La Pierre Saint-Martin
La Pierre Saint-Martin is a winter sports resort located in the massif de la Pierre Saint-Martin in the French part of the Pyrénées chain. The resort is located on the territory of the commune of Arette, in the département of Pyrénées-Atlantiques in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region.
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?3 / 5
Top of the ski area: 2,144 m · Bottom of the pistes: 1,521 m · Days above 30 cm, December to March, model: 55%
- Ski areaIs there enough to ski all week?2.5 / 5
Km of pistes at the resort: 25 km · Km of pistes across the linked area: 25 km · Lifts: 13 · Balance between piste levels: 84%
- ValueIs the lift pass reasonable for what you get?3 / 5
Adult day pass: €43.5 · Day pass price per km of pistes: €1.74/km · Adult 6-day pass: €235
- Families and beginnersIs it right for children and beginners?3.5 / 5
Share of green and blue pistes: 80% · Magic carpets: 3 · Sledging runs: 1 · Special prices out of 4 (beginner, child, family, free age): 3 · ESF ski school · Ice rink, pool, rail sledge…: 0
- AccessIs it easy to get to?1.5 / 5
Average drive time from 20 major cities: 8 hr 16 · Nearest railway station: 39 min · Station-to-resort shuttles per day: 0 · Nearest airport: 1 hr 44
- Atmosphere and après-skiIs there life in the evening and off the slopes?1 / 5
Bars and pubs: 0 · Nightclubs: 0 · Restaurants: 2 · Upcoming events: 0 · Collective tourist beds: 0 — 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 · Share of hotel rooms in 4 and 5 stars: 0% · Spas and saunas: 0 · Jewellers, watchmakers, fashion boutiques: 0 · Adult day pass: €43.5 — 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.
Right now at the SOUM COUY-NIVOSE station (2,142 m)
Avalanche danger
7-day forecast
Village 1,635 m · top 2,144 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 h · Dec 5.4 h · Jan 5.5 h · Feb 7 h · Mar 7.8 h · Apr 9.2 h — 23 bright days in April (Open-Meteo estimate, 2015-2025).
- November—no record
- December34 cmInsufficient · 40%
- January42 cmVariable · 63%
- February43 cmVariable · 57%
- March47 cmVariable · 60%
- April53 cmVariable · 78%
- 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
Measured snow history: not available for this resort. No Météo-France station close enough (the 1 nearby station sits more than 300 m away from the altitude we aim for (1805 m)). We would rather show nothing than borrow a distant valley’s reading.
The ski area
Compare with another resort →51 pistes, by level — 25 km
- Skiable vertical
- 623 m (1,521 m → 2,144 m)
- Lifts
- 5 chairlifts, 5 drag lifts, 3 magic carpets
- Cross-country skiing
- 6 named trails — 11 km of marked loops (6.1 km of distinct track: the loops overlap), right by the resortOpenStreetMap, lengths measured on the geometry, surveyed on 12 September 2026. A trail with no difficulty tag is shown as "n/a" — never guessed.
See the trails(6)
Trail Level Length Le Lapiaz blue 2.8 km Le Plateau blue 2.5 km Les Hêtres intermediate 2.4 km Les Falaises black 2 km Les Pelouses very easy 1.1 km Oursons green 0.6 km - Without skis
- 2 km of snowshoe and walking trails · 1 sledging run
- Piste aspect
- N 54% · E 7% · S 1% · W 39% (descent direction of 33 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 (2026-2027) detail →
| Adult pass | Price |
|---|---|
| 1 day | €43.50 |
| 6 days | €235 |
| Child, 1 day | €38 |
| Beginner, 1 day | €27 |
| Free | Free under 5 · free from 75 years |
Read on the official price list, full price, excluding promotions. Official price list ↗
Official piste map
Open the piste map (image, 2.2 MB) ↗
Link to the resort’s own file — a piste map is a copyrighted artwork, we host no copy.
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 La Pierre Saint-Martin only (“PIERRE SAINT MARTIN (LA)”), magic carpets included.
Staying and hiring gear in La Pierre Saint-Martin
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 (3) →Official players of the resort, live image.
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 La Pierre Saint-Martin
From Paris: 9 hr 36 (861 km) by road.
By road
- From Pau: 1 hr 27 · 73 km
- From Toulouse: 3 hr 38 · 268 km
- From Bordeaux: 3 hr 44 · 283 km
- From Perpignan: 5 hr 28 · 463 km
- From Montpellier: 5 hr 55 · 498 km
From other major cities (15)
- From Clermont-Ferrand: 7 hr 30 · 637 km
- From Marseille: 7 hr 36 · 661 km
- From Valence: 7 hr 45 · 696 km
- From Grenoble: 8 hr 42 · 788 km
- From Lyon: 8 hr 53 · 796 km
- From Saint-Étienne: 8 hr 56 · 675 km
- From Nice: 9 hr 13 · 819 km
- From Chambéry: 9 hr 27 · 846 km
- From Paris: 9 hr 36 · 861 km
- From Annecy: 9 hr 52 · 905 km
- From Genève: 10 hr 22 · 943 km
- From Dijon: 10 hr 25 · 933 km
- From Besançon: 11 hr 01 · 991 km
- From Nancy: 12 hr 32 · 1144 km
- From Strasbourg: 13 hr 25 · 1229 km
Excluding traffic and winter conditions; passes closed in winter are avoided.
