Catalonia's ski season kicks off with high hopes at Masella

Catalonia's ski season kicked off on Wednesday at Masella, the first ski resort in the Pyrenees – and indeed Spain – to welcome back winter sport enthusiasts.

Strong winds on the slopes meant only the Coma Oriola and Masovera areas opened on Wednesday morning, with more ski lifts expected to open at the resort in Cerdanya from tomorrow and over the weekend.

The aim is to have the whole resort fully operational for the long bank holiday weekend on December 6-8.

"As soon as there is a bit of snow, we kick things off," said Maite Martí, Masella's commercial and marketing director.

"We're starting with high expectations," Martí said, adding that they were "really happy" to be able to open on November 26.

"Remember that for the past two years we haven't been able to open for the December 8 bank holiday," she told media at the foot of the slopes.

As well as the recent snowfall and cold weather, artificial snow production has also been crucial, Martí explained.

She noted that nearly €1 million has been invested in the resort's facilities, including a new snowmaking facility that produces snow using 30% less energy, as well as replacing several snow cannons with more efficient models.

One of the first skiers of the season was Natàlia de Rivera, a Masella ski school instructor, who said that the season is starting with fresher conditions and more snow than last year.

FGC resorts

La Molina ski resort, managed by Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC), is bringing forward its season opening to Saturday.

Recent snowfall, low temperatures, and snowmaking facilities have produced 20–40 cm of snow, allowing 14 slopes to open ahead of schedule.

The other FGC resorts – Vall de Núria, Vallter, Espot, Port Ainé, and Boí Taüll – will open as planned on December 4.

Lleida Pyrenees

The 11 ski resorts in the Lleida Pyrenees are also heading into the season with optimism following recent snowfall.

Joan Talarn, president of the Lleida provincial council, said the sector expects to sell around 1.4 million lift passes, a figure in line with previous seasons.

Baqueira Beret is set to open on Saturday.