La Mongie

La Mongie, France

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La Mongie

La Mongie is not only the site of a famous mountain-stage of the yearly Tour de France bicycle tournament, it is the center of the Pyrenées largest ski area as well ( linked to Barèges ). Founded in 1948, it has a charming centre and reasonable prices.

Summary

The French ski resort of La Mongie is in the French Pyrenees at an altitude of 1,800m5,906ft, with 120km75 miles of marked runs.

La Mongie is part of the Tourmalet ski area with access to 240km149 miles of downhill skiing, with 138 marked pistes, served by a total of 43 ski lifts. In addition to the skiing in La Mongie itself (120km75 miles of pisted ski runs), the appropriate ski Lift Pass will allow you to ski or snowboard in the other Tourmalet ski resort of Barèges. La Mongie is directly linked by Ski Lift to the ski areas of Barèges.

The ski resort itself is at 1,800m5,906ft, so skiing or boarding back to the resort is usually possible. With ski lifts as high as 2,500m8,202ft, snow cover is generally reliable.

Ski Area Stats

La Mongie Overview

Higher, bigger, whiter with an abundance of pleasure to share quietly or at full throttle. The Tourmalet Ski Resort opens up a new dimension of hollidaying free from pressure and stress. Here you are no longer on the earth, you are between 1400 and 2500 meters nearer the sky. Plunge into a never-ending open space for fabulous skiing. You are in charge. That's because you are in the Tourmalet Ski Resort, the largest ski resort on the French side of the Pyrénées. 69 marked ski runs, 43 ski lifts. 100 km of runs - is your head starting to spin? Hardly surprising - that's how it feels to be on top of the world! The year Tourmalet is again hosting many events and competitions, each of which aims to excel, in order to attract the most demanding participants.

Barèges : ski village La Mongie : the ski resort at the foot of the slopes

There are spectacular views from the top of the Col du Tourmalet and visitors crowd here every summer when the Tour de France cycle race passes through. This is one of the most grueling mountain sections of the race and competitors make the steep ascent of the valley on the narrow single track road which is used as a piste in the winter.

 Notable Ski Runs

The longest possible descent in La Mongie is 5km3 miles long and the most difficult run is the 'Prade Berde'.

Skiing

La Mongie links with neighboring Barèges to make up one of the biggest skiing areas in the Pyrenees and just as the villages are in complete contrast, so is the skiing. La Mongie has steep, wide open treeless slopes while Barèges is very typically Pyreneen with its picturesque wooded trails.

The restaurant at the Tourmalet makes a good stopping off point with spectacular panoramic views over the Pyrenees. Some good steeper skiing on the La Mongie side where more the more advanced will find challenging reds at the Pain de Sucre and Petits Sapins just above the village. Good powder skiing on the north facing slopes.

On the Bareges side the most challenging slopes are to be found at Pic d'Ayre with red and black runs through Le Lienz forest. The Prade Berde is probably La Mongie's most challenging piste. The area has a good range of terrain with long motor way runs for intermediates and off-piste and powder for the more advanced.

From the top of the Tourmalet you can clearly see the Observatory which stands on the Pic du Midi, a lone summit at a height of 2877m/9440 ft. Built in 1878, construction of the Observatory took 4 years because work could only be carried out during summer months when the area was free of snow and ice. Initially a weather center, the Observatory has achieved world wide fame in astronomy since the Apollo landing preparation work was carried out there. Before the cable car was installed in 1952 the only way in and out was on foot and solitary scientists would often spend months there.

La Mongie offers good sking, particularly, for Intermediate and Beginner skiers.

Snowboarding

La Mongie was the birthplace of snowboarding in the Pyrenees. Two brothers, the Arrans, who used to windsurf off the nearby Atlantic coast decided back in the 70's to try the same method on snow and so boarding arrived in La Mongie.

Major competitions are regularly staged here, among these the Quiksilver Cup, held annually in March. The competition involves the 2 disciplines of surfing both on snow and water with the windsurfing held in the gigantic surf off the Atlantic coast.

Mathieu Crépel

Award winner : Double snowboard champion at the Quik Cup, French Half Pipe Champion in 2004 and 2005, winner of the World Half Pipe Cup in 2005, 1st Professionnal World Snowboard Champion in 2006 (TTR), World Champion Big Air and Half Pipe 2007The Domaine du Tourmalet has an exceptional freeride domain with an infinite number of possibilities, and even more with the Pic du Midi. Knowing the domain by heart also enables me to know here i can go according to the conditions, so there's always something fun to do.

Aprés Ski

There are several bars and restaurants in the resort.