07-Aug-2010
Posted by : Vixie
Just a quick walk this morning as there’s plenty to do in preparation for today’s arrival of The Parents. At this time of year the sun rises at around 6am but doesn’t actually hit the resort of Les 2 Alpes until 8am. It’s light but there’s no direct sunlight; perfect for getting out and watching the mountains wake-up.
I took route 608 out past Lac Buisonniere, through the woods and down to the promontory that overlooks Mont de Lans. The path continues down a very steep, shaded path to Cuculet but I turned back to make the most of the gently strengthening light as the sun started to stream down into resort.
This morning there was just a hint of Autumn in the air; a spicy top note, a delicate dusting of frost, a slight chill. This is my favourite time of year, as August has the best of both seasons: the heat and sunshine of summer, but the promise of cooler weather and the eventual return of the snow. The moderate temperatures are much more pleasant and the next week will be filled with hikes and long lunches as I introduce The Parents to their first Oisans summer.
05-Aug-2010
Posted by : Vixie
Category : Alpe d'Huez, Featured, Les 2 Alpes, Other Activities, Other Villages
Tags: 2010, Alpe d'Huez, Bourg d'Oisans, Hiking, Lac Lauvitel, Les 2 Alpes, Les 2 Alpes, St Christophe
The rugged, glacial peaks of the Oisans Region provide some breathtaking views. The sheer height of the mountains here results in a multitude of huge panoramas contrasting permanently snow-covered faces with lush tree-lined slopes, jagged rock formations and deep valleys bisected by gushing milky rivers. In my opinion, the best 360º view is to be found from the top of the Pied Moutet above Les 2 Alpes.
02-Aug-2010
Posted by : Vixie
There’s new information on Destination Oisans today. I’ve update the following pages: This Week; Weather; and Calendar. Enjoy!
26-Jul-2010
Posted by : Vixie
Adding another celebrity to this summer’s growing list, top British MTB rider Marc Beaumont is in town to promote next season’s downhill bikes for his team, GT Bikes. I fully admit to knowing nearly nothing about mountain biking but had heard a rumour that the team were in town to allow MTB journalists to try the new equipment on our trails.
Photos and info about the new bikes is strictly embargoed until next week, so for now you’ll have to make do with this photo of Ben and The Boyfriend checking them out…
20-Jul-2010
Posted by : Vixie
The clouds have been moving across Les 2 Alpes since lunchtime, cooling the air just slightly and providing relief from the scorching sun. It’s great weather for walking so I decided to tackle the path to Cuculet. It’s accessed from Lac Buissonniere and runs gently through the trees and out onto a promontory that overlooks Mont de Lans and Bons. When I’m not feeling energetic this is where I stop, and the isolated grassy brow is a favourite spot of The Boyfriend’s. But it would be a shame not to make the most of the cooler weather so I set off down to Cuculet.
The path winds through the trees but it’s very steep and in places I have to admit to getting on my hands and knees… The path is just 2km long but with a vertical descent of 330m it takes longer than you’d expect. The official guide time is 1 hour down, 1 hour 45 minutes up. But if you’re feeling energetic you can run it faster than that!
19-Jul-2010
Posted by : Vixie
The bad-boy of British skiing and, really, the only British ski racer worth knowing – Alain Baxter – is having dinner with me tonight. Well… he’s having dinner at the hotel where I work and I’ll be serving him breakfast tomorrow morning and for the rest of the week.
Alain is in Les 2 Alpes to train with the BASI formation ski team, which is performing at the Interski event next year. So if you fancy watching the best British instructors performing some fast crossovers, get up to the glacier every morning this week…
19-Jul-2010
Posted by : Vixie
As you can see from the photos, posts and video, I spent most of the weekend trailing MTB riders around Les 2 Alpes. Despite this year’s winner knocking a whopping eight minutes off last year’s winning time, there weren’t too many injuries. Only one trauma was reported, two broken elbows and one broken knee… ouch!
18-Jul-2010
Posted by : Vixie
Category : Events, Featured, Les 2 Alpes, MTB
Tags: 2010, Les 2 Alpes, Les 2 Alpes, Mountain of Hell, MTB festival, race, snow, summer
Riders in today’s Mountain of Hell MTB race in Les 2 Alpes needn’t have worried about the snow slowing them down on the first descent… a clear night meant hard packed, icy snow on the glacier and a chance to get up some serious speed.
17-Jul-2010
Posted by : Vixie
Category : Events, Les 2 Alpes, MTB
Tags: 2010, event, glacier, Les 2 Alpes, Les 2 Alpes, Mountain of Hell, MTB, race, snow
British rider Hazel Wakefield stunned herself and her team-mates by finishing top in the female category of this year’s downhill race, the Mountain of Hell. With a time of 00:39:09 she beat off fierce French competition but had no expectations of a place on the podium. The 27 year old isn’t a professional rider and came out to Les 2 Alpes for the first time this weekend with a group of friends from the Cornwall Freeriders club.
14-Jul-2010
Posted by : admin
Skiers and snowboarders in Les 2 Alpesreturned disappointed from the Jandri Express this morning, as the lift was closed when winds reached 54km/hr. By late morning the Jandri Express 1 was running, allowing hikers and MTB riders to access the pistes of the front face and the Toura-Cretes section, which are sheltered from the southerly wind. With no snowsports on offer the resort was far more lively this morning and afternoon activities have started earlier than usual, with the climbing wall already busy.
