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Freestyle capital and all-mountain mecca with a great snow record and the largest skiable glacier in Europe!
From it's humble beginnings, Les 2 Alpes has developed into a large and lively resort, popular with all levels of skier. The resort centre is a stones throw from the slopes so you are never too far to accessing the great high altitude pistes on offer.
On the piste you'll find it steep at the bottom and gentle on top, Les 2 Alpes offers a very creditable 220 kilometres of pistes. The Pied Moutet side has good runs in the morning sun but most of the slopes are laid out in a long narrow line all the way up to the top of the Girose Glacier at 3570 metres on the opposite side of the valley - making this resort one of the highest in the world. Off the piste Les 2 Alpes is one of the top European resorts for powder skiing. Most of the pistes are in a narrow central band, leaving wide flanks and phenomenal 2000 metres-plus vertical drop descents free for powder purists of all persuasion. Freestyle boarders and skiers are spoilt for choice in Les 2 Alpes with the Slide Zone, one of the best terrain parks in the world and a nightlife scene to match. The snow park comprises beginner area, a 4 metres high 120 metres long half-pipe, jumps, kickers and handrails totalling nearly 400 metres. Daily DJs spin tunes around a barbecue area with deckchairs. There are also two boardercrosses and customised canyons. The park is located at an altitude of over 3200 metres on Europe's largest glacier used for summer riding. Over the years Les 2 Alpes summer park has become one of the best snowparks in Europe and throughout the world! The glacier is accessible via the JANDRI EXPRESS cable car in 25 minutes from the centre of the resort and the snow park is accessed by 2 mechanical lifts serving: the 'pioches du Dôme Sud' and the 'pioches du Soreiller' for a shorter waiting time.Les 2 Alpes comes to life as the sun goes down. There are no high-mountain drinking dens so all the action takes place in the resort, with over 50 restaurants and 30 bars. Experience a unique blend of old London pub atmosphere with Alpine charm at The Windsor. Strong skiers are spoilt for choice with red and black runs providing twists and turns through the rocks and the natural canyons in the Slide Zone providing a buzz. Try the Grand Couloir for a tight line under the Bellecombe chair and the itineraries through the Rachasses Couloirs for a knuckle-whitening challenge. All the lower slopes down to the resort are enjoyably bumpy and you can slalom through the young trees dividing the pistes. Most intermediates will enjoy the natural canyons and the cruising runs in the Diable area but a common complaint from mileage-hungry piste cruisers is the narrow band of busy pistes in the centre of the ski area. There is a remedy. Make your way to the Pied Moutet side in the morning and spend at least a day visiting a nearby resort like Alpe d'Huez (freely available on a weekly ski pass). Early intermediates can hone their skills on the fine glacier snow. The nursery slopes at the foot of the main mountain where the steep flanks gently run out have a good snow record. They are within easy walking distance from most corners of the resort. There is a cordoned off area on the central plains and progressing beginners will love the sensation of getting up to the glacier onto the snow and gentle blue runs. Families in Les 2 Alpes will have a great time. Watch your children learn to pull off 360° 'helicopter' jumps and land on the safety of a giant airbag under the tuition of ESF instructors. Under the glacier lies an ice grotto with carved serpents, polar bears and even dinosaurs.The lift system has been much-improved recently with a new eight-man fast chair easing the pressure on the main Jandri Express. There are 59 lifts in all. The main drawback is the time it takes to reach the top of the glacier from the resort. Queues are not a problem other than out of the two main base lifts first thing in the morning. A weekly ski pass includes two free days in Alpe d'Huez and a day in either Serre Chevalier or the Milky Way ski area. The resorts are around an hour's drive away and definitely worth a trip. An alternative is to catch the helicopter transfer to Alpe d'Huez. There is free skiing in La Grave when the link is open. Free entry to the swimming pool and ice rink is included. A cheaper pass to a limited number of lifts is also available.
Les 2 Alpes Accommodation and Services:
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