski pass; this time at Boí Taüll. The drive from Ager to El Pont de Suert is spectacular. Not only to you get to see the backside of the Serra de Montsec (the ridge which dominates Ager), but the road takes you through narrow steep gorges, past lakes and hydro-electric plants with precipitous stair cases hewn into the rock.

Boí Taüll is at the end of the Vall de Boí, just on the edge of the Aigüestortes national park. It is without doubt the prettiest resort we have ever been to. The views were just breath-taking. So much so, that we did the skiing in a completely leisurely fashion. It took ages to get down the first few runs, we spent so much time stopping, gasping and taking photos. The resort is in a huge bowl and the highest point is 2750m. You get different views from the top of each lift and can see Aneto, the highest mountain in the Pyrenees. An approaching weak warm front provided a spectacular backdrop, with whacky wave bars and greying skies.

Despite the approaching cloud, we seemed to be stuck in a blue hole and the sun was far too strong to keep the snow nice. By 2.30pm it was getting slushy even in the middle of the resort and the resistance in the skis was making my knees ache. We had been to all the sectors and to the top of all the lifts, so decided to call it a day and head back home in a leisurely fashion, taking a route through the Pyrenees we’ve never travelled before.

On our way we passed through Sort, a place I have always wanted to see, given the name means ‘luck’ in Catalan. The anticipation wasn’t rewarded… we didn’t even stop. We did have a coffee at the service station up the hill on the way out of town and the loos have the best views!

We stopped and had a look round La Seu d’Urgell. We’ve been past it loads of times, but always bypassed it on the way somewhere else. It’s a lovely place and you can see that it was once a massively important town. The old splendour of the buildings in still there, albeit a bit more cramped together than 600 years ago.

We got home late and are determined to have a day off (hopefully at the beach). Nine days of consecutive skiing/flying and we are exhausted!

See photos of today.

No comments yet - please add one »