Event Previews & Reviews from Alpe d'Huez

Be it taking a peaceful and tranquil tour of the historic church or the hustle and bustle of an ice hockey match, there’s always plenty of things to do away from the slopes here in Alpe d'Huez.

2017 certainly arrived with a bang here in Alpe d’Huez with a huge outdoor party at the leisure centre in the middle of resort. Although this is an annual event, it was, in fact, the first time in ten years that I've managed to go. This year with nothing particularly planned we decided to head up and see what it was all about.  

Next weekend sees the 20th edition of the prestigious Pyramide d’Oz ski mountaineering race, a race that regularly forms part of the French National Cup (Coupe de France) – on a course that was used in the 2009 World Cup. Around 150 to 200 competitors are set to tackle the gruelling course.

This years Snowboxx festival was a sell out in Alpe d'Huez. Oli & Neil were there checking out some of the action on and off the slopes.

New Years’ Eve is always a big night here in Alpe d’Huez and this year was no exception. The weather wasn’t great for a “pub crawl” but, hey, it’s NYE, so we braved the conditions and headed out – out out!

It’s school holiday time so there’s a full entertainments programme on so whether you fancy a trip to the summit of the Pic Blanc, and art exhibition, trying curling or visiting the museum, there’s always plenty going on away from the slopes.

It’s always crash, bang, wallop when you mix an ice hockey match with a dash of local rivalry – and this match was no exception.

Have a look behind the scenes and at some of the action from this years Andros Trophy in Alpe d'Huez. It's basically rally driving on ice, and yes, it's as much fun as it sounds!

There’s loads going on as the French school holidays continue for another week or so in Alpe d'Huez.

That's it for another epic week of riding and racing at the 2016 Megavalanche.. the snow was deeper and longer than it's been in the past 5 years, creating much more challenging conditions for the riders taking part this year.