• click here for lift pass details and pricing

Alpe d’Huez ski area and lift system

The vast ski area offers something for everyone with 235km of pistes and an efficient lift system comprising 87 lifts. The satellite villages of Auris, Villard, Oz and Vaujany are all connected by the system and the VISALP ski pass allows access to all these ski areas. The network is constantly expanding with new lifts being built and old ones replaced. There is work underway for a new cable car ‘Marmottes 3’ which will access the Glacier area and Pic Blanc from the existing Marmottes lifts, and this is due for completion for winter season 2004/05.

Beginners

The lower lying pistes in the bowl surrounding the town are mainly red, blue and green runs that offer an easily accessible “playground” for beginners and children. An extensive network of snow cannons ensures that these runs at this altitude remain well covered throughout the season making it always possible to ski back to the resort.

Intermediates

By ascending further to 2700m there are a range of more technical red and black runs stretching over a couple of couloirs and valleys. Pic Blanc at 3330m gives everyone the opportunity to ski at this high altitude on the glacier. (The glacier lifts and runs are also open for the summer ski programme).

Advanced

The more adventurous can descend via some of the challenging black runs that lead you back to the town. The Tunnel offers a pure adrenaline rush; after you have skied through the mountain for 200m in a dark cold tunnel, you emerge to find yourself on a 40-degree slope with Alpe d’Huez in the distance and a tricky mogul field below you! There is also The Sarenne which at 16km is well known as the longest black run in Europe. These longer runs with a total height descent of over 2000m allow you the treat of skiing for approximately 1h30 without taking a lift. After all that’s what you are on holiday for! The Chateau Noir offers the true openness and solitude searched for by many on the other side of the ridge.

Exploring further you will be able to enjoy the vast range of terrain as you visit any of the satellite villages previously mentioned.

• more about the surrounding villages around Alpe d'Huez