 Poster: A snowHead
|
Hi everyone. Just signed up but been using this site for a while.
We are looking at alpe de huez as a diy holiday in feb. The resort has good reviews overall, but I have read a few complaints about a lack of piste grooming, appparently some of the pistes aren't groomed daily or even weekly.
Is this true IYE?
Also is it busy the week before french/english half-term? - long queues and packed slopes?
One of the group is a beginner - does he have to buy the full €210 lift pass or is there a more limited pass if he wants to progress past the four free lifts?
Is this resort more affected by winds, lack of snow and sunny weather than other nearby resorts? Sounds like a stupid question but it's the impression I get from some reviews
Also would anyone recommend bens bus or transisere for the transfer?
Thank you for your help and advice over the last few years
olly
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Tenpoundpomme, a few years since I was there - but when I was the pistes seemed immaculately groomed. As it is South facing you should be blessed by sun - the weather was beautiful when I was there - not doubt regulars will be able to advise you with more authority.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
welcome:
Piste grooming - most of the "motorways" are groomed frequently/daily IME. some of the harder reds and most of the blacks are allowed to mogul up
it can get busy but the trick is to get away from the main bowl around the resort. this is always busy; the slopes on the glacier, around montfrais, villard reculas and auris are much better for crowds and the skiing is mostly more interesting anyway
there are some beginners lifts that do not require a lift pass at all. can't remember the extent of this (quite limited I think) but he should get the advice of the ski school before committing to a week-long ski pass
i have been there a couple of times when it has been shut down due to high winds but on those days La Grave and LDA were also shut. a lot of the ski area is sunny but this should not be a big issue for that early in the season - in fact it might be quite nice to be in the sun if it is cold
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Arno, interesting. I don't remember moguls - except on The Tunnel, of course. Not saying that you are wrong at all - my most vivid memories are of the medical centre. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Thanks for the quick responses, especially for this time of year - guess i'm not the only one who gets itchy feet as soon as the summer ends. I tend ignore some of the resort reviews such as "scenery - nice if you like looking at snow" but in a couple of posts I read about the lack of piste bashing. I guess its not completely true then.
Thanks
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
achilles, maybe "most of" is overstating it a bit - but you should certainly expect Tunnel, La Fuma, Balcons and Col de Cluy to be bumpy
of the reds, Rousses, Chamois and Canyon are likely to be bumpy in parts
disclaimer: this is not an exhaustive list of bumpy runs!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hi ya. I was in Alpe d'huez at the start of February this year. As my then girlfriend now wife had only skied a week before and that was in Ischgl in Austria she wanted to go somewhere that was going to suit her. I'd read about Alpe d'huez and thought it sounded perfect. We booked with Nielsons and stayed in Chalet Lac Blanc at the top of the resort village right near the gondolas and ski school. It was absolutely spot on for location as it is a ski in-out chalet. We went the week before our school half term times and found it fairly busy but not too bad. Some lift queues but nothing worth complaining about. It was mainly in the morning when the young ones were in ski school. My wife and her best friend loved the green runs. There are loads of them around the base of the mountain. I can honestly say that the runs were groomed every day without fail. I know this because the piste bashers were parked outside of our chalet and started up every evening and morning and did their thing. With regards to the weather we had a few days of brilliant sunshine and no wind, one day of snow and the rest were overcast. We didn't notice any strong winds at all. All of the gondolas and lifts were working every day. It has great off piste and loads of challenging runs to contend with for the more daring skiers. All in all a fab place to go for mixed ability groups. So good infact that we have booked to go again next year. The week before our half term and staying in the same chalet. This time with 12 of us in total. 6 of the gang are booked into ski school. Booked through Nielsons. They offer a learn to ski package which has everything the beginners need, all the gear and the lift pass. Roll on February. I hope this helps a little.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
just going back to the weather point, i should mention that i have done a full season around ADH and been there numerous times before and after that, so although the comment about everything being closed a couple of times may look bad, that is in the context of well over 100 days skiing there. i would say that ADH is very slightly worse than average for that sort of thing but probably not sufficiently bad to influence your decision as to whether or not to go there.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Being south facing the slopes get more affected by the sun, especially if it doesn't snow for a while. Perhaps this is the explanation for the impression of less grooming?
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
Piste maintenance isn't as good as it is in 2Alpes, in my opinion - you can find ice and rocks in places where you shouldn't when there is plenty of snow. But it's hardly bad - I wouldn't let it affect your decision.
