Allemonde for Alpe d'Huez

A snowHead

For those who know the area...

Is Allemonde (Sp) doable for a few weeks in the AdH area; or is it too low/slow/restrictive?

We are a pair of ancients who like comfort and need parking; not big on apre or other night life. 30sqm 'cosy' apartments are not appealing any more!

Thanks.

PS, we don't mind a 20-25 min drive to resort, so chip in if a different station/village would be better in your opinion.

A snowHead

Allemond,

You just get the Eau d'Olle Express up in the center of the village. You can't ski back down the village though, the lowest you can practically ski to is la Sardonne at 1000m but it is avalanche prone off piste.

You can also drive to Villard Reculas or to Vaujany although neither would buy you much.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@davidof, Missed this, thanks very much.

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@Charliegolf, We stayed in a Caravaneige there many years back for around 10 days skiing over the New Year. It worked for us with our then 3 small boys. I remember driving to various lifts and it was nice to have variety and choice given that the snow was not fantastic.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@CaravanSkier, very brave, what time of year are you going @Charliegolf, ?

I use the lift from Allemond quite a bit as it saves a long schlepp up the mountain if coming from Grenoble. The only downside is having to take the lift down at the end of day. I've even taken it to cross country in l'Alpe d'Huez, which requires a second lift: https://pistehors.com/9ElsbIcBsDqi-Lmi88en/lalpe-dhuez-oisans-france

You could also consider skiing over at the Col d'Ornon one day and les Deux Alpes is accessible.

You'll need to Register first of course.

@davidof, Mid Jan to early Feb, about 3 weeks. Possibly just 2 to leave a sneaky week open in March. We are awaiting the snow- I know that can be a problem accom wise, but hey ho.

Alpe d'Huez is not fixed yet- need a new place and the piste map appeals.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@Charliegolf, March it will be spring like at Allemond. In Jan it may be a bit gloomy although the village is on the south flank of the mountain. The return to Oz can be icy in Jan as it is in the shade.

After all it is free

@Charliegolf, I am hoping to be there then. I have booked an airbnb in Allemond for 5 weeks. Never been there.

@davidof, I know you cant ski down to Allemond, but I was hoping that the busses in the area could be used if I am higher up and miss the last lift? they seem fairly frequent ? I hope so anyway. Ill get a season pass and so am likely to come back again if I can get a cheap airbnb. It's a bit of an experiment this year ie all my eggs in one basket and hope for the best! It seems cheaper overall than going for say 3 weeks separately.

We have stayed in Allemond in the summer but would choose Vaujany just up the road in the winter. Vaujany is typically 'prettier'. No lift queues and high capacity cable car reaches 2800m and glacier in less time than from AdH. Free underground parking with many apartments. Local pistes are quiet and there is good snow making. Apres very low key but there is a nice bar in the center square to enjoy the afternoon sun. Ski red
Vaujanate back to La Villette just short of
Vaujany, can be bit slushy at end of the day
but really fun skiing through the forest at
the bottom or the black La Fare. I have
always found skiing back to Oz less
enjoyable because of the ice and steeper
pistes but you are probably a more courageous skier than me and will find it no problem. I don't think you can go wrong in this area tbh Very Happy

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@HDJ, did you check when the downlift runs to? Maybe someone can answer this? It is 17h30 in the summer.

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@davidof, Thanks for the info thats great. I think its 4.30. which isnt so great. This is a link to the buses in the valley (there may be others and certainly are within the resorts higher up)

https://www.seealpedhuez.com/files/452

So, if one were to have a couple of beers on the mountain and not make the 4.30, you can ski to Vaujany and get a bus from there (10 mins). Obviously in dec/jan it's going to be getting dark!

I cant see a bus from the ~Main ADH resort down without it taking say 50 mins. I'll have to check that out.

Its a bit of a compromise but makes it doable as there is a dramatic difference in price for accommodation lower down.

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The lift up from Allemond to Oz is superfast, and we really like the place down there for a drink after - auberge la douce montagne.
Also being down there gives you lots of scope to explore
My memory is that the last lift down shuts later than the piste, but can't find a winter timetable to confirm that. As others have said, it can be a bit blue light cold in early morning January but I'm a fan of Allemond and the lift.

@FranzKlammer, thats wonderful to hear as I was wavering a bit when I saw that. as along as there is somewhere for me to get out in the evening and have a beer as ill be on my own !

You know it makes sense.

How long would it take to drive from Allemond to say, Huez 1500?

