El Pas de la Casa is a ski resort (part of the Grandvalira resort), hamlet, and mountain pass in Andorra’s Encamp parish, near the French border. Pas de la Casa is a ski resort and retail center that is more recognized for its bargain shops and Club 18-30 ambience than for its skiing.
Pas de la Casa is not only the highest ski resort in the Pyrenees (at 2100m), but it is also the sunniest. The après ski scene in the resort is perhaps one of the greatest in Europe, and the area also has some of the best shopping in the nation.
Francesc Viladomat, a ski icon, erected the first lift in 1956, and the resort has grown ever since. When the resorts joined forces (and connected lifts) with Soldeu-el Tarter in 2003, they became known as Grandvalira, and established the biggest ski area in the Pyrenees.
Pas is physically quite close-knit; the major clubs, restaurants, and hotels are all clustered around a central strip, making everything very accessible. With affordable drink costs, a plethora of free shots, and late opening hours around the resort, the après ski alone is reason enough to come.
In fact, one of the few places where Pas de La Casa falls short is in its architecture, which looks to have been influenced by an art deco housing project. However, after a few complimentary shots (which are often distributed like confetti), your hotel’s aesthetic attractiveness is likely to become much less of a problem…
With so much emphasis on the off-piste activities, it’s easy to overlook the skiing you’ll have access to. There are 210km of routes for all levels, supplied by 64 contemporary lifts that can transport 100,700 snow enthusiasts up the mountain per hour. The region include Soldeu-El Tarter, Encamp, Grau Roig, Canillo, and Pas, as well as some spectacular freeriding, three well-maintained snow parks, a permanent boarder cross course, and three snow circuits for children.
All of this makes it a great destination for budget skiers or parties searching for a resort where there’s just as much excitement off the slopes as there is on them. It may lack some of the usual ski resort charm, but if you’re looking for an economical and exciting ski vacation, it surely checks all the boxes.