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Ski Holidays in Alpe d’Huez
Also known as L’Isle Au Soleil due to its average of 300 days of sunshine a year, it’s part of the world-renowned Alpe d’Huez Grand Domaine ski area, which includes the villages of Villard Reculas, Vaujany, Oz-en-Oisans, Huez-en-Oisans, Auris-en-Oisans and l'Alpe d’Huez.
With 250km of diverse runs, this interlinked ski area is a paradise for skiers and snowboarders of all levels and it has one of the best lift-served verticals around, with a drop of 2,300m between the highest and lowest ski lifts and a clutch of the world’s longest pistes ̶ many of which measure a jaw-dropping 16km from top to bottom.
If you’re an adept skier in search of thrills, there are ample off-piste opportunities here in areas like Gorges de Sarenne (hire a mountain guide to be safe), while snowboarders are in seventh heaven in the huge terrain park.
The ski roots of Alpe d’Huez stretch back to the 1920s, when the first road reached the area ̶ the first ski lift followed in the subsequent decade and its size and reputation has grown ever since. The resort now has a whopping 30,000 ski beds available nightly in a range of well-appointed accommodation options.
Facilities are fabulous, with a wide range of shops, ski hire and ski lesson operators, off-piste entertainment and leisure activities to suit all ages, chic cafes and restaurants and legendary après-ski.
For a catch-all family ski holiday that blends comfort and convenience with world-class snowsports facilities, Alpe d’Huez , France is tough to top.
This resort has a huge choice of nursery slopes and two vast, wide beginner’s areas in the Bergers area of the village as well as the first level of slopes serviced by the DMC gondola. These areas can also be accessed by various chair lifts and drag lifts.
Intermediate skiers are in their element here thanks to the huge vertical runs available from the top of Le Pic Blanc. Check out the 2,035m descent to La Villette, the 2,000m drop to Oz-en-Oisans at 1,330m, and the 2,205m descent to L’Enversin d’Oz at 1,125m.
The Champagne Run from Le Pic Blanc is another leg burner ̶ it’s 2200m long and earned its effervescent moniker because locals decided anyone who completes it in one go deserves a large glass of bubbly!
There is 67km of black pistes across 16 groomed runs, providing a good selection of options for advanced skiers. Hop on the DMC jumbo gondola from the resort base and you’ll reach the Pic Blanc summit via a second lift. You can take on the Sarenne Run from this launchpad ̶ at 16km, it’s the longest black in the Alps, but it’s more of a marathon than a rollercoaster ride as half its length meanders along a riverside path.
Alpe d’Huez France is a snowboarders’ paradise ̶ here’s the lowdown on the resort’s attractions for riders.
There’s a huge variety of off-piste terrain to explore (with the assistance of a local guide), with everything from expansive glacier powder fields to thrilling tree-lined runs.
The pick of the pisted runs might be the blue couloir which drops down from the top of the Troncons lift ̶ there are lots of small drops to take on at the right-hand side and it’s brilliant for a bit of jibbing.
The Montfrais snowpark is accessed from the Myrtilles blue piste. It’s a slightly trickier course with bigger kickers and more challenging rails.
Marcel’s Farm is a reasonably new fun kid’s zone accessed from the super-fast Signal ‘chondola’ (a lift that mixes 8-person chairs and gondolas) It’s packed with brilliant boardercross features, banked corners, gates, a tunnel, a mini half-pipe, a selection of freestyle rails and even a cow slalom course!
Snow Conditions in Alpe d'Huez
Alpe d’Huez is one of the most snow-sure resorts in the Alps ̶ here’s some more information on its historical snow conditions:
Despite being one of the most southerly Alpine ski resorts, L' Alpe d’Huez has a high altitude of 1860m and its lift system reaches above 3300m to a year-round snowfield on the Sarenne glacier, which equates to excellent snow reliability throughout a season that spans early December to late April.
The resort has 900 snow cannons to enhance natural snow cover on occasions when it’s not as comprehensive as expected ̶ this capacity can cover 1600 vertical metres of the mountainside and 75km of pistes.
The most recent seasonal snowfall figures for Alpe d’Huez reveal a total snowfall of 533cm, a total of 34 snowfall days, a largest snowfall of 40cm, an average base depth of 124cm, maximum base depth of 225cm, average summit depth of 222cm and maximum summit depth of 360cm.
