Pas de la Casa
Encyclopedia
El Pas de la Casa is a ski
resort
(part of the Grandvalira resort), town, and mountain pass in the Encamp
parish
of Andorra
, lying on the border with France
. Its name literally translates as "the pass of the house" and refers to the fact that until the early twentieth century there was only a single shepherd's hut overlooking the pass. The pass marks the watershed
of the Pyrenees
, being the only point in Andorra where water drains into the Atlantic Ocean
, and is the source of the Ariège river. At an elevation of 2408 m, it is one of the highest points on the European road network. The pass is bypassed by the Envalira Tunnel.
was opened in 1957 and currently it counts 31 lifts, 100 km of pistes and 6.26 km² of skiable terrain. The highest skiable point is 2640 m. Its popularity has grown with the burgeoning ski and snowboard
industry in the principality
: it is the highest resort in Andorra, has the best snow record, and is the easiest to get to from Barcelona
or Toulouse
airports. Consequently it attracts a large number of British and Irish winter sports enthusiasts, as well as French and Spanish. It is also favoured for its southern latitude and duty-free status, which for many overcome the drawbacks of the long airport transfer times.
The nightlife is particularly youth-oriented, and a prevalence of red pistes perhaps makes the skiing more suited to intermediates than beginners or the most advanced.
A recent lift link to Soldeu
via Grau Roig
has created a linked skiing area ranging over almost 10% of Andorra's land area, though not all is skiable.
Every 29 June is held in El Pas the festa major de Sant Pere (Saint Peter's Fest).
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
resort
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
(part of the Grandvalira resort), town, and mountain pass in the Encamp
Encamp
Encamp is one of the parishes of Andorra, located on the Valira d'Orient river, and connected by a cable car to Lake Engolasters. It is also the name of the main town in the parish. Other settlements include Vila, El Pas de la Casa, Grau Roig, el Tremat, la Mosquera, and Les Bons. As of 2004, it...
parish
Parishes of Andorra
Andorra consists of seven communities known as parishes . Until relatively recently, it had only six parishes; the seventh, Escaldes-Engordany, was created in 1978....
of Andorra
Andorra
Andorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, , is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of...
, lying on the border with France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Its name literally translates as "the pass of the house" and refers to the fact that until the early twentieth century there was only a single shepherd's hut overlooking the pass. The pass marks the watershed
Water divide
A drainage divide, water divide, divide or watershed is the line separating neighbouring drainage basins...
of the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
, being the only point in Andorra where water drains into the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, and is the source of the Ariège river. At an elevation of 2408 m, it is one of the highest points on the European road network. The pass is bypassed by the Envalira Tunnel.
Overview
The ski resort of Pas de la Casa sits below the pass on the side closest to France, and below the Pic d'Envalira (2827 m). Its first ski liftSki lift
The term ski lift generally refers to any transport device that carries skiers up a hill. A ski lift may fall into one of the following three main classes:-Lift systems and networks:...
was opened in 1957 and currently it counts 31 lifts, 100 km of pistes and 6.26 km² of skiable terrain. The highest skiable point is 2640 m. Its popularity has grown with the burgeoning ski and snowboard
Snowboard
Snowboards are boards, usually with a width the length of one's foot, with the ability to glide on snow. Snowboards are differentiated from monoskis by the stance of the user...
industry in the principality
Principality
A principality is a monarchical feudatory or sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a monarch with the title of prince or princess, or by a monarch with another title within the generic use of the term prince....
: it is the highest resort in Andorra, has the best snow record, and is the easiest to get to from Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
or Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
airports. Consequently it attracts a large number of British and Irish winter sports enthusiasts, as well as French and Spanish. It is also favoured for its southern latitude and duty-free status, which for many overcome the drawbacks of the long airport transfer times.
The nightlife is particularly youth-oriented, and a prevalence of red pistes perhaps makes the skiing more suited to intermediates than beginners or the most advanced.
A recent lift link to Soldeu
Soldeu
-Overview:It comes alive in the winter months as a skiing town. The skiing is on the Grand Valira ski resort, the largest in the Pyrenees with 193 km of runs. According to The Sunday Times, Soldeu is one of the three best budget skiing resorts in Europe. It can be accessed from Encamp,...
via Grau Roig
Grau Roig
Grau Roig is a village in Andorra, located in the parish of Encamp. The nearest major settlement is Pas de la Casa, to the east on the border with France....
has created a linked skiing area ranging over almost 10% of Andorra's land area, though not all is skiable.
Every 29 June is held in El Pas the festa major de Sant Pere (Saint Peter's Fest).
See also
- List of highest paved roads in Europe
- List of mountain passes
- Vallnord Pal-Arinsal Ordino-ArcalisVallnordVallnord is a ski/snowboard resort in the Pyrenees mountains in the country of Andorra, close to the border with Spain at Tor, Pallars.It encompasses the linked sectors of Pal and Arinsal and the Ordino-Arcalis sector some kilometres away.All the separate sectors within Vallnord contain...