Let's go partying... to the ski slope
** SIERRA NEVADA : IF THE NIGHT DOESN'T STOP, THE LIFTS WILL EITHER**
The Granada station was the pioneer in signing up for the descents after sunset. It could not be otherwise considering the fabulous night atmosphere which has always been enjoyed in that area of the Penibética.
The Cetursa technicians have devised the route on the river track, between Borreguiles and Pradollano . Equipped with powerful spotlights, the almost 3.5 kilometers of route They overcome a drop of 600 meters, which ensures speed and, therefore, traction. As night falls, temperatures plummet and much near Mulhacen , the highest peak of the peninsula.
This reduction in temperature will help us by making the snow "recover" by freezing again. But it also forces us to improve our equipment so as not to get cold . This is a rule that we always have to value in night skiing that in Sierra Nevada is achieved with 35 light poles that guide us without any problem to Pradollano.
If the snowfalls have been generous, the station in Granada also has another route: Maribel track that runs parallel to the river but higher up the slope. Its length is somewhat less, but it places us in the heart of the "night madness" of the station. You could almost enter the bars with the boards down.
The Al Andalus cable car is responsible for night skiing in Granada. And that means speed in its ascent which allows a large number of descents. from seven in the evening and until ten at night . At that time, the track and the station are closed until the following day. The machines have to work all morning. And us, a gin and tonic at La Chimenea.
Observing the starry sky of Sierra Nevada
** GRANDVALIRA, THE ANDORRAN BET**
The largest resort in the Principality of Andorra also has ** night skiing **. The layout of the track Solana located in the area of Pas de la Casa is the chosen itinerary. The chairlift that serves it is open for all those who have any type of ski pass.
In any case, there is a subscription for those who only want to descend with artificial light. This skiable area is for all audiences (the route is by no means difficult or technical). And we can end the day tasting a cup of hot chocolate at Chocolatería Valor.
At night: skiing and milk chocolate in Grandvalira
Now, the big bet of the GrandValira nights is the only snowpark in the Pyrenees **: Sunset Park Peretol **, aimed mainly at freestyle fans, whether on skis or on the board. It stands in the Grau Roig sector and is the meeting place for all riders, as soon as the slopes close.
A chairlift deposits us in the street area and there we have 1.30 minutes to perform the turns, jumps and slides on rails that occur to us. The design of this nocturnal snowpark is aimed at athletes with a medium-high level so the show is always guaranteed.
The haven for freestylers
** MASELLA: GOING FOR THE RECORD OF SKIERS**
The Catalan station located a few kilometers from La Molina has placed the night skiing as one of the pillars of the business . Few alpine facilities can compete with the one in Girona in quality and quantity of descents under the light of its immense network of spotlights.
And it is that these are bigger words if we talk about the total length of their 13 illuminated tracks : almost 34 kilometers of snow trodden in Cerdanya. The quality of the flakes has a lot to do with their north orientation.
In 2013 Masella decided to go for it all in the night descents and time has proved him right because is about to break the record of attendees to these sessions with nearly 29,000 fans . For this, it has been equipped with a powerful transportation system with seven ski lifts in operation.
The different itineraries depart from the area of La Pleta and finish in Pla de Masella , but the snowpark is also open, so freestyle lovers are legion as soon as the sun sets. From 6:30 p.m. the lights come on and the activity begins in the largest night ski area in all of Spain.
The queen station for night skiing
A "daylight", that never dazzles, that manages to offer all the details of some tracks that have been conscientiously prepared since mid-morning. In general, most of the tracks are of intermediate and advanced level . In any case, it is advisable to put on glasses with an orange or even transparent screen because the intense cold together with the air will end up affecting our unprotected eyes.
For the rest, it is impossible to descend under the stars and the Moon if we do not opt for night skiing. The lights of the nearby towns and especially the forests that surround Masella They are spectacular views in each of their itineraries.
At 18:30 the activity begins and ends 3 hours later. And just when it ends, another possibility opens up, in this case gastronomic. A dinner at the restaurant Pla de Masella . But not just any dinner but something special: raclette, fondue or the most forceful dishes of Cerdanya such as the trinxat.
We still have one stop with music: the Masella chillout. At the foot of the illuminated runway we still have time, if the night is clear, to contemplate the shadow of the Pico de la Tosa d´Alp , with its 2,535 meters (the mountain that allows Masella and La Molina to be skiable) . And do it over a drink.
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*The journalist Alfonso Ojea is the Director of the Cadena SER program specializing in snow, Pistas Blancas, which has been on the air for 20 years. *** You may also be interested in...**
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