Alpe d'Huez, France: March 31 - April 1, 2025

[ChrisC]

After skiing Montgenevre/Claviere, I drove over to Alpe d'Huez, France. Over the next hour and a half you pass an amazing French off-piste/freeride resort every 20-30 minutes :

• Montgenevre/Claviere
• Serre Chevalier (Interestingly, Serre Che's Briancon east base is closer to Montgenevre than to Serre Che's west base at La Monetier)
• La Grave
• Les Deux Alpes
• Alpe d'Huez

This is one of the best (likely the best?)and most extensive concentrations couloirs, freeride, huge verticals, open bowls, high altitude, glaciated resorts in France, and the Alps. For me it compares favorably to zones like Engelberg-Andermatt-Grimmentz/Zinal or the Arlberg or Chamonix-Verbier.

Some photos leaving Serre Chevalier heading up to the Col du Lautaret (2,058 m/6,752 ft) and down to La Grave. The snowline was about 1800 meters, therefore you could see green grass in the Serre Chevalier valley at 1300-1400 meters.

Backside/east-face of La Meije from the pass.

La Grave had a tragic Winter 2024-25 where a calamity of errors snowballed:

The 2024-2025 winter season in La Grave experienced a brutal start due to a cable damage issue, which delayed the opening of the Glaciers de la Meije lift indefinitely. Initially scheduled to open on December 21, 2024, the lift faced a safety check that revealed significant cable damage, leading to its closure and a significant impact on local tourism. Further complications arose when a cable snapped during repairs on January 20, damaging a pylon and further disrupting the recovery process. Despite these setbacks, the lift is now scheduled to reopen on March 15, 2025, with extended weekday and weekend operations.​

La Grave further delayed its opening - finally opening March 29th to May 11th. A very contracted to non-existent winter season!

I inquired with the Skier's Lodge to see if they had any availability for overnight/guided group for a day or two, but no luck. Skiers who cancelled earlier decided to come later. During midwinter they bused skiers to Les Deux Alpes for the day, and groups would cross over to La Grave for a late afternoon home run to the village.

Given the Spring conditions, I was not tempted to get a private guide since I skied most routes during three days in January 2006, and it was not possible to ski to the valley floor on north side or backside. I also skipped La Grave in 2023 since I could not find a guided group, and there had not been recent new snow.


La Grave Piste Map.
There was no snow in La Grave proper at 1500m, but it appeared there was enough at 1800m for skiers to make it to P1, the mid-station of the first section of the gondola. If P1 is closed, you lose the ability to ski the right side of the mountain below.

The surface lift at the to of the Gondola on the Glacier Girose is having issues (barely operable) due to glacier retreat (similar to Blackcomb). The town is debating what to do about it:

Piste off! Skiers fear new lift will threaten La Grave’s old school charm

Proposals to build a cable car to access the retreating glacier have sparked a debate about the future of this low-key resort loved by ski tourers

www.theguardian.com

Currently, AEON Lift Company (operates Les 2 Alpes and Alpe d'Huez as well as La Grave) is tentatively planning a tram for summer 2026. Likely a good thing in my opinion. https://www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/la-grave-la-meije/ski-lifts/l112415/

Some pictures of the iconic Téléphérique/Pulse-gondola from just outside the west side of town; it only has a capacity of 440 skiers per hour:

I arrived in Alpe d'Huez near sunset at 7pm+. Alpe d'Huez at 1800m still had deep snow bases, while the historic town of Huez at 1500m had no snow.

Nice alpenglow over the Alpe d'Huez complex, specifically north-facing Signal De L'Homme 2180m which connects to Auris (quicker connection to La Grave/Les Deux Alpes)

There were numerous deals at various inns/lodges in Alpe d'Huez where one could get a room half-board (breakfast and dinner) at 100-150 Euros per night/person during the week. I stayed at the Pic Blanc which is located at the base of the Marmottes 1, 2 and 3 Lifts.

Dinners were great and the breakfast buffet extensive. Generally, I through a few things into my pack for a quick lunch either on the lift or a table.

To be continued.

 

[ChrisC]

Alpe d'Huez Day 1: Monday, March 31, 2025

Unexpectedly, a storm was starting to form and move from the Atlantic over Spain and into the Mediterranean. This brought some decent wind to the summit of Alpe d'Huez, reaching speeds of 100 km/hr (60 mph), and shut down the Pic Blanc Cable Car and Marmottes 3 Cable Car for the entire day. The resort was able to open everything else, with the Marmottes 2 Gondola and Alpette-Rousses cable car opening at noon.

