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Visitor reviews for Formigal Ski Resort
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(NOTE: Reviews may be edited by our content team for the purposes of ensuring accurate and relevant information)
(NOTE: Reviews may be edited by our content team for the purposes of ensuring accurate and relevant information)
Top rated
December 30, 2014
Butch from
Spain
Butch from
Spain
Yesterday, Formigal was a complete disaster! At 8:45 the road to Anayet was not cleaned of snow which I think is something that Aramon should make sure to have for what they charge for the forfait, but even if they cannot do, they must have someone down at Sextas telling drivers to put chains on if they want to get to Anayet or get in Sextas. They should have told the Guardia Civil.
Anyhow, 40 mins to get to the parking. After selecting Skity Club for our kids, we started skiing. We went down to the Garmet chair lift, and although it was not indicated and we could see the chairs moving, they kept it closed until 10:30. We could not just turn around and climb up to Anayet, so we waited.
When they opened my wife's forfait didn't work, it said invalid. I had it recharged through the online system the day before. A gentle pister opened up for my wife to be able to get the lift and he sent us to the information counter, in Anayet, to get this sorted. So we went; after 20 mins investigating what was going on the lady at the ticket counter got it sorted. We got Anayet lift and that was the last time we could do it. We went down to Garmet as Anayet closed and the queue lasted more than 45 mins. I think the whole of Formigal was in this lift waiting. We like to ski in the mornings as it is the best time normally, yesterday the wind spoiled the day a bit but the snow quality was best. My brother-in-law got stuck in Sarrios as he could never get back to Ananyet, Thank god that his wife kept the car key when she stopped skiing because of the wind. The moral is, I think that when you have a quarter of the resort open and you close the main connections among vallies, Aramon should not charge full amount of forfait, especially if the services included in the tariff are not complied with. You are supposed to compete with other resorts. After yesterday many people will chose another resort for their holidays. Guys, you just need to deliver the services; be gentle with people and make holidays a memorable time for skiers. What are you thinking of?
March 12, 2007
Tim Hall from
United Kingdom
Tim Hall from
United Kingdom
12/03/2007. I've been to Formigal four times so far this year, using the "Bus Blanco" service from Zaragoza. All in all, it's been excellent, and this in spite of the ridiculously warm winter we've had this year. I gather that there was very little snow up until Christmas, but as soon as the temperatures dropped in the new year, the teams at Formigal were immediately out pisting the slopes and making the most of the snow available. There are new snow canons everywhere you look around the piste area, meaning snow quality can be kept high even when it doesn't actually snow much.
On one occasion, due to a prolonged period of very warm weather, the pistes were really suffering, with few runs open and large patches of slush and even mud, but as soon as the temperatures dropped again this was rectified, and since then more than twice as much skiable area has once again been opened.
In general, apart from that one occasion, the snow quality has been high, especially more recently, when it has been almost at the standard of the Alps. As I understand it, Formigal is the largest ski station around (in Spain) - with over 100km of pistes when fully open - and so there is a great variety of slopes to choose from, catering for all standards. In addition there is also great potential for off-piste skiing, including marked off-piste trails. Due to the orientation of the slopes, snow quality also tends to remain high throughout the day, with excellent skiing still widely available by 16h30 and later.
There has clearly been a lot of investment in Formigal recently, with three new chair lifts open this year, one of them carrying 8 people per chair, which now link all the zones together.
Overall, I highly recommend Formigal for anyone looking for great skiing and a wide variety of slopes and difficulty levels in Spain. If you are in Zaragoza or Huesca and want a day on the slopes, look out for the "Bus Blanco", the price of which includes bus ticket there and back as well as the day's lift pass. Equipment can be hired on arrival at Formigal.
February 22, 2009
dave williams from
United Kingdom
dave williams from
United Kingdom
The biggest pain in skiing is in your wallet.
Formigal Review:
A large part of that pain is the lift-pass price.
The Aragon Government, through an independent company ARAMON (Aragon Montanas), is promoting Formigal to the UK market, by offering FREE lift passes this season. This is additional to the 300 Million Euro investment in the latest Doppelmayr lifts and resort facilities over 3 years, or so. Passes are obtainable when booking via J2.com, Crystal, Thomson, Iglu, Neilson and others.