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@Charliegolf, if you like comfort, scratch AdH from your list. It's probably the most uncomfy, exhausting ski resort of the Alps.

A snowHead

@Tristero, Hi do you mean the pistes/skiing or just the resort itself?

A snowHead

@Tristero, Hence being willing to be out of resort for better accom. Unless, as @HDJ, asks, are you saying the skiing is bad? We always look for cruisey blues n reds btw.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Last year's piste map shows the Eau d'Olle between Allemond and Oz open from 8.30am to 6pm, so there was plenty of time to either ski back to Oz from AdH or take the Poutran bubble back, have a quick drink in the village, and still get the lift down to Allemand at the end of the day. The lift itself is really quick and a great way up/down the mountain without needing to drive.

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@shrew, Brilliant. well spotted! incidentally it has CD Eau d’Olle Express closing at 6 and Funi Eau d’Olle Express at 5.50. What is the difference between the two lifts? is there a little funicular at the end of the main lift or something?

So actually, if you accept you cant ski back down the connectivity is actually pretty good. Home in time for tea! Thats made me feel pretty good about the decision so thanks for the info guys.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@HDJ, The Eau d'Olle express starts in the center of Allemond and terminates just above Oz. Coming out of the lift if you turn left it is a flat walk to the l'Alpette lift and Vaujany. Turning right you can ski down to the Oz bubble for l'Alpe d'Huez.

For foot passengers this wasn't convenient (steep, icy ski piste) so there is a tiny connecting funicular in Oz (I've not used it as skiers don't really need it unless taking the l'Alpette).

You'll need to Register first of course.

You might want the funicular if you have downloaded to Oz from AdH in the Poutran bubble. In the photo above you'd end up in the big lift station with the green/white roof and would appreciate the funicular to carry you and your kit up to the Eau d'Olle which is roughly where the photo is taken from.

If you ski down to Oz from AdH you don't need the funicular because you can ski directly to the top of the Eau d'Olle.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@shrew, fair point. are there any good bars for a beer in the afternoon that side of ADH? is it reasonable on the mountain (v unlikely I know)?

After all it is free

Well Oz isn't exactly a raucous resort, but yes there are a couple of decent bars, including La Potee (often with a load of ESF instructors outside) and Le P'tit Verre d'Oz (better in some opinions, but down a few steps around the corner), or La Ferme which is less of a bar but has a view of the slopes (you can just see the tables and chairs to the right of the funicular in the photo above).

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@HDJ, @Charliegolf, I'm talking about the skiing and the lift system, really. It's a bit complicated. AdH as winter resort goes back a long time, even long before the war. It's a story of ups and downs, which says a lot in itself. And they got a great marketing, especially because of the Tour. That might put it in the same category as the big Tarantaisian three in a lot of skier's minds (who haven't been there already). But it's not.

In a nutshell, the lower part of the main bowl (all below 2100/DMC mid station) is ideal ski terrain in 1930s terms: flat and sunny. Which isn't so great now, as it's too flat for competent skiers with modern equipment to call it skiing, it's incredibly busy and turns into boilerplate very, very quickley. Actually, that is the major downside of AdH, no other ski resort I know of has this problem on that scale. Not even close.

Above that it steepens up significantly, in a high alpine style. Pic Blanc and it's surroundings are stunning, though. But the capacity just isn't there. It's nearly a farce, to leave the main bowl upwards, you have to rely on acient installations. There are queues to wait, steps to climb and then you are standing in them cramped together. Afair, the only gondolas in which you could properly sit down are Vaujany-Villette-Montfrais (very little use) and Marmottes II. Last New Year we went to Pic Blanc in seven ski days only once. You read that right, 1 time. Why? Queuing alone took 50min. Ah, did I mention that the Glacier chair is no more?

When it comes to the satellites, they are really this, satellites. Auris is situated on the other side of a canyon and it takes a while to there and back. Other than that, there's nothing wrong, except it's mid mountain style vibe and skiing. Villard Reculas has a TSD, which is nice, but it's just on straight western face all the way down there. And then, 1500m is quite low so far south. Oz and Vaujany are no real skiing terrain and would never have become ski towns, hadn't it been that they were situated next to one. The pistes needed to be axed down there and as it goes for all pistes based on dynamite, they are quite narrow and get skied out quickley.

So, it's a big name, but it's really nothing like 3V, EK or Paradiski. Even saturdays are quite the opposite, as it's super busy on good days with half Grenoble up there. Best period is january, for sure - between NY week and French half term. Even early march can be very icey, if you hit a dry spell which isn't particularly rare.