I took the opportunity to ski some of the lower-altitude terrain and satellite villages that I missed on my 2023 visit, including:

• Vaujany 1250m. La Fare run was still open on machine-made snow that softened to corn nicely/with low traffic.
• Oz 1350. Solid corn skiing.
• Villard Reculas 1500m. Only a snowmaking path opened about halfway down.
• Signal De L'Homme 2100m.
• Auris En Oisans 1600.

Almost every village around Alpe d'Huez connects to its main area. During crowded periods, it creates long lines to the summit of Pic Blanc, as skiers are funneled into fewer and fewer lifts.

Later skied Dome De Roussess/Applette-Rousses Cable Car (lots of couloirs) and Clocher De Macle/Marmottes2 2300 terrain (south-facing bowls). The wind kept the snow from softening too quickly on this terrain.

Piste Map

Signal 2100 faces east and softens first. View back to Pic Blanc 3330m (left high point) and Herpie 3060 (middle ridge).

Signal racing slopes into Alpe d'Huez

The snowline on the HS Quad lift from Villard Reculas 1500m to Signal 2100m.

The top part is winter with softening snow, decent corn forming.

Note the plumes of snow being blown off Pic Blanc. Meanwhile, the S3 Mega Gondola (Pic Blanc 1 and 2) had no problems operating since there was little wind below.

Lots of fun off-piste lines

Skiing back to the Alpe d'Huez resort

Skiing some of the south-facing terrain off Marmottes 2 Gondola ( Canyon, La Balme, Combe Charbomiere) over to Auris/ Signale De L'Homme

Same mountain with Les Deux Alpes further in the background/across valley.

Eventually, the cable car to Dome Des Rousses opened. I skied two of these couloirs in 2023 (Fare Couloir and Fleur Couloirs) when the snow was soft and wind-packed, and there were quite a few skiers in the area to team up with. Today, there were very few in this zone since it opened late, so I only skied the obvious couloir to the right of the cable car. It's easy to identify the entrance and couloi from above since it runs against an obvious rock wall:

(i) L'Agnelin Couloir

a. Couloir Impossible
b. West Face of the Pyramid
c. Col de Herpie
d. Les Cheminees de Mascle (the Chimneys)
e. Couloir 263
f. The Fare Couloirs
g. The Perins
h. Couloir de Fleur
i. L'Agnelin


You really need a guide and/or guidebook for Alpe d'Huez, as route finding can be difficult and the terrain can be quite extreme, with No-Fall Zones in certain areas. Terrain off the south side of Pic Blanc/Sarenne/Clocher De Macle/Marmottes2 is more open and bowl like.

L'Agnelin Couloir

Other Couloirs (Fare and Perins Couloirs)

Perins Couloir

Skiing into Vaujany and Oz

Summit of Clocher De Macle/Marmottes2 at 2300m. Balcons piste - moguled. This faces NW and had mid-winter snow still.

 

[ChrisC]

Alpe d'Huez Day 2: Tuesday, April 1, 2025

The unforecasted storm was developing into a Genoa Low in the Mediterranean, and although it was cloudless, blue, and windless, conditions were expected to deteriorate by late afternoon or early evening.

Therefore, it was obvious to get as high as soon as possible, spending the morning and early afternoon on Pic Blanc and Herpie summits, served by the Pic Blanc 3 Cable Car and Mamottes 2 and 3 lifts.

Some older Piste Maps of Alpe d'Huez show a lot more pistes marked that are no longer displayed on the map, especially in the Sarenne area and the couloirs of Dome de Rousses.

Ascending Marmottes 3 Cable Car to Herpie 3030. I was a bit worried about potential crowds since the weather was perfect and these lifts were closed the day before, but there were no issues. Walk on all day with cars not at capacity. Much different than mid-season 202.

Les Cheminees de Mascle (the Chimneys) Couloirs. I did not attempt these on either visit. Entrances can be tricky, and who knows what conditions were like with spring/wind - definitely need a knowledgeable guide.

View over to La Meije/La Grave (left) and Les Deux Alpes (middle to right - rounded areas are glaciers).

Alpe d'Huez had to remove its Glacier Chair to Pic Blance. Now, the only upper mountain lift is the Herpie chair, serving a few groomed and ungroomed pistes.

