Les Deux Alpes

Hiya people

Our families plans of La Tania were messsed up when the company changed the departure day so we have ended up getting a chalet in Les Deux Alpes!

Could y'all give me some info on the area? Whats the skiing like etc etc

And also is it possible to ski from Les Deux Alpes into Le grave? Is there guides that you can hire in Les Deux or did you need to travel round to the base or Le Grave?

Cheers

Chris

http://www.wtss.co.uk/jsp/index.jsp?lnk=101&desc=Les+Deux-Alpes&id=38&go.x=15&go.y=13

www.les2alpes.com

http://www.j2ski.com/ski_resorts/France/Les_Deux_Alpes.html

Les Deux Alpes: Big resort, tons of skiing for all standards. Runs back to resort are steep and sometimes crowded. Take the lift down!

La Grave: Small resort, 1 lift, no pistes at all. Very popular with heroes, who have very wide skis and a death wish.

There is a traverse from the glacier in L2A, but I have not been across it. You will need a guide. If your family are good skiers then a guide can assess which areas of LG will be appropriate for them.

Thanks people!

It would be just myself and probably my snowboarding friend who's family we are also going with!

My parents are happy on a nice blue slope all day or a couple of nice blue slopes! I guess there'll some of these?

Yes, L2A has plenty of easy slopes, however unlike a lot of resorts, they are up the mountain, not near the village, apart from the beginners slopes, which are at resort level. The glacier definitely has easy skiing and is accessible to all.
If you are heading to La Grave, the snowboarder in your party may want to take snowshoes or a split board as there may be a hike out, depending on the route chosen.

swskier wrote:

My parents are happy on a nice blue slope all day or a couple of nice blue slopes! I guess there'll some of these?

Not in La Grave there wont!

Note the use of the word GRAVE in that resort......not a coincidence I imagine.

Apparently there are 2 drag lifts near the summit which give access to two marked trails. You don't go there to ski the piste, obviously.

http://www.la-grave.com/english/unique-off-piste.php

I thought the skiing was brilliant but then again I haven't been to many places.

Some tips

The t-bar serviced 'main' glacier area is very wide and gentle blue/green in gradient. If you don't like t-bars use the funicular(underground tube train in the the mountain) to the left of the t-bars to take you to the top of the glacier. You won't see the funicular from the t-bars. It's below the brow of a 'hill' so to speak, you can ski there. At the top of the main glacier area there is more skiing higher up still. Some great cruisy blues and easy reds can be found there. The views are spectacular and the runs are uncrowded because most people tend not to go there, their loss. Le Signal is a great blue for building confidence, steep enough for better skiiers to enjoy yet not too steep for people venturing onto their first blues.

The les Cretes ski area, 1st area, just above the resort gets very very busy, mini moguls everywhere as every beginners class, it seems, practices there for part of the week anyway. IMO best used for a warm up in the morning before heading higher up. On the left hand side of this area is the 'Belle Etoille'(sp?) chair lift, use it to beat the queues going up and going down at the start and end of the day. Probably not worth trekking there if you at the other end of town. The town is long and narrow.

Les Gours leading to La Fee is worth doing if you like pretty steep blues. I got the impression not many skiiers head that way because they don't see the route crowded so probably think there isn't much there. Boarders might not like the bottom of La Fee because it does bottom out so polling along is required. However the scenery, sharply rising snow covered cliff faces on either side should make it worthwhile.

I think La Grave is only for very competent skiiers happy on blacks in a variety of conditions. It's all off-piste I think, and you'll defo need a guide for your own safety.