Saint-Lary Soulan Ski Resort Guide
Saint-Lary Soulan, France
Rated: 3/5 (from 6 ratings)
| Recommended For | Expert Skiers, Intermediates, Beginners, Snowboarders, Snowfall and Apres-Ski! |
|---|---|
| Total Piste Length | 100km |
| Highest Lift | 2,515m |
| Resort Height | 1,650m |
| Nearest Airports | Lourdes and Pau |
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Saint-Lary Soulan
A large but typical and traditional Pyrenéan village linked by road or cable car to altitude stations ( and base of ski runs ) at La Cabane ( 1600m ) , larger Pla d'Adet ( 1700m ) and Espiaule ( 1600m ), making it, arguably, the most important ski centre in the French Pyrenées.
Summary
The French ski resort of Saint-Lary Soulan is in the French Pyrenees at an altitude of 1,650m, with 100km of marked runs.
Saint-Lary Soulan is part of the Pyrenees 2 Vallées ski area with access to 247km of downhill skiing, with 166 marked pistes, served by a total of 66 ski lifts. In addition to the skiing in Saint-Lary Soulan itself (100km of pisted ski runs), the appropriate ski Lift Pass will allow you to ski or snowboard in the other Pyrenees 2 Vallées ski resorts of Peyragudes, Piau Engaly and Val Louron.
The ski resort itself is at 1,650m, so skiing or boarding back to the resort is usually possible. With ski lifts as high as 2,515m, skiing and snowboarding is assured throughout the season.
Snow and Weather
When will it snow in Saint-Lary Soulan?
The next notable snow forecast is 5cm, expected on 17 January, with around 125cm forecast over the next 7 days.
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Snow this week
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snow to base | Snow to base | Snow to base | Snow to base | Snow to base |
Ski Area Stats
Saint-Lary Soulan Ski Area
| Black Pistes Expert Trails | 9 | |
|---|---|---|
| Red Pistes Intermediate Runs | 14 | |
| Blue Pistes Easy Trails | 26 | |
| Green Pistes Beginner Runs | 7 | |
| Downhill Total Length | 100km | |
| Cross Country Total Length | 10km | |
| Ski Lifts Number of Lifts | 31 | |
Pyrenees 2 Vallées Ski Area
| Pistes Number of runs | 166 | |
|---|---|---|
| Downhill Total Length | 247km | |
| Ski Lifts Number of Lifts | 66 | |
Altitudes
Saint-Lary Soulan Ski Area Heights
| Highest Lift | 2,515m |
|---|---|
| Lowest Piste | 1,700m |
| Resort Altitude (Saint-Lary Soulan) | 1,650m |
| Max Vertical | 865m |
Ratings & Suitability
| Expert Skiers | |
|---|---|
| Intermediate Skiers | |
| Beginners | |
| Snowboarding | |
| Snow | |
| Apres-Ski |
Saint-Lary Soulan Overview
St Lary is a large, traditional Pyrenéan resort at 830m linked by road or cable car to altitude stations (and base of ski runs) at La Cabane (1600m), larger Pla d'Adet (1700m) and Espiaule (1900m), making it one of the most important ski centre in the French Pyrenées.
The village, located in the heart of the Pyrenees and the Aure valley, and opening out towards the sloping hillsides of Gascony, existed for thousands of years before the arrival of snow sports. It is located on a route used for thousands of years by merchants and pilgrims and referred to in Roman reports. Today it has a relaxed way of life with well preserved architecture. On the slopes however, facilities are more up to date, with new lifts and snowmaking added recently.
Before skiing came along the resort was famous for its healing waters, which contain sulphur and sodium. These thermal springs have been renowned since Antiquity and are still accessible today. The Saint-Lary Thermal baths located in a park at the centre of the village offer state-of-the-art facilities and a new canyon themed spa opened more recently.
In the centre of Saint-Lary village, the Tour Hachan, which houses the National Park Museum, and the adjacent buildings (now the Town Hall and municipal buildings) have been beautifully restored and in Saint-Lary the Old village now displays a combination of wood, stone and slate. The mullioned windows are a carbon copy of those found on the Tour Hachan.
