Llanos del Hospital Road in Winter

The road

Llanos del Hospital is at the head of the Benasque valley, beneath the Maladeta massif and the Aneto, where you find the Hotel Hospital de Benasque, its restaurant and café and the Nordic area. From Benasque it is 13 km of mountain road with 600 m of climb.

In winter, the establishment itself warns that, if it snows or there is a blizzard, road conditions and visibility change quickly, and the work of the snowploughs is not always enough to keep it clear.

Recommendations for driving up in winter

Those given by Llanos del Hospital are as follows:

• Carry chains in the car, in case they need to be fitted.
• Find out the state of the roads before leaving home and, when you reach Benasque, call the hotel reception, 608 53 60 53, to find out the state of the access to Llanos.
• Plan to arrive before 18:00.
• Bear in mind that there are stretches with no mobile coverage or only Movistar: let someone know before leaving Benasque.

If the weather is bad, the Benasque Tourist Office, on calle Horno, can also advise you before you go up.

Where to park at the top

There are two car parks:

• Hotel car park. Free for those staying at the hotel or who have booked at the restaurant; in fact, a restaurant booking guarantees a space. It has an electronic barrier with number plate reading and its occupancy is regulated according to bookings. Only hotel guests can leave their car overnight, and motorhomes are not allowed.
• Vado del Hospital car park. Public and free, 400 m from the hotel, regulated by the rangers of the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park. It has public toilets and overnight stays in your vehicle are permitted.

The Besurta track

Beyond Llanos, a track continues to La Besurta, the starting point for the Forau d'Aigualluts and the Aneto. In winter it is closed by snow and there is no expected opening date: it depends on the thaw. In summer, vehicle access is closed from roughly 20 June to 11 September; during that time you cannot drive up in your own car. In winter, the route to the Forau is done on snowshoes from Llanos, for example on the guided snowshoeing to the Forau d'Aigualluts.

If you sleep at the hotel, check-in is from 16:00 and check-out until 12:00, with reception open from 8:00 to 22:00 and left-luggage to leave your bags, which lets you go up early and make the most of the day even if the room is not ready.

Once you are up there

The cross-country ski trails are open from 9:30 to 17:00 and require a pass; from 17:00 the machines are working and it is best not to tread on the tracks. If you are with a dog, remember that inside the natural park animals must be on a lead, and that they are not allowed in the hotel, the restaurant or the café.