Ski resorts to gradually reopen from December 14

Catalan ski resorts have reached an agreement with the government to open the slopes and start the ski season on Monday, 14 December. 

The Catalan Association of Ski Resorts and Mountain Activities (ACEM), which also announced that the opening will be progressive and gradual, done in phases, with a cap on the amount of ski passes available depending on which areas are open on any given time to avoid congestion. 

The sale of ski passes will be done exclusively online and in advance to avoid queues. 

Normally the long weekend coinciding with the December 8 bank holiday is the date that resorts can open, but this opening was pushed back this year due to restrictions to curb the spread of Covid-19. 

The ski resorts association call on visitors to be responsible and respect health guidelines at all times, as well as the instructions laid out at stations.

Ski resorts are considered safe environments with ample open-air spaces. In this sense, the association maintains that ski lifts are a safe means of transport, due to the short duration of the journeys, because in the vast majority of cases they are done outdoors and passengers are well protected.

The move means that Catalan ski resorts are now ahead of their neighbours in Andorra and also in the French Pyrenees, which are not scheduled to open at least until January.