Activity Reviews in Alpe d'Huez

With both resorts now officially closed for the Autumn, us locals were hoping for a little peace and quiet. But while the weather remains warm, the workmen are out in force to get both towns ready for winter. In Les Deux Alpes, the pavement improvement scheme continues as the yellow bricks on the eastern side of Avenue de la Muzelle are replaced with new walkways. This should make a huge difference come winter, as the yellow pavements were notoriously slippery, especially in the snow.

The summer season in Alpe d’Huez has started and this weekend has been a gentle beginning for what’s set to be a busy and exciting two months. Over the past couple of weeks, the weather has been warming-up and we started the season with clear skies on Saturday and Sunday. In resort, we’ve been sunbathing in temperatures of around 20°C, dropping to about 8°C at night. This is fairly average for the southern alps and it’s worth bringing a waterproof for the impromptu rain storms that sweep by every now and then.

After a long, hot summer season it’s tempting to take September as holiday, relaxing at home or heading off to the coast or the UK. But the early autumn is simply stunning here. Of course the days shorten, the temperatures cool and most of the amenities in Les Deux Alpes and Alpe d’Huez close, but it’s a small price to pay for the increasingly intense sunsets, the perfect weather and watching the leaves slowly change.

So the sun is out, temperatures are soaring and high season is just around the corner, which means it must be time to go camping. It’s cheap, it’s outdoors and you can do it almost anywhere, what’s not to like? All right, it happens to be chucking with rain on this particular morning, but it’s not going to do that all holiday is it?

The winds have been whipping the southern alps mercilessly and erratically since last Thursday. Bad weather severely hampered last week’s mountain bike event in Les Deux Alpes, the Mountain of Hell, but this week we’ve certainly felt the worst of it.

Always on the lookout for new activities to try, I found myself horse riding this week in Alpe d’Huez. For many people – especially the outdoors types – this wouldn’t have been a particularly big deal. However, as mentioned before when I attempted mountain biking, I grew up in deepest darkest South East London, where the only horse you’d see was the clotheshorse on washing day. But I felt pretty confident about the whole thing; after all you just sit there and hold the reins, right?

I guess it had to happen eventually… a break in the recent heatwave. Friday dawned chilly and I think the whole town sighed in relief, grateful for a respite from the 34°C heat of the past week. That being said, once the day fully kicked-in it was hardly cold, just a little overcast and cooler at around 25°C. I took the opportunity to race around Alpe d’Huez and do some of the town-based activities that have eluded me so far this summer.

When you live in a small town it’s always good to get away, even if it’s just for the night. Tourist resorts are no exception and – when the masses descend for the August rush – the prospect of the open road becomes even more tempting. Thankfully it’s my birthday in mid-August and this usually gives me a great excuse to pack a bag and head-off for a little break.

The mountain resort of Alpe d'Huez is becoming an increasingly popular summer holiday destination, offering a multitude of sports and outdoor activities to entertain all ages. But there's more to the resort than it's cycling, MTB and hiking trails. Last month I promised readers a look at Alpe d'Huez's cultural and historical side.

Living in the mountains, it’s easy to become complacent about the beauty that surrounds you on a day to day basis. The Southern Alps is a region filled with glaciers and the retreat of these ancient masses has carved some incredible and rugged features into our landscape. Such features are best seen from on high and we’re lucky enough to have some of France’s highest roads on our doorstep. So today, The Boyfriend and I hit the road, taking a tour of the ‘local’ Cols which took us between 700m and 2645m above sea level and over around 300km of roads. It’s been quite a day!