I was there ( Les Deux Alps) the week before last and thought the skiing was excellent there are two skiing areas ..the main one up the mountain to the glacier and the opposite side which is much smaller but gets the sun ..there is enough skiing for a week and the town is very lively ..I didn't come down that red to the village used the 2 blacks which were fun..I enjoyed the place an would go back ...try the local liqueur Genepe...
Alpe D'Huez or Les Deux Alps
Login
I am not sure I am qualified to answer this Tony, just to say I have been twice and I really enjoyed it and would definitely go again.
Unfortunately thats what you have to put up with in peak holiday times. I have always chosen to holiday outside of these periods, even when my kids were younger and in school, and would never ever ski in school half term, new year or easter week for those exact reasons.
My sympathy if you cannot actually travel any other time.
If I was in ADH and the quad was working to Signal, I'd still take the drag as its much faster. I have no problems with drags, and really dont understand why people do. If you fall off them, you're not using them properly :wink:
The other thing is, as I said previously, head up the DMC early on, ie when it opens, and get away from the well known bottlenecks. I'm sure if you were on and away first thing you'd never see a 40 minute queue there.
You could, of course, not bother going up Signal if you don't like using the drag or the slow chair. There is always the "secret chair" lower dwon the old town which is a short walk from the bottom of the lobster pots, or didn't you know about that one?
Swindon. Urgh, the thought of anything being like Swindon makes my spine shudder...... :lol:
To Create or Answer a Topic
Started by Paulh764 in France 05-Feb-2013 - 23 Replies
Daved
reply to 'Alpe D'Huez or Les Deux Alps' posted Feb-2013
Edited 1 time. Last update at 06-Feb-2013
Felthorpe
reply to 'Alpe D'Huez or Les Deux Alps' posted Feb-2013
Tony_H wrote:Felthorpe, do you think there enough at L2A for me and my group, in terms of not getting bored in a week?
I am not sure I am qualified to answer this Tony, just to say I have been twice and I really enjoyed it and would definitely go again.
I can see my house from here...
Tony_H
reply to 'Alpe D'Huez or Les Deux Alps' posted Feb-2013
Juddernaut wrote:Tony_H wrote:You can spend a week at ADH and not use a single drag lifts. Thye majority seem to be low down from Les Bergers going up to the DMC area where the bunny slopes are, and therefore any decent skier need not use them at all. Theres a couple at most up the mountain, again can be avoided, and a few over ay Auris.
I don't get what peoples issues with drag lifts is though. You often see boarders on them even though they seem to do most of the moaning about them.
I'd also suggest the comment about hideous queues could be used for any major resort in Europe at peak times. I've been to ADH, St Anton, Verbier, Mayrhofen, Serre Chevalier, and others I could mention and never seen a "hideous" queue in all my time skiing. However, I travel out of school holiday times and the only queues I have seen tend to be at weekends when the locals come out to play. Again, easily avoided if you get out of bed early enough and up on the first lift and keep away from the main lifts out of resort.
You possibly can spend a week at ADH and not use a drag lift, but say if you want to go to the top of Signal from ADH and the slowest quad chair in the world isn't running (happened to us for a whole week in the school holidays)?
Yes you should be able to use the DMC gondola to get up toward Lievre Blanc, but what happens when there is a 40 minute wait to get on gondola or a 20 minute wait for the Jeux T-bar? A lot of "decent skiers" were opting for the T-Bar instead of the 40 minutes of DMC shuffle misery.
The issues with drag lifts is that they suck for a multitude of obvious reason (e.g gondolas rarely have people falling of them and holding the whole show up). If they were great then god would not have invented chairs and gondolas and you wouldn't be saying you can avoid them for a whole week now would you?
Sure you have the good fortune not to have experienced a hideous queue, but we don't all have the luxury of being able to go outside of holiday periods. I have been in the Dolomites, Les Aravis, Perisher, Thredbo, Davos and Mount Hutt in school holidays and none of them came anywhere near to the mad lift queues of ADH.
Still had a great time and the skiing there is fantastic. Would avoid during holidays though as I thought I was in Swindon.