It's less susceptible to wind than 2Alpes because more of the skiing is lower. On the other hand, it all faces south, so if you get lots of sun it tends to get icy/slushy. However, this shouldn't be much of an issue in February.
Their website would suggest that there is no alternative to the full area pass (and I don't remember there being one): http://www.alpedhuez.com/hiver/fr/102/forfaits.html But assuming your mate is taking lessons, he could look at buying a six-day tuition/lift pass package - if you're in ski school this is usually the cheapest way to do it.
Transisere transfer is cheap but involves bus to Grenoble then change for Alpe d'Huez. Bensbus costs more but offers a direct service. Both are easy, comfortable and reliable.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Greavsie, you got a link to the chalet, sound ideal and what im after, cheers.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thanks again for the replies. Lizzard if I fly into Grenoble is there any difference in service?
Been looking around and i think there's a vislap pass to use swimming pool, etc and a simple pass for just skiing
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
Tenpoundpomme, Was there about four years ago, and the grooming seemed particularly poor. Spoke to some locals about it, and they said that a lot of the experienced pisteurs had been laid off, and replaced by inexperienced staff, tho' I'm not sure this is true.
Anyway, on my second day, in very flat light, I was skiing quite fast near a "slow down" barrier. Snow had been piled about 6 inches deep in front of it, resulting in 3 broken ribs and a broken hand
Obviously, I blame it on the inexperienced pisteurs, rather than any deficiencies in my skiing ability
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
Tenpoundpomme, in what service, the transfer? The details I gave you were for GNB transfers. If you fly into Lyon there's a Transisere shuttle to Grenoble bus station, change for Alpe d'Huez. Private transfers from Lyon or Chambery via Bensbus at a hideous price - look at his website. If you're coming from GVA there's both a bus and train service to Grenoble.
If you're doing DIY to the Oisans you should be looking to fly into either Grenoble or Lyon.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
Lizzard, the bus service from the airport to the station has changed recently along with a massive price hike it's now €12.50 single/€22 return, add the journey to resort on top and Bens Bus is onlt marginally more expensive and slightly less hassle.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Tenpoundpomme, Swirly, If you really want to try and beat the system, and have only hand luggage or no luggage, then it is about a 20min walk from Grenoble airport in to St Etienne de St Geoirs, past the new super U supermarket and you can get a service bus, ligne 7300 I think, into Grenoble for about £4., I think.
I did this in reverse last year, Grenoble to St. Etienne.... , not because I am ridiculously tight, honestly. but because I had to retrieve my car from the airport after Ryanair cancelled flights to Grenoble after last September.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
skitow, that's a really good tip as there aren't that many buses from the airport each day anyway.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Just like to add Bens Bus is not always direct if a low number of passengers have booked up, however they will let you sit on the coach (in the relative warmth) untill the connection turns up. It is a good service, prob the best budget transfer!
On the piste quality, I'd say it's middle of the road. Nothing to ruin your hol but could be better!
And on winds, last season the top did get closed more than I'd expected but there is loads of other terrain available!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
With the local buses you can spend ages waiting around at the airport, the bus station, or both. With the rise in cost (it used to be really cheap) making the difference to Bensbus cost smaller I would now go with Ben. Agree with manicpb, grooming is not not great but not awful either.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
We've used Bensbus and have always been happy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Last Feb in AdH there were just a small handful of free lifts - from memory Téléski Grenouille, Petit Rif-Nel, Petite Ecole and Petit Poussin. These aren't really enough to keep someone occupied long. I used a couple of them on my first afternoon there as we arrived early pm and I had my own kit - then found the lift back over to where our chalet was (Eclose area) wasn't free so I had a blinking long trudge - however I skied on day 1 and my friends spent the time sorting out hire kit 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Butterfly, you know there's a bus from Bergers to L'Eclose? 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Is this a wind up?
Tenpoundpomme asking about Aple D'Huez!
pedantHeads should be told.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Quote: |
I was skiing quite fast near a "slow down" barrier.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
|
|
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.
|
My experience of the Alpe is that piste bashers are grooming every single night.
Cheaper passes are available in the satellite village areas - Oz/Vaujany is 138e for six days, Villard Reculas just 83e, both perfect for learners.
But I think if you are starting in the main station then you have to pay the full whack. Don't know why, seems unfair.
Not sure if it is really any more or any less affected by wind than any other resort - I've been in plenty of places where hellish weather shuts everything down, generally an excuse to open the wine.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
