01-May-2011
Category : Alpe d'Huez, Featured
Winter 2010/11 is finally over, and I don’t think I’m the only one who’s glad to see the back of it. Perhaps it was the lack of snow and the almost permanently sunny skies that made the ‘winter’ seem to last for ever.
Looking back at my reports over the season, it probably only snowed a total of ten times. And the sunshine – usually a welcome sight during the dark winter months – became monotonous, taunting us from the centre of clear blue skies devoid of snow-filled clouds.
27-Dec-2010
Days off are precious, especially at the start of the season when work feels so much harder because we’ve had a long break. My tendency to take on a new role each season doesn’t help, as I’m getting to grips with a new routine as well as learning a new job (and keeping up with Destination Oisans!). It’s a tiring process but as the year comes to an end my new routine is starting to bed-in and, after a Christmas spent in the office, I made sure that today I hit the snow.
Despite the unabashed commercialism of the central resort, Alpe d’Huez is surrounded by places of remote and timeless calm. Year-round, these are spots of great natural beauty, but I don’t aways notice the visual aesthetic when I return because I’m marvelling at the serenity that fills me as I move away from resort-life and into nature. I feel the weight of modern life slip from my soul; my heart soars, my essence glows, my soul breathes. It’s only when I return to these special spots that I realise how much I’ve been missing, how little space I leave for this kind of wonder in my life.
04-Dec-2010
Opening days don’t come much finer than this! After a sneaky opener last weekend, Alpe d’Huez opened for the season today, and what a day it was…
The sun shone all day, taking most of the chill out of the air and 0ºC in resort felt much warmer than yesterday’s -8ºC. Above 2700m (top of the DMC) it was pretty windy though and felt closer to -10ºC. But cold weather is good for the snow and today the conditions on and off the piste were amazing.
01-Dec-2010
… or… Don’t let the heavy stuff freeze…
I’ve just cleared a whole heap of snow from my car. The snow storm that’s had me tucked away indoors for the past 24 hours deposited snow in Alpe d’Huez that swallowed my hand and forearm whole; a more scientifically-accurate depth of 43cm. (Thanks Mum for my new tape measure, must remember to keep it in my pocket…)
Of the many winter sports available in the Oisans region, none of the tourist bumpf includes snow clearing on it’s list of snowy sports. But it’s physically challenging, works up a sweat and is great for the soul. What better way to measure your achievement than taking a soft snowy lump (see photo above) and extracting the ice-encrusted car within?
27-Nov-2010
It’s dumping again. As I write from Alpe d’Huez it’s -7ºC and falling, with a heavy snowstorm predicted for tonight.
I wasn’t expecting to be in Alpe d’Huez this afternoon, especially as it’s the first day of the season in Les 2 Alpes. But when the weather’s closing in and you have two steep, bendy roads to navigate it’s always worth getting home as soon as you can.
23-Nov-2010
I’m attending a film premiere on Thursday night. And not just any film premiere. My film premiere. I’m a little nervous…
ways2winter is a feature-length documentary following two British seasonnaires in the French resort of Les 2 Alpes through the winter season 09/10. It’s not your average snowsports film. Sure, there’s plenty of riding but there’s also hard work and strong personalities, showing the reality of seasonnaire life.
19-Nov-2010
This morning’s bright sunshine came as quite a shock when I crawled out of bed after 11am. I’m normally an early riser but with two opening parties and last night’s Nouveau Beaujolais, I guess my 10am gym date was never going to happen. The Boyfriend definitely made the right move; home by midnight and up early to ski tour with the boys.
They hiked and skinned up the front face to the top of the Marmottes II lift and skied across and under the DMC. The lifts don’t open until 4th December but the pisteurs are already hard at work. The Boyfriend reports that the pistes have been groomed, packing the early snow to provide a solid base for the season.
16-Nov-2010
Sitting writing yesterday afternoon I had a the curious experience of watching the freeze level drop; literally sliding slowly down the mountain. Yesterday afternoon their was no snow in Les 2 Alpes, last week’s dump having melted over the warm weekend. A slight hint of white was visible on the edge of Les Cretes (2100m). But as the rain storm continued and the temperatures fell I watched the rain turn to snow and settle, at first on the edge of the Demoiselles piste, then down towards Village until the drops turned to splodges of sleet and finally feather-shaped snowflakes were pouring from the sky. This morning, Les 2 Alpes looked like this…
15-Nov-2010
Category : Alpe d'Huez, Hiking
Today is truly miserable. Maybe it’s the deathly quiet of interseason, the damp cold weather that I hoped I’d left behind when I came to France or just the fact that it’s Monday which is making the day so dreary and endless.
It’s hard to be upbeat when rain is pouring off the roofs and white clouds blow across the mountain, temporarily obscuring my view of sodden brown grass and bare black trees. And to make things worse, there’s barely any snow left in resort to raise the spirits… In fact, it’s so murky here today I can’t bring myself to take any photos… the ones you see were taken yesterday.
08-Nov-2010
Category : Alpe d'Huez
Yes, it’s snowed. Not as much as we were hoping for but there’s snow on the ground and the air smells clean once again. There’s nothing like the void of smells after a fresh snowfall. Through the summer we’re bombarded with the smells of flowers, grass, bike oil and, sadly, car exhausts. But in the winter, if you get up early enough, you can experience a complete lack of smell… or maybe its just too cold for my nose to work.
There’s more snow forecast for the rest of the week so hopefully this will serve as a solid base. However, we’re going to need a few days of steady dumping to really make a difference.
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