Waymarked ski touring routes at Panticosa

Panticosa has three waymarked routes for climbing on touring skis alongside the pistes, without leaving the resort's controlled terrain. It is the way to try ski touring without venturing into open terrain, with its own lift pass that includes two uphill lift rides.

How it works

Grupo Aramón created a ski touring lift pass for this area and waymarked and prepared the routes. The routes are designed to coexist with the alpine pistes: you climb on your signed route while others come down the pistes, with no risk of getting lost. With climbing distances of 1 to 6 km, they suit everyone from beginners to experienced ski tourers. The routes can be followed on the Aramón app, which also measures your climbing times.

The three routes

• Petrosos, easy: 1.14 km and 170 m of ascent, from 1,765 to 1,918 m. It is the beginner's one.
• Yandel, moderate: 2.5 km and 332 m, from 1,519 to 1,803 m.
• La Bandera, hard: 6 km and 819 m, from 1,519 to 2,207 m. It is the longest and the one that reaches highest.

To start, Petrosos is the sensible choice; with some stamina, Yandel; and La Bandera once you know how to put on skins, do kick turns and pace yourself on a long climb.

What it costs

The skimo lift pass includes two rides on any Panticosa lift except the Fobas chairlift. With the rental of skis with touring bindings and boots, it costs €40 per person. The rental is at the Panticosa shop, next to the gondola access. Book on the Aramón website; the resort offers, as an extra, on-piste health assistance insurance.

The rest of the equipment the resort rents, with prices, is on the page for equipment rental. For piste skiing, see skiing at Formigal-Panticosa.