Pic Blanc from Herpie

Snow was mid-winter quality above 2500m or so

Heading down the famous Sarenne piste after a few runs on Herpie (still before 10 AM with no one on it). The top half is groomed, packed powder and the lower half is softening, groomed corn.

La Sarenne is a black run at Alpe d'Huez, France, renowned for being the longest on-piste black ski run in the world, stretching 16 kilometers and descending 2000 vertical meters (6,600 feet). It's known for its stunning scenery and challenging descent until it enters the gorge of the same name, Gorges de Sarenne. You then ski leisurely alongside the stream to the chairlift.

Canyon off-piste zone from Marmotte 2. Skied it later in the day when it had softened. Alpe d'Huez actively managed its south-facing bowls in the Spring; the patrol would not officially open them until the sun hit them and the corn transition began.

Lots of fun terrain features off Marmottes 2

Finally, the Pic Blanc Cable Car

Tunnel piste below the cable car - really a big huge bowl

Pic Blanc Summit 3330.

Requisite Summit Photo. Met 2 US Skiers from Upstate NY - one was wearing a Greek Peak Ski Team Pullover.

More La Meije - La Grave (left) and Les Deux Alpes (right)

Panoramic Photo -Les Deux Alpes village/resort is directly in the middle valley.

Entrance to the Tunnel piste. The tunnel takes you from the south side of Pic Blanc to its west/northwest side. It's similar to the tunnel run at La Plagne and Snowbird (but no conveyor belt). Decided to document the experience once, and then lap it non-stop for a while. I did not do this in 2023, and due to cable car lines, I only took one run.

During high season, some skiers exit the tunnel and realize they are over their heads difficulty-wise. Some try to go back through the tunnel or walk/slide? down the slope.

Looking back to the tunnel exit.

There were excellent soft bumps and Mammoth-like wind buff - lots of new snow was deposited by the wind.

All types of fun terrain below the Pic Blanc Cable Car.

Completed three runs in the Tunnel zone - center bumps, and to both the left and right wind buff, and small couloirs. Winter snow.

 

[ChrisC]

Continued

Again, "The Tunnel" is almost more of a giant bowl, wall, or zone than a piste. There is a secondary piste called "La Brèche" that branches off to skiers' left/lookers' right of the Tunnel, leading to a giant, more remote and unskied bowl. I took three runs in this area.

Tunnel - La Breche entrance are the traverse to looker's right below the cliffs

La Breche. That is a frozen lake that you need to cross to get back to the Pic Blanc cable car.
I was not sure if the piste was officially open. Anyway, two pisteurs came down behind me. I wasn't sure if they were going to say anything. Instead, they addressed me English showed me entrances to some couloirs (looker's left below) that I could avoid the hike out/lake crossing.

Pic Blanc face. Tunnel - left side, La Breche - right side. You can see the wind-deposited snow skied like powder in the center.

Spent a couple hours doing laps on the Pic Blanc cable car. Definitely a top lift in the Alps.

The French Army was training at Alpe d'Huez today

The Tunnel and La Breche actually terminate below the Pic Blanc Cale Car. You need to take a short return lift called Lakeview to get back. This terrain faces mostly SE and was worth a quick run.

View from Cable Car - Tunnel right, La Breche left

It's now mid-afternoon, and a few high clouds start to pass through.

Last run down La Breche

There was enough visibility off the backside of Pic Blanc for one more run down Sarenne. However, I skied another variant called Château Noir that merges with the lower Sarenne (right of Sarenne on the piste map in red box). Château Noir was formerly marked as a piste and is a south-facing bowl located immediately to the east of Upper Sarenne. It was nice and soft, and well-traveled, providing a packed base for corn to form.

At nearly 3:30, there was still time to ski a few of the variants off of Marmottes 2 Gondola / Clocher De Macle 2800m (lower red box).

Parts of Combe Charbonnière, La Balme and Canyon - still soft with some bumps forming in places:

Called it a day around 5 pm, and headed to Les Deux Alpes - a twisty drive down and up the valley, following the famed turns through Huez of the Tour de France.

It started to snow heavily as I ascended the road to Les Deux Alpes at 6 pm - totally unexpected. I thought this might be a Retour d'Est Storm that would not reach Alpe d'Huez and Les Deux Alpes. However, it was more of a Mediterranean storm that pumped moisture directly up from the south into the Alps, rather than from the east in its initial stages.