 Poster: A snowHead
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Going to Alpe d'Huez for the first time in February. Anyone got any tips on what's not to be missed? Both on the slopes and off? Most interesting runs, best restaurants, that kind of thing. Thanks!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Alpe d' Huez is a frightful resort. It is a soulless, treeless moonscape. Nightlife is terribly downmarket. Rammed with pikey Brits.
The blacks up on the glacier are fairly tasty. The trip over to Vaujany is moderately attractive. A quick 'copter ride over to Les 2 Alpes is good fun and not too pricey.
Overall, though, ADH is one of the most overrated stations in the entire Alps. Prepare to be disappointed.
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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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Whitegold, so you're not keen then? 
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ADH is just about the worst resort I have ever visited.
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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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Patch, ignore Whitegold. I really enjoyed it there, there's good varied skiing to be had, the old town of Alpy D is nice and if you're thinking of tuition then I recommend Masterclass. There's been lots wriiten on here about the resort - I'm sure if you do a search you'll come up a flavour of what its like. I'm afraid its too long ago for me to remember names of restaurants/bars/runs - must be old age 
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again, ignore whitegold, theres loads of skiing, loads of vertical, a massive ice rink, snow quad circuit, some nice shops and some nice places to eat amongst other things. I've been twice and enjoyed both times immensely. I've been to serre chevalier, pas de la casa, espace killy, valloire and the three valleys as well and it compares favourably to them for me:)
There is a gorgeous wee tree lined blue down into the valley with a river running beside it, cant remember the name of the area but its accessed by this crazy chair that drops down into a valley and up the other side. If its snowy its pure winter wonderland stuff, shrouded by snowy trees in the silence of the bottom of the valley. Its mostly quite gentle, but its really pretty.
You'll have a good holiday.
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You have picked a good resort although the Sarenne is overrated..its a long piste, supposedly black but its tame...there are plenty better from the top. In good conditions you can see all sorts of lines and if you are adventurous and can get someone to show you around then you will see a very different resort than from the maps.
In good condiitons it will be a mighty blast and I'll get over there again this year. I can't comment of the Restos but it seems lively enough by French standards. Maybe see how much it is to get across to L2A as that place is worth a visit as well
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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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Thanks for the feedback.
I suppose that the Sarenne is a must-do, even if its over-rated.
I understand that its possible to get to Les 2 Alpes via helicopter link - does anyone know prices?
Any good off-piste routes that don't need a guide? Good couloirs, but not over-difficult?
and any restaurant recommendations for the evenings?
Thanks again
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Patch,
You might want to PM Arno who knows the area very well.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Patch, Alpe D'Huez is a great resort and you will have a fantastic holiday. The Sarenne whilst maybe overated on the difficulty scale is still a really lovely run and well worth attempting. My advice would be to try to do it in between ski-school lesson times as since Marmottes 3 has given easier access to it there has been several 'snakes' going down it which can be a bit annoying. The helicoptoer link to LDA is 59 euros return and well worth the trip. You can also get the bus over on either wednesday or thursday and that is only 6.50 Euros. There is some great off piste runs to be had - a guide is probably a good idea as will mean that you don't waste any time looking for where to go and they are always going to take you where the conditions are the best as well.
Where abouts are you staying? For restaurants in the old part of town the Genepi is very good, as is the RoyLarde if you like pizza. More centrally Edelwiess does very nice food, Fondu en Follie will give you the best fondu and if you are looking for top of the range you can't beat a trip to the Petti Creux. My overal favourite is probably Les Epiciers which is by the Royal l'Ours Blanc and has great food and a lovely atmosphere.
Hope that helps and that you enjoy your trip! 
Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Sun 24-12-06 13:47; edited 1 time in total
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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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I thought the pistes were good but the resort not so good
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I'd rather the skiing was the best part of the holiday..... as there is always the duvet for me..!! And then you start all over.
And as far as skiing goes, its has loads of potential, you only have to want to look for it.
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You know it makes sense.
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Thanks for all the feedback so far. The skiing is far more important that the resort itself. Staying in a self-catered chalet in a group of 14, mixed ability skiers - all those having lessons have already booked. The others will be looking to cover a lot of ground, doing a wide variety of runs
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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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Was there is January 2004. It rained for 2 days upto 2800m!!!!