I’ve just returned from Formigal after assessing the facilities, benefits and short-comings on offer.
For a large skier-group the organisers and leader must get the basics right. It’s the only way that the members of the group can get value for money. In the current financial misery everyone is counting the costs and cutting back.
My group has become tired of long transfer times and difficult access to slopes. The group is of multi-level ability, consisting of babies/children and young-to-old adults. Transfers, slope access, pistes spread ‘miles’ apart and clean toilets are ‘high-key’ issues. Other items in any resort choice are ratings for experts, lower-upper intermediates and novices, as well as ‘first-timer’ pack offers. Crèches, qualified supervision, hours open and collections, kindergartens, ski schools, lockers, snow reliability, geographical slope aspects and skills needed to reach and enjoy them are critical to satisfying individuals and client-families. Not to mention restaurants/cafes and adequate seating, (including some for that packed lunch) and of course hot ‘chocolatiers’ or vin chaud, in abundance.
We travelled with Crystal and got a call in advance from the excellent rep there. We flew into the new airport: Huesca, from Gatwick at the 2nd week of February, on a Monarch Airbus 1410hrs flight (no 0400hrs starts or over-nighting at Gatwick there, then.) Monarch has been contracted for the season by Pyrenair, a new airline based at the new airport, Huesca. The transfer is just 1hr and 20mins sedate coach travel. No 4hrs from Toulouse, anymore?
We found a good snow-base laid down pre-Christmas and again in January. Mid-week we received a 23 hour ‘dump’ of 40 cms on top of 180 cms existing, and skied throughout the day it snowed. Great for trying some basic ’bouncy’ off-piste skiing technique, while still on a firm piste under-base. Can’t see? ....when you lose your sense of sight, develop your sense of feel through the soles of your feet and soft knees.
That huge dump gave the pisteurs/avalanche control one heck of a problem. They worked all-night through. Delaying lift opening time (0900 hrs) did cause queues, but with a 4 of 5 avalanche risk, as in most of Europe, no one could expect anything else. Two sets of 4-piste-bashers, echelon-fashion plus single machines, soon cleared the way to safe skiing and we were off.
The resort lay-out at Formigal comprises 3 base stations: Sextas, Anayet and Portalet. These effectively access 4 valleys. Then, 8, 6 and 4-man lifts spread-out like a fan to mid-mountain elevation.
Sextas zone, at Formigal, appears the more difficult, particularly up towards Tres Hombres-Huegas. There are 20 blacks/reds and not a blue in sight. This area was closed during our visit due to avalanche precautions. There are several good blues linking all 4 valleys at mid mountain level, prior to these lifts gaining height. The full spread is interspersed with the higher lifts providing extra height to drop blues (some), reds and blacks (single & double diamond) into the valleys and public facilities. This means novice/lower intermediates are not ‘shanghaied’, e.g when trying to meet-up with the group at lunch-times.
Anayet zone, at Formigal, is reached by the Anayet run: a great wide blue ‘motorway’. Plus a couple of reds and moderate blacks striking off parallel with some easy mid-mountain runs. This provides good skiers/boarders with off-piste opportunities where they can ‘see’ well in front of them what they are getting into. Boarders were killing the blacks in great powder.
The Spanish love their food! There are 17 eateries on the mountain. They love taking a couple of hours socialising as well. This means the one-week a year, skiing-starved Brits can ski right through lunch on un-crowded pistes. Don’t even THINK about lunch before 1400hrs!! Eat a good breakfast. Then, hit the extensive Anayet Lodge. This consists of two cafes, two chocolatiers, two self-services, a burger-bar, an ice cream point, and two more formal restaurants both reasonable: 10-15 Euros for a 2- course ‘Plato’ of the day and small bottle of wine/beer ..(hic!). Other options if you want them. The second ski-school, ski hire/lockers and immaculate toilets are also here. As is a massive sun-terrace with huge seating including some picnic tables (I kid you not!).
