Valdezcaray, Ski resort in Ezcaray, Spain
Valdezcaray is a ski resort in La Rioja, northern Spain, set on the slopes of San Lorenzo mountain between roughly 1,530 ft and 6,970 ft (1,530 m and 2,125 m) in elevation. Several chairlifts and surface lifts connect the runs, which face different directions on the mountain and cover a range of difficulty levels.
The resort opened in the 1970s, making it one of the first places in La Rioja where people could practice winter sports. In 2002, new runs were added and the mountain infrastructure was updated, giving the resort much of the shape it has today.
The name Valdezcaray comes from Basque and refers to the valley of the stream near Ezcaray. On weekends, the slopes fill with families from across La Rioja, and the ski school draws many young beginners learning to move on snow for the first time.
The resort is just a short drive from Ezcaray, which makes it easy to combine a day on the slopes with a stay in town. Weather at this elevation can change fast, so layering up and wearing waterproof gear is a good idea regardless of the forecast.
Valdezcaray has one of the densest artificial snow networks on the northern Iberian Peninsula, with over a hundred snow cannons spread across the mountain. This means that even in winters with little natural snowfall, many of the runs can stay open for most of the season.
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