By train
Bedous station
halt · then 39 min drive (26 km)
Nearest main station: Pau, 1 hr 27 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
- Pau-Pyrénées (PUF): 1 hr 44 by road · 82 km
- Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées (LDE): 2 hr 03 by road · 119 km
Take me there
These links open the app with La Pierre Saint-Martin 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 22 kW
- MOBIVE | Arette la Pierre Saint Martin | Parking Office de Tourisme · Citeos Mobilité Electrique Paris - Cogelum IDF · 2 points · 22 kW · 0 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.
Off-piste & ski touring
The resorts for off-piste skiing →Named itineraries: La Combe
Itineraries surveyed on OpenStreetMap within a 4 km radius (7 September 2026): “marked” means an itinerary exists on the map, not that it is open or safe on the day.
Ski touring routes described
Resorts for ski touring →12 ski touring routes documented within 10 km of La Pierre Saint-Martin — up to 1,500 m of climb.
| Summit and route | Ski grade | Climb | Altitude | Aspect | From resort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pic d'Arlas · Depuis la Pierre Saint Martin | n/a · E1 · PD | 400 m | 1,650 → 2,044 m | N | 0.7 km |
| Pic du Soum Couy · Depuis la Pierre Saint Martin | n/a · E1 · PD | 665 m | 1,650 → 2,315 m | N | 1.4 km |
| Pic d'Anie · Depuis la Pierre Saint Martin | 4.2 · E1 · D- | 900 m | 1,690 → 2,504 m | W · SW | 2 km |
| Pic d'Anie · depuis le versant espagnol du Col de la Pierre Saint-Martin | n/a · PD+ | 828 m | 1,676 → 2,504 m | n/a | 2.5 km |
| Pic du Soum Couy · Couloir Est | 4.3 · E1 · D | n/a | 1,700 → 2,215 m | E · SE · NE | 3 km |
| Pic du Soum Couy · Versant N depuis le pont de l'Arpet | 2.3 · PD | 1,500 m | 930 → 2,315 m | N | 3.1 km |
| Barlagne · Du pont de l'Arpet | 1.2 · E1 · F | 900 m | 930 → 1,797 m | N | 3.1 km |
| Pic d'Anie · Voie normale, depuis Laberouat | 2.2 · E1 · AD | 1,100 m | 1,442 → 2,504 m | N | 3.8 km |
| Les Tourelles · Versant N, depuis le col de Bouesou | 2.1 · E1 · F | 1,000 m | 1,009 → 2,038 m | N | 4.7 km |
| Pic des Trois Rois · Par le Vallon d'Anaye | n/a · E2 · PD+ | 1,450 m | 1,080 → 2,444 m | NE · E | 6.8 km |
| Les Tourelles · Traversée des Orgues de Camplong depuis le pic d'Oelharisse | 4.1 | n/a | 1,400 → 2,037 m | n/a | 6.9 km |
| Pic d'Anie · Traversée Cabane d’Ansabère – Refuge Labérouat | n/a · PD- | 1,300 m | 1,600 → 2,504 m | S | 7.7 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 La Pierre Saint-Martin
Toboggan runs
- Station de ski La Pierre Saint-Martin · Arette · 0.2 km away
- Espace nordique de La Pierre Saint-Martin · Arette · 0.9 km away
- Espace nordique d'Issarbe · Lanne-en-Barétous · 6.2 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
- 2 hotels · 29 rooms (2 × 2★)
- 1 campsite · 44 pitches
Commune: Arette · INSEE tourist accommodation survey, 2026, read on 12 September 2026. Collective accommodation only — privately let flats and second homes are not counted. INSEE dataset ↗
Tourist office
Office de Tourisme du Haut-Béarn
📍 64570 La Pierre Saint Martin
Ski school
ESF La Pierre Saint Martin
29 instructors
🇬🇧 11 English-speaking instructors — lessons in English available
🗓️ This school sells its lessons online — book ↗
Source: esf.net
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.
Nearby resorts
Frequently asked questions
How high is La Pierre Saint-Martin?
La Pierre Saint-Martin sits at 1,635 m at village level, and its ski area rises to 2,144 m.
How many kilometres of pistes does La Pierre Saint-Martin have?
La Pierre Saint-Martin has 25 km of pistes served by 13 lifts (OpenStreetMap survey).
What is the longest piste in La Pierre Saint-Martin?
The longest piste is Les Ifs: 2 km (red run), for 368 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 La Pierre Saint-Martin?
The highest lift, SOUM COUY dit "Le Panoramique" (chairlift), tops out at 2,148 m. Source: STRMTG, French national register of mechanical lifts (CAIRN database), file dated 1 January 2025.
How many lifts does La Pierre Saint-Martin have, and what is their capacity?
The French national register of mechanical lifts records 12 installations at La Pierre Saint-Martin (4 chairlifts, 5 drag lifts, 3 magic carpets), for an authorised capacity of 15,274 people per hour, of which 2,500 for MAILHNE dit "Le Family" alone. The fleet spans 1962 to 2020, an average age of 25 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 much is a lift pass in La Pierre Saint-Martin?
The adult day pass costs €43.50 and the 6-day pass €235 (2026-2027, read on the official price list).
How do I get to La Pierre Saint-Martin?
By road, La Pierre Saint-Martin is 1 hr 27 from Pau (73 km), excluding traffic and winter conditions. By train, the nearest station is Bedous, 39 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 Pau-Pyrénées, 1 hr 44 away.
How long is the drive from Paris to La Pierre Saint-Martin?
9 hr 36 for 861 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 La Pierre Saint-Martin?
It varies from one winter to the next according to twenty winters of Météo-France measurements; in season the daily report prevails.
Is La Pierre Saint-Martin good for beginners and families?
80% of the pistes are green or blue: a very accessible area.
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