This year with our friends, we wanted to test the station ofAx 3 Domains ! Why Ax? For its ease of access for Toulouse residents, the extent of its slopes, and the splendid view of the peaks! For me, who has not been skiing for a long time, it was ideal (a lot of blue and red runs), and for others, it was also perfect (very beautiful black runs, and a quite nice off-piste area)!
For the record (it's quick, don't worry…) Ax 3 Domaines was created in 1955 and was originally called Ax-Bonascre! It changed its name in 2000, to refer to its 3 magnificent areas, all connected by slopes and ski lifts (bonascre, saquet, campels).
The station in total is:
- 80 km of slopes;
- 36 runs including 9 green runs, 11 blue runs, 10 red runs, 7 black runs,
- 1 snow park,
- 1 boardercross,
- 1 secure area for beginners
Super easy access to the resort
Ax-3-Domaines, it's easy to reach from Toulouse: Motorway to Pamiers, expressways to reach Ax-les-Thermes, and cable car to reach the domain (plateau de bonascre). In short, barely 1h30 from the center of Toulouse!
Otherwise, we use the ski-rail: a regular train connection from Matabiau station to AX, and free shuttles that take you to the bottom of the cable car!
We arrived at 8:30 am that day, parked at the foot of the gondola and rented our gear at Poudre Blanche. The welcome is always great, but there are quite a few rental shops on Ax-3-Domaines.
It takes around 30 € for the rental of skis, poles, boots and helmet. Over here for equipment rentals !
Otherwise, go to the websiteAx 3 Domains to book your package.
To get to the station, we took the gondola that leaves from the center of Ax, here (link to Google Maps location). She took us in 15 minutes to the foot of the slopes, the Bonascre plateau, at an altitude of 1800m!
The Domaine du Saquet, for lovers of wide open spaces
Domaine du Saquet: we find that it is the ideal place for lovers of the great outdoors like us, for those who want to perfect their technique and practice! Are the slopes wide and well groomed?
The tracks we like the most in this sector:
- Suits
- Tremplin
- Bear (in the morning when it has just been groomed ... a treat!) ❤️
The field of campels, a view that kills
Les Campels is the real guarantee of skiing in full sun on deliciously worked slopes, ideal for great skiing sensations! It is the highest area of the resort (from 1500 to 2400m above sea level) it is a great place to observe the most beautiful peaks around such as the Pic du Rulhe for example! Me personally, it's my favorite sector!
Skiing at Ax-3-Domaines ©Guillaume Payen – Ariège Pyrénées Tourisme View of the gondolas at Ax-3-Domaines ©Guillaume Payen – Ariège Pyrénées Tourisme
The tracks we liked the most in this sector:
- couillade
- Berger
- Know ❤️❤️❤️
Gourmet break on the estate
After 2 hours of skiing, we really needed to fill up in a good restaurant! At this time of day, we were at the Domaine du Saquet, so we went to stop at the restaurant Le Louzat!
View from inside the Louzat restaurant Louzat mountain restaurant
What we liked:
- The relaxed spirit of the "rooftop" restaurant.
- Both local (and South-West) and quality products
- The warm atmosphere
There are plenty of other restaurants on the estate!
To end the day, a little Fatbike ride? ? ♀️
After having traveled the area up and down, from green runs to black runs, we had the opportunity to test the Fatbike, as soon as the slopes closed at the end of the day! The guys wanted to test for a long time… so it's done! The Fatquoi? The Fatbike, this bike with big tires that allows you to go down ski slopes! An unusual and quite sensational activity!
We reserved this with the Guides office at the foot of the Ax 3 Domaines station (Bonascre).
After a presentation of the fat bike, we took the chairlift for the umpteenth time that takes us to the Saquet plateau, at an altitude of over 2000 meters, and at the top, we were able to start testing the fatbikes!
After some technical advice, we embarked on the Griolle green track which crosses the large forest of beech and fir trees to reach the bottom of the resort.
A really fun descent of 45 minutes (anyway), over 600 m of negative elevation and 7 km on a wide and easy track!
Fatbike info
Price: 45 € / person
Total duration of the activity: 2 hours
With the guides office
In short… a day full of sensations at Ax-3-Domaines!
And on the way back down ... we went to dip our feet in the hot springs in the city, at the foot of the cable car! Simply RE LA XANT!