Grandvalira Resorts Andorra Stations (Ordino Arcalis, Pal Arinsal and Grandvalira) presented the news of the winter season 2023-2024, which starts on December 1 and will be extended until April 7If weather conditions permit.

In their second season together under the same umbrella, Ordino Arcalis, Pal Arinsal and Grandvalira show another winter. great ambitions to improve its infrastructure and services optimize the customer experience with investment 34.5 million euroswhich is almost twice as much as last season, and this is the highest result in recent years.

Major investments were focused on new infrastructure and facilities. new chairlift in Pal Arinsal and in Grandvalira new multifunctional buildingand also in Grandvalira, and also optimization of the snowmaking system in all seasons.

On the other hand, we again chose to diversify our supply by new experienceA improvement of catering services and a ski and snowboard school, and commitment to sustainable development with the goals of further reducing CO2 emissions and increasing its own energy production, among other things.

Of the 34.5 million euros of investment, 21.5 million are in Grandvalira, 11 million euros in Pal Arinsal and 2 million euros in Ordino Arcalis. Grandvalira Resorts CEO Juan Ramon Moreno emphasized that “this is a historic investment, the largest in recent years, an example of the efforts that we continue to invest in resorts with a commitment optimize resources and continue to be the benchmark of the Pyrenees and southern Europe”

Invest

Grandvalira Resorts approved two medium- and long-term domain growth planswith a planned investment of 140 million euros in the coming years, and this figure does not take into account the investments made every season in the maintenance and improvement of the domains.

On the one hand, the ski union of Pala and Arinsal started the first phase this winter with the new chairlift of Port Negre, and from the 2024-2025 season it is planned that the ski union will become a reality with a new lift and red and white slopes. black.

The union will add more 7 km of trails in Pal Arinsal, thus reaching a total of 70 km. In addition, new green and blue slopes are planned to be created in the Col de la Botella area by 2028, which will become the new entrance door to the station with a school and ticket offices. The amount that will be invested in these projects will be 40 million euros.

On the other hand, the new SAETDE concession for the exploitation of the slopes of Pas de la Casa Grau Roig for the next 50 years, approved by the Municipal Council of Encamp, foresees an investment of 100 million euros with an investment plan that includes expansion of the ski area on the peak of Maia as the main objective, along with important improvements at the foot of the slopes in the Pas de la Casa, Grau Roig and Encamp sectors, as well as in sustainable development measures.

News

The main novelty of the season in Grandvalira is the expansion of the domain with the creation new ski area in the Encampadana area of ​​Canillo thanks installation of the Seig chairliftwhich allowed creation of 3 new red slopes which gives the station an additional 5 km. Thus, the total length of Grandvalira is now 215 km, 140 slopes of all levels and 76 lifts, and the length of Grandvalira resorts has increased to 308 km.

Parallel, snow center opens in the same area, taking advantage of a nearby service building that increases the snowmaking capacity of the Canillo sector.

Grandvalira’s snowmaking network also received a significant boost thanks to the installation 88 new snow guns processing, which made it possible to optimize the snowmaking network. One of the areas where special attention has been paid is the area of ​​Pla de les Pedres, that is, the connecting zone between the Soldeu and Grau Roig sectors, the key point of the domain.

On the other hand, the construction of the high-altitude sports center ICÒNIC, located in Port d’Envalira, on the territory of the ski area, stands out. At an altitude of 2,500m and with a capacity of 180 people, it is expected to open its doors in 2025 and will become one of the reference centers in Southern Europe for professional, competitive and amateur athletes looking to train at altitude to improve their performance.

In addition, the radio station continues to promote alternative sports offer to alpine skiing, with a new alpine ski trail and six new snowshoe trails, with which Grandvalira expands the trails of the respective disciplines by 5 km and 15 km, reaching 53 km of alpine ski trails and 55 km of snowshoe trails.

