Andorra

del boy

del boy

Senior Jockey
Joined
Nov 16, 2005
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Ireland
Myself and my girlfriend and another 8 friends have decided to head to andorra skiing for the new year. We are going to depart the 28th of Dec, returning the 4th. Never been skiing before, and none of us have been to andorra, its a real shot in the dark for us. We will enjoy ourselves anyway i would imagine, we generally make our own fun (car keys in the fruit bowl etc....yeah right...) but it would be nice to know if anyone has been there or if anyone has any recommendations?

So far i have,

Dont eat yellow snow.....x185

Anyone know whether we should try and get kitted out with ski gear here or over there??Anywhere good in Ireland? Im living in the north east by the way..

Any help would be appreciated.
 
The only one I know for sure who went to Andorra had their hotel room robbed, got the flu and had an awful time. Probably not typical though. I know someone else who is a skiing fanatic and probably knows the scene there well but I won't see him till monday, I'll send you a PM if he has anything useful to contribute.
 
Ooh, ooh, I forgot to mention the person who had their hotel room robbed was marginaly fortunate in that their luggage was lost by the airline on the trip over beforehand so there wasn't as much stolen as there might have been.

This sounds like it's made up, but it's true, honestly.
 
Okay, apart from Warbler and Melendez and the legion of doom, anyone??!!

I have heard bad reports myself about it in fairness, im just hoping for a ray of sunshine....no wait, lots of snow...

Cheers lads...even though your news was as welcome as a f*rt in a wetsuit...
 
Trust me, a ray of sunshine is the last thing you need!!! Unless of course they've got some very well trained St Bernards dogs to get you out of it
 
Can't speak for the place, but whatever you do get lessons if you can. They'll have you bombing around the place by the end of the week.
 
I went there once in high summer. Couldn't get out of it quick enough, although I know it is a winter retreat mostly. [Lots of fcuking shops + 1 Mrs AC = 1 AC in foul mood]

Get lessons first. I noticed TJ Maxx had loads of cheapo looking ski gear the other day.
 
Cheers people. May take a look in TK Maxx for something ridiculous to wear....as hideous of a colour as possible..it seems to be the norm..
 
I went skiing to Soldeu in Andorra around 5/6 years ago and it was great, we had a brilliant time.

The skiing is ideal for beginners since they have loads of novice/intermediate runs, if you're seriously good you may get a little bored even though they have a fair few red/black runs.

The instructors were great and I would agree that you really should have a few lessons if you are a beginner - they give you no end of confidence and you will find yourself skiing down the sides of mountains you wouldn't dream of going near without a bother when you have an instructor with you. (sorry, I see you've already said you've never been before!)

The après ski was good as well, with one bar in particular (I forget its name) that had decent bands playing live every night.

I'd happily go again and recommend the place to others.
 
Agree with SL. I went to Soldeu about 12 years ago, and it was very good indeed for the skiing, and a good few places to eat and drink of a night. Get yourself kitted out beforehand, and book the lessons of a morning. You then have the afternoons to practice yourselves. Only downside I seem to remember was the 3 hours plus coach journey from the airport (Nice?) to get there.
 
I went skiing in Andorra 2 years ago and I had a ball. I really would advise getting lessons as well, its amazing how much you learn in the week.
I would recommend that you bring good sunglasses, a light ski jacket and lots of pairs of Ski Socks! You will rent boots & skiis there.
The only downside is that it is a long way from the airports....
 
I have been there skiing many times
I learn in Soldeu El Tarter.
It is not not as good as most of the stations in the Alps but it is quite good.



Nowdays you have Pas De La casa and Soldeu in the same forfait.

It is a nice place to learn,
if you can have lessons do it, 2h or 3h a day is ok, especially if you can start in the morning at 11:00h


about the equipemnet,
rent the skis and boots there, try in 2 or 3 places and the best offer take it.
 
