The resort of Grandvalira (Andorra) recently opened the longest snowtubing track in Europe in Pas de la Casa. An attraction that completes the existing offer for sliders eager for thrills.
In the middle of the Andorran tracks, a new attraction has come out of the ground. In the Pas de la Casa area, one of the seven sectors of the Grandvalira ski resort, tourists circulate, buoy in hand. Between noon and 8 p.m., some trade their pair of skis for an inflatable donut. Their destination? The brand new snowtubing track, which opened in January 2023.
“It’s a brand new project that we have finalized”, breathes Xavi Salinas. Glasses on his nose, shaved head, the boss of the sector watches the curious flock. On average, 200 of them test this snow sliding activity every day.
Coming to spend the holidays in the Principality of Andorra, Maxime and his son are among them. “We saw the track from the cable car, but we don’t really know what to expect. We’ll see,” smiled the dad. “It attracts more and more people. Especially from 5 p.m., when you see a lot of people,” continues Xavi Salinas.
Young people and families are particularly present. “I’m a little scared. It’s going fast anyway!”, Juliette says to her father before being thrown forward. “Come on, courage,” Stéphane replies, all smiles.
Up to 60 km/h…
The course gives pride of place to thrills. After retrieving a buoy, visitors pass through the gantry using their pass and take a small conveyor belt, taking them to the top of the track.
There, a station employee is waiting for them. They are four to maintain and manage the snowtubing daily. Wrapped in his black outfit, ski mask glued to his face, Tomàs therefore lavishes some safety instructions. The sliders then slide down the track for about forty seconds, their boat scraping the snow and spinning around the bends, under the Pyrenean sun.
The first is particularly strong. Holding on tight to the handles, at least one of them, is highly recommended. And then, two tunnels follow. At night, they light up, allowing you to enjoy a descent by starlight.
Finally, the arrival is at the foot of the slopes, after yet another bend, and a good dose of speed. “It’s going fast, I love it,” testifies Louis, 14, who is not at his first attempt. “People finish their day of skiing and come here. We bring a real plus”, assures the director. And to continue: “We try to position ourselves as a reference station. Tubing, the big stations are betting on that. It’s a bit fashionable.”
“Our tubing is unconventional”
Grandvalira has therefore spared no expense. This attraction would have cost between 400,000 and 500,000 euros to the largest resort in the Pyrenees, which wanted to create a unique track on the continent. “Our tubing is not conventional. We went to Val Thorens (Savoie) in March 2022 to see this activity. A few days later, the project began. We worked with a French company from Courchevel for the design and the construction. They told us it was the most beautiful tubing they had ever done.”
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Aesthetic question, difficult to judge. On the other hand, the Pas de la Casa track, built in almost two months, can boast of being the longest in Europe. In total, the “donuts” hurtle down 350 meters to reach the finish, while sometimes approaching 60 km/h.
“We have one of 1,200 meters in Argentina”, room Tomàs, employee of the station. And to continue: “It’s still a very good compromise between skiing and the rest of the activities. There’s plenty to have fun with.” So, at the start of the descent, several little ones encourage each other. The most connected take out their phones to film the experience. And bring back memories of this unique track on a continental scale.
