 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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I went there this January an can tell you something of interest... The best pistes (and restaurants) are found on the edges of the ski-area. The main Alpe d'Huez area isn't really exciting, but once you're on your way zo Oz, Vaujany (really nice and cheap restaurants!) and Auris it's superb. You'll find the best skiing in these area's. Sarenne isn't that difficult, Le Tunnel is only recommended for really good skiers (and the braves  ). Other pistes in the main area i'd recommend are 'Les Rousses' and 'Combe Charbonniere'.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Jo225, fantastic outdoor pool in centre take your kit! It's lovely you swim out to it. I think it is include in lift pass but not certain. Oh and men need Speedo style trunks in french pools. There's also an ice rink. The bar next to the ice rink, Le Sporting?? I think it's called, just up some steps above a supermarket was good and had music. There's another bar too, think it was called O sharkeys irish which had live music, was quite small down some steps and on a side street. There's an ice driving circuit too. Very good resort lots to do. Unfortunately I didn't ski that year - was grounded with sick child 
Have a great time.
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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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Runs:
Blacks: Sarenne/Chateau Noir (but watch out for rocks that bug your skis in the lowers sections); La Fare, La Foret
Reds: Les Rousses, Chamoix, Alpette (if empty), Belvedere. If you take Marmot 3 up to the Sarenne (Pic Blanc) you miss the hardest section and the run is effectively red/blue all the way down to the flat section.
Blues: Les Travers, Champclotury, Petit Prince
Mountain restaurants: Les Airelles on the blue run down to Montfrais; L`Alpette at bottom of green section of Alpette; La Grange (by gondola leading up to Dome de Petites Rousses); Perce Neige (just down the green `Lutnis` from Poutran I); La Bergerie (at bottom of Petit Prince) and the restaurant at the top of Le Signal.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I reckon the heli would be fun especially if it's your first ride in one. I've taken it from a pick-up point at the end of some of the off-piste itineraries and it is really fun - especially if it isn't completely full and the pilot decides to do some tricks  The really surprising thing is just how damn quick it is. It would probably take 45mins+ to drive from ADH to LDA; it will be less than 10mins in the heli
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Arno, I vaguely recall you recommending some skiing and restaurants in the Auris sector ?
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beetle, i actually ski in auris the least because i usually start from Vaujany. however, if there is fresh snow, there is a massive amount to plunder. it's mostly pretty obvious but if you go off the back you will need to walk back up to Auris
the only restaurant i know well is the one on the run-out of the sarenne. it usually has a nice daily special but it does get busy esp later in the season when it is sunny down there
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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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Cheers
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The bar at open air pool has free wifi if you buy a drink.
Signal de L'Homme was our favourite area. Go on the Scare chair. Less crowded slopes and a variety of skiing. Enjoy. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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If you do Les Rousses down to Alpette do La Fare down to Enversin D'Oz, this gives you a great drop without lifts.
If you do La Sarenne (which I would recommend for the view and lack of lifts) go up to Signal De L'Homme afterwards, have a practice on the bumps and then do the Col De Cluy black, I found the mogul field on the back of the hill every bit as intimidating as the Tunnel, but with more space!
The restaurant at Alpette (in front of you when you do Les Rousses) is really good and we enjoyed a sundowner at a bar just to the left of the drags at the top of the greens (you ski through a tunnel under a drag) and turn left! You can ski back to town after the lifts have closed and even newbie skiiers can get there.
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You know it makes sense.
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DavidYacht, that's the Plage des Neiges. It also doea a mean steak tartare for lunch.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Thread revival, but I'm booked up to go to Alpe D'Huez in two weeks, and was wondering if anyone had first-hand experience of conditions. It looks like it's snowing at the mo, which is nice, but how far down can one ski? I'm thinking of taking SWMBO (1 wk skier, parallel stems) on the Sarenne from the Marmotte 3; how difficult is it really from there? I last skied ADH about 12 years ago when the British Junior champs were there and don't remember the Sarenne being anything remotely difficult even on the top section, but it would be good if I could get a second opinion.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Sideshow_Bob, Don't know the answer but it would take a 1 wk skier, parallel stems a long while to do the 16km of the Sarenne I shall be there that week too (wc 22nd) with my daughter.
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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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| Quote: |
I'm thinking of taking SWMBO (1 wk skier, parallel stems) on the Sarenne from the Marmotte 3; how difficult is it really from there?
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Not very difficult red, I'd say. Not much in the way of bumps, couple of steepish (for a one-week skier) narrow bits which are sideslippable if you bottle it.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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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You can join in Sarenne at the bottom of the Herpie/Hermine/Cristalliere blues & reds, missing out the Pic Blanc bit, which would make it less intimidating. Check out from others if the run is icy on the road at the bottom or if there are rocks toward the bottom. Last year we ducked the tape (following an ESF instructor!) and did the last few miles along the road on sheet ice ... not a lot of fun. But if there is decent snow its a nice run. Best part this year was doing the Sarenne two up with no one else in sight on fresh snow.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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The Heli trip is a must, I think it only operates Tues,Weds, Thurs. 63euro return and if you have the Vis alp pass, it is valid in L2A. Prebook some of our group missed out in Jan
Sarrenne is 16 km and you have to do it as it is the longest piste in the world, but over half of it is very boring. Don't do the tunnel unless you have the ability. Only went over to the Auris sector once and found the uplift very sloooow. Best piste skiing down towards Villard reculas and Vaujany.
