© Laurent Salino / Alpe d'Huez
Skiing the Sarenne at sunset in Alpe d'Huez
Cruising the legendary Sarenne black run at night
There are few better views than that of a wonderful alpine sunset over snow-covered peaks. Here in Alpe d’Huez, you can experience the very best that nature has to offer as you combine the glorious sunset with a torchlight descent down the legendary Sarenne black run every Tuesday.
At 16km in length, the Sarenne is the longest black run in Europe, but don’t let that put you off as a wonderful experience awaits you. The evening starts as the lifts come to a close, meeting at 16:30 at the DMC lift station at the top of end of town. Skiers grab the last cable car all the way up to the top of the Pic Blanc at 3300m, the air filled with excitement and perhaps a little apprehension. Once up at 3300m, the whole alpine vista is yours to soak up, the views up here are truly epic and never more so than at sunset.
The experience is limited to 45 skiers so it’s a small gathering, usually of all different nationalities. Up at the top you are welcomed by more of the instructors from the fabulous ESF ski school and, after a few photos, you make your way down the initial steep bit (the only genuine black section of the Sarenne) where a quick drink awaits you at the Sata Ski refuge “GUC” (the small hexagonal building as you descend).
At the refuge, you meet up with the rest of the ESF guides and Sata Ski monitors who will accompany you on this magical descent. The refuge is nice, snug and warm, the atmosphere is very relaxed and welcoming. Your safety is paramount and you will never feel more at ease than in the company of a group of ESF ski instructors and pisteurs, so rest easy and enjoy the ride.
By now, it’s around 18.30 and after a couple of drinks and the handing out of the head torches, you are ready to set off. It’s not a race so don’t be daunted, there are plenty of stop-offs along the way to allow the group to reform, and also plenty of photo opportunities. Bear in mind that it gets very cold really quickly when the sun goes down, so make sure you are wrapped up warm. I would recommend a thin bobble hat underneath your helmet, it is much colder than a normal daytime descent.
The train of head torches weaving its way down the hill provides surprisingly good illumination and make for a wonderful spectacle. The run down takes around 75 minutes and the views over resort and across to Les Deux Alpes are breathtaking as the lights twinkle in the distance. The final couple of kilometres of the run are relatively flat as the piste follows the base of the Sarenne gorge towards the village of Huez, this does give your legs a nice break though. This year, thanks to the super snow cover, the run concludes all the way down in Huez where a shuttle bus awaits you to bring you back up to resort. Due to the flat terrain at the very bottom, the sunset experience is not suitable for snowboarders, given that a bit of poling is necessary during the final kilometres.
At the end and after a few photos with some newfound friends that you will make along the way, you are given a little souvenir to take away with you and provide a lasting memory of a wonderful experience. After the shuttle bus back up into resort, it’s around 21:00 and a great time has been had by everyone!
The whole experience costs €55 per person and you will need your lift pass. The cost goes down to €45 for groups of 3 or more people. You do need to be a good skier to ski the Sarenne but, by no means, an absolute expert so don’t be put off by its black category. The support of the ESF instructors on the way down will help ease away any nervy moments that you may have. There are are numerous dates for the descent, and places can be booked online.
