Les Deux Alpes

Les Deux Alpes (also Les 2 Alpes or Les 2 Alpes 3600) is a ski resort in the French Isère "département". The village sits at 1650m (5,413 ft.) and lifts run to 3600m (11,811 ft.). It has the largest skiable glacier in Europe and is France's second oldest ski resort behind Chamonix, where the largest mountain in western Europe is located, Mont Blanc. It is a 71 km (44 mile) drive southeast of Grenoble.

The "two Alps" in the name do not refer to the two mountains that the resort encompasses but rather the two villages of Venosc and Mont De Lans that sit at either end of the north-south plateau on which the resort was built. Access to the resort is by road from the north - no road connects the resort to Venosc down the steep slope to the south.

The glacier enables year-round skiing (although the lifts are only open from mid-June to the end of August in Summer and December to end of April in Winter with some dates in October too). A funicular railway tunnelled under the ice transports skiers and, in summer, tourists to 3450 m (11,319 fr.), from where panoramic views can be seen of the surroundings, including Mont Blanc, some 100 km (62 miles) distant, L'Alpe d'Huez and the Plateau de Vercors above Grenoble.

Les deux alps also boasts the use of "ęcole du ski français", which is the largest ski-school in France.

In terms of pistes the resort has been termed "upside-down", as the lower slopes down to the resort are steeper and more challenging than the higher ski areas, including the wide and forgiving glacier runs. Less advanced skiers either take a gondola down to the resort or follow a lengthy, gentle but narrow, track on the path of the access road. A wide area at the very bottom by the town is given over to nursery slopes.

At peak times lift queues can be very long, and it can take over an hour to travel from the village to the top of the glacier, which is often closed due to blizzards, high winds, avalanche risks, or a combination of the above. Les Deux Alpes also boasts one of the most extensive and revered snowparks in Europe, with a halfpipe, multiple kickers, and two boardercross courses.

The resort of La Grave can be accessed from the very top lift at the Dome de la Lauze by either walking or at certain times by ski-tow behind a Snowcat. It is only recommended for advanced skiers under supervision of a qualified guide.

A part of the Grande Galaxie area of un-linked ski resorts including Alpe d'Huez, La Grave, Puy Saint Vincent and Vaujany which offer limited sharing of ski-passes.

It offers approximately 220km of pisted runs and 2300m (7 545ft) of vertical drop.

In summer, Les Deux Alpes becomes a popular venue for downhill and freeride mountain biking, with access to the glacier via the Jandri Express gondola lift. This opens up a vertical mile of trails down to the resort and an even bigger drop to the Barrage du Chambon.

External links

* [http://www.2alpes.com Link to official site]
* [http://www.peakretreats.co.uk/ski/les-deux-alpes.htm Link to accommodation provider]