The resort's symbol is The Patou, a huge Pyrenean mountain dog which was the hero of the TV series Belle and Sebastian. Originally used to protect flocks of sheep, it stands nearly 70 cm high at the withers.
Notable Ski Runs
The longest possible descent in Saint-Lary Soulan is 4km long.
Skiing
St Lary's skiing is spread across three sectors totalling 100km (63 miles) of runs over 700 hectares with and an altitude range of 1700 to 2515m. Nearly 200 snow cannon cover large areas of the lopes with machine made snow when required. Those staying in the original village have direct access by gondola from Saint-Lary village centre.
Saint Lary 1700 Pla d'Adet at the base of the slopes is dedicated to family and beginner skiing with the Snow Garden, toboggan run and Kidpark, a fun snow sports park for budding skiers aged six to twelve years old.
At Saint Lary 1900 Espiaube there is a greater emphasis with longer and tougher runs. These include the famous Mirabelle piste, at 3.6 km (2.25 miles), it's one of the longest runs in the Pyrenees with a vertical drop of 700 metres.
The highest skiing is at Saint Lary 2400 where there's mogul and slalom stadiums, a snowpark complete with PA system and a halfpipe.
There are a variety of pistes to suit all levels of skier ability, from Beginner to Expert.
Snowboarding
The Quicksilver Snowpark has its own website and has won awards for its quality. It is maintained by a crew of four professional park shapers, all riders. The venue is busy throughout the season and hosts numerous events and contests.
There are several snow sports arenas around St Lary including the FamilyPark, which is safe and fun for beginners; the slide park with its different handrails and modules; the snowskatepark for snow skaters; the halfpipe and the main Quicksilver Snowpark itself complete with tables, hips and big-air.
Location and Map
Where is Saint-Lary Soulan?
This ski resort is in the French Pyrenees in Hautes-Pyrénées, Midi-Pyrénées.
Map
Tap 
for Full-Screen, or see J2Ski's Resort map, showing Hotels and Ski Shops.
How to get there
By Air
The nearest airport to Saint-Lary Soulan is Lourdes, 67 minutes drive away.
Pau, Toulouse, Biarritz, Carcassonne, Huesca, San Sebastián and Lleida-Alguaire airports are all within three hours drive.
Lourdes is just one hours drive away, in good driving conditions, so you can be on the piste quickly.
Infrastructure
Ski Lift Capacity
The 31 ski lifts are able to uplift 38,500 skiers and snowboarders every hour.
Snow Making
Snow-making is available, on 4km of ski runs, with 270 snow cannons.
Season Dates
When is Saint-Lary Soulan open?
Opened : 5 December 2020.
Closes : 4 April 2021.
Usual opening is early December, and usual closing is Late March.
NOTE:- Ski area, lift and piste opening is subject to Current Snow Conditions.
COVID-19 / Coronavirus
We don't yet have specific details of the COVID-19 precautions being taken in Saint-Lary Soulan, but they are likely to include most of the following :-
- Face masks required on lifts, and in shops.
- Social distancing in public areas.
- Reduced lift capacity.
- Extensive disinfection / sanitization.
French Ski Resort COVID-19 Measures describes further measures that may also be applied.
Visit the Saint-Lary Soulan Tourist Office for the latest.
Talking about Saint-Lary Soulan
Mentions in recent J2Ski News Items and Snow Reports from our users...
Aprés Ski
Saint Lary Village has the lion's share of spots for après, although both 1700 and to a lesser extent 1900 have at least a moderate choice of eateries. However of the nine dedicated bars, eight are down in St Lary Village, the other, L Avalanche in the Galerie Armazan, is in 1700.
Immediately after the ski day ends the crowds tend to congregate in bars around the base of the cable car, including the originally name Bar du Telepherique and the nearby Carre Blanc. Rue Vincent Mir is also lively with Le Kinito, Le Desman L'ICC and Bar l'Igloo a few steps apart.
There are two late night spots - La Luna in the village and Xtra Dance in the Residence Armazan at 1700.
