
Baqueira Beret is Spain's best ski resort and the undisputed benchmark for Pyrenean skiing, spreading across four interconnected sectors — Baqueira, Beret, Bonaigua and Baciver — with 165km of marked pistes and 114 runs spanning a vertical drop of 1,110m. Set in Catalonia's Val d'Aran at elevations between 1,500m and 2,610m, the majority of terrain sits above 2,000m, a key factor in the resort's consistently strong snow record across a season that runs from December through to late April. The terrain breakdown is weighted firmly toward intermediate and advanced skiers, with 38% blue, 43% red and 15% black, alongside dedicated beginner slopes and 7km of groomed Nordic trails at the Pla de Beret.
What sets Baqueira Beret apart from most ski resorts on the Iberian Peninsula is its Atlantic-facing position on the northern side of the Pyrenees — a geographic quirk that draws in moisture-laden storm systems from the Atlantic and Arctic, producing both reliable snowfall and snow depths that frequently exceed those of comparable French and Spanish resorts. The resort celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2024, having grown from a single chairlift in 1964 into a modern mountain operation with 36 lifts and a lift capacity exceeding 61,000 skiers per hour. Baqueira has long been the winter destination of the Spanish royal family, who maintain a private residence in the Val d'Aran — a fact that speaks to both the quality of the skiing and the character of the surrounding valley.
Baqueira Beret spreads 114 runs across 165 km of piste of terrain. It leans advanced at 43%, with 5 beginner runs to find your feet and 66 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Baqueira Beret operates from December through to late April, with the 2025/26 season scheduled to close on 21 April. The resort records an average annual snowfall of around 5.2 metres, driven by its unique position on the Atlantic-facing northern slopes of the Pyrenees, which channel weather systems directly onto the mountain from the northwest. The snowiest period typically falls in late January and early February, with February historically delivering the most consistent powder conditions. High-altitude terrain above 2,000m — which accounts for the majority of the ski area — maintains snow quality well into spring, while the north-facing Cara Nord slopes at Baciver and Beret are renowned for preserving cold, dry snow long after lower-elevation areas in the range have softened.
The resort's southern latitude in Spain means skiers benefit from an average of one extra hour of daylight compared to equivalent-elevation resorts in the Alps, extending productive skiing time on clear days. The Beret sector's broad, sheltered plateau is particularly well suited to spring skiing, offering open blues and reds on terrain that basks in morning sun. Baqueira's season total snowfall for 2025/26 has already reached 489cm by early March, reflecting the kind of deep-winter accumulation the resort is known for in strong years. For those chasing optimal conditions, January through March delivers the most reliable combination of snow depth, temperature and trail coverage.
Baqueira Beret sits at the head of the Val d'Aran in the Lleida Pyrenees of Catalonia, positioned uniquely on the northern side of the Pyrenean watershed — geographically oriented toward France rather than the Spanish interior. This orientation places the resort within an Atlantic-influenced climatic zone that is distinct from most Spanish mountain destinations and more comparable to the snowier northern faces of the French Alps. The nearest major international airport is Toulouse-Blagnac in France, approximately two hours by road, making Baqueira one of the more accessible high-quality ski resorts in Spain for travellers arriving from northern Europe. Barcelona El Prat Airport is around three to four hours by car via the C-28 and N-230 routes.
The Val d'Aran retains a strong cultural identity built around Aranese — a Gascon dialect spoken nowhere else in Spain — along with Catalan and Castilian, giving the valley a character that feels markedly different from other Spanish ski regions. The main resort base at Baqueira 1500 is purpose-built in timber and stone, designed to blend with the valley's traditional architecture rather than replicate the concrete-block aesthetic of many European ski stations. The surrounding valley towns of Vielha, Arties and Salardú are within 15–20 minutes of the lifts and offer a strong selection of accommodation, restaurants and après-ski drawing heavily on Catalan and Aranese culinary traditions. The resort is also home to Spain's only commercial heliski operation, based out of Vielha.
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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.

An aerial tram carrying around fifty passengers struck the boom of a construction crane on the route to Pic Blanc at Alpe d'Huez on Wednesday morning, injuring 23 people, three seriously. The cabin tipped on impact before the operator reversed it to right the car. Most of the injured were treated on site, with five taken to hospital in Grenoble, including a pregnant woman assessed as a precaution.

A deadly flood on the Nepal-China border, a decade-old tragedy on Italy's Marmolada, and an unstable glacier right now above a village near Zermatt - three very different mountain ranges, the same underlying story. Warming ice is destabilising terrain that was considered settled for generations, and the results range from catastrophic floods to slow-motion monitoring situations that could go either way.

Tyrol's highest ski area is gearing up to open a full month ahead of most of the Alps. The Pitztal Glacier is scheduled to start its 2026/27 season on Saturday 26 September, running through to 2 May 2027, with the lower-altitude Rifflsee area following in December. High-altitude terrain up to 3,440 metres gives the glacier a head start on snow, though as always, the actual opening extent will depend on how September's weather plays out. Early online ski pass bookings can save up to 30%.

A hanging glacier above the Swiss village of Randa, just south of Zermatt, has been shedding large chunks of ice for weeks, with authorities warning more break-offs are likely. A danger zone has been closed off since June, though officials say the village's 479 residents aren't at risk. It's a familiar pattern for this glacier - it's done this before, in 1819, 1972 and 1973 - but a reminder of how closely Alpine authorities now watch terrain once considered stable.
The 2025 - 2026 season at Baqueira Beret closed on Apr 21, 2026. Check back for next season's opening date and ticket pricing.
Day passes start from €8, with peak rates up to €65.
Full day skiing at Baqueira Beret, Spain's most prestigious resort in Val d'Aran. Access to 166km of pristine slopes across four sectors with excellent snow conditions in the Pyrenees.
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