Ascou-Pailhères
Ascou-Pailhères is a winter sports resort of the French Pyrenees located in the east of the département of Ariège, on the territory of the commune of Ascou, on the west side of the port de Pailhères.
Translated from the French Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA), machine translation.
Seven criteria rated from 1 to 5 stars, in half-stars, from this page's sourced data. A rating is a rank among the 322 French resorts we cover — 5 stars means “among the best in France on this point”, not “perfect”. Nobody types these in.
- SnowCan you count on the snow?2.5 / 5
Top of the ski area: 2,044 m · Bottom of the pistes: 1,492 m · Days above 30 cm per winter, measured: 9 days · Days above 30 cm, December to March, model: 61%
- Ski areaIs there enough to ski all week?2.5 / 5
Km of pistes at the resort: 12 km · Km of pistes across the linked area: 12 km · Lifts: 7 · Balance between piste levels: 95%
- ValueIs the lift pass reasonable for what you get?n/a
Not rated: “adult day pass” is missing from this page.
- Families and beginnersIs it right for children and beginners?1.5 / 5
Share of green and blue pistes: 50% · Magic carpets: 1 · Sledging runs: 1 · Ice rink, pool, rail sledge…: 0
- AccessIs it easy to get to?2 / 5
Average drive time from 20 major cities: 6 hr 27 · Nearest railway station: 16 min · Station-to-resort shuttles per day: 0 · Nearest airport: 2 hr 14
- Atmosphere and après-skiIs there life in the evening and off the slopes?2 / 5
Bars and pubs: 0 · Nightclubs: 0 · Restaurants: 1 · Upcoming events: 8 · Collective tourist beds: 239 — index: what the map and the listings publish
- Luxury and comfortHow upmarket is the resort?1 / 5
5-star hotels: 0 · 4-star hotels: 0 · Spas and saunas: 0 · Jewellers, watchmakers, fashion boutiques: 0 — index: what the map and the listings publish
“Atmosphere” and “Luxury” are indexes: they count what OpenStreetMap and the event listings publish within 2.5 km (bars, nightclubs, rated hotels, spas, upcoming events), not what you experience there. A zero means “nothing mapped”, not “nothing there”. Sources per criterion: snow (altitudes (OpenStreetMap, Wikidata), snow depth observed at the Météo-France station, ERA5-Land model) ; ski area (OpenStreetMap pistes and lifts, linked area (Wikidata)) ; value (the resort’s official price list) ; families and beginners (OpenStreetMap pistes, price list, ESF ski school, Famille Plus label, OpenStreetMap leisure) ; access (OSRM drive times from 20 cities, SNCF stations, GTFS shuttles, airports) ; atmosphere and après-ski (bars, nightclubs and restaurants within 2.5 km (OpenStreetMap), upcoming events (OpenAgenda), collective tourist beds (INSEE)) ; luxury and comfort (rated hotels within 2.5 km (OpenStreetMap) and by category across the commune (INSEE), spas and boutiques (OpenStreetMap), day pass price).
Open pistes and lifts will appear here during the season, as published by the resort. Out of season we show nothing rather than a misleading zero.
Avalanche danger
7-day forecast
Village 1,504 m · top 2,044 m
Forecast corrected for altitude; fresh snow = forecast total at the top; UV = peak of the day. Beyond 3 days, check the resort’s own report. Source:Open-Meteo.
Average snow depth by month
Snow cover varies from one winter to the next.
☀️ Average daily sunshine : Nov 6.9 h · Dec 6.4 h · Jan 6.3 h · Feb 7.9 h · Mar 9.1 h · Apr 9.8 h — 26 bright days in April (Open-Meteo estimate, 2015-2025).
- November—no record
- December45 cmVariable · 63%
- January45 cmVariable · 57%
- February49 cmVariable · 66%
- March34 cmVariable · 56%
- April—no record
- May—no record
30 cm on the ground: the benchmark for groomed-piste skiing. Bar = monthly average depth; percentage = share of time above 30 cm.
- Good skiing: 30 cm on more than 8 days in 10
- Variable: 30 cm on 5 to 8 days in 10
- Insufficient: 30 cm less than one day in two
Snow actually measured, winter by winter
16 complete winters measured, from 2005-2006 to 2025-2026 — on average 9 days a winter with at least 30 cm on the ground.
- 1-15 Dec8 cmInsufficient · 5 %
- 16-31 Dec7 cmInsufficient · 7 %
- 1-15 Jan7 cmInsufficient · 4 %
- 16-31 Jan9 cmInsufficient · 7 %
- 1-15 Feb12 cmInsufficient · 19 %
- 16-29 Feb7 cmInsufficient · 7 %
- 1-15 Mar6 cmInsufficient · 9 %
- 16-31 Mar3 cmInsufficient · 2 %
- 1-15 Apr1 cmInsufficient · 0 %
- Best winter of the series
- 2005-2006 — 41 days at 30 cm or more
- Worst winter of the series
- 2007-2008 — 0 day at 30 cm or more
Snowfall: no long enough record of fresh snow at this station. Rather than an estimate, we show nothing.
