New Year ski-house party in the Pyrenees
Once the turkey has been stuffed and the last dry fino has been quaffed, why not head out to the French Pyrenees for some superb skiing or boarding and a private house party to celebrate New Year in style?
L’Ancienne Poste, a stylish, 6-bedroomed (sleeps 14), English-owned-and-run mountain lodge in the heart of the Pyrenean Mountains, is available for hire by a single group who are as serious about their skiing as their partying.
The lodge is owned by James Dealtry (himself something of a party animal!) who has spent most of the last two decades living in the mountains, 15 of them as a ski instructor in Val d’Isere (James was the first ever Englishman to work for the French Ski School).
It is located within 10 minutes of three superb resorts: Peyragudes (peyragudes.com), Saint Lary (saintlary.com) and Piau Engaly (piau-engaly.com) which, between them, total 20 black, 52 red and 69 blues runs. Private transfers can be arranged from the lodge to the resorts.
James is also a qualified mountain guide and escorts his guests to the slopes to show them all the best spots – both on and off piste.
The family-friendly lodge, which will be seasonally decorated, is perfect for those who would rather avoid the busy, more boisterous resorts of the Alps.
In addition to traditional downhill skiing or boarding, there are other optional activities including tobogganing, ice-climbing (scaling frozen waterfalls), dog-sledding and snow shoeing.
And, at the end of a hard day’s activities, the lodge staff can arrange for massages and other treatments at the Balnea Spa which is located just a short stroll away.
The area is well served by three main airports Pau, Lourdes-Tarbes, and Toulouse, and can be accessed using low cost airlines such as Easyjet or Ryanair along with other mainstream airlines such as British Airways.
The week-long New Year stay from 29 December – 5 January costs from €764 pp (15% discount) which includes two days’ ski guiding, 7-nights’ B&B plus six evening meals with wine plus a gala dinner on New Year’s Eve with Champagne and canapés, oysters, Fois Gras and a five course feast with wine (the chef has one night off per week).
For more information, visit ancienneposteavajan.com.
