Alpe d'Huez, Skiing & Sno...

As in many resorts these days free uplift is available for absolute beginners. Progressing beginners will love the mile (an exaggeration) wide green runs that border the resort. Although these runs can be busy as they are the main route back to the village from most places on the mountain they are so wide and have a shallow enough gradient that beginners should never really feel intimidated. These slopes are simply great for confidence building and allow beginners to pick up speed without scaring themselves too much.

Alpe d’Huez is an absolute paradise for intermediates who will find they are simply spoiled for choice. Many wide open reds are located on Signal De L’Home which is accessed from the main resort via a chairlift that is suspended high above a wide gorge. Pleasant tree lined runs lead from the second middle station above the main resort to more peaceful slopes above the attractive outpost Vaujany. For the braver and more adventurous intermediates (those who can get down black runs) I would suggest trying La Sarenne the longest black run in Europe (with an instructor of course). Although graded black which it certainly is for a few hundred metres many of those who have skied La Sarenne would grade most of it red. However beware because once you commit to La Sarenne you are hers till the end. There is no exit en route.

Yes dudes it’s all pretty good, plenty of easily accessible off-piste and a few bumpy blacks. On L’Tunnel you may even get to ride high past a tumbling instructor. It can be tough even for the experts. There are some pretty nice and hairy off-piste routes coming off of the high ridges leading away from Pic Blanc toward Etendard but beware due to the gradients here the avalanche risk can be pretty high especially after fresh snowfall (use a guide for a safer ride).