THE FAMILY SKI STATION OF CAUTERETS is one of the most popular in the French Pyrénées. Its well-planned selection of groomed pistes is served by an efficient lift system and will appeal to recreational skiers looking for a relaxed, uncomplicated experience. Access is relatively speedy from Pau and Toulouse airports (or Lourdes TGV for rail travellers) and the village is also a popular spa destination with much retro charm.

There’s plenty of accommodation in the town, which boasts high-speed gondola access to the ski terrain. Further up the valley is the Pont d’Espagne, offering downhill and cross-country skiing, walking, etc., in beautiful natural surroundings.

For many years Cauterets was known not as a ski resort but as a spa town. This, along with a slightly over-the-hill casino, still gives it something of a genteel quality. But the town is on the up, with new construction integrating nicely with the old, as we observe while gliding slightly incongruously over the rooftops in the modern gondola lift, en-route to the ski terrain.

It won’t be long until the season draws to a close, but the snow-line remains reassuringly low, and as we climb ever higher it becomes clear that conditions are indeed better than we’d dare to hope. The journey takes us to the 1850m mark, where we step out of our cosy Perspex bubble and into the now-familiar chill-factor world of the Hautes-Pyrénées. As the sun slips behind the clouds we waste no time heading off to warm things up on the run down the Sacca blue piste to the next lift, the six-seater Crètes detachable chair.

Time for take-off...

Not surprisingly, it turns out to be a real flyer, hauling us smoothly up to around 2300m. This time we glide straight off and head down to our final lift, the Brèches four-seater, for a ride up to 2415m. From here virtually the whole of the ski terrain is laid before us like a giant three-dimensional piste-map, but without a fold in sight.

The six-seater Crettes chair-lift assures rapid access to the higher terrain.

Over to our left we can see Touvarolles, another four-seater lift, which is particularly interesting as it accesses red pistes offering the chance to rack up 640m of vertical drop in a single run. Sadly, though, the sector we had been particularly looking forward to turns out to be closed during our visit due to gusting winds.

Plan B...

So we content ourselves instead with the generally more sheltered bowl which makes up the remainder of the ski area. As the piste-map suggests, the scenic cruiser of choice proves to be the blue-graded Crètes, which provides even relatively timid skiers with an exhillarating top-of-the-mountain experience, complete with vast, panoramic views.

“there’s a lot of enjoyment to be had like this, particularly for those who are still building their confidence...”

Along the way, the run passes another three lifts, and clearly-signed departure points for a choice of blue, red and black runs which drop back down to the Cirque du Lys. We follow the main blue all the way, though, before climbing a few more times to enjoy a few of the variations set within the long, sweeping arc of our early run on Crètes.

It’s clear that there’s a lot of enjoyment to be had like this, particularly for those who are still building their confidence before moving on to sterner tests. But we also get the feeling that there just might not be enough on offer for more demanding skiers without recourse to further terrain to keep their interest.

Crettes - a scenic, Blue-graded cruise high above the Cirque du Lys.

Fortunately, the lift-pass also takes in a little more downhill terrain some 7km further up the valley at Pont d’Espagne (1450m). Here, in a hauntingly beautiful setting high in the Parc National des Pyrénées, we find another gondola designed to get even non-skiers into the heart of this otherwise remote spot. The downhill terrain at the far end is quite modest, but served by a pretty capable high-speed chairlift. At the top is a choice of red or blue-graded runs which wind their way back down through the silent pine forest. There's also a couple of safer-than-safe debutant runs on the valley floor, set beside the welcoming Chalet Refuge du Clot , into which we tumble in search of reviving chocolat-chauds.

Outside the snow is falling hard now, visibility is dropping and the beginner area is silent. There are a handfull of skiers, though, skating determinedly along the ski-de-fond (cross-country) routes with broad smiles, which we return, noting two of them working hard in their regular carving skis.

Exploring some of the peaceful cross-country terrain at Pont d’Espagne.

Although conditions are turning out to be far short of the ideal ski weather, we’re really glad we came and chanced upon this very special place, and are in no hurry to get back to the car. Quite the reverse, in fact. We’re more than happy just walking in the silence which only falling snow can produce, and decide to take the long way back down...

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