Dave G said:
Only downside I seem to remember was the 3 hours plus coach journey from the airport (Nice?) to get there.
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It's around two hours if you go via Barca - I'm pretty sure you can fly to Girona too which is closer still. Other alternatives are Toulouse, Carcassone (a beautiful place and well worth visiting) or Perpignan.
 
I'd recommend any newbies to take a week long nursery class, that usually take place for 2/3 hours every morning, rather than individual lessons. You will be with people at the same level as yourself and will find yourselves egging each other on throughout your stay. You may also find yourselves joining them in apres ski and talking through your days experiences.

As for Andorra... I enjoyed it immensely in Soldeu. The resort is strung along a mountain road, with good apres ski near the main lifts. Skiing was very good with a range of runs for all abilities. Once back in your hotel, you will have to rely on local bars which are few and far between. We were lucky and had a great little bar run by an Irishman virtually next door to the hotel. There is a bus that runs along the road to the lifts (I think it was free), though cabs aren't particularly expensive.

They tell me that the skiing is better in Pas de la Casa. Since I was there though there may well be a connecting lift between there and Soldeu.

All in all, enjoy. Skiing is dead easy - all you have to do is stand up and let gravity do the rest !!
 
I once spent 3 mornings in a nursery class without even learning to stand up. I was lying on my back after a latest attempt almost in tears with frustration when my daughter (10) hoored past with some new friend she had met up the mountain. She was so embarrassed that she blanked me.

I threw the ski's away and spent the rest of the week fishing in the mountain lakes. I will never go near a ski slope again.
 
Borrow as much gear as you can.
Get lessons, here first if possible.


Hope your fit , hope heights aren't an issue ;)
 
Thanks for all the comments. Pas de la Casa is where we are going to i believe, should be fun!! As i said, were lucky in that most of our group are really easy going and will enjoy themselves as long as its not a pure dump.

I may well bring my fishing rod on AC's advise though, i can see that happening quite easily!!
 
I'm not so sure about enrolling in the weeklong nursery class, or "ski-school" as it tends to be known. I didn't join in and I'm glad I didn't - I had one to one lessons which I much prefer. The problem with big classes is you'll always have people that bug the hell out of you in them, as well as people who are much better than others, as well as the obligatory idiots who can't manage to stand up, even after trying to do it for 3 hours a day for the previous two weeks.

The last class atmosphere I tried was Spanish lessons. They irritated the hell out of me and I left them fairly quickly since the group was full of muttonheads who still couldn't say "my name is..." after around 4 or 5 weeks and who invariably couldn't grasp anything whatsoever in any way, shape or form. The idiots held back the rest of us who had more than a few braincells to rub together and it was immensely frustrating.
 
Cheers DO!

The classes I took were when I was in Gib, I did about three terms I think - and learnt more in an hour's riding out on my own with an Argentine groom one day on Victor's horses! Learnt far more actually getting out and about than sitting in a classroom with a bunch of people and a teacher.

As for Cheltenham - does a bear shite in the woods?! :D
 
Live in Spain and learn Spanish. In school I learnt "Quantos Anos Tienes?" - I've never had to ask anyone their age yet.

They don't teach you "The boilers messed up and there's no hot water, can you help?" or "semi-skimmed milk" etc. anything useful in fact.
 
In school I learnt "Quantos Anos Tienes?" - I've never had to ask anyone their age yet.
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Don't knock it. That little gem could keep Gearoid out of jail during his next visit to Santa Ponza.
 
an capall said:
Don't knock it. That little gem could keep Gearoid out of jail during his next visit to Santa Ponza.
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:D

I tend to contextualise my classes along those lines...

"OK guys, you're in Ibiza and you're doing your best to chat up a local girl or boy. You're going to want to know his/her age, aren't you? You're going to have to understand what you're being asked if you're trying to buy alcohol when you're too young, right?"

They usually humour me by going along with it (otherwise I make them work harder :cool:).
 
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