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Alpe d’Huez: where skiing and cycling meet

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Alpe d’Huez is an important alpine resort, a famous ski resort, and one of the best known climbs in the French Alps of the Tour de France. This alpine resort is located at 1,860 meters above sea level in Isère just 60 km from the city of Grenoble.

The Alpe d’Huez is part of the largest French ski area. This area includes around 250 km of ski slopes that stretch between the 1,100 meters of the Enversin d’Oz and the 3,333 meters of the Pic du Lac Blanc. From here you can enjoy a wonderful view of the surrounding French regions, up to Switzerland and Italy.

WINTER SPORTS IN L’ALPE D’HUEZ

The ski resort has 80 ski lifts. Including 3 cableways, 1 funicular, 1 DMC on two sections, 7 gondola lifts, 23 chair lifts, 41 drag lifts (ski lifts) and 4 lifts. The snow is also guaranteed by 900 snow cannons covering 75 km of slopes. In L’Alpe d’Huez, in the summer months it is possible to ski on the glaciers, present at altitudes above 2,500 meters. For experienced skiers, here is La Sarenne. Which is the longest black track in the French Alps. This track descends for 16 km from the Pic Blanc (3,333 meters) to the Gorges de Sarenne (1,500 meters).

FOR SKIERS

The Alpe d’Huez

  • Altitude: 1,100 meters (Enversin d’Oz) – 3,333 meters (Pic du Lac Blanc)
  • Lifts: 80
  • Ski slopes: 240 km (38 green slopes, 32 blue, 34 red, 16 black). Cross-country ski tracks. Toboggan run.
  • Skating ring

WALKS, EXCURSIONS, CYCLING ROUTES AND MOUNTAIN BIKES IN L’ALPE D’HUEZ

For lovers of hiking and summer walks, the resort has numerous marked trails and cycle and mountain bike trails.

The Alpe d’Huez is an ideal place to start discovering the wonderful landscapes of the Alps (Massif des Grandes Rousses) and the Écrins National Park (Parc National des Écrins). The station has 250 km of marked trails, ranging from the most difficult, only for expert and trained people, to the simplest ones, suitable for children and families.

The Alpe d’Huez is a paradise for bicycle lovers, you will have the opportunity to cycle the legendary 21 riders of the ascent of L’Alpe d’Huez, one of the hardest and most spectacular of the Tour de France, the ascent begins from Bourg d’Oisans (717 meters) and goes up to L’Alpe d’Huez (1,860 meters), it is 14.45 km long, and exceeds a difference in altitude of 1,143 meters, with an average gradient of 7.9% with peaks with a maximum slope of 14%.

There are over 260 km of mountain bike itineraries, including 32 km of non-stop descent on the Mégavalanche track, the longest in the world, the route takes place partly on snow and partly on glaciers.

FOR HIKERS

Walking

  • Trails: 250 km

Bicycle

  • Bicycle itineraries (27 routes with permanent timekeeping)
  • Mountain bike itineraries: 263 km (37 marked routes, 14 cross-country trails (for a total of 130 km), 18 enduro tracks (120 km), 5 DH tracks (permanent descent, 13 km), 32 km non-stop descent on the Mégavalanche slope.

Excursions

  • Panorama from the Pic Blanc (3,333 meters) located on the Massif des Grandes Rousses (Massif des Grandes Rousses), the Pic Blanc allows views over most of the western Alpine arc, from Mont Blanc to Mont Ventoux, to the Massif Central, up to to Italy and Switzerland.

ACCOMMODATION IN L’ALPE D’HUEZ

The Alpe d’Huez has numerous accommodations for your stay, you will find luxury facilities and cheaper, but generally decent hotels, bed and breakfasts, holiday homes and apartments. You will certainly find the right accommodation for your skiing holiday or your weekend.

HOW TO GET TO L’ALPE D’HUEZ

Car: The winter resort of L’Alpe d’Huez can be reached from Grenoble with the RD1091 along the Valle de la Romanche, crossing the villages of Livet-et-Gavet and Bourg-d’Oisans. To get to L’Alpe d’Huez from Italy the shortest way is from Turin with the A32, via the Frejus tunnel, and then, in France, with the A43 (Autoroute de la Maurienne) and the A41 to Grenoble.

Bus: There are numerous daily connections from the city of Grenoble, the time taken is 1 hour and 45 minutes.

This post is also available in: Deutsch