SkiSpots Alpe d'Huez
Specialist travel guidebook to the snowsports ‘Island in the Sun’
by Francis Johnston (Published by Thomas Cook Publishing: ISBN 1-841575-13-5) UK £8.99 US $14.95
The snowsports Island in the Sun, floating high above the sea of clouds in the Grandes Rousses Massif in France's Oisans region, previously a powerful independent royal fiefdom of the heirs to the French crown. The French national weather service records an average of 300 full days of sunshine per annum in Alpe d'Huez, with an average of seven and a half hours of sunshine per day in December, stretching to eleven hours per day in April. Centred on a glacial peak and high-altitude slopes, this privileged climate results in snowsports' consummate combination of vibrant blue skies, perfect visibility and snow-sure conditions often for the majority of the winter season.
This is the biggest and most important ski area in the Isère département, made up of a large modern resort surrounded by five small traditional villages linked into the core ski domain. The area primarily appeals to, and is ideally suited to, beginners to good intermediates, but with the huge variety of accessible terrain there is something here to keep all abilities content. The jewel in the crown is the Sarenne black run which, at just over 16 km (10 miles) in length, is the world's longest downhill piste, a challenging summit-to-valley descent that can provide almost a full hour's continuous riding before you need to take another ski lift.
Alpe d'Huez is a sprawling town with a substantial year-round population and strong commercial links with the Ile de France region around Paris (only four hours away by car), so its infrastructure is extensive and its ambiance vibrant and cosmopolitan. It offers a wide range of accommodation, a good selection of shops and a plethora of bars and restaurants. The excellent municipal sports and leisure facilities can be accessed free-of-charge by all holders of a current full-area VisAlp lift pass, and the resort has plenty of attractions and distractions for non-skiing visitors, making this an excellent resort choice for families and mixed-ability groups.
More Information:
- Isère region
- Oisans District
- Grandes Rousses Ski Area
- Other Titles in the SkiSpots Series
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