The Valentin stream has its source above Lake Uzious [fr], a tarn near the France–Spain border, and joins the Gave d'Ossau at Laruns.

While the Spanish Pyrenees, a few kilometres further south, suffer from dry winters, the northern French side is buried by heavy snowfall.

[3] In November 1903, Henri Sallenave [fr], brother of the future mayor of Pau, bought skis from the Manufacture de Saint-Étienne.

The first avalanche barriers were built, securing access and the first regular coach lines linked Gourette to Laruns, Pau and even Bordeaux.

[6] On 1 February 2015, the resort experienced a major avalanche that swept away the departure station of the Fontaines de Cotch ski lift[7] as well as an electric generator.

The buildings of the Valentin residences were renovated, while the tourist centre of the resort experienced rapid deterioration due to a lack of maintenance.

[13] To deal with the problems of declining attendance and the ageing of the resort, as well as those linked to climate change, the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department embarked on a restructuring project for Gourette in 2020.

[14] This began with the redevelopment and reprofiling of the beginner sector of Bézou, and the dismantling of a gondola lift to open up the panorama of the meeting area at the centre of the resort.

The project, which has been increased to €27 million, will restructure the resort by installing a second meeting area at an altitude of between 1,500 and 1,600 m (4,900 and 5,200 ft) in order to take into account the hazards linked to climate change, and thus allow Gourette to continue to operate with little snow.

[15] In winter, the resort offers one of the largest skiable areas in the Pyrenean chain with thirty marked trails, and extending between 1,350 and 2,450 m (4,430 and 8,040 ft) in altitude, covering about 140 ha (350 acres) of mostly north-facing slopes.

In 2005 the region spent over 50 million euros to improve its winter resort facilities, including trails, lifts, accommodation and other infrastructure.

In addition to beginner and easy slopes, there is a mountain restaurant, a sledging area, and a Nordic skiing circuit linked to the bottom of the resort.

The French GR 10 hiking trail, which covers over 800 km (500 mi) from one end of the Pyrenees to the other, passes through the village.

Whenever the Tour de France uses the western side of the Col d'Aubisque, either as an ascent or descent, the race passes through Gourette.

The road through the Col d'Aubisque, cresting at an altitude of 1,710 m (5,610 ft), has gradients from 7.5 to 10% and is considered a Hors Catégorie climb in Union Cycliste Internationale race classifications.