In the foothills of the Alpe d’Huez Grand Domaine Ski
This small mountain village in the foothills of the Alpe d’Huez Grand Domain Ski, one of the biggest skiing areas in the Alps, didn’t wait a long time to join its neighbours via ski lift.
Between 1976 and 2001, a small button lift took skiers to the Col de Maronne where they could then ski on slopes of Auris. A chairlift replaced the button lift in 2001.
For skiers that love peace and untouched nature, the chairlift is the perfect way to get to Alpe d’Huez Grand Domaine Ski!
Once you’ve reached Auris, you’ll be delighted once you’ve seen what’s in store: steep slopes, play areas and sunny terraces!
La Sarenne
What’s one advantage of high altitude ski resorts? Steep slopes! Snowy slopes start high, very high even, and finish at the bottom of a valley.
For example, there’s the legendary Sarenne, the longest slope in Europe, where the Pic Blanc stands tall at 3,300 m above altitude. You can’t get any higher than this! After skiing head to head with the Cîmes des Écrins, winding through the heart of the Grandes Rousses massif, taking it easy through in the Vallon de Sarenne, among the trees and along the torrent, you’ll finish at 1,500 m.
After all this, return to La Garde via La Fuma, the most sloped black piste in the area (!), or, if you want to chill out a bit, through the red and blue runs.
Jacques lE bûcheron
The La Garde chairlift will take you to the slopes of Auris. Just a piece of advice: before you start skiing, visit Jacques, a lumberjack with a vivid imagination.
This fun ski slope was created in the form of Jacques, who knows the Forêt d’Auris like the back of his hand. It’s a magical place that, in winter, is a refuge for many animals. There are lots of different sections that capture the magic of Jacques’ world, like the logging sledge, the wood stère, the all-purpose saw (that’s been transformed into a swing), the wood sculpture and the log slalom.
You don’t need to have children to have fun; everyone loves it here!
Snowshoeing in the wilderness
The Gorges de Sarenne, a charming forest valley, is a snowshoeing must. Starting from Huez, you can walk up the valley under the protection of snow-capped trees, in the blissful muffled silence of just you and the snow.
Or go to Alpe d’Huez and follow the Boucle des Lacs, a vast and remote plateau in the wilderness. See our page about snowshoeing.