Take the kids (and yourself) for the longest moving carpet ride I’ve ever seen. There’s another at Sextas for the kids, by the way, great while you slope-off to the short Furco 4-man chair run; warming-up at the start of the day. Then it’s the 8-man up from Sextas and head for Anayet. Or, a good lunch can be had at Sextas at c.9.50 Euros, anyway.
After taking the 'rays' at Anayet, have a poke at the off-piste mound in front of you. Never mind all those watching and laughing. AND, if your 'hard (good) enuf', remember where to branch-off that blue-motorway, next time down. Then cross-over the black (flat bit) and zoom up and over the mound down towards the Lodge, again. That ought to stop’em laughing?
Do NOT arrive in a heap, until the next time you do it, having arranged for someone to wait down there to photograph you! Seriously, there are loads of places just off the mid mountain reds/blacks to ‘get some mileage -in’, off-piste. Only if fully insured, of course.
Portalet Zone: The piste map shows this is a difficult part. Only one red, the rest blacks, single and double diamonds. We couldn’t test all of it due to avalanche precautions. I am assured reasonably competent intermediate skiers, in good conditions, can get-down ok?
Apart from the Panorama viewing point at the top towards France THE Portalet attraction is the chance to go ‘Ratrack’ skiing! Up the 6-man to be pulled along a gentle red, behind the Ratrack with c.40 skiers. This is the ONLY way to reach to the Fine-Dining restaurant Cabana Glera for lunch. Reservations essential at night and you are then collected by cabin-Ratrack, no skis needed. From the menu I sighted it’s expensive. Have at least 50 Ackers to spare (evening) methinks. But, it’s a one-off apparently and it’s only money!
From there you can ski down black or red (into blue) back into the Anayet Zone. I suspect that last bit of the red may be ‘interesting’. The whole concept of skiing 4-valleys needs close attention to abilities, if the group is to get the most out of it. We know the route-march it seems to flog across wide expanses of valleys to justify the higher lift pass expenditure? Hopeless for kids. The 137 kms of Formigal allows skiing all 4-vallys in a day together with sampling some of the facilities en-route, at a steady skiing/drinking pace.
Further access by car is open to the Sarrios Zone at mid mountan level, between Sextas and Anayet. There is a sizeable car park and an excellent restaurant there, the ‘Gemsbock’. Also, this opens out to the free-ride areas, snow park, huskies, skidoos, timed slalom and the Callado 4-man to either Anayet, again, or down the great fast red ‘Collado’. This is my favourite run as the black there proved just too much snow for me.
Best run for ‘cruisers’? Hang on! ‘Blue’, up the Sarrios 2-man, on up the Lanuza then down the blue through to Izas, on to the husky- sleds (drive one of those!). Up the 6-man ‘Cantel’, then down the blue Rio (river) as fast as conditions and safety allow i.e. “Quandío en Roma!” Then down Furco (also night skiing) onto Sextas. Have a large Carlos Uno Brandy.....go for a Heli-trip...... see/photo where you’ve been skiing....and tell the Brits when you get home!
Overall, there’s a free 10 minute bus-service between the village (5 minutes or an easy walk down, minus skis) and the Base Stations. Additionally, the village-run is serviced by two 'Thomas-the-Tank- Engine’ trains, by road, great fun for kids (or adults). Downside? Well, one day soon the Elders will have to make the village traffic-free. The ski school will no doubt increase English speaking Instructors as the critical mass (no pun intended!) of Brits is achieved. We could do with a weather-shield on the 8-man, I think.
Well done “Formidable” Formigal. Masterly skiing, with ‘Distinction’!
As the Aussie girl said in their Tourist Office advert.
”....come on you Brits....where the b....y hell are you?...”
Stay safe,
Dave Williams
January 28, 2009
George from
United Kingdom
George from
United Kingdom
I've skied Formigal ten times this season and it's definitely a resort that requires a bit of effort to get the best out of it. If all you're into is piste skiing then this is probably not the resort for you (especially if you're used to Alpine pistes) as the runs are short, not very steep and generally pretty unchallenging; don't be deceived by the piste map, there isn't that much of it - you can go from one side to the other in sub 45 mins, most of that spent on lifts. However, if you get some fresh snow and are prepared to get away from the beaten track via some serious traversing or some hiking, then there is some really great off-piste to be had. It's very accessible and due to the nature of the terrain (not steep and craggy) you can ski pretty much all of it - sadly no trees though.