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@Tristero, Detailed response- I appreciate it. Ho hum... now where's that drawing board?

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@Charliegolf, there you go Charlie, perhaps ADH isn't so bad after all

You know it makes sense.

@andmelffion, Never ignore a kindness, thanks. We went to Maurienne last year, so prob not on the list this year. But yer never know!

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

@Charliegolf, For the time of year you should be fine for coming back down to Allemond at the end of the day. School holidays it can be very busy but the last lift down is 18h00. There is a free navette in Allemond if you are not within walking distance of the lift

Allemond itself is quite quiet with only a few bars and restaurants open. The Auberge Douce Montagne is pretty nice for a drink and food.

For the skiing you will have a good choice of blue and red runs. For example from DMC 2 I like the ROUSSES red and going into Villard Reculas you should enjoy the run from the top of SIGNAL all the way down.

In January which I think is when you said you are going I've never waited 50 mins to get to the top of PIC BLANC, usually no or little queues and the Sarenne is great. At the end of Sarenne you could venture into Auris before heading back to Alpe dHuez and to OZ. As others have said this can be icy.

They will be replacing the Villard Reculas chairs with gondolas( lift is exposed to the wind so happy with that)! and replacing the DMC cabins. Other projects planned.

Any other questions you have please ask away as I live in the area. I'm sure you will have a great time and you won't feel as if you have been transported back to the 1930's.

A snowHead

@Alpinebear, thanks very much for the positive vibes! I have booked my stay so it's good to hear. im a bit worried Allemond will be fairly quiet on my own for that length but maybe it will help improve my French. Needless to say if anyone else is out there and fancies catching up for a ski/beer I would be happy to.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@Alpinebear, Thanks so much for that.

@HDJ, When are you there? Only out of interest.

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Well I’m booked from 21/12 to 26/1. Hopefully it will come off !

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Thanks @Alpinebear for the updates on the lifts, particularly the Villard chairs which can be freezing on a windy day! Do you know what the timeline is for either of those?

It looked like work was underway on the Lievre Blanc chair over the summer. Is that just replacing the chairs themselves, or an upgrade to the machinery too?

You'll need to Register first of course.

If anyone is interested in the history of The Tunnel: https://pistehors.com/LHwgxIwB1g7SdbHcIun4/pic-blanc-and-the-tunnel-of-legend

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@davidof, From your article :-

"The workers had to also be mountaineers and even skiers. It was not without incident. One of the workers, Michel Herbin, fell 40 meters onto the glacier. The pilot, Henri Giraud, was sent to recover his body. He found Herbin under a meter of snow. He put his body in the plane and flew him to hospital. 2 hours later Herbin discharged himself"

When men were men Smile

After all it is free

@Charliegolf - where do you normally ski? I would have thought somewhere like St Martin de Belleville might fit the bill better? It's a lovely village and after 2 modern lifts you can access both the Meribel and Val Thorens playgrounds. Or Champery in Switzerland - lovely / quiet base from which to explore the PdS.
If you're completely set on AdH then I would definitely recommend Bourg Oisans as your base. It's a lovely town with 2-3 good restaurants - it's only a short drive to Allemond.

@franga, Lots of 3V over the 10 years since we started; same Grand Massif (wife has a dislike for it for reasons I don't get); PdS a bit.

And to be clear, we're not set on anywhere yet; and we'll wait to see how the snow goes too, 3 weeks is a long time on rocks! Very Happy

But AdH is obviously very popular, and this thread has been really useful.

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I've been to Adh ski area at least 7 times. 6 of them we stayed in Oz. Unless you want the nightlife and other extra curricular activities present in the main town, I think Oz is the best place to be located. By extension I guess Allemonde with the fast lift connection is now a good shout. That said I haven't been since 2017 as I felt a little bored/felt we'd outgrown it the last time we went. That also said I find @Tristero's review a little negative.

For good skiers down Sarenne or through the Tunnel from Pic Blanc are both great adventures. And if conditions allow continuing down from Tunnel to Rousses and Fare creates a massive vertical with great challenging skiing. The Montfrais, Signal and Auris sections are nice enough to explore with a good variety of slopes. I actually loved the two piste routes back to Oz. And there is some good mellow off piste to be had.

As I say it's been a while but I don't recall any particular queuing issues or that the lift system was that bad.

Yes, it's not 3V, EK or Paradiski but it's definitely in the tier below for me.

Help!!

Allemonde for Alpe d'Huez

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