The ski area
Compare with another resort →16 pistes, by level — 12 km
- Skiable vertical
- 552 m (1,492 m → 2,044 m)
- Lifts
- 1 chairlift, 5 drag lifts, 1 magic carpet
- Without skis
- 1 sledging run
- Piste aspect
- N 44% · E 3% · S 0% · W 53% (descent direction of 18 OSM pistes, terrain model)
Pistes and lifts surveyed on OpenStreetMap within 4 km of the resort — for a resort in a linked area, the figure may include neighbouring pistes.
Lift passes detail →
The price list for this resort is being collected: most resorts publish winter prices between September and November.
The ski area in figures
Measured on 9 September 2026Measured on OpenStreetMap (altitudes: IGN RGE ALTI), not taken from the brochure. The vertical above is that of one piste, not of the whole ski area. Population: INSEE municipal population via geo.api.gouv.fr.
Source: national register of mechanical lifts (STRMTG, CAIRN), fleet as of 1 January 2025 — lifts attributed to Ascou-Pailhères only (“ASCOU”), magic carpets included.
Staying and hiring gear in Ascou-Pailhères
We compare the partners that cover this resort. Some links earn us a commission — never at the expense of the price or of the data.
Stay & accommodation
Live webcams
All webcams (2) →Ascou-Pailhères broadcasts its images on its own page: the link takes you there. Checked on 12 September 2026.
Piste map
Open on OpenSnowMap ↗Pistes coloured by level, lifts as lines. The resort’s official map is the reference in season.
Base map © OpenTopoMap (CC-BY-SA) · pistes © OpenSnowMap (CC-BY-SA) · data ©OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Getting to Ascou-Pailhères
From Paris: 8 hr 59 (818 km) by road.
By road
- From Toulouse: 2 hr 00 · 142 km
- From Perpignan: 2 hr 43 · 161 km · via Ax-les-Thermes station
- From Pau: 3 hr 37 · 254 km
- From Montpellier: 3 hr 47 · 326 km · avoids Port de Pailhères, closed in winter
- From Bordeaux: 4 hr 24 · 384 km
From other major cities (15)
- From Marseille: 5 hr 28 · 488 km · via Ax-les-Thermes station
- From Valence: 5 hr 37 · 523 km · via Ax-les-Thermes station
- From Clermont-Ferrand: 5 hr 56 · 515 km
- From Grenoble: 6 hr 08 · 534 km
- From Lyon: 6 hr 18 · 541 km
- From Saint-Étienne: 6 hr 34 · 561 km
- From Nice: 6 hr 39 · 565 km
- From Chambéry: 6 hr 53 · 592 km
- From Annecy: 7 hr 18 · 651 km
- From Genève: 7 hr 48 · 689 km
- From Dijon: 8 hr 20 · 734 km
- From Besançon: 8 hr 51 · 794 km
- From Paris: 8 hr 59 · 818 km
- From Nancy: 10 hr 27 · 945 km
- From Strasbourg: 11 hr 15 · 1032 km
Excluding traffic and winter conditions; passes closed in winter are avoided.
By train
Ax-les-Thermes station
halt · then 16 min drive (14 km)
Nearest main station: Perpignan, 2 hr 38 by road.
No direct bus line from the station to the resort appears in the open-data timetables (checked on 13 September 2026): ask the resort about a private shuttle or a taxi.
Shuttles and buses from the station: see the resort’s official website.
By plane
- Perpignan-Rivesaltes (PGF): 2 hr 35 by road · 138 km
- Carcassonne-Salvaza (CCF): 2 hr 14 by road · 120 km
Take me there
These links open the app with Ascou-Pailhères as the destination. Your starting point is never sent by us — the app asks you for it, if you agree.
Charging an electric car
1 charging station within 2 km
2 charging points · up to 46 kW
- FR-S09-E09023-001 · Load Stations · 2 points · 46 kW · 0.1 km
Freely accessible charge points read from the French national EV charging database (data.gouv.fr ↗, operators’ own declarations), checked on 9 September 2026. Check availability before you leave: the database says what is installed, not what is free tonight.
Road conditions
From 1 November to 31 March, snow chains or winter tyres are compulsory in most mountain areas (French “Loi Montagne II”).
Driving times computed on the OpenStreetMap road network (OSRM), SNCF stations (open data), airports (Wikidata). Indicative, not a timetable: allow extra time in snow.
