Easy skiing around the villages of Alpe d'Huez

If you fancy getting away from the main part of Alpe d’Huez ski area for a bit, you can make the most of your ski pass and ski to the neighbouring villages of Huez, Oz-en-Oisans, Villard Reculas, Auris-en-Oisans, Maronne, Vaujany and Mont Frais.

It's quite straight forwards and you won't need to ski more than a couple of hundred metres of some not too daunting red runs, with most of the pistes graded green or blue.

From the middle of resort try:

Huez Village

The village of Huez (just down the hill from the main resort itself) is a cracking little village to visit and really easy to get to. From resort simply ski down to Huez on the blue run “Village” its a nice quiet run – nice wide piste, and never very busy, even in peak times.

From Les Bergers try:

Auris-en-Oisans

Over in Auris is always quieter, so get the Alpauris "scare chair” from Les Bergers across the valley, then hop on the "Fontfroide" chair up to the Signal L'homme and then ski blue runs “Pre-Rond” and then “Col” all the way down to Auris-en-Oisans village.

Auris is a nice small purpose built resort, with a couple of bar/restaurants that have lovely south facing decked areas to sit outside on. There are plenty of nice greens and blues over there as well

Once you're there try:

Maronne

Once in Auris hop on the chair lift “Sures” (you can't miss the lift) and at the top ski off to the right, down blue run “Gentianes” and at the crossroads at about half way down, take a left onto blue run “Farcis” which is a lovely gently sloping tree lined run down to the tiny quant village of Maronne – the “Foret de Maronne” restaurant down there is lovely.

To come back up into Alpe d’Huez itself you can ski the green bit at the end of the Sarenne Black run and catch the “scare chair” from the bottom of the valley. To get to the bottom of the Sarenne gorge, simply ski across the bottom of the “scare chair” stop, past the restaurant and pick up the blue run “Lys” and ski down to the bottom of the Sarenne – you can even claim a bit of kudos by saying you skied a bit of the Sarenne as well!

From the Signal (at the top end of town) try:

Villard Reculas

The blue run to Villard-Reculas from the top of the signal is nice as well. The “Petit Prince” then “Chemin du piste, there's a lovely mountain restaurant down in Villard Reculas called La Bergerie which is well worth a visit.

Oz-en-Oisans

The blues from top of the L'alpette (2,500 metres) over to Mont Frais and Vaujany are also nice. The best way to get there is to go to the mid station DMC and pick up blue run “Boulevard des Lutins” and then a bit of the red “Poutran” (it's not to difficult) then jump on the short lift “Champ Clotury” and then get blue run “Champ Clotury” and “Chevreulis” all the way down to Oz-en-Oisans, and about half way down there's a great section, with some straights and sweeping bends that you can attack like a downhill racer - really nice.

Vaujany & Mont Frais

From Oz get the “L'alpette” lift up to 2,050 metres, then it's greens and blues all the way down to Vaujany - with the only tricky bit in getting there being the short bit on red run "Poutran", but it's only a short bit, and it's quite wide.

The best way back to resort from Vaujany is to get the “James Bond” gondola (Alpette Rousses) up to 2,800m and then ski a short section of red run “Belvedere” down to 2,700m at the top of DMC, then it's blue run “Couloir” all the way back to Alpe d'Huez - one of my favourites.