France

1) Alp d'Huez

Home of the Mega Avalanche. The resort sits high up on the plateau and all the riding above the resort is above the treeline as you head up towards the Sarenne Glacier.  As you head up, the landscape changes from green mountain pastures to a lunar moonscape of exposed rock and scree.  In great contrast the riding from Alpe d'Huez down to the lower resorts is oftne through forest and gives a good mix of terrain. 

Alpe d'Huez is very close to Les Deux Alpes, making this a great place to stay and ride a whole heap of trails during your stay.  Recently the resorts have come together and anyone who purchases a 6 day or longer lift pass can ride the other resort for one day for free.

Nearest Airport to Alpe d'Huez: 

There are 60 km of XC trails around the Alpe d'Huez resort over nine marked trails that are graded to suit each ability.  The stronger riders may want to link across to Les Deux Alpes and access a further mass of trails.  For most abilities though there is more than enough around the resort with the benefit of being able to use the lifts when tired.
Alpe d'Huez has become one of the most famous downhill venues in Europe, purely down to the success of the Mega.  However even without the Mega's success there are not many resorts where you can rack up so many vertical feet descent in a single day.  On one descent alone, an 8500+ft vertical drop is possible!  The sprint avalanche course in Oz en Oisans is also widely regarded as one of the most technical and best tracks in Europe.  Added to this is the other two permanent DH trails and the six marked downhill routes and there is plenty for the downhill enthusiast.

What does Alpe d'Heuz have to offer

Cross Country	Beginner, Intermediate & Advanced
Downhill	Beginner, Intermediate & Advanced
Freeride	Beginner, Intermediate
Cable Car	YES (2)
Gondola	YES (5)
Chairlift	YES (2)
Close to	Les Duex Alpes

A UNIQUE MOUNTAIN BIKE AREA

The Grandes Rousses Mountain Bike Area facts and figures (FFC classified MB Centre)

140 miles of marked routes : 60 miles cross-country and 80 miles of downhill routes

25 marked routes  (mountain, rocks, alps, forest) : beginners and advanced

9 cross-country routes : 60 miles of trails, open to everyone

15 downhill routes : 75 miles of trails

The world’s longest marathon downhill route : the  Mégavalanche, starting form the Sarenne glacier, and finishing in the valley…

DOWNHILL
3 permanent downhill trails over 5.6 miles long : these training and competition trails for beginners and expert downhillers are situated under the 1st section (beginner) and 2nd section (intermediate) of the Grandes Rousses / DMC cable car and under the Poutran cable car (expert).

8,561 feet of downhill vertical drop (from 10,922 ft down to 2,361 ft altitude) served by 9 ski lifts , making it possible to total 32,800 ft of vertical drop in one day.

CROSS-COUNTRY
Cross-country track « "Le Tour du Signal "» 10 miles long  with 2,400 ft of elevation difference starting from Alpe d’Huez, open to all levels, with an outstanding panoramic view of the Grandes Rousses Massif.

FREERIDE
Wooden ramps (beginner to expert level) spread throughout  the  "bob run".

Bike Park at the "Round Point des Pistes" (behind the DMC lift)  : wooden ramps, crossings, banked turns and drops…

Alpe d'Huez offers some of the very best big mountain riding in the Alps.  The resort has become infamous due to the hugely popular Mega Avalanche event.  This extravaganza features a whole week of descending around the resort before the main event mass start race.  The runs here are located on a mountain pasture, the setting for perhaps the most famous ascent of the Tour de France, a long climb from the valley up to the resort taking in all 21 hairpins.  While the resort itself is not particularly inspiring, it's surroundings most certainly are.

Summer Lifts Open	Lifts are open from Late June till Sept
Lift Opening Times	09.00 - 17.00 (always check)
Lift Prices	From 17€ per day

For more information check the Alp d'Huez website: alpedhuez.com

or contact the tourist office: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it : +33 476 114444

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