Have you ever been tempted to go skiing whilst staying in Nerja? Me too. Except I have never been skiing before. So I have no idea what to expect. No idea what equipment I’ll need. No idea where exactly you go skiing. No idea of the cost. Basically, I’m clueless when it comes to all things skiing in the Sierra’s. Well not any more. Here’s my Guiri guide to skiing in Sierra Nevada.
Getting There
The resort of Pradollano is less than 2 hour’s drive from Nerja. Don’t bother looking for directions to this place. In fact, you probably won’t find it on the map. It is simply referred to as “Sierra Nevada”. The directions start as soon as you reach the outskirts of Granada on the A44 Motril to Granada motorway.
"Sierra Nevada" is well sign posted from the Autovia.
I drove up at the end of March in fantastic weather. The only snow you see is on the tops of the mountain. Not a drop on the road all the way to the resort. However there are several indicator poles by the side of the road that means that travelling earlier in the season you might be well advised to take your snow chains.
Arriving at the village you come to an entrance for the underground car park. The cost for just under 8 hours was 16 Euros. If you don’t mind walking to the centre you might get lucky and find free parking to the left as you approach the first roundabout.
Ski Equipment
The only things I brought with me for skiing were a pair of waterproof trousers, a pair of ski gloves, a fleece top and a pair of sun glasses. I over did the “wrapping up warm” bit by wearing a vest, long sleeved pullover and scarf and hat. It might be sensible to take these things but you will more than likely be stripping off very soon.
The staff in the ski shop take care of everything.
Before tackling the slopes you will need to hire your skis, boots and poles. There are dozens of shops in the resort where you can hire these from. The cost is around 24 Euros for the day. The staff will ask you your height (in metres), weight (in kilos) and shoe size (European). You will then try on one of the boots before the staff will fit it to the skis and make various adjustments to ensure that the centre of balance will be correct for you.
Ski Lessons
If you are a complete novice like me you will definitely want to take at least a 2-hour lesson. This doesn’t come cheap. For one person the hourly rate is around 36 Euros. However, if you go with another person you will pay around 44 Euros between you. You will also receive a 20% discount against your ski equipment hire when you hire it from the school.
Lessons from a professional ski instructor a must for first timers.
Ski Pass
This is another big expense you will need to pay for your skiing trip. The “Forfait” is a credit card pass that you need to present when you board the cable car that takes you up the mountain. The rates depend on the time of season. Typically, weekends are in the “High” period and costs 42.50 Euros for the day.
Queue for the cable car.
You buy the ski pass from one of the many automated machines in the centre of the square. You will pay an additional 3 Euros deposit for the card. Make sure you return the card at the same place for your refund.
Other things
You are pretty much a captive audience when you get there. The restaurants and bars take advantage of this. Nearly 2 Euros for a cup of coffee. Over 4 Euros for a slice of Pizza. The chances are you are going to get de-hydrated and need some kind of energy drink. At over 3 Euros for a small Aquarius, you’d better bring your own.
The two-hour lesson gave me the confidence I needed to comfortable navigate the two easy “green” runs. These are severed by the moving escalators in tubes rather than the traditional ski lifts with your feet dangling down and all the worry of getting on and off.
The slopes open from 9am to around 4-5pm, depending upon the weather conditions. From December to February it is possible to ski at night, if the conditions are ok. The pistes are colour coded to signify the degree of difficulty. Green and Blue for the easy slopes. Red for the more advanced and Black if you think you belong to the olympic team.