Unfortunately thats what you have to put up with in peak holiday times. I have always chosen to holiday outside of these periods, even when my kids were younger and in school, and would never ever ski in school half term, new year or easter week for those exact reasons.
My sympathy if you cannot actually travel any other time.
If I was in ADH and the quad was working to Signal, I'd still take the drag as its much faster. I have no problems with drags, and really dont understand why people do. If you fall off them, you're not using them properly :wink:
The other thing is, as I said previously, head up the DMC early on, ie when it opens, and get away from the well known bottlenecks. I'm sure if you were on and away first thing you'd never see a 40 minute queue there.
You could, of course, not bother going up Signal if you don't like using the drag or the slow chair. There is always the "secret chair" lower dwon the old town which is a short walk from the bottom of the lobster pots, or didn't you know about that one?
Swindon. Urgh, the thought of anything being like Swindon makes my spine shudder...... :lol:
Ian Wickham
reply to 'Alpe D'Huez or Les Deux Alps' posted Feb-2013
I don't know what this I don't like drag lifts is all about ......... if resorts just had chairs and got you all up top at the same time just think about the congestion, I did read I can't remember who posted about the area I have just come back from saying too many old slow drag lifts, their were drag lifts were they slow , no slower than any other. :shock:
Jocrad74
reply to 'Alpe D'Huez or Les Deux Alps' posted Feb-2013
Have been to LDA at the end of Jan last year, not too busy on the slopes but it was very very cold....-30 on the last day with windchill!!
Have also been in March twice, lower slopes differed a lot between the two visits due to the weather, but slopes from Cretes area upwards were brilliant on boht occasions.
Dobby, why do you say LDA better late in the season - as compared to ADH? I do understand ADH suffers in warmer weather because of the slope direction, was this what you meant?
Have also been in March twice, lower slopes differed a lot between the two visits due to the weather, but slopes from Cretes area upwards were brilliant on boht occasions.
Dobby, why do you say LDA better late in the season - as compared to ADH? I do understand ADH suffers in warmer weather because of the slope direction, was this what you meant?
Up there for thinking, down there for skiing...
Simplyyourholidays
reply to 'Alpe D'Huez or Les Deux Alps' posted Feb-2013
I would go to Alpe d'Huez. Much more varied terrain and the village centre is more agreeable.
Les Deux Alpes is very spread out with very limited beginner pistes to take you back to the town (one long long green run). If you are not a beginner then this last point is not a big deal.
Les Deux Alpes is very spread out with very limited beginner pistes to take you back to the town (one long long green run). If you are not a beginner then this last point is not a big deal.
Gareth Fair
reply to 'Alpe D'Huez or Les Deux Alps' posted Feb-2013
Love ADH and have been 3 times and will defo go back some time.
However L2A is a great spot for a few days. All the best skiing is up high and there is a great ski park with ski cross and lots of small jumps and things for a good intermediate to have some fun on. The black back to the town is very steep but is manageable and far better than the flat narrow green run.
If you have never been to either ADH is better but L2A is work a trip too.
Just realised that my picture is taken up near the top of the glacier in Alpe d'Huez!
However L2A is a great spot for a few days. All the best skiing is up high and there is a great ski park with ski cross and lots of small jumps and things for a good intermediate to have some fun on. The black back to the town is very steep but is manageable and far better than the flat narrow green run.
If you have never been to either ADH is better but L2A is work a trip too.
Just realised that my picture is taken up near the top of the glacier in Alpe d'Huez!
When in doubt?....Flat out.
Edited 1 time. Last update at 14-Feb-2013
Tima
reply to 'Alpe D'Huez or Les Deux Alps' posted Mar-2013
Went to L2A a few weeks back and felt that if I was with a group of experienced lads it would be brilliant. Loads and loads of accessible offpiste which would have been awesome with experienced people. I was with my family and didn't feel that the runs flowed as other resorts I had been to. The top runs are great but it gets very cold and windy at the top. We are going to go to Alpe Duez next year as have been there before a long time ago and remember enjoying it.
Have said that park at L2A is amazing if you are into that. Kids enjoyed the beginner park as well.
Have said that park at L2A is amazing if you are into that. Kids enjoyed the beginner park as well.
Topic last updated on 03-March-2013 at 13:19