The Domain of Snow received an average of 16,300 daily skiers for 16 days
The ground teams counteracted the lack of snowfall through careful work to prepare the slopes and long periods of snow-making
Andorra la Vella, 07 January 2019. From 22 December to 6 January Grandvalira once again became a top snow destination. During the 16 days of the Christmas holiday, the Andorran resort received an average of 16,300 daily skiers, a result that was well in line with the figures recorded last season.
The busiest days in the Domain of Snow were 29 and 30 December, with an average of 24,000 skiers each day. Skiers who came to Grandvalira during the holidays were mainly from nearby areas, such as Catalonia, Madrid, Valencia and the south of France, but the resort also saw an increase in the number of visitors from other more distant destinations, such as the United Kingdom and Russia.
The operations teams doubled their efforts during the Christmas holidays to maintain the slopes in the best possible conditions, considering the long anticyclonic period and the resulting lack of snowfall. The machinery teams worked very diligently to prepare the slopes, clocking a total of 6,411 hours since the beginning of the season, a figure that vastly exceeds those of previous years. In parallel, the snow-making teams were also hard at work, especially during the second half of the Christmas holidays due to the temperature drop, actively responding by putting the snow-making network into practically continuous service. It is worth noting that the last snowfall at Grandvalira took place on 17 December (12 cm).
Although the weather conditions were not favourable during this start to the season for Pyrenees resorts, Grandvalira successfully came into this Christmas holiday period with 147 km of connected slopes, the largest skiable area open in southern Europe.
Grandvalira-Nevasa General Manager Alfonso Torreño stated: “We are very satisfied with the outcome of the Christmas holidays. The most important thing is that in seasons with difficult snow conditions, Grandvalira remains a sure bet for skiers. I would be remiss not to mention the incredible work of the ground teams, who doubled their efforts to achieve a result that satisfied our skiers.” And he added “I’d like to take the opportunity to thank all the skiers who trusted in Grandvalira as a snow destination. All this work was done so that they could enjoy a great ski holiday.”
Holidays for all audiences
Grandvalira rolled out a complete programme of activities for all audiences during the Christmas holiday. On the one hand, kids were once again the focus of these dates with the torch-lit descent and the arrival of Santa Claus and the Three Kings, who visited the resort again this year. Meanwhile, skiers were also able to celebrate New Years at the various restaurants in the resort, turning Grandvalira once again into a culinary hot spot.
The Ski and Snowboard School worked at full capacity during the Christmas holiday, as did the adventure teams offering snowmobile and mushing as the most popular activities.
Likewise, the three Grandvalira snowparks—the El Tarter Snowpark, the Sunrise Xavi by Henrik Harlaut (Grau Roig sector) and the Sunset Park Peretol by Henrik Harlaut (Grau Roig sector)—gradually opened more modules and lines, and were very popular among the many freestylers who visited them during the holidays.
6,000 people at 8 après-ski parties
The après-ski at Grandvalira was also a main attraction for the skiers who chose this resort to spend their Christmas holidays. El Abarset, in the El Tarter Section, became one of the nerve centres of après-ski in the Pyrenees once again this year with sets from major electronica DJs like Alex Kennon, Francisco Allendes, DJ Soundbouree, Colin Peters and Viviana Casanova, among others. The terrace hosted 8 parties over the Christmas holiday with more than 6,000 attendees.
Short-term outlook
Grandvalira expects to open more skiable area in the upcoming days, provided that the weather conditions allow for continued snow-making. Weather forecasts predict some snowfall on the slopes in the afternoon of Wednesday 9 January or Thursday 10 January.
Opening of the Canillo sector
The Grandvalira Canillo sector will be partially opening in the next few days, and the chairlift connection with the El Tarter section is expected to open starting Thursday 10 January. However, services in the sector like the Ski and Snowboard School and restaurants will be open.
All the detailed information about slope openings and weather forecasts is available at www.grandvalira.com.