Soldeu: 1800 m (5905 ft)
A massive arched entranceway at the approach to the
Soldeu gondola base station, in the upper part of the village, leads off the main street and into a covered ‘village square’ space:
The Villager pub is on one corner, and a sports shop and equipment lockers are on the opposite side; straight ahead is a wide ramped walkway down to the gondola access level below. There are also lifts (elevators) and stairs serving all floors, for the multi-storey car park and services housed within this same structure: these lifts are also directly accessible from the pistes, which run to the foot of this building.
All of the main public areas are surfaced with rubber matting to ease walking and minimise noise levels.
The gondola access level also houses a large rental shop, a Grandvalira information cabin, lift pass kiosks, a medical centre, public telephone booths, public WCs, and some seating.
1710 m (5610 ft)
As well as being a primary access point, El Tarter's base station area is, at 1710 m (5610 ft), the lowest piste-accessible point in the entire Grandvalira domain.
Three routes make the home run to this level: the
Esquirol, the
Gall de Bosc, and the
Aliga; meaning that virtually all visitors should be able to ski the mountain from top to bottom.
From this base station, the fast 4-seater
Tarter chairlift and the faster 10-person
Tarter gondola provide direct access to the busy
mid-altitude services hub at Riba Escorxada, where the ski school and all onward links into the ski area are located.
The base station area has had major remodelling over the past few seasons, following the construction of the gondola, to facilitate an increase in the number of [open-air] parking spaces just off the main CG2 through-road (bus stops are sited at the side of this main road too); it isn't that attractive, but it is functional and provides all the facilities you need to start & finish your day in the mountains.
As well as the gondola and the ski-station administration offices, there is a medical centre, a couple of major equipment-rental shops, a handful of
bars & restaurants, a 4-star hotel, ski school & Grandvalira information offices, equipment lockers, lift-pass sales kiosks, and public WCs.
1500 m (4921 ft)
The base-terminal station for the
Canillo gondola is situated about 300 m (328 yd) from the village centre. The building houses a multi-storey car park, administration offices for Grandvalira's parent company, a medical centre, an exhibition space, equipment rental shops, a fast-food restaurant & café, lockers, and lift-pass sales kiosks; with the gondola platforms on the uppermost floor. This gondola provides the sole access to the Canillo sector's
El Forn ski area.
