Detailed review by magdadh
magdadh
Perth, United Kingdom95%
The ski resort of Superbagneres lies at 1,800m above the sea level, high above the French Pyrenees resort and spa town of Bagneres de Luchon. It can be normally accessed by a gondola cable car from Luchon, but at the time of our visit the lift was under annual maintenance so we saved the cost of the ticket, missed the ride and instead drove the eighteen kilometres of tight, sharp switchbacks up the mountain.
I can't judge the Superbagneres as a ski resort (I am told it's not that fabulous, being too low and suffering from other problems), but the journey up there is worth every minute of the hair-raising drive for the incredible views of the mountains that open up from every side at almost literally every turn.
The ski area itself was deserted and a bit lunar at the time of our visit in May 2011. There were some people doing paragliding and an odd walker or a few, but shortly after leaving the vast car-park surrounded by a few winter-holiday apartment blocks we were left with mountain views all around.
There are several walks from Superbagneres. GR10, the long-distance Pyrenean Way passes by and allows for the ascent of Pic de Cecire (2403m so only 600m ascent from Superbagneres), reachable in 2-3 hours of an easy hike for the apparently even more wonderful views of this part of the Pyrenees. We are not prepared for the hike though, especially with the children grumbling, so we walk only a bit of the way up past the numerous ski lifts and then back down to the car park.
The views are stunning, the air crisp and fresh as it can only be in the high country, they sky clear and the lines of the landscape sharp and pronounced. It's probably here that I fall in love with these mountains, wild and yet inhabited for thousands of years, dramatically picturesque and yet with most major peaks (and many more minor ones) accessible for a “normal walker. I promise myself to come back, one day (and sooner rather than later so I actually manage to do any walking).
Station de Ski Luchon-Superbagnères9
Ratings
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Accessibility
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"Must See"-Factor
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Budget Friendliness
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NB budget refers to going there for non-ski activities (ie drive up and hike, not skiing)