Had a terrible time. Think it is overrated.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Patch, If you're going in Feb it'll be good. there's loads of space and pistes of all types. It should be an excellent choice for your group. Personally I dislike the town, but mid-winter the skiing is good. You need to book as soon as you arrive in resort for the helicopter as there aren't too many flights and they get very booked up. 59 euros for there and back, which gives you a full day's skiing and two spectacular heli rides to boot is fantastic value.
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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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Whitegold, is there anything you do like? You grumpy old git.
Nothing wrong with ADH - lots of good pistes, acres of excellent off-piste (Arno will be along in a minute with details, no doubt), good mountain restaurants at reasonable prices, best sports facilities in the alps. Also plenty of restaurants of all sorts - my vote goes to the Petit Creux as the best (though not the cheapest!).
Can also second cathy, 's recommendation of Masterclass for lessons.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyone any on the ground reports on snow conditions in Alpe d'Huez at the minute. Headin there in 3 weeks (13th January) with a group of 25.
We are staying in the Quartier des Bergers apartments. How do they rate?
And Merry Christmas to you all.
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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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Compared to Courchevel I found ADH had:
Slower lifts
Less well marked pistes and general signage
(Much) worse grooming of pistes
Far fewer boarders to knock you down
Apart from a couple of home runs, generally much less crowded
Cheaper/better mountain restaurants
Swimming pool was great (speedos only)
Hope you have a good trip!
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MhicEasmuint, i stayed in the quartier des bergers the first time i visited. They were clean and tidy, not too spacious, but had a decent balcony with an incredible view. A very short walk to the nearest lifts/hire shops. I'd stay there again 
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Element,
The short walk to the lifts/hire shops sounds the best, from looking at the town map looks as if there is lifts just across the road from it. I was reading there was an outdoor heated pool at it. Are speedo's required for all pools over there?
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MhicEasmuint, Well hopefully we will of had more snow before you come out!! All things considered we are not doing too badly for snow. Conditions up on the glacier are good as is the snow on some of the higher runs. Below that the skiing is quite hard packed with some icy patches to watch out for. The Montfrais area is open now for skiing which adds a bit of diversity as are Villard and Oz although the bottom of these runs are particualy icy. It is still possible to ski back to the resort on mainly cannoned snow which was starting to get slushy yesterday afternoon as the temperature had risen slightly.
Les Bergers is not the prettiest place to stay but it is incredibly functionable with very easy access to the slopes, lifts and shopping facilities. Speedo's are required for the pool and it is well worth a trip. Hope you have a great trip and that more snow does materialise before you come out.......
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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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| MhicEasmuint wrote: |
| Are speedo's required for all pools over there? |
They are a requirement for pretty much every public pool in France.
l'alpe are claiming 80% ofthe pistes are open. I know that the snow down in shady Oz is from canons and very very icy so maybe not 80% skiable. Still it sounds ok given the desert like conditions in the French Alps.
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| Quote: |
the snow down in shady Oz is from canons
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What, they have priests down there praying for it? 
Amazing!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| davidof wrote: |
l'alpe are claiming 80% ofthe pistes are open. |
Where did you see that? On this site alpedhuez.com they are only reporting 23 of 123 open 
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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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easiski, Thanks v much for the info - do you know how many the helicopter can take?
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Lizzard, Thanks for the recommendations, would the Petit Creux be good for groups of adults+children, do you think?
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You know it makes sense.
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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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davidof, and you got my hopes up there for a while (even if I'm not going for 2 months) 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Patch, depends whether or not your ankle biters eat proper food and can sit still in a restaurant - if so, it's fine. There were several French families in there last time I went.
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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've been keepig an eye on the official website as last few weeks and on the page: here
have been keeping an eye on the number of slopes open with a green light beside them. In the last 2 weeks that has risen from about 20 up to 44 today? I assume that would be from additional snow being made from snow cannons.
In the Bergers area, is there many pubs/clubs or much night life?
It probably wouldn;t matter anyway as there will be 25 of us and be able to make our own craic.
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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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Patch, finally back at my computer. Unguided off-piste? There's lots of choice, but it's one of those places where you need to poke around a bit to find the best lines - even lines which are quite obvious to look at can take a bit of work actually to find the top of.
