The skiing resort on Sierra Nevada now has outside, heated, stone benches so you don't get icicles on our bicycle, balancing cushions.

There are five of them in the Plaza del Hotel Maribel, which has been recently renovate.

The benches give a thermal sensation of 20ºC, which might not sound much but after spending a day at sub-zero temperatures, you’ll be assured cheerful cheeks!

The stone, or better said concrete, benches are connected up to an electricity supply but consumption is very little: about 200w. Bear in mind that this amount is one fifth of a one-bar electic heater or, if you prefer, two 100w light bulbs.

They’re made in the province, in Dúrcal by Prefabricados San Blas, which is the only company on a national level that makes them.

“People told us that the concrete benches up there are very cold, so we decided to try out a heating idea,” explained a company representative, Miguel Puerta.

Oh, by the way, the company that runs the ski station, Cetursa, said that although the facilities would open tomorrow, it won’t be for skiiing but rather just for tourists who want to look around, as there is not enough snow to open the slopes at the moment.

(News: Sierra Nevada, Granada, Andalucia)