 Poster: A snowHead
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We are combining a trip to watch the Monte Carlo Rally with skiing for 4 days.
Flying into Grenoble and the rally based in Gap gives us the opportunity to ski in Alpe d'Huez or Les Deux Alpes.
We are not sure whether to stay out of resort and on the valley floor or in the ski resort. We will have a car. It will out on the 14th Jan.
We are mileage hungry intermediates. Ski anything.
Which ski area would be the better one for us?
Would you stay up in resort or to save a few quid stay in the valley?
Any help would be really appreciated. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Personally I didn't like L2A at all. I felt very limited to the skiing and you get the impression the ski area shape resembles a ruler with not much width. Out of the two I would pick Alpe D'Huez
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Why not stay in Bourg d'Oisans and do 2 days in each. 25 minutes to L2A and 15 or so to AdH. AdH has more runs than L2A but both have plenty for 4 days. Accommodation will be readily available then it's not a particularly busy time.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Although there wont be much nightlife in Bourg if that is important.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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If variety of skiing is key then it would have to be ADH.
However if apres ski is critical then LDA is marginally better. The village is fairly well set up with the majority of bars and restaurants concentrated in the same area. ADH is much more of a sprawl and is a bit of an eye-sore in places.
I haven't stayed down the valley before so can't comment on that option. But bear in mind that in the unlikely event that there is considerable snow early in the season, driving conditions may become difficult (especially on the hairpin ascent up to ADH).
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Like Rick, I wasn't that impressed with L2A....I didn't find the Piste skiing all that great (off piste is a different matter, with the link to La Grave). I haven't been to ADH, but members of my family have and it sounds more interesting.
On the up side, I thought the ski school was quite good. On the down side, I had my skis stolen.
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Fri 14-10-16 14:29; edited 1 time in total
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@theblueprint,
"But bear in mind that in the unlikely event that there is considerable snow early in the season, driving conditions may become difficult (especially on the hairpin ascent up to ADH)."
Depends what you mean by difficult.
It would be very, very unusual to find the road blocked in the morning during the week, provided you have chains / snow tyres, as a good proportion of the resort workers live in the valley and commute each day. Blockages are usually on weekends because of too much traffic and numptys with no snow tyres or chains. The ploughs work all night if snow is heavy.
I have stayed in the valley the last 3 years in February and never had a problem getting to either ADH or LDA.
@Jerby, Allemont is a good place to stay if you want relatively cheap and quiet, you can get in to ADH via Vaujany, OZ or Villard Reculas which are shorter drives. For example the room rates in the Hotel Douce Montagne are lower in the winter than summer.
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| skitow wrote: |
| Allemont is a good place to stay if you want relatively cheap and quiet, you can get in to ADH via Vaujany, OZ or Villard Reculas which are shorter drives. |
I'd second that recommendation - from a point of view of finding somewhere to stay for a short trip and getting access to the slops.
I did one day (when staying in Oz) in LDA and didn't like it, although being a bitterly cold day probably didn't help. But may be worth doing a day to see for yourself. I love ADH.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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If you do decide on LDA, also have a look at accommodation in Venosc; I stopped there a couple of years ago and its a really nice little village (but don't go there is you want lots of nightlife)
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Having done both, you definitely get a greater sense of travelling in ADH, with it's connections into Oz, Auris and Vaunjay. The town however is very spread out and painful on the eyes. I would probably stay in Oz and get the gondola up everyday, it's ski in/out and has a nice alpine village feel to it. Personally I wouldn't fancy driving up the hairpins to ADH everyday, but that's just my own preference.
LDA benefits from a more appealing village and apres scene, but it's slopes are fairly linear and all end up in roughly the same place, so there isn't the same sense of travelling. It also feels like they are grossly inflating the expanse of the ski area.
That said I'm going back to LDA over Xmas, mainly due to snow reliability and cost savings.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Having done both, you definitely get a greater sense of travelling in ADH, with it's connections into Oz, Auris and Vaunjay. The town however is very spread out and painful on the eyes. I would probably stay in Oz and get the gondola up everyday, it's ski in/out and has a nice alpine village feel to it. Personally I wouldn't fancy driving up the hairpins to ADH everyday, but that's just my own preference.
LDA benefits from a more appealing village and apres scene, but it's slopes are fairly linear and all end up in roughly the same place, so there isn't the same sense of travelling. It also feels like they are grossly inflating the expanse of the ski area.