The resort (Formigal) has obviously invested a lot of money in recent years and this shows in the facilities (except the lifts out of Sarrios which break the resort, they're terrible and must be changed soon). Car parking and restaurants are excellent. The terrain park caters for a good breadth of ability and the mogul field (baches) is also entertaining.
In short, if you want to cruise the piste then go to Cerler; if you want to mix it up with some powder/park give Formigal a go.
May 02, 2012
UNO from
Spain
UNO from
Spain
January 28, 2009
Carl from
France
Carl from
France
For me, Formigal is the best ski resort in Pyrenees (Pirineos). It has 137 km of slopes; the biggest in Spain, with 4 valleys or zones connected by modern lifts. There are all kind of ski-slopes.
I have been there two weeks ago and the snow was perfect, there were a lot 70-200 cm.
The Formigal village is a beautiful place in the middle of the mountains with all the services like shops, restaurants, pubs, church, banks etc.
It is a good choice, maybe the best in Spain, if you want skiing.
February 10, 2006
jorge from
Portugal
jorge from
Portugal
Hello everybody! I'm just a normal Portuguese teenager that likes to snowboard! Formigal is a fantastic resort, lots of tracks(for beginners and experts). At night you can have some fun, but the real fun is on the slopes, you have some nice freeriding spots...I don't know, I've been there for 4 sessons and have always discoverded some new and nice spots!!!so just try..it's a nice resort, go and have fun!peace..
February 01, 2009
Liz from
Luxembourg
Liz from
Luxembourg
I was in Formigal twice this year and the snow was always great. Besides, I have been to few ski resorts with better views.
The ski area is huge. I hardly finished all the tracks that had been recommended to me. The facilities were more modern and the staff more professional than in most alpine resorts I have visited. The skiing was really good.
If I had to say something negative about Formigal I would choose the length of some slopes (not in the fourth valley where they were very long and had great snow) and the price of the forfait (I found it a bit too high, but I bought it directly at the entrance, some of my friends bought theirs in different agencies and they got better prices than me. Ah, and it looks that the resort is trying to promote combined flight and ski tickets, which seem a very interesting option if you have a full week).
For après-ski I would recommend a visit to Sallent and Lanuza; two lovely stone villages, far more beautiful than Formigal itself. Sallent has very good food and cosy hotels. I still remember the Asado in a slightly hidden restaurant at the entrance of the village, (it had hens and pigs decoration and I wish I could remember the name).
In summary, it was a really nice experience. I will definitely come back next year.
January 02, 2012
Javier from
Spain
Javier from
Spain
We do like Formigal a lot (family of five). I have just read another reviewers comments and they are not accurate at all. We used to travel from Madrid and it´s an easy 4:30 hours car ride, 80% on a highway. Once there, the Pyrenees are magnificent. The ski area has improved a lot in the last years and I believe is one of the best in Spain (together with Baqueira and Candanchu). Most of the skiers are well seasoned, in good shape, positive spirit and educated. In addition, staff and locals are very friendly. Food is yummy for a ski resort at 1.500m (recommend the bacon&cheese bocadillo with Ambar beer). Lifts are brand new (but some old ones that we like though, as they are less crowded). Hopefully, we will get more snow falls in the coming days for a sporty season. Definitely, Formigal is a very good choice to ski in Spain.
Javier
February 25, 2016
jaime from
Spain
jaime from
Spain
Intentamos comprar el forfait de tarde a la 1pm y de 8 taquillas solo una abierta y ocupadisima. 20 minutos mas tarde y despues de mucho preguntar a otros trabajadores se dignaron a vendernos el forfait. La taquillera "Jessica" impertinente y chula. Una Verguenza.
Parte de nieve deshonesto.
Customer service appalling; spent 20min trying to buy (that's their business isn't it?) a pm lift pass. Bad attitudes, zero helpfulness, 1 out of 8 cashiers open.
Snow report dishonest.