SkiBike Tour 2009-10 - Arinsal and Pal
Posted: Friday, 9 April 2010 by Mark Kinnon in Labels: 2009-10 Tour, Andorra, D.I.Y., SkiBike
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I did a couple of quick warm up runs on the Port Vell to get my legs and brain started, then took the big Arinsal-Pal cable car across to the Coll de la Botella, to play on the Posellettes and Font Roja runs.
I also sampled running off piste under the chairlift and through the trees.
Font Roja is now becoming another favourite run, with some very exiting gradients and plenty of room to manoeuvre, it is surprisingly empty for such a good run. Sadly my camera ran out of juice and there is no footage of it.
I went back up to the top of the Pic del Cubil and then along the Cami Superior till it met the Coms run. It had a monster mogul field but was very slushy by this point and with just a couple of hours left to play made my way back to the Arinsal sectors. I completed a perfect day on my favourite La Pala/Tub de Col combo which had a short gully section to explore.
I ventured off-piste around the environs of the La Capa run and wouldn't stop till all the lifts were closed and the slow was totally slushy at the bottom.
I realised that unlike skiing, skibiking works well on slush and you can carves your way through the heavy stuff like a jet ski on water. You need to use your footskis as little as possible as they can get caught by the heavier mounds, throwing you off balance or worse. You need to keep up your speed, follow the fall line much closer and avoid making unnecessary turns.
I also sampled running off piste under the chairlift and through the trees.
Font Roja is now becoming another favourite run, with some very exiting gradients and plenty of room to manoeuvre, it is surprisingly empty for such a good run. Sadly my camera ran out of juice and there is no footage of it.
I went back up to the top of the Pic del Cubil and then along the Cami Superior till it met the Coms run. It had a monster mogul field but was very slushy by this point and with just a couple of hours left to play made my way back to the Arinsal sectors. I completed a perfect day on my favourite La Pala/Tub de Col combo which had a short gully section to explore.
I ventured off-piste around the environs of the La Capa run and wouldn't stop till all the lifts were closed and the slow was totally slushy at the bottom.
I realised that unlike skiing, skibiking works well on slush and you can carves your way through the heavy stuff like a jet ski on water. You need to use your footskis as little as possible as they can get caught by the heavier mounds, throwing you off balance or worse. You need to keep up your speed, follow the fall line much closer and avoid making unnecessary turns.