23-Mar-2011
Posted by : Vixie
Category : Alpe d'Huez, Featured, Other Villages, Snowsports
Tags: 2011, Alpe d'Huez, beginners, glacier, pistes, skiing, snow, snowboarding, spring
Let’s face facts; it hasn’t snowed much this winter. But despite the clear skies and sunshine it’s been pretty cold for the past few weeks, meaning what snow has fallen should still be in good condition. Yesterday I skied Alpe d’Huez’s Grand Domaine to find out for myself.
I started with the usual warm-up run from the top of the Signal down to Villard Reculas. The Petit Prince piste is a safe bet for good snow so always a gentle start to the day. I found the snow here to be fresh, fast and grippy… who’d know we were suffering a snow drought?
15-Mar-2011
Posted by : Vixie
On the pistes today, conditions were a far cry from the balmy winter we’ve experienced so far. In the resort of Alpe d’Huez it’s been warm all day, with temperatures reaching 15ºC but get to the edge of town and you start to feel the wind that’s been blasting across the mountains this week.
It’s been a long time since I last skied, with the half-term crowds and lack of snow not doing much for my lack of enthusiasm. But true to form, my sprained wrist and the doctor’s resulting ban on skiing had me itching to hit the pistes.
12-Feb-2011
Posted by : Vixie
Is Alpe d’Huez well-suited to beginners? It’s not something I’d given much thought to until The Best Friend arrived in resort and asked me to show her the slopes.
Her first day in resort clashed with my work timetable so we booked her into a private lesson with an English-speaking instructor at the French ski school, the ESF (Ecole du Ski Français). New to skiing and with just a little experience on real snow (no, the snow dome in Dubai doesn’t count!), she spent her 90 minute lesson with Dom Marquis on the green slopes below 2100m.
