Alpe d'Huez Apres Ski Report:4th February 2010
Alpe d'Huez is perhaps the most famous resort in the Southern Alps. It's home to the world's longest piste, the celebrated 21 bends of the Tour de France and the most challenging stage of the Megavalanche mountain bike race. And this week it's entered the record books once again as the town which made the world's largest potato gratin
The gigantic culinary experiment used 300 litres of cream, 3 tonnes of potatoes and 5 kilos of garlic. It also closed the main road for three days as a huge tent had to be erected to protect it from the snow. Was it worth it? The event raised hundreds of euro for French children's charity ELA but the gratin wasn't that tasty. I took a plate down to the boys at The Underground and it swiftly went into the bin. Ungrateful bunch!
I then made my way back up the high street to The Sphere to watch ex-SkiNets reporter Duncan Ross take on old babyfoot rival DJ Northey. The game was getting a little too intense so we made our way to The Etalon's Rum Bar for a couple of bottles of coloured, cloudy rum, flavoured with exotic mixtures to remind you of far flung places. We also discovered Nathan mixing his speciality chili rum for Wednesday's Mexican Night. The chilies he was using were from The Underground and hailed from a time when he worked there and used to serve the concoction to unsuspecting clients. It's banned from the menu at The Underground now, unless the barman who serves takes responsiblity for clearing up after the clients who drink it. Doesn't bode well for Wednesday at The Etalon does it?
Next stop was Lounge 21, followed by Smithy's Tavern where Duncan did his best not to clamber behind the bar and start serving customers. Once a Smithy's barman, always a Smithy's barman...
After a couple of raucous nights, Mr Ross's obsession with partying was sated and we ate raclette at Lounge 21. Huge lumps of cheese are a guilty treat and the veggie platter that accompanies the mountain speciality at Lounge 21 is the best in town. We plowed through the semi-circle of cheese and for the first time didn't managed desserts. Mind you, the boys were on a tight timescale as they'd offered to help out at The Sphere Bar. Local covers band Still Nameless were playing an acoustic set and – seeing as two of the three work at the bar – Duncan was needed to pull some pints. I'm pretty sure he pulled a few for himself too as he didn't make it onto the mountain until 2pm the next day, citing a major emergency as the cause of his tardiness.
While he was off working and drinking, I joined Lounge 21j's Madeleine and ex-seasonaire Bea for a post-dinner coffee at l'Edelweiss. They'd had a huge foie-gras salad and delicious seafood main courses, so again, no desserts there. In an effort to walk off our indulgences we struggled up the hill to The Undgerground and caught the last of Gareth's acoustic set. I'm told he's been doing this for a few years now and can play pretty much any request. Must remember to test that out sometime.
The live music scene in Alpe d'Huez is very strong at the moment, with Dr Bruce, Working Class Hero, Torchy Harper, Still Nameless, Blue Funkt and Munt Finger all making regular appearances. But if live music is your thing and you're coming out on holiday next week you really are in for a treat. Three-piece band Albenaza are playing at O'Sharkeys and Smithys' Tavern on Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I hear from my SkiNets contacts in Chamonix that they're fantastic and Helen enjoyed them so much she's driving down here just for their gig. The rumours were confirmed by The Boyfriend who decided to book them for two nights, which is unprecendented for Smithy's, as he's expecting a full house on both nights. I've never seen them play but can't wait to see if they live up to the hype. I'll let you know in next Thursday's Aprés Report.
In breaking news alpedhueznet is now available as an iPhone app. Click here for more details.
For a full list of this week's events, check out our What's On Calendar. You can also find full Bar and Restaurant listings in the Dining and Going Out section of the site.
