Thu, 28 October 2021
Vertical Climbed: 2,528 meters (8,294 feet)
Vertical Descended: 2,530 meters
General Description
The ski resort of Les Deux Alpes is situated in the Oisans area of the Isère department in the Northern Alps. Along with its neighbour l'Alpe d'Huez it forms the two largest resorts in the Oisans and Isère areas.
The lift served area extends from 1300 metres to 3568 metres giving over 2,250 meters of vertical under ideal conditions. There are 220 km of lift served runs covering 420 hectares. The 80 hectares of runs on the Mont de Lans glacier offer guaranteed of skiing, there are a number of easy and intermediate runs at this level. Around 60% of the marked ski runs are suitable for beginners and intermediates with 40% aimed at advanced skiers. There are 13 black, 17 red, 45 blue and 27 green runs. The area also offers over 1000 hectares of off piste skiing. There is a cat skiing link to la Grave and les Vallons de la Meije backcountry domain. This is included in any pass of 6 days or more and a days skiing can be obtained for a small supplement on shorter les Deux Alpes lift passes. It is also possible to ski in l'Alpe d'Huez via a direct shuttle link or helicopter transfer.
The slopes are served by 51 mechanical ski lifts including 23 chair lifts, 19 drag (poma) lifts, 3 gondola lifts, 3 cable cars and an underground funicular railway. The ski lifts carry around 17 million passengers per year with about 1.3 million skier days. The lifts have an total capacity of 71,767 passengers. The lift company (controlled by l'Alpe d'Huez) employs 120 staff on permanent contracts and up to 380 seasonal employees.
There are 20 km of cross country trails. Les Deux Alpes is open for 9 months of the year. During the winter and spring, for summer glacier skiing at at autumn half term. Les Deux Alpes is an international resort. During the 2005/6 winter 54% of visitors came from outside of France. Foreign visitors include 34% from the United Kingdom, an increase of 11% on the previous year. Other major countries are Holland, Italy and Belgium. The tourist office says that in general the Brits come for the skiing, the Germans for the excellent sports facilities and the Belgiums head for the off-piste. An increasing contingent of Spanish visitors are attracted by the boarder cross and snowpark.
From the top of the top of the slopes at over 3,000 meters the view over the French and Italian alps is stunning. From Mont Ventoux in the south to Mont-Blanc and beyond in the north. The resort features "ski to door" for most accomodation thanks to special tracks and artificial snow making. There are over 200 snow canons covering 20 pistes and a total of 47 hectares of slopes. 60% of th ski runs receive daily grooming by from a team of 50, including 38 avalanche control experts, using state of the art Kassbohrer and Prinoth piste bashers. There was a total of 17,000 hours of snow grooming in the 2006 season. The team also erect protective netting, padding and sign posting areas at risk. There are 28 gazex and catex avalanche control systems as well as 1 avalancheur.
Snowpark
Les Deux Alpes is following the trend to themed slopes the Slide zone, freeride Fun zone and Snowpark have won international acclaim. Les Deux Alpes is a paradise for the new boardsports. The resort has a snowpark, boardsports areas and a freecross area (boardercross and skiercross).
The winter snowpark, situated in the La Toura sector operates in winter and in summer the snowpark moves to the glacier, where it welcomes the greatest riders on the planet. Numerous French and international events are hosted here. The snowpark covers 10 hectares of slopes. There is beginners' area aimed specifically at inexperienced freestylers. It provides a succession of small kickers (6 moguls) which enable the most intrepid to try their first jumps.
boardercross
The winter half-pipe is 120 meters long and meters high. Half-pipe is an Olympic discipline. There are two half-pipes in summer. A slope style zone provides a succession of technical modules such as hips, gaps or quarters before reaching the handrail zones over a course that is nearly 400 meters long. There is also an area 100% devoted to and equipped for snow skates (equipment can be borrowed on site in exchange for an item of identification). A chill-out zone with BBQ, music, open DJ turntable and deck chairs to recover.
Slide Zone
Visitors wishing to experience new sensations or freestyle can enjoy the "SLIDE" zone, a universe of newschool boardsports, which opened in 2003.
The slide zone includes:
The couloir: 3100 m: 150 m long at 35°
The corniche: 2800 m: Jumps 1 to 5 m high
The canyons: 3000 m: fun trail with banked turns
The cascades: 2800 m: Experience your first jumps in complete safety
Boardercross: 2600 m: built during summer of 2003, this facility, situated on the Toura piste, offers a succession of moguls, banked turns etc between 2770 m and 2585 m. It can host official competitions in the discipline (altitude difference: 185 m Linear length: 800 m Actual length: 1000 to 1230 m)
There is a second Boardercross at 2600 m is designed for beginners.
JTS (jumping training system)
It is a simple concept, a 14 by 28 meter landing mattress lets inexperienced or experienced freestylers train for the jumps of their dreams in complete safety. Knowing there is a safe landing means less apprehension, minimum risk, and optimum safety.