That said I'm going back to LDA over Xmas, mainly due to snow reliability and cost savings.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Thanks for the replies. I will look for accommodation in Bourg d'Oisans, Oz and Allemont . We are not that bothered about Apres but a pint or three is always good. The idea of skiing the 2 resorts sounds good.
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Would you have any recommendations for a B&B in Bourg d'Oisans, Oz and Allemont ?
Thanks
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You know it makes sense.
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Here are two options in Oz:
1. http://www.moontain-hostel.com/en/
Beside the pistes in Oz, so no driving required. It is currently being renovated, and I'm not sure if they are taking bookings yet.
Its based on a hostel model and you can stay by the night.
2. http://www.lechateaudoz.com/
Another option which is a very short drive to the piste in Oz. This is run by a friendly English couple and is nicely renovated.
There are catered or self-catering options
I'm sure there are other options and shouldn't a problem getting accommodation in mid Jan...
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@Jerby, +1 for château D'Oz stated there past two Christmases and back again in Feb, great food, good company and close to station
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Poster: A snowHead
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This place is a couple of miles outside Bourg run by Shaun and Martin 2 English guys. They cater mainly for cyclists in summer but are open all year. Tell them Colin from L2A suggested them 
http://www.bourgdoisansbandb.com/fr/index
Plenty of other small hôtels in Bourg but i dont know any of them personally.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I'd favour ADH over LDA for a short trip, as the others say, variety of piste skiing for intermediates I feel will give you a better time.
Should be a good trip to see the Monte as well, rallying and skiing! I'm quite envious.
ADH is the only place I've skied that they had to chain the bus to get us down from the village, in March.
Hope you have a good time whichever you choose.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Thought Les Deux Alpes was awful. The "village" is just early 80's concrete blocks in a bad state of repair and utterly without charm, and the skiing is pretty average. The piste bashing is lack lustre to say the least - I would rather not go skiing than go there again.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Jerby, where are you staying? Will you be anywhere near Gap?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@Casa Alfredino, really? Not go skiing than go to LDA again? Someone nick your skis when you were there?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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First time was when I was doing ski exams for two weeks, second time I went back just to check it was crap and it was. Thought most of the terrain was monotonous, bar some very steep blacks which are watered till they set like stone and which claim lives every year. Some of the off piste was good, but just thought areas nearby like Serre Che or Mont Genevre are much better. And man is the village ugly. Did I mention that?
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Alpe d"Huez over Les 2 Alpes in all cases. AdH has more km of slopes (220 vs 165 I believe) but most of all quality of slopes at AdH is much much better.
But when the rally is near Gap and you're going there, why not go to Serre Chevalier.
If you stay in Briancon, you can ski both in Serre Chevalier (250 kms of slopes, so larger than AdH and L2A) and you can also ski at Montgenevre.
And if you're lucky, and there's a "retour d'est" you can ski at powder mecca "Abries".
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Montgenevre is worth checking out and allows you to cross the border into Italy and ski the Milky Way (provided the links are open).
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| PaulS wrote: |
| Jerby, where are you staying? Will you be anywhere near Gap? |
For the skiing it looks like AdH and will stay in Bourg. For the rally we will be staying in or around Gap but haven't looked for the rally accommodation yet. Have heard there's no accommodation in Gap for the rally so could be looking nearby.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Onnem wrote: |
Alpe d"Huez over Les 2 Alpes in all cases. AdH has more km of slopes (220 vs 165 I believe) but most of all quality of slopes at AdH is much much better.
But when the rally is near Gap and you're going there, why not go to Serre Chevalier.
If you stay in Briancon, you can ski both in Serre Chevalier (250 kms of slopes, so larger than AdH and L2A) and you can also ski at Montgenevre.
And if you're lucky, and there's a "retour d'est" you can ski at powder mecca "Abries". |
We are going to Serre end of Jan for a week and just wanted to do a different resort whilst near Gap.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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We skied as a family LDA in the last week of March last year. Conditions were fine above 2000m, but variable below that. We really could have done with a dump of snow as the runs back into the village were in poor state by the afternoon. Skiing up high was good, enjoyable. There are some good runs, blues on the challenging side, reds also on the challenging side. Loved the Bellecomb area! for Apres.....can't beat the Pano Bar!
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