Les 2 Alpes

Les Deux Alpes is one of the best-known French ski resorts. It lies in the Isère department, in the central part of the Dauphiné Alps, in the Oisans massif, a few dozen kilometres south-east of Grenoble. The village of Les Deux Alpes (1,650 m) is picturesquely surrounded by three-thousanders, dominated by the forbidding Pic de la Meije (3,982 m). The Les Deux Alpes ski area lies on two mountain pastures (hence the resort's name), linked by a modern lift network. The southern slopes of Les Deux Alpes are among the highest ski areas in the world (over 3,500 m). Most of the resort's 211 km of pistes lie above 2,500 m. The skiing here is exceptionally varied in difficulty and also offers excellent snow conditions, easy access to the lifts and usually sunny weather. Les Deux Alpes also has pistes and full ski infrastructure on the glacier. Years ago it became the first resort in France to create a summer ski area. Outside the winter season you can therefore ski on the pistes of the Girose glacier (3,514 m) and on the slopes of the slightly lower but better equipped Mont-de-Lans. Les Deux Alpes is a constantly growing ski area with very modern infrastructure, a wide variety of pistes and superb freeride opportunities. It is also an excellent place for a winter holiday with children, as Les Deux Alpes holds the "P'tits Montagnards" label, awarded by the Ski Club de France to resorts offering the best tourist and ski facilities for families with children. Besides extra activities, this means many discounts, pistes and lifts adapted specially for children, and professional care on and off the slopes. Conditions for snowboarders in the Les Deux Alpes area are excellent, matched by only a few resorts in Europe. Wide pistes higher up and superb marked powder areas guarantee real snowboarding fun. At the turn of October and November, a month before the winter season opens, two interesting events take place on the glacier in Les Deux Alpes, one for skiers and one for snowboarders: the Mondial du Ski and the Mondial du Snowboard. A ski pass bought for Les Deux Alpes lets you go and explore the large ski resort of Alpe d'Huez in the neighbouring valley, whose highlight is the longest black piste in Europe, a 16 km descent from the Sarenne glacier. The network of cross-country trails in the area is not very extensive and consists mostly of easy trails suitable for leisurely skiing. Besides skiing, Les Deux Alpes has a wide range of sports on offer. There are two very well equipped sports centres, "Club Forme" and "Tanking Center" (with an indoor heated pool, jacuzzi, sauna, squash, a fitness room, massage and physiotherapy, among other things). Snowmobile rides and paragliding are also an interesting alternative to skiing. The resort offers visitors many shops, restaurants, piano bars, discos and a cinema. New for winter 2006/2007: for several years now the resort has been changing its look: façades are being clad in wood, interiors modernised and enlarged, and new buildings are going up. The new apartments are of a higher standard and more spacious. Some of the recent investments: 2005, the Les Balcons de Sarenne residence, the Le Cortina residence with 15 apartments for 4 to 10 people (a converted hotel), and the Le Prince des Ecrins residence with 28 apartments for 4 to 10 people (a new building). More projects are due to open in the coming years: in 2007, Le Balcon des Pistes and the l’Alba residence with 22 apartments for 4 to 10 people (a converted hotel). From the events calendar: * 27 to 29 October 2006, Mondial du Snowboard * 3 to 5 November 2006, Mondial du Ski * March 2007, Billabong Junior Pro (freestyle) * April 2007, Taravana Freestyle