
Ordino Arcalís occupies a remote position at the end of the Ordino valley in Andorra's northern parish, sitting entirely above 1,940m and topping out at 2,625m across 442 hectares of skiable domain. While the resort's 31 pisted kilometres across 29 runs make it the smallest on-piste ski area in Andorra, that figure tells a fraction of the story — Ordino Arcalís hosts 450 hectares of skiable terrain in total, with 21 freeride zones, 120 mapped off-piste routes across three difficulty categories, and 4 kilometres of marked freeride itineraries that have drawn elite riders to the Pyrenees for over a decade. The pisted terrain itself covers a practical spread of 31% beginner, 24% intermediate, 39% advanced, and 6% expert, anchored by the 8-kilometre Mega Verde green run — the longest beginner descent in Andorra — which winds from the summit area all the way to the base.
Since joining the Freeride World Tour calendar in 2015, Ordino Arcalís has become one of the most technical stops on the global circuit Grandvalira, and in February 2026 the resort hosted the first-ever FIS Freeride World Championships — the inaugural event to crown official FIS World Champions in freeride across ski and snowboard disciplines. The valley of Ordino itself was declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2020, giving the resort a natural setting of genuine ecological significance. At 2,701m, the Tristaina Solar Viewpoint — a suspended 25-metre ring structure perched on Pic de Peyreguils just metres from the French border — has become one of the resort's signature landmarks, accessible in winter by snowshoe or ski touring.
Ordino Arcalís spreads 29 runs across 31 km of piste of terrain. It leans advanced at 39%, with 9 beginner runs to find your feet and 13 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Ordino Arcalís typically runs the longest season of any resort in Andorra, with the 2025/26 season opening 29 November 2025 and closing 12 April 2026 — a week beyond the closing dates of both Grandvalira and Pal Arinsal. The resort's average annual snowfall of 5.84m is the highest of Andorra's three ski areas, a product of its north-facing orientation and position deep within the Ordino valley, which channels Atlantic moisture systems and shields slopes from the warming effects of direct southerly sun. Current season snowpack sits at 350cm at the mountain base, with 43cm recorded in the past seven days — conditions that reflect why advanced and freeride skiers specifically target Ordino Arcalís for the quality and longevity of its snow.
January and February produce the most consistent powder conditions, with the high-altitude freeride terrain above 2,400m holding cold, dry snow through extended periods. The resort's March and early April conditions are particularly well regarded among those chasing late-season depth — the north-facing aspects preserve quality snowpack well beyond what comparable south-facing Pyrenean terrain can sustain. The season's extended closing date also aligns with the resort's ski mountaineering and snowshoe circuits, which remain accessible across the higher terrain into early spring, giving the more adventurous visitor compelling reasons to plan a late-season trip.
Ordino Arcalís sits at the upper end of the Riu Valira d'Ordino valley in the northern Ordino parish, approximately 25 kilometres from Andorra la Vella via the CG-3 and CG-30 roads. Unlike Grandvalira and Pal Arinsal, the resort has no on-mountain accommodation — the nearest lodging is in the village of El Serrat, five minutes by car, with the town of Ordino offering a broader range of hotels approximately 15 minutes from the base. This separation from resort infrastructure is by design as much as geography; Ordino Arcalís functions as a day-trip destination, and its car parks accommodate up to 1,500 vehicles free of charge at the slope-side base area. The UNESCO Biosphere Reserve designation of the Ordino valley places the resort within a protected natural landscape of genuine ecological value, adding a dimension to a visit that most ski destinations cannot offer.
The two primary international gateways are Barcelona El Prat Airport in Spain, approximately three hours south, and Toulouse-Blagnac Airport in France, around two to three hours north. Both airports are served by private transfer and coach services into Andorra, with most visitors collecting a hire car in Barcelona or Toulouse for the road journey, which is recommended given the resort's valley-end location and limited public transport frequency. Visitors based in Andorra la Vella can reach the resort in under 30 minutes by car, and the capital's full range of accommodation, the Caldea thermal spa, and duty-free retail all sit within easy reach for evenings after the lifts close.
Hotels and lodges near Ordino Arcalís, powered by Stay22.

Aspen Snowmass turns 80 this December, and it's marking the milestone with $3.75 lift tickets on the anniversary itself - the original 1946 price. A discounted long weekend, $19.46 dining specials, lodging deals up to 46 percent off, and a season of anniversary programming round out the celebration across all four mountains.

Doppelmayr closed its 2025/26 business year with revenue up 9.1 percent to 1.3 billion euros, driven by projects including the Big Sky Explorer Gondola, Deer Valley's Mayflower East Village Gondola, and the first TRI-Line installation at Hoch-Ybrig. Headcount grew too, with the ropeway manufacturer now employing almost 4,000 people worldwide.

Hintertux Glacier is retiring its 40-year-old gondola to the Tuxer Fernerhaus. The replacement carries 10 people per cabin instead of four, with seat heating and nearly 40 percent more hourly capacity. Doppelmayr's new line opens at the end of October 2026, right as the glacier's high-altitude terrain becomes accessible again for the new season.

The International Ski and Snowboard Federation is looking at a major shake-up to its title events calendar. From 2032, World Championships could run not just in odd-numbered years but in every non-Olympic winter too, effectively putting a global title event on the calendar almost every season. The FIS Council has approved the concept following a feasibility study, though an accelerated rollout as early as 2028 is also under consideration.

Mount Buller closes out its 2026 season this Sunday, joining Falls Creek, Hotham and Charlotte Pass in a cluster of closures landing almost simultaneously and roughly a month ahead of schedule. The culprit is stark: Spencers Creek's benchmark snow depth hit 31.2cm on 3 September, just 18% of the 73-year average and an all-time low for this point in the season. Six of Victoria and NSW's best-known resorts will have shut their lifts early within a span of about two and a half weeks.

Tremblant has confirmed a major expansion of its Quebec ski area, with a new Timber Summit sector adding 62 acres of terrain, eight trails and a high-speed quad chairlift for winter 2027/28. It's part of a CAD 42.5 million investment that also includes a new beginner learning zone at Versant Soleil opening this coming season. The project has grown considerably since it was first announced back in 2020, when it carried a far smaller budget and an opening date that never eventuated.

We knew when the Bird Bath Pond Skim showed up on Hotham's Instagram that the season was on its way out. It's been a rough one - I only managed two days on snow all year, at Falls Creek - and now Baw Baw, Selwyn and Hotham have all called it, possibly the worst Australian season I've seen in a decade. Hotham's last day of lift operations is Sunday, 6 September, with a Retro Day, Father's Day après and closing sales before the lifts stop turning for good.

Thredbo Alpine Resort has confirmed plans to replace its 37-year-old Gunbarrel quad chairlift with a new six-seat Doppelmayr D-Line, targeting winter 2028. The AUD 35 million project will keep travel time roughly the same but lift capacity from 2,800 to 3,000 skiers per hour. It's part of a broader investment push that also includes doubled snowmaking capacity at Friday Flat for 2027, with the ageing Kosciuszko Express now flagged as the resort's next major lift replacement after Gunbarrel.
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