Mountain Biking
The resort is famous for its downhill mountain biking circuit. This is one aspect of the resort we like less as the slopes are cut up by mountain bike tracks and assorted paraphernalia. Snowbike sessions offers mountain bikers the chance to use the ski runs starting at 3200 meters from 7h30, This is before skiers are allowed on the slopes.
Après Ski
The resort estimates that 30% of visitors neither ski or snowboard. The guides office offers snow shoe tours on the glacier including a visit to crevasses at 3200 meters. The many frozen waterfalls are also a mecca for ice climbing enthusiasts. The two original villages of Venosc and Mont-de-Lans are well worth visiting. Venosc is linked by a gondola lift.
Les Deux Alpes offers excellent sports amenities including a heated outdoor swimming pool, an indoor swimming pool, an artificial outdoor skating rink as well as fitness and relaxation centres, squash courts, spas, Turkish baths, saunas, relaxation tanks, health runs, slimming courses, massages, relaxation, gym, muscular training, fitness, cardio-training, aquagym, solarium, UVA. There is barely time left for skiing!
The many luxury apartment blocks and traditional hotels complement these facilities with fitness training, aquagym, shiatsu, complete massage programmes (body shaping, Zen, beauty, healthy back, happy mum or getting ready to go skiing).
Apart from the many bars and restaurants there is also bowling, pool and a cinema. The ski instructors also run nightime torchlight ski descents accompanied by a firework display
The Lift Company
A majority stake in Deux Alpes Loisirs which owns the resort's ski lifts was put up for sale at the end of 2008 and was bought by the Compagnie-Des-Alpes (CdA) which already has a controlling interest in nearby Serre Chevalier. The new operator has a concession for 13 years and will have to deal with aging infrastructure such as the Diable gondola lift which is 35 years old. Apart from the lifts, Deux Alpes Loisirs owns a travel agency, the swimming pool and ice rink plus 1400 beds worth of apartments as well as the mountain restaurants of les Glaciers and the Chalet de la Toura.
The DAL employes 400 season and permanent staff with a turnover in 2008 of nearly 35 million euros. In 2020 the SATA (Société d'Aménagement Touristique de l'Alpe d'Huez) acquired the concession from the CdA. The SATA had already acquired the concession to run linked la Grave.
History
Les Deux Alpes ski resort was started in 1946 and much of its real estate development dates from the 70s. Deux Alpes Loisirs regrouped a number of lift concessions and was registered in June 1964. If you have not visited the resort for a while you may be surprised at some of the changes. Today, the resort is having a makeover. Façades are being covered with wooden cladding and interiors are being modernised and enlarged. In addition to investing in the skiing area, the ski lift company, Deux Alpes Loisirs (DAL), is investing in a real estate development
In 1997, the DAL acquired apartments with a view to their rehabilitation and, in 2003, it bought out a number of hotels in order to turn them into high class residences. In 2005, the residence, Le Cortina, saw the light of day. A high class complex situated close to the Place de Venosc, in a lively part of the resort, a residence with top of the range amenities, luxurious and spacious apartments, an authentic character and only a short walk from the ski lifts. In 2007, the new Alba residence of will open followed by further apartment blocks in 2008. Today's apartments are larger and better appointed. The average renovation has cost 3000 per m².
Travel
The road link has been much improved over the last decade and the slopes can be reached within an hour 's drive from Grenoble. There is a regular bus service from Grenoble train station and also a direct bus link running twice weekly from l'Alpe d'Huez.
Nearest Airport(s): Grenoble St-Geoirs 110km, Lyon Saint-Exupery 160km, Chambery 135km, Turin 175km
Note that Turin airport is via the Col du Lauteret which can close during bad weather
Road: Grenoble -> A480 -> Exit 8 Briançon -> N85 -> N91 -> Chambon Dam -> D220 (chains/winter tires mandatory after Grenoble since 1 November 2021 during winter months)
Rail: TGV Grenoble then regular VFD bus service to les Deux Alpes
Restaurants and Bars
64 restaurants in town, 9 mountain restaurants
30 bars and 3 nightclubs
Shopping
The resort has 128 stores including sports shops, 15 prêt-a-porter boutiques, 8 food shops and 6 shops selling regional products. There are also 13 estate agencies. You can buy the latest ski and snowboard gear, clothing, souvenirs and traditional regional food and drink. Go easy on the Genepy.
L2A Sport Discount
A 200m² shop dedicated to snowsports. We have a wide range of equipment available for all ages and abilities, from beginners through to competition standard. We also have a wide range of equipment for off-piste and freestyle. All our equipment is in excellent condition as the shop only opened in December 2008. For your comfort and safety we have expert ski technicians who will fit your boots and set up your bindings. We can also offer a delivery service to your hotel after your equipment has been fitted.
http://www.les2alpes.com/
We decided to head up to les Deux Alpes for some glacier skiing. The glacier has shrunk again since our last visit some years ago. Covid controls were in force on all the lifts. Snow was hard but good to ski. A strong southerly wind was blowing at the top of the glacier but you were out of the wind on the main lifts. Surprisingly few people up on the glacier bar a few clubs doing race training. Not like old times of the Mondials du Ski / Snowboard.
