Fantastic early season snow, and SPECIAL OFFERS for Christmas and January!

The slopes are just waiting to open on the 30th November
Rob is off out on his touring skis even sooner...

Winter has got off to a great start, with over 50cm of snow falling this week in Bareges, 1250m, and even more on the upper slopes. With more snow forecast over the next couple of days, it looks like the resort should be opening as previewed on the 30th November with excellent snow cover.

To make the most of the excellent early-season snow, and quiet pistes before the February holidays get going, we are offering the following special offers at Chalet Les Cailloux:

Christmas week 21-28th December: 10% discount, SAVE 60 € per person. Price now 535 € pp half board based on 2 sharing, 475 € per person for triple room share

This morning's conditions La Mongie side 21/11/13
Too much to take pics of Bareges side obviously!!

January special offer, from 4th Jan onwards: 10% discount, SAVE 50 € per person. Now 445 € per person half board, or just 395 € per person for family accommodation and groups of 8 or more

Please note that accommodation is no longer available at the Hotel du Tourmalet.

Spring in the Pyrenees. The first trips of Spring/Summer 2013

It is all go for the summer season already, our guided program started on the 19th with our expert guide Julian taking the 1st Spanish Pyrenees trip of the season in the province of Aragon. This week we are running our first Taster week from Bareges and the new Cathar country walk is off to good start with spectacular weather over in the Eastern Pyrenees.

Wandering down from Bareges to Luz-st Sauveur

Following the incredible amounts of snow this last winter (world number one ski resort for snow depth for several weeks...), spring has been a little slow to come but the results are now amazing and just in time for our lucky Australian/American group with me on the Taster trip.

Bareges valley greening up nicely with the currently impassable Col de Tourmalet behind.

Snow, ski and sun

The ski season is truly under way, with 20cm of fresh powder landing on the resort yesterday.

Our guests have been getting out enjoying the pistes. While all the locals are muttering about how busy it is, those who have worked or skied in other European ski areas are looking in disbelief and saying "Queuing for 10 minutes to get on a lift and ski down a piste with 5 people on it does not mean busy!". We are spoilt here!

While temperatures have dropped again, after a warm spell, the winter sun is shining providing clear, blue skies to ski under. Our first snow-shoeing holiday of the season starts on Saturday, so we are hoping the weather continues, so that our guests get good views of the mountain scenery.

As is traditional, January is a much quieter month, so if you want to enjoy out of season skiing and snowboarding, do come and join us. Take a look at our Special Offers page to see the discounts we are currently offering.

Finally, happy new year to all of our past, present and future guests. Here's to 2013 being a good one for all of us.

Library photo as we've not been able to get out yet!

The MountainBug team

See our new map of where we run holidays

Now there are three ways you can choose your MountainBug holiday - by date, holiday type and location.

If you are interested in a certain section of the Pyrenees, then click on our new map. This map divides the Pyrenees into the three regions where we run our holidays; French High Pyrenees; Eastern Pyrenees (Cathar Country) and Spanish Pyrenees. You can then see which holidays we have running in each region.

If you are constrained to certain dates, then click on either our summer or winter calendar to see what we are running then and remember - for groups of four or more we can run trips that aren't advertised.

Finally, if you wish to do a particular activity, please look at our holidays listings, on the left hand side menu of our home page.

**Snow-shoeing discount**

Come snow-shoeing with us in January for 635€ per person for one week instead of 735€!

This is for our week long snow-showing holiday, arriving on 5 Jan, depart 12 Jan, staying full-board (except on your day off, breakfast only) in the chalet or hotel. Your price includes:

• 5 full days of guided snow-shoeing and tuition
• snow-shoes and poles
• avalanche safety equipment
• transfers to and from the beginning and end of the walks
• 5 packed lunches
• 6 nights full board - including afternoon tea
• 1 day breakfast only

Who's snow-shoeing for?
Have you ever wanted to see the winter mountains but not strap a pair of skis on? Or do you love skiing but have a partner who's not so keen? Have you ever tried...snow-shoeing?

Snow-shoeing in an excellent way to get deep in to the winter mountains, far away from the pistes. You wear your hiking boots and strap on to the bottom of them some "snow-shoes", which, frankly, look like tennis racquets with mini-crampons on them. Grab a couple of poles and start walking. You are now snow-shoeing.

Our week long snow-shoeing holidays are perfect for hikers who don't want to stop walking because it's snowy or snow-lovers who want to get away from the pistes and see the mountains in their glorious wintry coat.

As with all our walking holidays, you will be with a qualified, experienced International Mountain Leader, who will not only teach you how to snow-shoe effectively but also point out to you local flora and fauna.

To find out more, contact us, and come on a memorable winter holiday.

In the Aygur Clus valley, near Bareges, Feb 2012

Today's dump

A whopping 70cm has fallen today on top of an already amazing base layer. The Grand Tourmalet resort opens tomorrow and we're all ready for it!

Our photos say it all. Please like us on facebook (MountainBug) and follow us on Twitter @mountainbug to keep up to date with the latest photos as we take them.

The lifts at Tournaboup

Welcome!

The ski lifts at Tournaboup

Bareges

Martin and Rob's off-piste adventure on Monday

Rob off in the distance

Snow cannon. No need for that today!

**Ski accommodation discounts!**

Still thinking about your skiing holiday? Not booked yet? Perhaps our Christmas week and January discounts will interest you!

With a foot of fresh powder lying across the resort, we're looking forwards to its opening on Thursday. While we're fully booked for February at the chalet and with limited space at the hotel over peak periods, we've put together some tempting offers.

These discounts, combined with the MoutainBug 10% off ski hire at Intersport, Bareges, and the cheap flights Ryanair are offering, are making January out of season skiing look even more attractive.

Christmas week, 22 to 29 Dec

Pay our normal low season rate of 495€ per person instead of our high-season rate of 599€ at the chalet only.

Last two rooms available, including the family suite (2 separate rooms, one bathroom, can take up to 5 people) and family room (can be a double, triple or quadruple).

This price includes:

• half-board accommodation in ensuite bedrooms
• full Christmas dinner and complimentary bubbly on Christmas Day
• afternoon tea.

This discount cannot be used in conjunction with any other MountainBug discounts.

January 2013

Be like a local and enjoy quiet, low-season skiing, on pristine, almost empty pistes.

Chalet discounts
If you choose to stay in the chalet, deduct 100€ per person from our normal low-season rate of 495€.

Pay 395€ for the same high standard of accommodation, food and service but with the added benefit of quiet pistes.

This offer:

• is based on 2 people sharing an ensuite bedroom
• is for half-board, including afternoon tea
• is for one week stays only, Saturday to Saturday
• applies for stays beginning on the 5 Jan, 12 Jan and 19 Jan. 
• can be used in conjunction with the 50€ off per person for groups of 8 or more who book and pay together. So groups of 8 or more can have 150€ off per person
• cannot be used in conjunction with any other MountainBug discounts apart from the large group discount.

Hotel discounts
If you book the Hotel du Tourmalet through MountainBug, we can offer you 15% off all bookings made for the period 5 January to 25 January (so departing Saturday 26 January), for stays of 7 nights or more.

Please contact us to take advantage of these great discounts.