My favorite piste was "Le Face" going down into Vaujany, do it in the early afternoon, just as the sun is getting onto it.
Enjoy 
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I think I'll recce the Sarenne first then! After taking my ex down an easy red on her very first day's skiing only to find it'd got quite slushy and mogully in the two hours since I skied it and therefore not really suitable (cue a bit of walking, a bit of sideslipping and a lot of cursing and crying from the ex) I'll err on the safe side. 14km shouldn't take all that long, about an hour and a half perhaps. We skied from the top of the glacier at L2A to resort in a similar time last year on the missus's first trip and that was taking it really easy.
Out of interest, can someone tell me what the orange dots on the piste-map for the Sarenne, Tunnel and La Fare blacks and the red dots on the Les Rousses red signify? I only have the online version without the key.
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Back from Alpe d'Huez now - good time had by all, on the whole 
We did book the helicopter over to L2A for Wednesday, but it was cancelled due to cloud & worrying winds, & the Thursday flight was booked up by then... Oh well, maybe next year! We went for a nice ski over Auris way after we'd got over the disappointment, & it did indeed look worse in L2A, which was some small consolation...
Thanks for all the hints & tips  The Perce Neige was probably our favourite restaurant (ate there twice, could've eaten there all week & not been bored!), but the one at the top of the Signal (Panorama?) & the one at the foot of the Chalvet chair were also very nice And the self-service place down in Oz (La Ferme d'Oz, I think - just up from the Poutran gondola, or down off the blue that goes to the Arpette gondola) does good & reasonably-priced food with a great help-yourself salad bar & also has decent beer  Might consider Oz as a place to stay in future.
Sideshow_Bob, it's very icy there at the moment - you'll need a good snow dump to sort it out, otherwise it'll just be powder on sheet ice, as it was last week in most places... Not that it stopped us enjoying ourselves! Just be aware that you're going to be doing a bit of skidding from time to time
As Kel says, do La Fare if you can, it was my favourite piste as well Les Rousses (nice easy red) onto Bartavelles (some icy moguls, go off to the far side if you don't like & you'll be fine) onto Alpette is also a super run. As is Poutran, again down to Oz (give it a bit of time to warm up in the morning, though - it's nicer when you can get an edge in!). I enjoyed the steep icey reds over on the Auris side as well, but there was a lot of skidding going on, I'm afraid... 
As for Sarenne, hmmm - we didn't actually do it, because the only bit we wanted to do was the very top & when we went for it, the Pic Blanc cable broke down & then the Glacier chair from Marmottes 3 was shut, so... But you can do most of it by skiing down from Marmottes 3. However, some people from our hotel did this, & they considered the blue down from Marmottes to the start of Sarenne to be the hardest part of the entire run... their take on it was 'long boring blue with slush & ice & rubble followed by long boring green with ice & rubble' or words to that effect. The word 'disappointment' featured quite strongly also. So I don't think you & yours will have too much trouble with it, but you could probably have a better time elsewhere
It's a great resort - enjoy! Oh, & if you're up near the Stadium, do the night skiing if the weather permits - cold & very icy (again!) but really good fun
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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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Sideshow_Bob, crikey, I'm not surprised she's your ex if you took her down a red on her first day's skiing!
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Jo225, thanks for the report. It looks like it dumped it down the last couple of days, and even if that doesn't hold up I was brought up skiing rock-hard watered race courses so I don't mind the hard stuff. It certainly sorts the men out from the boys.
tessaventer, she did ice-skate to a national level and was doing parallel turns after her first couple of hours, with some carving. The red wasn't really a red, just a long road round the hill apart from the slightly steeper section in the middle. To make it worse we only had 40 minutes until the gondola down the hill shut, so while being very supportive I did have to try to get her moving again after she got upset. Not my finest hour.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Jo225, as you mentioned Oz, where I'm off to tomorrow, is there much snow down there?
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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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| Jo225 wrote: |
| Sideshow_Bob, it's very icy there at the moment - you'll need a good snow dump to sort it out |
Oh man, what a dump we got  Beautiful powder skiing off the Signal down into Villard last Tuesday or Wednesday, and some good deep stuff on Balcons/Balme (when open, or not!) the rest of the time. I have to get me a pair of soft wide-bodied skis for the soft stuff though - my slalom and GS skis are far too stiff and drop through the surface far too easily, meaning I have to sit back to keep the tips remotely afloat. I lost count the amount of faceplants I did due to my tips hitting stuff under the snow and my skis just stopping, throwing me out the front.
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