The Real Federación Española Deportes de Invierno (RFEDI-Spainsnow) today awarded the Vallter ski and mountain resort, managed by Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC), with the Sports Merit Plaque at its General Assembly held in Castelldefels. This award recognizes the facility, on its 50th anniversary, for its history as a resort considered to be close, family-friendly, innovative and with a spectacular natural environment.
The director-manager of Vallter, Enric Serra Teixidor, highlighted the resort's strong ties to the world of competition. "Historically, many alpine skiing and snowboarding events have been held in Vallter at the Catalan level," he commented, highlighting the impetus of the Setcases and Camprodon clubs, the holding of juvenile events and the renowned parallel Enric Planella in the 80s and 90s. The resort has hosted Spanish Children's Championships as well as several finals of the Catalan Alpine League and snowboard events.
The resort has also produced great skiers such as Jordi Pujol Planella, who participated in the Calgary 88 and Albertville 92 Olympic Games, or Marlen Garcia Barrull, Spanish champion on several occasions. Both were part of the RFEDI teams.
The president of the Federation, the Aranese May Peus España, was emotional when presenting the Serra plaque. Peus stated that he has “a very special memory of Vallter as a family resort that I got to know very well during my time as a runner and coach when it was run by the Pujols, with Jordi as a great athlete and Olympian. I even remember RFEDI training sessions in Vallter at the end of the season. Without a doubt, great work has been done, which is now in the hands of FGC and which I know positively that its objective is to revitalize the mountain valleys and inland regions such as Ripollès”.
During the event, it was highlighted that, although the official inauguration of Vallter was in 1975, the passion for the mountains and skiing in the area already came from the beginning of the 20th century, with the construction of the first mountain refuge in Spain by the Centre Excursionista de Catalunya in 1909, near the source of the Ter River.
The idea of creating a resort was promoted by Josep Pujol Aulí in the early sixties, and in 1968 the company Vallter SA was established. The first ski lifts, "Morens I" and "Barquins I", were inaugurated in January 1975 in Pla de Morens. Vallter was a pioneer, installing in 1985 the first low-pressure technology in Spain for snow production, and expanding its offer with recreational activities such as the sled park and conveyor belts. Since 2012, with the commitment of the Generalitat through FGC, the resort has not stopped renewing itself, growing with respect for the environment, and has continued to support competition, hosting mountain trail running and cycling events. Looking ahead to 2026, as part of the 50th anniversary events, Vallter plans to focus some event on competition, such as the Marmota Trophy, reaffirming itself as a resort that supports base and competition skiing.
OTHER FGC TURISME WEBSITES