Snowsure: 4.3
- Occasionally gets enough snow for skiing
- Is often closed due to a lack of snow
- Occasionally suffers from a lack of snow
- Rarely suffers from a lack of snow
- Alpe d'Huez is snowsure even in the poorest seasons
Visitor reviews for Alpe d'Huez Ski Resort
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(NOTE: Reviews may be edited by our content team for the purposes of ensuring accurate and relevant information)
(NOTE: Reviews may be edited by our content team for the purposes of ensuring accurate and relevant information)
Latest
February 27, 2009
millsy from
United Kingdom
millsy from
United Kingdom
Prices in ADH (Alpe d'Huez) are more expensive than practically anywhere I've ever visited. Indeed, I've just returned from Zermatt where the lower prices were a pleasant surprise when compared to ADH (Alpe d'Huez) where I spend much of my time. Brits have to watch the cash at the moment what with the pound being on it's bottom and not buy pints of Guiness at 8 euro. Val D'Isere's population consists of 36% English in the winter but I could find cheaper places to eat and drink in Val.
February 13, 2009
nick from
France
nick from
France
January 25, 2009
Adrienne from
United Kingdom
Adrienne from
United Kingdom
Just back from a week of skiing (w/c 18 Jan) at Alpe d'Huez. Lots of snowfall this week. Had a great time. Stayed in the Mariandre (Ski Esprit) which I recommend for families. Good extent of ski area, good for all levels - from beginners to more challenging runs for intermediates/advanced. Did the Tunnel (powder & bumps) but the Sarenne was not open. Some of the blue runs more like reds in places, and some of the black runs more like reds. However, pistes could be better groomed after a fresh dump of snow; didn't see many piste bashers about. Generally the resort is very expensive with £ to Euro exchange rate, and avoid mountain restaurants located at central gondola points since these were even more of a rip off (£7 for a hot chocolate). Overall, a good resort and wish I was there for the great snow next week.
January 22, 2009
JK from
United Kingdom
JK from
United Kingdom
Went to Alpe d'Huez w/c 11 January 2009. A whole week of sunshine.
Slopes: Most were open although wind had swept snow off some of the top runs including the famous Sarenne which was closed. My favourite run was La Fare which is a tree-lined black run into Vaujany - nice views and not busy. The runs at the top (3300m) are more taxing although there are great views to be seen if you can handle the cold. Nearer the resort is an array of easy south-facing green runs - perfect for beginners.
Food: Eating out was expensive for Brits due partly to the exchange rate. For reasonably priced good food you need to find a restaurant that isn't at the foot of the slopes or a cable car.
Resort: Not much to look at - like most French resorts. Good facilities though.
Hotel: Stayed in the Mariandre (new Esprit hotel). It was acquired (from Mark Warner I think) in December so Esprit still have improvements to make but the basics are there - decent sized rooms and good food. Staff helpful, kids have a great time in their various groups run by Esprit and the listening service in the evening is priceless.
January 08, 2009
PETER HADFIELD from
United Kingdom
PETER HADFIELD from
United Kingdom
Just back from a week in Alpe d' Huez over the new year. Stayed at the P+V apartments in Quartier Les Bergers. Very friendly staff, almost ski in/out, clean rooms, sauna and outdoor pool (bracing). You can book a 7 night evening meal option for £14 per night for 3 courses prior to arrival, to be taken at the restaurant on site; a bargain in these days of the mighty Euro. The food was superb; excellent home cooked local fare. On the subject of food our favourite mountain restaurant was the Le'Herpie at the bottom of the Signal De L'Homme slopes; good food in pleasant surroundings.
