La Molina (in winter)

On February 28, 1944, La Molina ski resort opened its first ski lift. It is the oldest ski resort in Spain. Since then, many skiers have slid down its slopes. It is very versatile and has always been very well considered for any level, from beginners to those who already have more advanced skiing.

Facing west, its slopes have few trees, the ground is sparsely rocky and a large part is covered with grass, which benefits the formation of wide slopes, the preservation of powder snow and a lot of visibility.

La Molina is located in the Cadí mountain range, 160 kilometers from Barcelona and 140 from Girona. Its slopes mainly start from Puigllançada, at 2,406 meters, and La Tosa, 2,537 meters, where it joins its neighboring resort La Masella through a gondola lift and a ski lift, both forming the Alp 2500 area. It can be reached by road or freeway by car or bus, or by train to the town of Alp. The distance from Finca Cal Tarré, in Campdevànol, to La Molina is 36.6 km away, approximately 45 minutes by car along the Pyrenean Axis. 

you can buy a pass for several days or even 4 hours, or for veterans, beginners, families or disabled people. Those who need to rent equipment also have it easy, since there are several stores on the resort grounds. There you can choose exactly the material depending on the modality you are going to practice, whether alpine, snowboard, telemark, snowshoeing or sledding, and according to your level. It is also possible to rent anorak, glasses, gloves or waterproof pants

In the 2019-2020 season La Molina premiered two new lifts: the first and most interesting is the extension of a section of the Cadí Moixeró gondola lift, which allows families and less advanced skiers (even people with some kind of disability) to reach the highest part, at the Niu de lÀliga restaurant refuge, at 2,520 meters right next to the top of the Tosa (at 2,537). The journey is memorable and from the top you can see the most spectacular views of the area: the valleys of Cerdanya, Berguedà and Ripollès.

And the other novelty is that it has the El Llac chairlift, which gives access from the lake area of La Molina to Coll de Pal.

If it is your first time in this resort and your skiing has not yet reached an intermediate level, or if you go with small children, it is worthwhile to find out which are the most suitable slopes so as not to complicate your life.There are basically 4 green slopes for beginners: Pista Llarga, Fontcanaleta, Trampolí and Bosquet.Of these three, the most recommended is Bosquet, since it is not very long and has practically no slope.In addition here it is not necessary to take the lift, but has a conveyor belt, which is much easier and there is no problem for children to climb alone.Once the feeling of safety increases, you can think about trying the blue slopes such as Quatre Camins, Volta Muntanya Sagrada, and all those in the area of Torrent Negre.

Those who already have some experience in the practice of slalom and snowboarding can try one of the four competition stages: Soleil, Roc Blanc, Pedró and World Cup Start. The World Cup slope is very fun: it starts at Cap de Comella and ends at the base of the resort. It goes from easier to more complicated, ending in a quite hard and demanding section. In total, 380 meters of slope to experience champion sensations.

Also noteworthy are the Soleil, the Carena and Volta Muntanya Sagrada, since they are for average skiers. If you are looking for more excitement in the descents, head to Comella, Costa Rasa or the black slope Els Coms, in the Roc Blanc area.

The Agència Catalana de Turisme highlights La Molina as one of the resorts with greater accessibility for people with disabilities. In fact, adapted skiing is one of the clearest bets in recent years. One of the most outstanding facts in this regard is the El Bosquet slope, where the Adapted Sports Center managed by Play and Train is located, which is designed and adapted to the needs of people with a disability. Both the conveyor belt and the progressive slope are ideal for skiers with adaptation problems.

Snowboard fans can be sure that a trip to La Molina will not disappoint them. It has a long tradition in this discipline. Proof of this is that for years it has hosted the IPC World Cup snowboarding and has two snowparks perfectly designed for freestyle. In addition, this Catalan station has another differential point: the miniboardercross, a space for the little ones to get the hang of the use of the board.

It is curious how many people accompany the skiers and, once on the slopes, do not feel like skiing. Many are left waiting in the cafeteria or wandering around the resort. For those who find themselves in this situation, they should know that there are other options for entertainment in the snow.
Tubing, for example, is one of them and consists of getting on a giant float, holding on and hurtling down a slope at high speed. It is not dangerous, in fact it is for children, since the floats move lurching between two small walls that prevent uncontrolled movement. In La Molina they have two slopes, one artificial and the other snow (2 descents, 3 euros).
Sledging is also a great alternative and the Catalan resort has two slopes, the Llarga, equipped with a conveyor belt of 165 meters, and another in Coll Sisé. By the way, you can bring your own sled.

La Molina is 36.6 km away from our accommodations. Approximately 45 minutes by car along the Pyrenean Axis.
Original text: Tamara Rodríguez (La Vanguardia)