13th September 2023 | James Cove, Ax-les-Thermes, the French Pyrenees.
We’re back in our natural habitat – the mountains. We are in France for 4-weeks (hopefully longer) for the Rugby World Cup. Be rude not to spend the downtime between matches in the Pyrenees & the Alps. NEW
The Pyrenees are perhaps one of the most overlooked major mountain ranges in Europe.
Make that THE most overlooked major mountain range in Europe.
There is fabulous skiing in France, Andorra and Spain yet most people head to the Alps (more about the skiing later).
I’ve been here in winter many times, and in the summer almost as often.
As I drove into the foothills of the Pyrenees past the city of Foix, clouds covered the distant peaks.
Ax-les-Thermes, French Pyrenees. Image © PlanetSKI
We are spending a few days in a treat of a mountain town/village: Ax-les-Thermes.
Ax-les-Thermes, French Pyrenees. Image © PlanetSKI
Ax-les-Thermes, French Pyrenees. Image © PlanetSKI
Ax-les-Thermes, French Pyrenees. Image © PlanetSKI
It is the real deal – an authentic mountain town.
It is centered around a traditional French village square.
Ax-les-Thermes, French Pyrenees. Image © PlanetSKI
Ax-les-Thermes, French Pyrenees. Image © PlanetSKI
There are no fancy hotels here – the highest category is 3*, with plenty of 1* and 2*.
Ax-les-Thermes, French Pyrenees. Image © PlanetSKI
And if you like your French shutters and architecture (I do) then this is the place to come.
Ax-les-Thermes, French Pyrenees. Image © PlanetSKI
Ax-les-Thermes, French Pyrenees. Image © PlanetSKI
Ax-les-Thermes, French Pyrenees. Image © PlanetSKI
It is a base ski village like no other.
There is a gondola lift in town that in the winter whisks people up to the ski areas of Ax-3-Domaines.
Ax-les-Thermes, French Pyrenees. Image © PlanetSKI
I have skied here several times over the years and love the area.
PlanetSKI has gone by train too:
Ax-les-Thermes, Pyrenees. Image © PlanetSKI
Ax-les-Thermes, French Pyrenees. Image © PlanetSKI
Ax-les-Thermes, French Pyrenees. Image © PlanetSKI
Back in town in summer the village is a labyrinth of cobbled pedestrian streets – hard to believe it is a mountain town.
Ax-les-Thermes, French Pyrenees. Image © PlanetSKI
Ax-les-Thermes, French Pyrenees. Image © PlanetSKI
Some areas have perhaps seen better days, with hotels and buildings boarded up with some sinking into decay.
Ax-les-Thermes, French Pyrenees. Image © PlanetSKI
Ax-les-Thermes, French Pyrenees. Image © PlanetSKI
For me though that all makes the place more authentic and real.
It is a genuine mountain town – warts and all.
As far away from the ‘disney-land’ ski towns as you could possibly get.
There is no petrol station, but I counted four boulangeries, plus numerous fromage & charcuterie delicatessens.
This is proper France.
As the name suggests Ax-les-Thermes is a thermal spot.
There are 60 in the surrounding area.
Ax-les-Thermes, French Pyrenees. Image © PlanetSKI
It has the hottest of all the thermal springs in the Pyrenees at 77C.
The public pools are a more manageable 33-38C.
The water coming up fell 8,000 years ago.
It permeates down to 4,000m and the heat from the inner earth then sends it (slowly) back to the surface.
Here is the original spring in town and locals still come down in the evening to chat, smoke and look at their phones.
I suspect they have no idea that the water wetting their tootsies fell as rain 8,000 years ago.
Ax-les-Thermes, French Pyrenees. Image © PlanetSKI
But that pales into insignificance as one considers the Pyrenees were formed 40 million years ago as the tectonic plates did their stuff.
There is another more modern place to wet one’s tootsies in town.
Ax-les-Thermes, French Pyrenees. Image © PlanetSKI
It is the perfect way to end a day’s skiing as we can testify from past winter experience.
Ax-les-Thermes, French Pyrenees. Image © PlanetSKI
Tomorrow were heading into the hills for hiking.
Then we’re getting on some e-mountain bikes to get even higher.
Perhaps e-biking round the ski slopes of Ax-3-Domaine.
We shall see…
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