A bit of Pyrenees ski porn to put some images to the words. Grand Tourmalet Gourette Artouse https://www.skipass.com/videos/ep6s4-bon-appetit-le-iv-de-f.html Baqueira Catalan resort
Based ourselves in Mirepoix (not far from Carcassonne) for two weeks in June 2013 and day tripped through the most amazing countryside. On our third trip through Ax-les-Thermes towards Andorra My wife said "haven't we been here before", umm bloody French GPS!