WINTER SPORTS ❘ LA MONGIE


A NATURAL HIGH Sandra Haurant explores the Pyrenees ski resort of La Mongie


T


he Chalet des Pisteurs, a restaurant high up in the Pyrenean resort of La Mongie, in the Grand Tourmalet ski area, is not easy to reach. It’s a skis-off, dig-the-points-of-your-boots-in climb up a steep, snow-covered track between the pines. Once the refuge for the piste rescue team on this


section of the mountain, it’s now an altitude restaurant, and a glorious place to stop to replenish your energy supplies after a morning on the slopes.


Huddled against the mountain and with panoramic views that sweep across some of the most spectacular parts of La Mongie, it’s worth every step of the climb. There’s a full menu – think entrecôte or confi t de canard, or a hearty veggie option, followed by a blueberry tart – or a choice of simple but tasty desserts, all cooked with local ingredients. Food is an important part of any skiing trip, but even more so when you are skiing en famille. It’s my husband and me, and our three kids – two teens and a tween – and someone is always hungry. Someone usually wants a lie-in, too, but this morning we are all up early, and take the Pourteilh lift from La Mongie, across the silent mountains, then a tiny two-person chair lift, which takes us up – and up and up – to one of the highest points in the resort, Quatre Termes (2,500m).


Grand Tourmalet encompasses the resort where we are staying, La Mongie, which has wide open slopes, and Barèges, where the pistes meander along forest trails among the pines. It’s the largest resort in the French Pyrenees, with a total 100km of pistes, but is still decidedly bijou compared with the big destinations in the French Alps (the largest, Les Trois Vallées, boasts 600km). It’s a little cheaper too – lift passes for six days for a family of four works out at €926, as opposed to €1,152 at Les Trois Vallées. And for families and groups with mixed ability levels, Grand Tourmalet really has all you need. The village is small and relatively modern, with a good selection of bars and restaurants, and the atmosphere is low-key and very friendly. As for the skiing, there are slopes for all abilities, though options for the biggest thrill-seekers are perhaps more limited – there are four black runs, 15 green, 23 blue and 15 red. The queues for the lifts are rarely long, and there’s enough scope for plenty of variety, but the resort is small enough to return to your favourite spots more than once. Seasoned skiers can head up the aptly-named Panoramic chair lift and take Coume L’Ayse, a gratifyingly challenging black run with incredible views. And at the far eastern end of Barèges is Ricao, a narrow, steep and sinuous black piste that weaves its way through the trees. ❯❯


106 ❘ FRANCE TODAY Feb/Mar 2023


IMAGE @ HPTE


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148