So to the skiing, for the advanced skier/boarder it is worth considering how rocky the main higher mountain is, it needs a lot of cover to be enjoyable/open. Nearly all the blacks on the main mountain, and some of the reds were closed all week including the 16k Sarenne run; very disappointing. This was after one of the best starts to a season in 15 years and over a foot dump midweek, which opened up superb off-piste opportunities. They did get the Tunnel run open eventually, which I really enjoyed. My lad said it was the most scared he'd been on ski's. It is a testing mogul field for most of its length in lovely soft snow, if you do it in the afternoon. The views are awesome and it has a secluded feel to it. For beginners, the resort is pretty much perfect with nursery slopes without through traffic and extensive greens to progress to. The ESF instructor my beginner wife's group had was very patient and "lovely" apparently. My strong intermediate daughters group was not challenged enough she thought, which is unusual for ESF. The problem with ADH arises for intermediates. A lot of the reds in ADH would be blacks in other resorts, and should be black here. Steep, unpisted, narrow and crowded is a pretty good description of an ADH red. The problem was compounded by advanced skiers/boarders with no blacks to go on going too fast down crowded red runs and crashing into or frightening struggling intermediates. Skiing the Deversoir and L'Olmet reds consisted of weaving your way around the fallen for most of their length. Lower intermediates would be best keeping to the blues, the best one's are above Vaujany. The lift system is excellent, no queues even though the resort was very busy. Sign posting and directions at the lifts: very good as well. I will definitely return but it will be later in the season. The people are friendly and the scenery is magnificent,
January 04, 2009
Karina Orchard from
United Kingdom
Karina Orchard from
United Kingdom
We stayed at ADH (Alpe d'Huez) as a family for the first time and had a wonderful time. We stayed Xmas week and as beginners at skiing and snowboarding we were catered for fantastically. We were self catering at Les Melez and although basic it was very close to the slopes and a short walk to the main village. It was expensive though in the supermarket and eating out. The price of the pound v euro does not help and only having a hob and microwave made cooking interesting. The ski instructors were brilliant and we found the resort staff mainly very helpful but with limited English and with our very limited French this was a problem sometimes.
December 27, 2008
Dave from
United Kingdom
Dave from
United Kingdom
Also skied the week before Christmas - fantastic conditions - the reason that some of the runs were closed at Alpe d'Huez is due to the satellite villages not opening until the 20th. Still bags of skiing for all abilities including some good off-piste.
Have been many times and will continue to do so.
December 22, 2008
Andy from
United Kingdom
Andy from
United Kingdom
Just got back from a weeks skiing at Alpe d'Huez - we had a great time staying at the new Esprit family hotel next to the Telecentre "Yogurt Pot" lift - the staff made for a great holiday. However, the resort itself was a little dissappointing. We were told it was the first week of the season, but suspect actually this week (Christmas Week) is for the French. During our stay less than half the runs were open despite great snow and skiing conditions. The pistes didn't appear to get bashed each night and the lifts are the slowest I have ever seen in 15 years of skiing (at least they are electronically controlled now - no more bar codes). The pistes were poorly marked and the restaurants on the slopes very low quality - very surprising for France. The Euro/Stirling exchange rate made for a very expensive experience - £6 a beer was normal and a simple meal and soft drink for 2 at lunchtime cost ITRO £35. One in our group bought a single coffee for 9 Euros. Great skiing for beginners and intermediates but thumbs down to the resort for being super expensive and poorly prepared. We won't be hurrying back alas :-(
November 03, 2008
Martin from
United Kingdom
Martin from
United Kingdom
A great resort. I've skied here over New Year and twice in April. In April it does suffer from ice in the mornings and slush in the afternoons. But doesn't everywhere? The beginners area is unmatched in my opinion. Loads of greens all linked together with fast gondolas to speed you back to the top again. For intermediates there may not be as many blues as you'd like although Le Signal has some crackers and the routes out towards Vaugany are very good. For more adventurous intermediates the reds and blacks are all good although I'd recommend Le Tunnel only for very confident skiers who like their bumps!
Off-piste skiing is really good in Alpe D'Huez although some can be quite serious as there are big cliffs above the mid stations so pick your route carefully.
Nightlife is probably better than most French resorts with loads of fun bars. Enjoy!
October 31, 2008
Jill from
United Kingdom
Jill from
United Kingdom
We spend around 6 weeks per year in ADH - with 3 or 4 of those during the ski season.
I have read most of the reviews about ADH on this site and thankfully most end positively.
Having spent so much time there the most useful way to describe ADH is that it holds to it's French mountain routes, it's a working town, not touristy like Val D'Isere. If you go expecting complete compliance from the locals - forget it. Yeah when the weather is bad lifts close but what do you expect. There are plenty of alternative routes down the mountain. They have strict timings but the lift operators are all council/local employees with strict working hours - like most French Council employees. The area has the widest variety of slopes I have ever encountered, the Pic Blanc Glacier is amazing and the entrance to the Sarenne and the Tunnel terrifying - so if you want thrills make the effort to get up there. They maintain the nursery slopes fantastically - after all that is where the town will make most of its money !!! The only areas that get busy are the nursery slopes and the main blue run back to town - The Couloir and the Greens at the bottom - Les Bergers and Lac Blanc.
This is a fantastic resort for kids too - with the Palais de Sport offering evening activities for all ages. Le Sporting is one of the best restaurants I have ever been to.
Apres-ski is perhaps not has lively as other resorts but there are plenty of bars including Igloo and Yeti bar.
Give it a go, you'll have a great time.
Nearest