Hotel Roca

Skiing in La Molina - Masella

by Veghel

"Skiing in the Pyrenees"

This page is not really about Alp, but about the nearby skiing area of La Molina - Masella; which is the biggest in the Pyrenees, but does not have an own entry on Virtualtourist.com!

I've visited La Molina-Masella from 16 to 20 February 2005. Late 1999, both resorts were connected by a modern gondola lift. Since then, La Molina-Masella is the biggest resort in Spain (111 km of runs).
Although the weather was very nice on the first two days, a considerable number of lifts were closed, including the gondola that connects both areas. I assume that it has to do with the number of tickets sold, as there were very few skiers. Despite the closed lifts, ticket prices were not reduced.

I really enjoyed my visit. The pistes are attractive and very well maintained. It's relaxed skiing in both resorts: most of the runs are classified blue or red, and are very wide. A few black runs can be found in Masella, but unfortunately they were all closed during my visit. Both resorts are perfect for beginners. Masella is more attractive for experienced skiers. The scenery is very beautiful, with views on low valleys in Spain, and high mountains in Spain, Andorra and France. In Masella, some runs go through steep "gorges"; which is really beautiful

On the third day (saturday), crows from the nearby cities of Girona (130 km) and Barcelona (140 km) visited the resort (it is no problem to park a car; there are eight areas with capacities up to almost 1,000 cars each). There were long queues, but the capacity of the lifts in Masella was enough. Maximum waiting time was 10 minutes. Although all lifts were open in the morning, several lifts (including our connection back to La Molina!) closed in the course of the day due to strong winds. I had to walk about 20 minutes uphill to get back to La Molina. And I was not the only one! Even Spanish skiers had missed the announcements that were made in Spanish only.
In general, I would say that La Molina - Masella is very comparable to the Italian resort of Roccaraso, the biggest Italian resort south of the Alps. In general, I would say that in Roccaraso you get a little better quality for my money. Will I go back to La Molina - Masella? Probably yes.