Les Deux Alpes
Encyclopedia
Les Deux Alpes is a ski resort
in the French
Isère
département. The village sits at 1650m (5,413 ft.) and lifts run to 3600m (11,811 ft.). It has the largest skiable glacier
in Europe and is France's second oldest ski resort behind Chamonix
, where the largest mountain in western Europe
is located, Mont Blanc
. It is a 71 km (44.1 mi) drive southeast of Grenoble
.
and Mont-de-Lans
that sit at either end of the north-south plateau on which the resort was built. Access to the resort is by road from the north - no road connects the resort to Vénosc
down the steep slope to the south, but a gondola connects the two.
Les Deux Alpes also boasts one of the most extensive and revered snowparks in Europe, with a halfpipe, multiple kickers, two boardercross
courses and many grinding
rails. The snowpark is re-modeled with new featurers added each season. It also hosts many worldwide competitions sponsored by local restaurants such as Chez C. Dave and Le Chop Shop.
Les deux alps also boasts the use of ęcole du ski français, which is the largest ski-school in France
.
, or a combination of both.
The resort of La Grave
can be accessed from the very top lift at the Dome de la Lauze by either walking or at certain times by ski-tow behind a Snowcat
. It is only recommended for advanced skiers under supervision of a qualified guide.
, some 100 km (62.1 mi) distant, L'Alpe d'Huez and the Plateau de Vercors
above Grenoble
.
memorial event annually.
Les Deux Alpes also has the largest skiable glacier in Europe. Summer skiing in Les 2 Alpes takes place between 2800 and 3600 metres on the Girose and Mont de Lans glaciers above the resort. The summer ski area is open between June and September. 110 hectares of ski area is there for ski enthusiasts. Les Deux Alpes is one of the few remaining resorts where you can ski in the summer.
Ski resort
A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing and other winter sports. In Europe a ski resort is a town or village in a ski area - a mountainous area, where there are ski trails and supporting services such as hotels and other accommodation, restaurants, equipment rental and a ski lift system...
in the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Isère
Isère
Isère is a department in the Rhône-Alpes region in the east of France named after the river Isère.- History :Isère is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Dauphiné...
département. The village sits at 1650m (5,413 ft.) and lifts run to 3600m (11,811 ft.). It has the largest skiable glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
in Europe and is France's second oldest ski resort behind Chamonix
Chamonix
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc or, more commonly, Chamonix is a commune in the Haute-Savoie département in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It was the site of the 1924 Winter Olympics, the first Winter Olympics...
, where the largest mountain in western Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
is located, Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco , meaning "White Mountain", is the highest mountain in the Alps, Western Europe and the European Union. It rises above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence...
. It is a 71 km (44.1 mi) drive southeast of Grenoble
Grenoble
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
.
Resort
The "two Alps" in the name do not refer to the two mountains that the resort encompasses but rather the two villages of VénoscVénosc
Vénosc is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France....
and Mont-de-Lans
Mont-de-Lans
Mont-de-Lans is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France....
that sit at either end of the north-south plateau on which the resort was built. Access to the resort is by road from the north - no road connects the resort to Vénosc
Vénosc
Vénosc is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France....
down the steep slope to the south, but a gondola connects the two.
Winter
Les Deux Alpes offers approximately 220km of pisted runs and 2300m (7545ft) of vertical drop. In terms of pistes the resort has been termed "upside-down", as the lower slopes down to the resort are steeper and more challenging than the higher ski areas, including the wide and forgiving glacier runs. Less advanced skiers either take a gondola down to the resort or follow a lengthy, gentle but narrow, track on the path of the access road. A wide area at the very bottom by the town is given over to nursery slopes. In total there are 100 marked runs spread across the resort however, in addition, it is said to have as much off piste as groomed piste.Les Deux Alpes also boasts one of the most extensive and revered snowparks in Europe, with a halfpipe, multiple kickers, two boardercross
Boardercross
Snowboard cross is a snowboard competition in which a group of snowboarders start simultaneously atop an inclined course, then race to reach the finish line first...
courses and many grinding
Grind (sport)
Grinding is a sliding stunt performed in many extreme sports. Stances in which slides are performed are known as grinds.Grinding is performed by sliding across the top of an obstacle, and can be accomplished in a number of ways...
rails. The snowpark is re-modeled with new featurers added each season. It also hosts many worldwide competitions sponsored by local restaurants such as Chez C. Dave and Le Chop Shop.
Les deux alps also boasts the use of ęcole du ski français, which is the largest ski-school in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Lifts
The lift system has a combined up hill capacity of 66,000 people her hour. . In total there are 51 lifts serving the resort. At peak times lift queues can be very long, and it can take over an hour to travel from the village to the top of the glacier, which is sometimes closed due to blizzards, high winds, avalanche risksAvalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
, or a combination of both.
The resort of La Grave
La Grave
La Grave is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in southeastern France.It is a small ski resort in the French Alps, dominated by La Meije . It was the birthplace of Nicolas de Nicolay; adventurer and Geographer Ordinary to Henry II of France....
can be accessed from the very top lift at the Dome de la Lauze by either walking or at certain times by ski-tow behind a Snowcat
Snowcat
A snowcat is an enclosed-cab, truck sized, fully tracked vehicle designed to move on snow. Snowcats are often referred to as 'trail groomers' because of their use for grooming ski trails or snowmobile trails...
. It is only recommended for advanced skiers under supervision of a qualified guide.
Ticketing
A part of the Grande Galaxie area of un-linked ski resorts including Alpe d'Huez, La Grave, Puy Saint Vincent and Vaujany which offer limited sharing of ski-passes. A six-day ski pass includes two days in Alpe d'Huez and one in Serre Chevalier. Ski passes in the resort can now be used hands free.Glacier
The glacier enables year-round skiing (although the lifts are only open from mid-June to the end of August in Summer and December to end of April in Winter with some dates in October too). A funicular railway tunnelled under the ice transports skiers and, in summer, tourists to 3450 m (11,319 ft.), from where panoramic views can be seen of the surroundings, including Mont BlancMont Blanc
Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco , meaning "White Mountain", is the highest mountain in the Alps, Western Europe and the European Union. It rises above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence...
, some 100 km (62.1 mi) distant, L'Alpe d'Huez and the Plateau de Vercors
Vercors Plateau
The Vercors is a range of plateaux and mountains in the départements of Isère and Drôme in the French Prealps. It lies west of the Dauphiné Alps, from which it is separated by the rivers Drac and Isère...
above Grenoble
Grenoble
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
.
Summer
In summer, Les Deux Alpes becomes a popular venue for downhill and freeride mountain biking, with access to the glacier via the Jandri Express gondola lift. This opens up a vertical mile of trails down to the resort and an even bigger drop to the Barrage du Chambon. Les Deux Alpes has featured in several Tour De France stages and is associated with a Marco PantaniMarco Pantani
Marco Pantani was an Italian road racing cyclist, widely considered one of the best climbers in professional road bicycle racing...
memorial event annually.
Les Deux Alpes also has the largest skiable glacier in Europe. Summer skiing in Les 2 Alpes takes place between 2800 and 3600 metres on the Girose and Mont de Lans glaciers above the resort. The summer ski area is open between June and September. 110 hectares of ski area is there for ski enthusiasts. Les Deux Alpes is one of the few remaining resorts where you can ski in the summer.
External links
- Link to official site
- Les Deux Alpes mobile wap information & meteo resource