The Après-Ski in this lively resort is amazing ̶ here are the hotspots and chill-out zones:
La Folie Douce is now a franchise with several outlets across the Alps ̶ its Alpe d’Huez incarnation has been open since 2013 on the mountain at Plat des Marmottes and features the same fun formula of cabaret-style entertainment, live music, and decent food and a fine selection of alcoholic drinks.
Smithy’s Tavern is located bang in the middle of the old town and it’s an Alpe d’Huez institution. It regularly hosts live bands and DJs, discount jugs of beer, bombs and cocktails get the party swinging and you can enjoy a terrific Tex-Mex meal to soak up some of the alcohol. As if that’s not enough, when last orders are called at 2am you can pop downstairs to L’Igloo nightclub and bust a move ‘til 4am!
Underground Bar is a British-run pub in the town centre with a ceiling adorned by colourful snowboards, cheap drinks, live TV sport and live music ̶ a sure-fire bet for a top night.
Sphere Bar is close to Le Cristal de L’Alpe apartments, it has a large sun-kissed terrace, great drinks deals, live TV sport and live music.
As you might expect, facilities in Alpe d’Huez are fantastic, quality shops, outstanding off-slope leisure and eclectic entertainment for all ages ̶ read on for full information.
There are many ski hire operators in Alpe d'Huez, but to save yourself the trouble of sifting through your options, it’s less hassle to grab your gear through Erna Low. Our longstanding relationships with resort outlets mean that we can always arrange the best quality kit for your skiing style and aptitude and ensure that it’s ready for swift pick up at a location near your accommodation.
It’s also easy to pre-order your Alpe d'Huez ski passes with Erna Low and we often have free child passes and group discounts throughout the season . Contact us to see what’s on offer for your holiday dates.
Your thighs will be aching after some of the monster verticals in l'Alpe d’Huez, but luckily there are plenty of well-appointed spa and pool facilities where you can rest and relax in style. Nuxe Spa in the Chamois d’Or has a pool, hammam, sauna and range of massage and beauty treatments and Pure Altitude Spa at the Royal Ours Blanc Hotel has a heated pool and cathartic dry heat bath sauna which will purge your toxins. If you really want to treat yourself, the Massage Me professionals provide mobile treatments in the comfort of your own residence, while the Palais de Sport complex has a lovely pool, gym facilities and much more.
There are enough shops in Alpe d’Huez to allow you to while away a few hours indulging in a spot of retail therapy. For instance, you can pick up everyday essentials from supermarkets Sherpa, Spar or Carrefour, browse chic mountain fashions at Henri Sports Boutique and choose from a sumptuous selection of soft furnishings and stylish textiles at Prestige Decoration.
Kids are well catered for in this family-focused resort ̶ read on for more information on activities and entertainment for your little ones.
There are several ski schools in Alpe dHuez , but for quality and attention to detail, we can’t see past ESF ̶ they cater for kids aged 4 years and upwards and classes are restricted to a maximum of 10 students. Furthermore, the company’s Le Chalet des Enfants accepts children aged two and a half to 5 years old and combines ski lessons with enjoyable educational games.
There’s plenty of off-slope entertainment to keep kids busy at Alpe d’Huez ̶ for example at the Palais de Sport centre alone, there are climbing lessons for children aged 8 and over, archery lessons for the same age group and a ball pool pit and mini golf course for all ages. The fun doesn’t stop here though ̶ there’s also an open-air ice rink, fun sledging areas and a multimedia library where kids can borrow books and DVDs for free and enjoy age-appropriate shows and exhibitions.
There are two municipal creches in Alpe d’Huez ̶ Les Crapouilloux accepts children over 4 years old and Les Intrepides caters for kids aged 6 months to 4 years.
Alpe d’Huez is a high-altitude resort set at 1860m high in the Central French Western Alps and skiers here benefit from access to slopes almost all the way up to the 3330m summit of Pic Blanc. The south facing slopes mean it benefits from bright sunshine which makes the entire vista even more beautiful, but the pistes still hold their snow well and there’s plenty of fresh powder for off-piste pursuits. There’s suitable skiing for all levels, but confident intermediates and advanced skiers love the huge vertical drops from the top of Pic Blanc, many of which exceed 2000m.
