The ski sector is preparing for the best Purísima celebration in recent years.

BarcelonaThe Pyrenees and the ski sector are rubbing their hands together in anticipation of the long weekend for the Immaculate Conception, which promises to be the best in recent years. The recent snowfalls across the mountain range and the early arrival of winter's chill have left a blanket of snow that will allow all the resorts to open during this period, with varying degrees of slope availability. This is a stark contrast to the situation experienced in recent years, marked by drought and warm autumns. In fact, last year many resorts were unable to open until mid-December due to a lack of snow.

"We anticipate that the Immaculate Conception and this new ski season could be among the best in recent years," Carles Ruiz, president of Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC), told ARA. The public company manages six ski resorts grouped under the new brand Pirineo365.

"The fact that the snow arrived well before the Immaculate Conception, in significant quantities, allows us to have a very high snowmaking capacity, and leads us to expect a spectacular season," added Ruiz, who believes that this season they will be able to surpass the 800,000 skiers registered last year at the FGC resorts.

One of the key factors in understanding the good quality of the snow at the resorts this season is that the temperatures have been very low and fully wintry in recent weeks. This has allowed the fallen snow to be retained and for artificial snow to be produced constantly. Thus, the slopes have been gradually gaining centimeters.

Longing for snow

Ruiz has confirmed that there is "high demand" for ski passes these days. "We're seeing that people are very eager to start the ski season," he explained. "Despite this year's Immaculate Conception holiday being shorter than in other years, the data indicates that we'll have a large influx of people because the conditions will be good for enjoying skiing and the mountains," added the FGC president. The snowfall of the last few weeks in the Pyrenees has mainly affected the northern slopes and the Alt Pirineu, but it has also fallen heavily on the southern slopes, blanketing the entire mountain range in white. Furthermore, the weather forecast indicates that it will snow a little more before the weekend, but that the Immaculate Conception holiday will bring relatively calm and enjoyable weather, with less cold temperatures. These favorable conditions are generating a lot of optimism in the ski sector. A good start to the season

Last week, some private ski resorts, such as Masella and Baqueira Beret, already opened for the season. The six FGC resorts – Molina, Vall de Núria, Vallter, Espot, Port Ainé, and Boí Taüll – will open this Thursday, although Molina already had its first skiing session last weekend. These six resorts will kick off the season with approximately 64 open slopes and more than 60 kilometers of skiable terrain. "We have a very good snowpack everywhere, and the figures for the ski area are much better than those for last year's opening," Ruiz stated. Several resorts – both private and public – have accumulated up to half a meter of snow or more. The facilities also offer complementary activities so that visitors who don't ski can still enjoy the snow and the mountains, such as toboggan runs and recreational areas. Regarding the new Pirineu365 brand, one of the most important new features is the launch of Flexipass, a new payment system for accessing all six resorts in the group that will allow users to pay less the more days they ski.