Heli-Skiing in Alpe d'Huez, France

Technically heli-skiing has been banned in France since 1985 due to public outcry over the concerns of the effect of fuel consumption on the delicate ecosystem of the high mountains as well as the impact of noise pollution.

With this in mind and you can overcome your conscience, it is still possible to participate in heli-skiing in some form in France. Firstly skiers in resorts that share a border with Italy or Switzerland, where the activity is still legal, such as Morzine or La Rosière can simply ski over into the neighbouring country and pick up their helicopter their. Other companies offer the service where they are picked up in their French resort, fly a legal transfer to Italy or Switzerland, before being taken up to their drop points in these countries.  In Chamonix companies can pick up clients just over the boarder of both Italy and Switzerland.

However another loophole in the system is available. Although being dropped off at the top of the mountain is illegal in France, being picked up at the bottom and transferred back to the resort is not. So it is possible to use the regular lift system in the resort to arrive at the highest point and in certain geographical areas, easily access mostly untouched powder bowls into which regular skiers and snow boarders rarely venture thanks to the time it would take them to return to the resort by foot or ski. Many French helicopter companies are providing the service where, accompanied by a qualified mountain guide, you are escorted through some magical ski terrain to one of their designated pick up points in the valley.

One such resort that provides this service is in Alpe d’Huez. Skiers descending from the Pic Blanc at over 3000meters usually take the impressively long Serrene run back to the resort. Or those a little more adventurous, may take the short ski tour into the Combe du Loup, or the even over the Pyramid. However very few venture into the Glacier du Grand Sablat, aware of the considerable hike it would take to walk out at the bottom. Facing in an easterly direction this valley maintains fantastic snow conditions where other slopes on the l’île au soleil (Island in the sun) sometimes feel the effect of this sunny resort. Bureau

des Guides in Alpe d’Huez can provide you with a guide and arrange for the helicopter pick up at the end of this valley, run for around €130 per person.

Alternatively if you plan to stay at Hotel Allemont the owners can help you with the arrangements.

Mountain biking, after the lifts close. Le Bourg d’Oisans and Alpe d’Huez.

Inter-season Mountain bike riding Alpe d'Huez

Alpe d'Huez after the lifts close

Within the mountain biking world, Alpe d’Huez is of course best known for the Mega Avalanche. This three day event attracts thousands of amateurs keen to race against some of the best professional riders. Competitors start at the Pic Blanc at 3300m, beginning the race on the glacier before descending over 30km of gruelling trail to Allemont at 720m.

However Alpe d’Huez is also a world-class location thanks to the explosion in popularity of ‘Enduro’ riding. This combination of cross country, all mountain and even down hill skills lends itself to the huge sprawling resort with miles and miles of single track to explore. During the season, over 250km of well-maintained trails are serviced by a network of chair lifts, gondolas and cable cars.

Unfortunately the summer season is only limited to about 10 weeks, so once schools go back at the end of August the resort starts closing down. However this does not mean the end of the mountain biking season at all. Autumn see some of the best conditions for riding with warm stable conditions and deserted trails. Many business owners, time restricted during the busy summer season, now find time to get a little more time on their bikes.

Cross country trails around Lac Besson

My ridding buddy Dan from Ribot Lodge and I finally find ourselves with a little more time on our hands to go and hit our favorite trails. Granted, the high altitude trails off the Pic Blanc are no longer accessible, unless you fancy an epic slog up the service roads. However the majority of the best trails are found just above resort level and all the way into the valley.

One of our favorite inter-seasons rides has us meeting in Bourg for a pre ride coffee. Now some chose to ride the road up to Alpe d’Huez, but we prefer to catch the bus, which costs around €3 and is adapted for mountain bikes. There’s plenty of technical climbing to be done later in the day so good to keep something in the tank for then. Plus these days with both having kids, we have to have to keep our rides times down a little.

The bus drops you close to the top of the resort, where the majority of other riders chose to take one the of the down hill trails back to the valley such as the one from Villard Reculas via the Forêt de l’Ors. However here we chose to jump on the bikes and climb higher by paved then unpaved road to just past the mid station of the DMC gondola, where we hit the XC 11 MTB trail. This is a reasonably new and very fun piece of undulating single track, passing a number of picturesque lakes, ending with a fast decent to the mid station of the Grande Rouse cable car. Here you have a number of options. Continue on past the cable car on the EN7 down towards Vaujany and where there are further options to continue on down to Allemont. Alternatively change to the EN9 trail underneath l’Alpette gondola down to Oz Station (resort). However we chose to take a path that is located between these trails, which lead to just below the resort of Oz, but by a much more naturel and fun forest single track. This path is technically for hikers only and off limits to mountain bikers, but during the inter-season is totally deserted, so we never have any problems.

Fast single track above Oz station resort

It starts as a high speed decent through grassy pastures, before dropping into technical rock gardens, then moves into the forest and fast flowing, natural switch backs. Once in Oz station there is a short climb to bring you up to the lower part and arguably the most enjoyable section of the mega avalanche course (EN1). This is a fast section of forest trails with some high speed and technical berm corners. This trail can lead all the way to the mega finish line in Allemont, but we are usually short of time by this stage, so peel off close to the bottom in the direction of Bourg and the cars. There are trails on either side of the valley leading to Bourg along this 9km section. Both are undulating, but with little actual altitude gain. This section is a race to the cars and generally recognized as the time to drain the last of the energy in the legs.

