The review Grandvalira was created by Skiresort.info, the world’s largest test portal for ski resorts.
Altitude difference
930 m (Valley 1710 m - Mountain 2640 m )
Lifts/ cable cars
55
Number of lifts to get from one end of the ski resort to the other
→ 9 ← 7
Slope offering, variety of runs
Run location
above tree line, under tree line
Total capacity
94261 Passengers / hour
Length of all lifts
50.7 km Total
Worth knowing
- Artificial snow-making
1097 Snow canons
43 % of the slopes have snow-making capabilities
- The valley run is practically always open.
Season 2008/2009
160 Days open
155 Days when valley run open
The slope preparation is excellent.
Tip: By new snow, an optimal slope prepartion is not always possible, even with a large effort. In addition, the new snow can not combine with the snow lying underneath and moguls are created quickly. For safety reasons, usually no slope preparation is possible during operating times.
Orientation (trail map, information boards, sign-postings)
Environmentally friendly ski operation
Public transportation/ on-site mobility
- No direct train connection
- Ski busses
- Scheduled busses
Mountain restaurants, ski huts, gastronomy
40 Mountain restaurants & Ski huts
Accommodation offering directly on the slopes and lifts
Ski-in/Ski-out
There are many accommodations with direct access to the slopes and to lifts (Ski-in/Ski-out)
Tips
Towns/villages
- Canillo
Distance to ski resort 0 km (directly at ski resort)
- El Tarter
Distance to ski resort fewer than 0.5 km
- Encamp
Distance to ski resort fewer than 0.5 km
- Pas de la Casa
Distance to ski resort 0 km (directly at ski resort)
- Soldeu
Distance to ski resort 0 km (directly at ski resort)
Note: For the evaluation, only the accommodations which are located directly on the slopes and lifts, or have very easy access to the ski resort have been considered.
Information for families and children
- Kid's Land/ separated area for children
- Beginner's lifts near the valley
- Beginner's lifts in ski resort directly at the feeder lift
Information for beginners
- Easy and manageable slope offering, which is easy to achieve
- Beginner's lifts near the valley
- Beginner's lifts in ski resort directly at the feeder lift
Advanced skiers, freeriders
Information for advanced skiers, freeriders
- many freeride / deep snow areas
Slope offering advanced skiers
Note: Always mind the avalanche warnings and barriers, please. Never ski into a closed and unsecured area.
3 freestyle areas, 3 railparks (in Porte des Neiges, Encamp and Grau Roig), 2 permanent boardercross
Information for Snowboarders
- many freeride / deep snow areas
Snow parks
Offering snow parks
Cross-country skiing and trails
- Cross-country trail offering
Total trail length: 30 km
Conclusion
wide slopes, modern lifts, nice restaurants
extra charge for the funitel, parking fees in Encamp, parking fee in Canillo, no valley run to Canillo and Encamp
Detailed description of the ski resort
Since the season 2003/2004 the ski resorts Pas de la Casa-Grau Roig are linked with Soldeu-El Tarter and they have a new name now, called Grandvalira. So you can ski more than 190 km of runs and you have about 60 lifts with one lift pass. Every year new lifts replace old lifts and they improve the runs, so that the resort is on a high level.
From Grau Roig you can take the high speed six person chair Pic Blanc, the high speed quad Antenes or the double chair Riberal up to the runs to Pas de la Casa at the other side of the pass. The runs down to Grau Roig and to Pas de la Casa are mostly intermediate with some easy and some advanced runs on tree free slopes. In Pas de la Casa are many easy runs in the lower level, especially for beginners with a quad, a double chair and some t-bars. Back to Grau Roig you can take either the high speed six person chair Font Negre or the high speed quad Pas de la Casa. To go to Soldeu-El Tarter you have to take the high speed quad Cubil up to Pic Baix del Cubil und then you can take either an intermediate run down to the two high speed six person chairs Pla de Les Pedres or you can swing via excellent runs down to the quad Enradort. To the top station of the funitel Funicamp, which arrives from Encamp, you can take the high speed six person chair Pla de Les Pedres and in connection to the quad Endradort with the quad Colibri. Now you are spoilt for choice and you can swing also down via wide intermediate runs to Soldeu-El Tarter. Back to Grau Roig you have to take either the quad or the t-bar Llac del Cubil and you have nice runs down to Grau Roig. You can start your day also in Canillo with the modern eight person gondola up to the ski resort. At the top station is a quad, especially for beginners and to bring the people bacj to the top station of the gondola, because there is no valley run down to Canillo. With the high speed quad Portella you can reach the Pic de la Portella (2464m) and if you ski down you can reach El Tarter and Soldeu. From El Tarter a high speed quad and a high speed eight person gondola take you up into the resort again. With the high spped quads Tosa Espiolets and Llosada you can go up to 2467m and 2560m and now you can swing down in the next valley where the quad Solanelles takes you up to resort of Pas de la Casa-Grau Roig or you can ski down to Soldeu. In Soldeu an eight person gondola and a double chair takes the people up to the mountain again. The runs in the large ski area Grandvalira offers all kind of runs, from very easy to advanced runs. The perfect ski resort where you will find everything you are looking for.
Test Report issued on 2005-04-03
Highlights
Advanced skiers, freeriders
Top ski regions • Tips for the ski holiday