Number One Report.

WHEN IS GOING TO STOP SNOWING? After being asked when is going to snow for the last few weeks, we finally had some snow. A few flurries on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On Monday it was snowing heavily. Corinne picked me up in her four wheel drive and complained about the state of the traffic due to the large fall of snow. I asked her when the first skier would ask “When is it going to stop snowing? “ The answer was 3pm going up on the six seater chair, by one of the new arrivals. We have had snow on and off all week. Friday was very warm so perhaps that is the end of this weather system. We now have enough snow to last until the end of the season. Anyone thinking about a late holiday on very quiet slopes should check with the hotels as there are great deals being offered.. For instance the PALARINE is offering Dinner bed and breakfast for 20 euros per person per night.

Number One Report.

SMOKERS. Arinsal, Andorra is a great place for smokers. I noticed in the supermarkets, that several well known brands cost about 20 euros for 200 cigarettes. If you do not smoke for pleasure but merely to feed your addiction, consider some of the local brands. They are about half that price. Just think of the damage 400 smokes can cause for about 20 euros! Just remember that we are NOT in the EU, so you are only allowed to take 200 cigarettes back with you. Andorra has not caught up with mainstream Europe yet. They still allow smoking in bars but I have noticed this season, several polite Irish and English smokers going outside to smoke. HOTEL PALARINE bans smoking in the dining room but permits it in the bar.. Andorra usually catches up with the rest of Europe, in its own time. For example women have had the vote since 1970 and in 2005 Andorra admitted 6 asylum seekers. Some may consider both of those developments as retrograde steps. I do not think this is the right place to debate these matters. Now for the serious stuff, when I left the mountain this afternoon, it had just started to SNOW.

Number One Report.

FOOTBALL. This week I am moaning about football on TV. Arinsal is great for football fans who do not want to miss their team’s games. The QUO VADIS and EL DERBI can each show three games at the same time, on different plasma screens. The HOTEL PALARINE can show freefootie downloaded from the internet, although sometimes the quality is not great. Now on behalf of non football fans, I tried to find a cheerful bar WITHOUT A TV, I failed. Some dull hotel lounges are TV free but not very welcoming. I thought that if I could find a cheerful bar, I could persuade some young ladies from my group to join me for a quiet drink and chat, during the matches. Last season there was an ideal bar. It was the best kept secret in Arinsal.. It seemed that no one went there apart from me. This bar brewed its own beer and should have been very popular with beer drinkers like myself. In spite of my efforts to keep the brewery open. Unfortunately, I failed to drink enough ale and it did not open this season.



I think that there is a niche market for non football drinkers. Are there any bar owners in Arinsal who would like to try this radical approach?

Number One Report.

SNOW. It would be impossible to write this week’s report without mentioning snow. Monday was incredibly hot and therefore the snow was very soft and slushy. I was in the Skippy Park with 8 kids. They would go to the top of the rope tow and straight line down to the bottom. No need for a snow plough in such slow conditions. Tuesday was a different matter altogether. The morning was bright and cold. The snow cannons were going full blast, the first time for three weeks. Yesterday’s slush had turned to solid ice after a bitter night. The piste had been groomed so the Skippy Park was lovely and smooth but very firm. My kids were making great snowploughs but were unable to go round the mushrooms, as they just skidded on the ice. The skies darkened and it started to snow. I took the kids to the nearby Refugi for a hot chocolate. By the time we returned, there was a good covering of snow and getting deeper every minute. The going was now so slow that they were back to straight lining down the slope and having great fun with the new snow. It kept snowing all afternoon.

When I got to my hotel down in Erts the police had closed the road to Arinsal, except for 4 wheel drive vehicles and those with snow chains. It snowed all night and in the morning it was blizzard conditions. Sadly the blizzard was so bad that they were unable to open the lifts, so we were stuck in the village for the day. We will all have to work on Saturday to make up the hours in ski school. The QUO VADIS and the BULL were doing a great trade in Full English breakfasts.

It snowed on Thursday night but Friday saw high winds and a lot of people were bussed to Arcalis and Pal. Guests here this week have seen a lot of snow but unprecedented high winds for three days marred their holiday. We try our best to make your visit to ARINSAL as pleasant as possible but we cannot control the weather. It should be great skiing for anyone arriving on Sunday..

Number One Report.

WIDE OPEN SPACES. Last Sunday Kevin, Corinne and I enjoyed a great days skiing. This was due to three factors:

1, The wide open spaces. Since the school half term finished the slopes have been very quiet.

2, The snow was in very good condition. However this week has been warm and the conditions could now be described as Spring Snow. (Hard at first, great during the day and slushy in the afternoon)

3. We had a lot of free time as there are not many clients about on a Sunday. Most of the British and Irish clients are on change over on Sundays.



The number of people expected to be skiing for the remainder of the season is less than last year. This means a lot more space for those who come to ARINSAL. All we are waiting for is a fresh fall of snow to make it perfect. It also means that there are great bargains to be had. For instance the HOTEL PALARINE, where I stay is offering, Dinner, Bed and Full English Breakfast for 20 Euros per night per person, from 31st March until the end of the season. That is a lot cheaper than I am paying. Maybe I should check out then take up the offer, if there is room.



Anyone coming here late in the season will find that the all ski shops have great offers on this season’s equipment and clothes. Just be aware that Andorra is not in the E.U. so restrictions do apply. Hope to see some of you soon.