Formigal, Sallent de GáLLEGO

One of Spain's larger and well-established ski areas, Formigal was purpose built in the 1950s and opened its first lift in 1964. The resort is located in the centre of the Pyrenean Aragonese region, to the north of the province of Huesca and in the Valley of Tena, close to the French border. It is quite an attractive resort, with most lodges five or six storeys high, and generally designed with a local stone facade and slanting roofs, to give a vaguely chalet-like appearance. It is also relatively compact so that most buildings are within an easy walk of services, although the lifts themselves are on the edge of the resort. They are still within walking distance (the furthest is 800m from the village) but there is a ski bus. In recent seasons the resort has been working hard to transform itself in to a state of the art ski destination. Each individual trail and lift is considered to ensure that it works to the optimum requirement, and measures are taken to eliminate problems such as bottle necks or piste cross-overs; even slowing lifts down in beginner areas for ease of use. This 'plan of excellence' also encourages businesses to guarantee high service standards as well as environmental measures, including the planting of 75,000 pine trees in the Valley. There was a vast expansion and upgrading of the area for the 2004-5 season when 7 new lifts were installed including five hoigh capacity chairlifts - one of them the first eight seater in Spain and two magic carpet lifts. Even the lift operators reportedly break the European norm and are friendly to visiting skiers. Formigal's ski area continues to grow, as do some of the other major Pyrenean resorts. There are long term plans to complete a lift link to other major resorts in the region, Astún and Candanchu.