Learn cross-country skiing in the Pyrenees

3 spaces you must discover

Pineta, Payolle and Nistos: less known than their alpine skiing neighbours, these partly wild areas are the ideal place to practice cross-country skiing in the Pyrenees. Between fir trees, groomed trails and breathtaking landscapes, your only regret will be that you haven't come before!

Pineta (Spain), ambassador of Nordic skiing

At the bottom of the Aure valley, beyond the French tracks, take the Aragnouet-Bielsa tunnel to reach Spain and the resort of Pineta at an altitude of 1200m. It is located within the Pyrenees-Mont Perdu complex, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its exceptional natural landscapes. It has joined forces with the French resort of Piau-Engaly to form the Piau-Sobrarbe cross-border area. Its area includes 24km of slopes, 9km of which are 9km long and 4 loops for Nordic skiing. If you have the Pyrénées2vallées Winter Pass, you can ski for free in this exceptional Nordic area. For beginners, Pineta has a ski school where you can learn cross-country skiing gently on green slopes. Also enjoy a wide range of Nordic activities: snowshoeing with a mountain guide, ski touring, mushing...

After all these efforts at high altitude, go and recharge your batteries in the valley in the village of Bielsa, only 10km from the slopes.

Payolle, a magical place to learn cross-country skiing

On the edge of Pyrénées2vallées, halfway between the Pic du Midi de Bigorre and Arreau, Payolle's Nordic skiing area welcomes you up to 1450m altitude. Enjoy 50km of cross-country ski trails in a preserved setting, surrounded by fir trees and with 360° views of the surrounding valleys, all sprinkled with bright white snow. Cross-country skiers of all levels are welcome: beginners experience their first moments of Nordic skiing on the initiation piste and then the green piste, intermediates discover the long blue 10km slope while experienced skiers perfect their technique on the red and black slopes of 15 and 21km respectively! Payolle and its artificial lake offer you many activities in summer and winter: toboggan runs, toboggan run, dog sledding, igloo night, but also paragliding initiation and tree climbing!
Every winter in January, Payolle celebrates the "snowshoe festival" with activities around the snow for the whole family.

Nistos, 360° Nordic skiing

As soon as you enter the Aure valley, the Nordic area of Nistos welcomes you. Nestled on the heights of Sarrancolin between 1600 and 1800m, it offers you a superb snow-covered setting from December to April with 8 cross-country skiing trails, for a total of 43km. Around you, the majestic Pyrenean peaks invite you to discover other horizons: the Arbizon, the Pic du Midi de Bigorre and even in the distance the Pic d'Aneto, the highest point in the Pyrenees at 3404m. Looking for a snowshoe ride? The Nistos area has 4 snowshoe trails to be as close as possible to nature, with your feet in the powder. In Nistos, you can also learn biathlon with laser rifles, perfect to try shooting without risk!

Ski area prices: 9€ per day for an adult, family pass 26€