The Pal Arinsal station will undergo a long-awaited renovation this season that represents the first step in connecting both sectors downhill: the renovation of the Port Negre chairlift, a removable 6-seater chairlift that significantly improves access to the top and downhill sections of the Arinsal sector. This sector also features the new 700 m long El Niou blue slope. In terms of snowmaking, Pal Arinsal has also improved the network by installing 4 new artificial snow machines.

Work on the project also began in Pale new national helipad which will be located in Cowbell, which will greatly benefit the station when it becomes operational at the end of 2025.

In Ordino Arcalis, after a major transformation that began last year, the Planells beginners area is this year expanded from 3,500 m2 to 6,000 m2 and will have a new court option.

Sustainable development

For more than two decades, Andorran resorts have been working to become more sustainable and environmentally friendly, with major investments being made in projects to develop renewable energy sources, energy saving measures and self-generation of energy, as well as optimizing snowmaking. with cultivated snow.

At the self-generating level, Grandvalira Resorts stations work with goal to become self-sufficient in the coming years. They currently produce 25% of the energy they need throughout the year, with 100% self-sufficiency in Ordino Arcalis, 37% in Pal-Arinsal and 6% in Grandvalira. This became possible thanks to the development of such infrastructure as a mini-hydroelectric power station in the city. Ordino Arcalisopened in 2016, the Pessons mini-hydroelectric power plant, in operation since last season, or the Planel de la Tosa solar park with 22,000 m2 of solar panels.

The goal is also to facilitate the use of renewable energy by station users by installing new charging stations for electric vehicles. Grandvalira Resorts stations currently have 65 electric vehicle chargers at the bottom of the slopes.

The snowmaking network is one of the pillars that Grandvalira Resorts is working hard to continue to offer a 66% snow coverage guarantee. This winter, 110 new snow plows made from artificial snow will appear at stations.

Hydrological management

Andorran resorts have recently received the findings of a study on hydrological management, which has been carried out through Ski Andorra over the past 4 years. On the one hand, the impact of water management associated with the catchments of Grandvalira, Pal Arinsal and Ordino Arcalis stations on the ecological status of the 8 river sections where the catchments are located was assessed.

On the other side, Sustainable hydrological management plan for each ski area, which must improve and at the same time accredit the responsible management of water resources and, as a consequence, the natural heritage of the respective hydrographic basins. During the work carried out, hydrological modeling was also carried out, which made it possible to assess the possible consequences of climate change under various scenarios in terms of water availability.

L’Abarset returns this season with a program in which the venue in the El Tarter sector aims to become the après ski destination of the Pyrenees. Having welcomed over 100,000 people last winter, L’Abarset is preparing a season that will see the return of top international DJs and parties such as Brunch-In and Bresh. The restaurant, for its part, maintains the essence of its cuisine, offering a bistronomic offer, both day and night, making L’Abarset a must-stop when exploring Grandvalira.

Competitions

As for the competitions, the resorts of Grandvalira will once again be the scene of national and international competitions: Audi FIS Ski World Cup (10 and 11 February 2024): The Women’s Alpine Ski World Cup returns to Soldeu for the third time, just one year after the Final World Championship for the second time. On the other hand, FIS included Grandvalira in the preliminary list of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup.

Also World Cup Throwing Kilometer (March 12–15, 2024), ISMF Comapedrosa Andorra Ski Mountaineering World Cup (January 19–21, 2024), Freeride World Tour (January 1 to February 7, 2024), Freeride Junior Tour (February 3 or 4, 2024, Ordino Arcalis), World Freeride Qualifying Championship Jam Extreme (March 14 to 17, 2024, Ordino Arcalis), Trofeu Borrufa (March 22 to January 25, 2024) and UCI MTB World Championships (27 August to 25 January 2024 to 1 September 2024).

Andorra is again bidding to be the host of the World Alpine Ski Championships, the world’s most important event for the sport. The experience gained in recent years, as well as the organizational successes of the 2019 and 2023 World Cup finals, as well as other high-level competitions, have allowed Andorra to once again face the challenge of being a candidate to host the 2029 World Cup. headquarters will take place in Reykjavik (Iceland) on June 4, and the other stations vying for it are Val Gardena (Italy) and Narvik (Norway).