The time it takes to complete the circuit varies hugely with your skill and fitness level, but you should leave yourself a good half-day. The bus from Bourg to Alpe d'Huez is number 3020 and 2013/14 timetable can be viewed here

Located in and close to Le Bourg d’Oisans are a number of cycling and mountain bike friendly hotels and chalets. One such hotel, Hotel Rondpoint is ideally placed close to the bottom of the road to Alpe d’Huez and offer the possibility of an uplift service to the resort for mountain bikers.

Bourg d’Oisans to Alpe d’Huez road cycling

This cycling route is arguably the most legendary and famous cycling route in the world. Although challenging and relentless, it is far from the hardest, making it achievable to almost anyone with a basic level of fitness.

The climb itself can be split into four sections with their own milestones. It is important to warm up properly, because the first section from Bourg to La Garde and is arguably the most difficult, with the climb going instantly from flat to an average of 11%. Between Garde and the pretty hamlet of Ribot, the gradient drops of briefly before cranking up to 9%. This gradient now remains pretty constant, with no notable flatter sections, except for the briefest of rest-bites during the transitions in the hairpin bends. Between Ribot and Huez is the longest section which climbs quickly through a number of hairpin
bends, passing through the Dutch corner, made famous by the huge sea of orange clad Dutch supporters camped out here during each Tour du France. The final section form Huez to the resort of Alpe d’Huez passes through the lowest ski slopes of the resort and picturesque meadows.

As you arrive into the resort the unofficial and more popular finish line is close to the tourist office. However be aware, that the official Tour du France finish line continues up through the tunnel and another couple of bends and roundabouts through the resort. This finish line, which is located along side the ski slopes is slightly understated, with just a small banner, plaque and a line on the road. Which ever line you chose to finish at, don’t forget your stopwatch, so you can compare your effort against the times of the professionals.

Most people, after a rewarding treat in a local café chose to return to the valley by the same route, but anotable circular return option is possible via the Col de Sarenne, made famous in the 2013 Tour du France, when after climbing the 21 bends, competitors returned to the valley over the Col de Sarenne before climbing the Alpe d’Huez for a second time. Thankfully the event has resulted in vast improvements to the road surface over this col, although this is still a very technical descent with loose gravely corners.

The climb was first used in the Tour du France in 1952 and has been used 28 times up until it was climbed twice in one day in 2013.

It is also the final climb for the grueling Marmotte cycling event, which welcomes 8,000 amateur cyclists to compete in this cyclosportive. The race, which starts in Bourg d'Oisans, passes over the Col du Glandon, Col du Telegraphe, Col du Galibier, before finishing in Alpe d’Huez, a total of 174km and 5180m of climbing.

This climb is also the location for the Dutch charity cycling event the Alpe d’Huzes in early June, where teams of cyclists aim to climb the Alpe d’Huez six times in a day.

Depart altitude Le Bourg d'Oisans 2350ft/715m

Arrival altitude Alpe d'Huez 6100ft/1800m

Height gain 3750ft/1145m

Length 14km/8.8miles

Steepest gradient 13.5%

Average gradient 8.1%

Record 37min 35 Marco Pantani 1997

View Alpe d`Huez in a larger map

Accommodation options in Le Bourg d’Oisans

Alpe d'Huez - Back country mountain bike trails

Alpe d'Huez MTB/VTT piste map

Alpe d’Huez is most commonly knows in mountain biking circles for the Mega Avalanche. And for good reason, this international event, pitching armature against professional riders attracts people from all over the world.  The event takes place over 3 days with a day of practice, a day of qualifying and finally the race day. Competitors start at the Pic Blanc at 3300m, beginning the race on the glacier before descending over 30km of grueling trail to Allemont at 720m.

However visit the resort outside of this popular week and you will be blown away by the amount (250km marked trails), standard and diversity of the mountain bike trails. Even better book a guide to show you some of the resorts hidden backcountry treasures.

Single track around Lac Besson

One of my favourite all mountain circuits is to take the DMC1 gondola from Alpe d’Huez up to the first stage and then ride the cross country trail past Lac Besson (XC11) to the mid station of the Dome Rouse cable car. At the top of the Dome cable car the start of the Mega Avalanche qualification course heads off to the right. However we generally chose to head off the back of the resort to the left and follow a series of less obvious and quite technical single track in the direction of the Col du Couard. The trail, well above the tree line, starts with on loose rock mixed with sections of fun slick rock where you can chose any number of different ways down. It is set on a balcony plateau and runs past a number of very beautiful partly frozen lakes.

At the Col du Couard the trail climbs again onto a 

section of extremely exposed, not for the faint

hearted trail, which leads around the back of Les Agiguillettes before another short sharp climb up to the Col du Sabot. From here it is a fast decent through grassy meadows into the picturesque resort of Vaujany and a well-earned stop in one of the charming restaurants. It is now possible to return to Alpe d’Huez either via the two sections of the Dome cable car and then down the Mega qualification course (L1), or continue down towards Allemont (EN1), where a free shuttle bus brings you up to Oz Station and the Poutran gondola which brings you back to the main MTB area above Alpe d’Huez.

It is worth noting that this circuit is only really possible when enough snow has melted at altitude, usually sometime towards the middle of July and that the Dome cable car closes everyday from midday until 2pm.

For accommodation in Alpe d'Huez and the surrounding area visit us at Bike lodging