I learned a lot from this trip but most of all I learned as a North American you must train for Spanish time, I suggest putting in a few good party nights, late dinners and afternoon naps before you board the plane. Because as we learned upon arrival there is an unspoken ski day schedule that is mandatory to follow, it includes waking up around noon to head to the hill, skiing a few runs on piste, eating some tapas then taking a siesta in order to prep for your 3 hour dinner extravaganza few drinks and dancing at the disco until 6:00am. So needless to say a training regime is mandatory if you want to fully immerse yourself into the Spanish culture and people.

Once our crew overcame jet lag and set our watches to Spanish time we where to embark on our skiing road trip. Starting out in Barcelona we traveled three hours north towards the French boarder and the Pyrenees mountains. Our first stop was the family orientated Boi Taull resort, a small resort that has been suffering from lack of snow over the years but compensates with a perfectly manicured terrain park. Because this resort was so desolate, speaking English proposed a slight communication barrier and upon ordering lunch I ended up with 4 coffees and one jambon (ham) sandwich. Not being a regular coffee drinker I sucked it up and drank a years worth of caffeine in one go.

Packing up and maneuvering items in our 9 passenger van became a regular routine and a fine art, we unpacked our bags for a while in the Val D’aran valley in the township of Beret. A town that has its own language and customs due to the fact it was isolated until they put in a 15km tunnel that provided easy access to the valley. Beret is the gateway to the Mecca ski resort Baqueira Beret, a massive ski resort that challenges Whistler in size. At Baqueira Beret, strangely enough we loaded the base chair lift with no skis due to the lack of snow, but as we gained elevation we discovered over 20 ski lifts and endless skiing possibilities. Natural features are numerous and vary from rock rides to wide open chutes, cliffs and easy summit hikes. If you want the Spanish big mountain experience, this the resort for you.

Once again we packed up our van and set our GPS to the ski resort Cerler. In Cerler we met up with Spanish Freestyle skier Jaime Puigdengoles who was part of the Voodoo photo and video shoot. This unique event gathered Spain’s best skiers and snowboarders for a week of filming and shooting photos. Cerler resort set up 3 features around the ski resort that where evident for all to see from a massive gap jump to a wall ride on the snowmaking reservoir and a impeccable table top built over a house. Unlike the rest of our trip it was very refreshing to see evidence of an immerging freestyle scene and see how these boys where treated like royalty.

Our last stop in the Pyrenees was the modern Forgimal. Here everything seemed like it had escaped from an Ikea magazine, a few things even seemed out of place such as the 8 person chairlift. The dynamics of this chairlift even seemed strange while sitting upon it; ironically you literally had to raise your voice to speak to the person sitting 7 spaces down from you. Surprisingly we even ran into a handful of Canadian ski racers whom where at Forgimal for the world junior ski racing championships.

If there is such thing called car fever, we obtained it upon our 11 hour drive down south to Sierra Nevada. Even the constant change of landscape couldn’t keep up from making up car hymes and jamming out to local Spanish radio stations. Sierra Nevada prevailed to be one of the most memorable ski resorts because of all the unique features. For example, because Sierra Nevada boarders on a national park there are several ski lifts that have 90 degree turns in the chairlift lines due to the fact that you are not permitted to build in a national park. Since Sierra Nevada is located at such high elevation (3,398m) it is the pinnacle place to have a European high altitude training center and 2 enormous telescopes perched about the chairlifts. Also if you’re lucky enough to have a bluebird day on the summit of the Laguna chairlift you will be able to see Africa in the distance. Sierra Nevada has a very intoxicating vibe because bizarrely when your there, all you feel like doing is sitting and relaxing in the village.

So yes Spain does have skiing, from the Sierra Nevada to the Pyraness and is the second largest mountain range in Europe. Spain’s mountain culture is relaxed, sunny and infectious. A few words of advice- Make sure you train for Spanish time, watch the snow fall reports, take a Spanish course. Taking these steps will prepare for one of the best trips of your life!

Look out for the Ride Guide episode coming to television on the SkiChannel.