READY TO BUILD AN IGLOO?

Yes, you've read it right, an igloo. It doesn’t take a degree in architecture or any knowledge of engineering, all you need is a specialised instructor. That and pressed snow bricks, a shovel, a saw and a pair of rubber gloves. And your family or friends, of course.

Ohmamiglú will host igloo building workshops on 21 and 22 January and 18 and 19 February. After participating in a workshop you’ll have enough experience to make an igloo on your own.

Apart from the workshops, Ohmamiglú also runs the Igloo Builders’ Convention, to take place this year on 4 and 5 February. Participation is reserved exclusively for people or groups who already know how to build igloos.

If you plan to bring your family along, any underage participants must be big enough to handle 60 cm saws and garden shovels. In addition, the ice blocks can weigh up to 20 kg. If you have smaller children, don't worry, because Ohmamiglú has age-appropriate activities reserved.

Workshops are always held near ski resorts. The place is determined and announced on the Tuesday before each workshop. They are normally held in La Cerdanya, El Solsonès or El Ripollès, but if there’s no snow one must go further afield (Andorra, Capcir, Alta Cerdanya or Pallars). 

The activity runs 6 hours in length. It starts at 9 in the morning, when you’ll join the instructors at the designated meeting point. From the meeting place you’ll take a short hike, 15 minutes tops, to the spot selected for the building of the igloos. They are always easily accessible places so you can get there comfortably.

The workshops are very educational and, needless to say, everyone is required to participate. The instructors will make you play the main role in the entire construction process. Materials for making the ice houses will be provided. All you have to do is wear mountain clothing that protects you from the snow and demonstrate your skill at making and laying snow bricks.

If the igloo is constructed properly, there’ll be a 20º temperature difference between the inside and outside. It all depends on the ambient temperature, the size of the igloo and the sources of heat inside it. Sometimes the heat emanated by the human body is enough. And if the igloo doesn't get much sun and is adequately maintained, it can remain standing for months.

The igloo building workshop ends around lunchtime, so you’ll still have the whole afternoon ahead of you and Sunday, if you decide to stay the night, to take advantage of your trip to the Catalan Pyrenees. Here are a few ideas.

If you have done the activity near Masella and La Molina, you can strap on your boots and skis and head for the slopes. In Masella you can even do it all the same day, since the resort opens its slopes every Saturday of the season until 9 pm to let you try your hand at night skiing.

Apart from skiing, the two resorts offer other activities in the snow, such as sightseeing snow-groomer rides or snowshoeing trips. In fact, La Molina is home to the Fauna Discovery route, a circular snowshoeing trail designed with families in mind. It departs from the chairlift parking lot and makes 18 stops along the trail, where participants will find animals typical of the fauna of the resort, such as deer, royal owls and groundhogs.    

Ready to act like an Eskimo in the Catalan Pyrenees?