Ski touring routes described
Resorts for ski touring →12 ski touring routes documented within 10 km of Ascou-Pailhères — up to 1,800 m of climb.
| Summit and route | Ski grade | Climb | Altitude | Aspect | From resort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarrat des Chèvres · Depuis Ascou-Pailhères | 1.2 · E1 | 550 m | 1,500 → 2,059 m | W | 0.8 km |
| Pic de Tarbésou · Depuis Pailhères | n/a · E1 · PD | 700 m | 1,700 → 2,364 m | N | 1.2 km |
| Pic de Tarbésou · Pic de Tarbésou et étang de Rabassoles en boucle | 2.1 · E1 · F+ | 1,560 m | 1,330 → 2,364 m | W · S · N | 2.3 km |
| Pic de Tarbésou · Boucle par le col de l'Egue | n/a · E1 · PD | 1,450 m | 1,335 → 2,364 m | n/a | 2.5 km |
| Col de l'Egue · Par le vallon de la Grande Coume | 2.1 · E1 · PD- | 850 m | 1,325 → 2,121 m | NW | 2.5 km |
| Pic de la Coumeille de l'Ours · Couloir SSE | 4.2 · E1 | 1,000 m | 1,687 → 2,217 m | S · SE | 3 km |
| Pic de Tarbésou · Boucle au pic de Balbonne | 3.2 · E1 · PD+ | 1,800 m | 1,685 → 2,346 m | n/a | 3.2 km |
| Pic de Tarbésou · Depuis Mijanes | n/a · E1 · F | 850 m | 1,520 → 2,364 m | NE | 3.5 km |
| Dent d'Orlu · Face N (voie normale) | n/a · D | 880 m | 1,340 → 2,222 m | N | 3.8 km |
| Sarrat des Fargues · versant SE | 1.2 · E1 · F | 526 m | 1,111 → 1,637 m | SE | 3.9 km |
| Pic de la Calmette · Montée par la forêt | 1.3 · E1 · F+ | 700 m | 1,246 → 1,911 m | N | 4.3 km |
| Roc Blanc · Arête NW et face N | 4.2 · E1 · D+ | 1,200 m | 1,630 → 2,542 m | N | 7.9 km |
Source: Camptocamp.org topo guide (CC BY-SA), routes starting within 10 km, read on 13 September 2026. Descriptions and photos are on Camptocamp; an empty cell is a field nobody has filled in. Camptocamp ski touring routes ↗
Beyond skiing at Ascou-Pailhères
Spa and thermal baths
- Découverte Aqua · Ax-les-Thermes · 9.5 km away
- Cures thermales - Ax-les-Thermes · Ax-les-Thermes · 9.6 km away
- Cures courtes Aqua · Ax-les-Thermes · 9.6 km away
Museum
- Mountaneô - L'espace muséographique · Orlu · 5.7 km away
- Mountaneô · Orlu · 5.7 km away
- Le centre historique Jean Duvernoy de Montaillou · Montaillou · 7.8 km away
Cinema
- Cinéma d'Ax-Les-Thermes · Ax-les-Thermes · 9.4 km away
Source: DATAtourisme (open data), within 10 km of the resort; places in a large town of the valley are left out. Checked on 12 September 2026. Opening times and prices are the operator’s — check before you go.
Practical information
Collective accommodation
239 bed spaces in tourist residences, holiday villages and hostels
- 2 youth hostels and sports centres · 239 bed spaces
- 1 campsite · 61 pitches
Commune: Ascou · INSEE tourist accommodation survey, 2026, read on 12 September 2026. Collective accommodation only — privately let flats and second homes are not counted. INSEE dataset ↗
In case of accident
112 — the European emergency number, free of charge, triggers mountain rescue. On the pistes, the ski patrol number is printed on the piste map and at lift ticket offices. Piste rescue is charged: check your insurance or take the option sold with the lift pass.
What's on around Ascou-Pailhères
All 8 upcoming events →-
18 September 2026 · 09:00
Visite guidée scolaire de la centrale hydroélectrique d’Orgeix
Mountaneô et la centrale hydroélectrique EDF d'Orgeix · Orlu
À l'occasion des Journées Européennes du Patrimoine, le vendredi 18 septembre est dédié aux scolaires dans le cadre de l’opération nationale « Levez les yeux ! », venez visiter **Mountaneô** et tous …
Source: OpenAgenda, agenda “ADT Ariège Pyrénées” · View on OpenAgenda ↗
Also near: Ax 3 Domaines (8.3 km), Le Chioula (9.7 km), Camurac (10 km)
-
19 September 2026 – 20 September 2026
Visite de l'église Saint-Vincent
Église Saint-Vincent · Ax-les-Thermes
L'église Saint-Vincent, mentionnée dès le Xe siècle est associé à l'église Saint Jean d'Auze, probablement baptismale. D'abord de forme romane elle évolue régulièrement jusqu'à sa forme actuelle.
