Winter Season 2010/11 in Alpe d’Huez
04.12.2010 – 30.04.2011

Alpe d’Huez is well known for it’s sunshine, family-friendly pistes and gentle runs into resort. Situated at 1860m and south facing, the slopes are supplemented by 923 artificial snow cannons.

The shape of the mountain and the locations of the surrounding villages (Auris, Villard Reculas, Oz en Oisans and Vaujany) have created a network of pistes that take skiers and snowboarders from glacial peaks into tree-lined valleys, providing a variety of skiing conditions throughout the season. The pistes run from 3330m at the top of Pic Blanc to as low as 1100m, so you’ll find snow, whatever the weather!

Over half (76/131) of the area’s pistes are Blues and Greens, making this a great resort for beginners and those practicing their snow skills. It’s fantastic for children too, with Snow Gardens provided by the French ski school, the ESF.

However, if you’re a more advanced skier or snowboarder, don’t let the stats put you off! There are 40 Red runs and 16 Blacks, including the longest piste in the world, the 16km Black Sarenne. Freeriders will also be interested in the host of off-piste itineraries easily accessible from the resorts main lifts, and for this we recommend you contact the local Guides.

Freestyle ski and snowboarding hasn’t reached its full potential yet in Alpe d’Huez, but it’s getting there. We have a Snow Park below the main lift (the DMC) which gets better each year as it grows in popularity. Freestylers in resort are much more likely to be found building kickers off-piste than in the park. Check out what Rossignol’s pro-team built in Alpe d’Huez here!

You can download a copy of the resort’s piste map here but the best way to see if this is the resort for you is to check out Destination Oisan’s reports and videos live from Alpe d’Huez this winter.