© R. Wood
Great conditions for Christmas in Alpe d'Huez
Pistes are pretty perfect after plenty of snowfall this week
It’s been quite a snowy few days in Alpe d'Huez after snowfall on Sunday, Wednesday and again, somewhat unexpectedly, late on Thursday. Around 15cm fell in resort on each occasion with more on the higher slopes. We have more snow forecast for later today (Friday) with a further 20cm.
Last Saturday, December 15th saw a significant rise in the number of lifts and pistes in operation, up from around 20 pistes to 50, and from 16 lifts to 37. The neighbouring ski areas of Oz, Auris and Villard Reculas all opened their doors for the season with great conditions.
Today, we have 37 lifts in operation which are currently serving 53 pistes. Of these pistes, 17 are green, 19 blue, 15 red and two are black – so there is something for everybody out there at the moment. The legendary Sarenne black run is open and currently accessed from the Marmottes lift system; it’s in great condition for its entire length, including the bottom section after the recent snowfall. More lifts and pistes will no doubt open on Saturday, December 22nd as we enter the busy festive period.
There are currently 24km of superb Nordic trails open with both the blue Boucle de Poutran and red Boucle des Lacs routes in tip-top condition for both classic and skating styles.
The new €14 million cross-town “AlpeExpress” lift opens its doors at 09:00 on Saturday as well. It will serve to link the old town, up to L’Eclose and then across to the Les Bergers area and the Marmottes lift system. It’s a 10-man gondola system with an impressive uplift capacity of 2500 people per hour, thus making movement around town super simple and quick.
After the recent snowfall, avalanche risk rose from one across the area up to three (out of fice) which is considered moderate. The hill has been resonating all week with the “boom” of the SATA Ski pisteurs setting off controlled charges in order to make the area safe. This work will no doubt carry on through the weekend and into next week. So, as is always the case, take care up on the hill and, if you have any doubts or concerns, simply seek the advice of the nearest “liftie” (in black and orange uniforms) or ESF ski instructor (in bright red outfits).
Snow cover currently extends down to around 1200 metres and, as such, all of the pistes within the Grand Domaine ski area have good Christmas snow cover. After this week’s snowfall, depths currently stand at:
- Alpe d’Huez (1850m): 88cm
- Pic Blanc (3300m): 120cm
- Auris Station (1650m): 67cm
- Auris Signal (2176m): 90cm
- Villard Reculas (1500m): 88cm
- Vaujany (1250m): 20cm
- Oz Station (1350m): 30cm
- Montfrais (1650m): 50cm
- Dome des Rousses (2800m): 80cm
Off-piste depths are:
- 3000m: north - 220cm; south -160cm
- 2500m: north - 200cm; south - 140cm
- 1500m: north - 50cm; south - 25cm
The outlook for Christmas week looks pretty settled with plenty of sunshine in the forecast. Christmas day will probably be wall to wall sunshine with afternoon resort highs of around 4ºC as high pressure takes control on Monday. Similar weather is forecast for Boxing Day (December 26th)l when temperatures may well rise to around 7ºC in the afternoon.
There was an increase in the number of visitors in Alpe d'Huez this week. This will dramatically rise on Saturday as the festive week gets underway but the increase in pistes and lifts open will help to ease congestion on the slopes. The whole area is in great condition and the runs over in Auris-en-Oisans will provide a far quieter option in what is sure to be a busy period on the slopes. So look to get away from the main bowl of Alpe d'Huez and explore all that the ski area has to offer.