Source: OpenAgenda, agenda “ADT Ariège Pyrénées” · View on OpenAgenda ↗
Also near: Ax 3 Domaines (2.9 km), Le Chioula (4 km), Camurac (9.5 km)
-
19 September 2026 – 20 September 2026
Visite de la chapelle Notre-Dame-des-Bains
Hôpital Saint-Louis · Ax-les-Thermes
La chapelle est associée à l'histoire de l'Hôtel Dieu depuis le XIIIe siècle. Belle architecture vernaculaire de montagne, courant XVIIe siècle. Chauffée naturellement par les sources d'eau chaude, …
Source: OpenAgenda, agenda “ADT Ariège Pyrénées” · View on OpenAgenda ↗
Also near: Ax 3 Domaines (2.8 km), Le Chioula (4 km), Camurac (9.6 km)
-
19 September 2026 – 20 September 2026
Visite de la chapelle Saint-Jérôme
Chapelle Saint-Jérôme · Ax-les-Thermes
Découvrez cette chapelle, remarquable écrin d'un mobilier du XVIIe siècle caractéristique de l'art baroque pyrénéen. Construite au début du XVIIe siècle à la suite d'un incendie, elle fut le siège, à…
Source: OpenAgenda, agenda “ADT Ariège Pyrénées” · View on OpenAgenda ↗
Also near: Ax 3 Domaines (2.6 km), Le Chioula (4.1 km), Camurac (9.8 km)
-
19 September 2026 – 20 September 2026
Visite guidée de la centrale hydroélectrique d'Orlu
Mountaneô et la centrale hydroélectrique d'Orlu · Orlu
À l'occasion des Journées Européennes du Patrimoine, samedi 19 et dimanche 20 septembre, venez visiter **Mountaneô** gratuitement et **découvrez tous les secrets de la centrale hydroélectrique EDF** …
Source: OpenAgenda, agenda “ADT Ariège Pyrénées” · View on OpenAgenda ↗
Also near: Ax 3 Domaines (8.3 km), Le Chioula (9.6 km), Camurac (9.9 km)
Events published on OpenAgenda by the agendas named above, kept when they take place within 10 km of the resort. We organise nothing: times, prices and cancellations are the organiser's.
Nearby resorts
Frequently asked questions
How high is Ascou-Pailhères?
Ascou-Pailhères sits at 1,504 m at village level, and its ski area rises to 2,044 m.
How many kilometres of pistes does Ascou-Pailhères have?
Ascou-Pailhères has 12 km of pistes served by 7 lifts (OpenStreetMap survey).
What is the longest piste in Ascou-Pailhères?
The longest piste is Fontargente: 3 km (blue run), for 365 m of vertical. Measured on the OpenStreetMap map, segments of the same name and level joined end to end, altitudes from the IGN RGE ALTI terrain model — a resort sometimes advertises a longer run by chaining several pistes.
How high do the lifts go in Ascou-Pailhères?
The highest lift, Mounegou (platter lift), tops out at 2,058 m. Source: STRMTG, French national register of mechanical lifts (CAIRN database), file dated 1 January 2025.
How many lifts does Ascou-Pailhères have, and what is their capacity?
The French national register of mechanical lifts records 7 installations at Ascou-Pailhères (1 chairlift, 5 drag lifts, 1 magic carpet), for an authorised capacity of 5,562 people per hour, of which 1,260 for Ecole alone. The fleet spans 1966 to 2013, an average age of 46 years. This count covers the resort itself, magic carpets included, not the whole linked ski area — a resort brochure often announces a different number. Source: STRMTG, French national register of mechanical lifts (CAIRN database), file dated 1 January 2025.
How do I get to Ascou-Pailhères?
By road, Ascou-Pailhères is 2 hr 00 from Toulouse (142 km), excluding traffic and winter conditions. By train, the nearest station is Ax-les-Thermes, 16 min by road from the resort. No direct bus line from the station to the resort appears in the open-data timetables. The nearest airport is Perpignan-Rivesaltes, 2 hr 35 away.
How long is the drive from Paris to Ascou-Pailhères?
8 hr 59 for 818 km from central Paris, excluding traffic and winter conditions. Computed on the real road network (OpenStreetMap): allow more on a school-holiday Saturday.
Is the snow reliable in Ascou-Pailhères?
It varies from one winter to the next according to twenty winters of Météo-France measurements; in season the daily report prevails.
Is Ascou-Pailhères good for beginners and families?
50% of the pistes are green or blue: a rather technical area.
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