Les Deux Alpes

Gandalf23

Hey all.

Just booked a week snowboarding in Les Deux Alpes, France in February. All going are intermediate level.

Anyone been there or have any experiences of the place?

Necronomicon

I'm going too, in january

First time there as well - I've seen plenty of positive reviews, such as:

http://www.worldsnowboardguide.com/resorts/france/lesdeuxalpes/index.cfm

Gandalf23

Necromomicon wrote: »

I'm going too, in january

Cool! Be sure to let us know what you think of the place.

I have a few other reviews and websites ...

http://www.les2alpes.com/index.php?L=1

http://www.benoenenzy.be/izzy/lesdeuxalpes.html

http://www.skiclub.co.uk/skiclub/resorts/gssg/resort.asp?intContactID=44702

http://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Les-Deux-Alpes.0to3mid.php
Looks like its snowing there as I type :-)

http://www.ski-europe.com/resorts/lesdeuxalpes.html


:-)

Necronomicon

Gandalf23 wrote: »

Looks like its snowing there as I type :-)

Excellent!

The park and the glacier are the two things I'm looking forward to in particular.

RectalWareZ

I was there last season in Feb, The best snow is at the top where the glacier! They have a cool underground train that takes you to the top. Also you can take a trip under the glacier and see pretty ice sulpurs

niceoneted

Anyone elese been here and have anything good or bad to say about the place. I'm looking at booking a week in Feb with Crystal in one of their hotels. Is it good for higher end intermediates? Whats the cost of beer and wine like there and dinner out?
Thanks for any advice in advance.

Necronomicon

niceoneted wrote: »

Anyone elese been here and have anything good or bad to say about the place. I'm looking at booking a week in Feb with Crystal in one of their hotels. Is it good for higher end intermediates? Whats the cost of beer and wine like there and dinner out?
Thanks for any advice in advance.

Here, I wrote this in another thread, any other questions feel free to ask:

Necromomicon wrote: »

1. Where and when you went.
Les Deux Alpes, France, 5th - 12th January 2008

2. What you did there ski/board/blade.
Board

3. How were the conditions on/off piste.
Mixed bag. Les Duex Alpes is a fairly high resort, so snow is almost guaranteed, but that doesn't always make conditions good. When the days are overcast, the snow can be quite harsh which makes visibility a big problem. Also, on our second last day, there were incredibly violent winds which effectively shut down the gondolas and most chair lifts. However, when the days are clear, conditions are unbelievable. I've actually never seen so much snow in front of me, it was a sea of white in some parts. It snowed very heavily on the last day, so whoever arrived today is gonna have some serious fresh powder!
So as I said, a bit of a mixed bag; when conditions were good, they were great, but at times visibilty issues became a problem. Very unpredictable place.

4. Are you beginner/intermed/advanced.
Intermediate.

5. What were the bars/restaurants like.
Apres ski was pretty good, bars like Smithy's and the Polar Bear, but you're almost guaranteed to be priced out of a good night out. Seriously, this is the most expensive place I've ever been to. You're talking €6 a pint - my friend was charged €8.50 for a pint bottle of Bulmers. Shop around in the supermarkets for drink, then go out for one or two depending on your budget.

6. Anything in particular to recommend about this resort.
A trip to the glacier is a must! On the main gondola you have to go past the half way point and up to the top, it's a bit of a pain, but when you get there it's worth it. We went there twice; the first time conditions were harsh enough, it was a cloudy day and snowed like hell. We couldn't see much, but the snow was incredible. The second time we had the best of both worlds, it was a sunny day and there was still fresh powder up there. It is almost always snowing up there, even if there is no snow in the village. The snow park is also great; it really caters for both beginners and advanced. If you don't fancy the advanced area (which is cut off from the rest) then there is a great little begginers/intermediate park with kickers, rails, a big air, where I spent most of my time.

7. Any hidden gems you found nearby.
There is a boarder cross run near the park which is excellent. Didn't know about it until we were up there, but it was a hell of a lot of fun.

8. Was the population when you were there mostly Irish/Brits or mainland Europeans.
Mostly English.

9. Any other relevant comments, and whether you would go again.
Tough one, not sure if I would go again because it was so expensive, but we did have a great week.
Oh, but just one thing - if you are going, avoid Residence Du Soleil. The place is a kip, and it's almost as high up as the freakin' glacier which means a walk of 300+ steps every night if you go out.

niceoneted

Thanks for that as it was very informative. I'm not keen on French resorts as they are quite expensive but that's where the few I found to go want to go so I have to row in or go it alone - I think I'd prefer the company for the sake of the few extra quid.