Depending on how confident you are of off-piste safety and snow conditions, you might want to start with a few laps under the Villarais chair - nice broad slope, some trees, a steepish bit, feels like you're away from it all bit you can very easily traverse back to a piste if you decide you don't fancy it. In a similar vein is the space between the Balme and Campanules pistes. Can be a huge open powder field which amazingly doesn't get skied that quickly because it isn't all that obvious how to get onto it. On a bad weather day, the trees above Vaujany are good. Lots of lines under the Montfrais and Vallonnet chairs.
From the top of the resort, the Sarenne gets a bit slated, but it's a very long scenic run in quite a wild setting. OK, it's pretty easy for a black, but it's well worth doing. There are also lots of interesting lines on the top of the glacier area - just ride up and down the Herpie and Glacier chairs and explore. If you don't fancy the Sarenne, you can try to Cotes Rivets, which is on the right hand side of the valley as you look down it. You access it from the top of the Herpie chair or the Marmottes 3 lift. Just traverse over and choose your line. That is a bit more avalanchey than the things I have described before to a bit of caution is necessary. It's also something to save for a day with good visibility. It's a big area and although it would be hard to get lost if you can see where you're going, in flat light it would be very disorientating
You can also find lots of nice powder if you traverse skier's right of the Tunnel piste. It's moderately steep too.
Those are a few of the easier to describe lines. The La Grave, ADH, LDA off piste guide is quite decent so it's worth buying.
Also, if you have about EUR 50 to spare, an off-piste lesson with Vaujany ESF is a good alternative to a guide. You'll get 2 hours for that which will comprise as many trips up the Dome des Petites Rousses lift as they can squeeze in and you'll get some really really good skiing off the Dome.
There's loads of other stuff which is probably best done with a guide or someone who knows what they are doing. See my signature for some pics
Oh yeah, as Whitegold says, the place sucks really
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Patch, I think it takes 5 per trip and does about 4 trips per day - the rest of the time it rescues damaged skiers/boarders!
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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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Just back from Alpe d'huez, been there since Dec.16th.
Conditions not fantastic but better than most resorts by the sound of it, majority of runs were open, the main ones closed being the greens down at the bottom, great skiing on top at glacier from Pic Blanc or Marmotts 3.
Really quiet until Xmas Eve & after that fairly busy but OK, had a good time, super weather for sitting outside with a beer in the sun at lunchtime.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Although I have clearly not seen as much of Alpey Dee as some that have posted here, I have seen enough to say that it is a great resort. Ok, so the town isn't the prettiest and there aren't many tree lined runs but they are small issues in my book. The layout of the pistes is great, particularly if you are going as part of a mixed ability group. There are some fanastic runs down to sattelite villages such as Vujenay, Villard and Oz with some great mountain restaurants on these runs.
The night life is varied. I reckon that you can pretty much find whatever it is that you want, from a quiet night in a hotel bar to jumping around like a loon to rock music in Smithys Bar.....memories 
We did the helicopter trip....it cost about 60 Euros and holds 5, I think. My only issue with the 'copter was that our group of 8 could have been over to LDA in two trips but they loaded everyone on in no particular order so it took the 8 of us about 3 or 4 journeys to get over. Coming back was better (apart from the fact that the 'copter got called to an emergency on the slopes and delayed the second group of 4 returning by about 30 mins.....we, of course waited in a nearby bar).
As stated previously, The Sarenne is overated and is NEVER a black........but it's got to be done.
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| Lizzard wrote: |
| Patch, depends whether or not your ankle biters eat proper food and can sit still in a restaurant - if so, it's fine. There were several French families in there last time I went. |
Thanks, the kids'll be fine - they are well initiated into 3 hour dinners in French restaurants
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Arno, Thanks for the info, I'll certainly be printing this to take with us!
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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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easiski, provenjohn, Richie, Thanks again for your info and advice. Easiski, I've been watching your photos appear on the Les 2 Alpes thread - it looks good, I think we might need to take that helicopter trip!
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Patch, hope you find some decent snow! the other thing worth looking at is the pistehors off-piste page
this gives an idea of some of the "bigger" routes which are available. these are quite serious routes and unless you really know what you're doing are best done with a guide or someone who does know what they are doing. to put it in context, you can see parts of 3 pistes in the whole picture and they are around the very edges. the sarenne runs the other side of the ridge from pic blanc
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FAQ
oops, it was in the local paper on the 24th, must have been a mistake. It did sound rather a lot to have open. Thanks for checking the website (which I didn't).