We have been going to Bareges skiing for years now and have not been disappointed with the snow. A bonus is a lack of queuing for ski lift. And it is refreshingly cheap for ski passes etc. It is very popular with the French and Spanish but little known to the rest of Europe. The village has a number of hotels and bars. Its busy time is the French school holidays and outside that the pistes are fairly empty. In the summer people come for walking and other activities. We come in the summer too. The spas are worth a try, the bain hydroxer is very good!

www.mountainbug.com is a superb website for information on everything about the Pyrenees. The English couple who run the site are also qualified International Mountain Leaders and live year round in the area. They have all the inside knowledge on the best places to go and the history, flora, fauna, food and wines of their region. The accommodation is a beautifully renovated house in the heart of the mountain village of Bareges. They are superbly placed for the outstanding Neouvielle national park, the Cirque de Gavarnie and in the winter Bareges is the home of the Tourmalet ski resort, the Largest and best skiing station in the French Pyrenees. We are coming back to go skiing with them this winter!