With an average of 300 days of sunshine a year, it's easy to see why the French Alpine resort of Alpe d'Huez is nicknamed 'L'lie au Soleil (the Island in the Sun)'. This name takes on a real meaning in winter when, due to a change in air pressure, a sea of cloud covers the view of the valley below. It's heavenly to be surrounded by snow-capped mountains above the clouds, although not so good for the villagers in the shade below.
Many will recognise the 21 hairpin bends leading up to Alpe d'Huez. These bends have become synonymous with the Tour de France. Driving up this road provides stunning panoramic views of the surrounding area, a good indicator of the beauty that lies above the clouds.
Alpe d'Huez is a two-hour drive from the French city of Lyon. The resort is at 1,900 metres and its highest point is at 3,330 metres, which guarantees good snow conditions.
Both skiing and snowboarding in Alpe d'Huez are fantastic. All above the tree line the resort boasts 118 slopes at all different levels. There are plenty of black runs and great off-piste for the advanced skier.
For the non-acrophobic there are four runs with 2,000 metres of a vertical drop. One of these is the Sarenne, which is one of the longest advanced runs in the world and takes over an hour to do. The 16km run descends from the Sarenne glacier at 3,330 metres in height. I left that to one of my more ski-steady friends. Instead, I nursed the gentler blue and green slopes further down.
Alpe d'Huez and the neighbouring resort of Les Deux Alps are accessible on the one lift pass for two days if a six-day pass is bought. There are buses and helicopters connecting the two resorts.
Having only skied once for three days, I was essenti
ally a beginner on this ski holiday. The first morning on the slopes I felt surprised that it had had taken me until my late twenties to go skiing. It seemed ridiculous for someone who travels a lot, loves the outdoors and activity holidays.
I had some strange logic that coming from a cold, wet Ireland every available opportunity to travel must be spent in blazing sunshine. What I hadn't realised is that when skiing you're not in the damp cold familiar to Ireland. It's usually in crisp cold, blue skies and warm sunshine.
The resort is excellent for families. While mum and dad are sipping on a mulled wine at the side of a red run the kids can be learning in the beginners' area. French ski schools usually take place in the morning and Irish families report tuition to be of a good standard. At the foot of the pistes there are easy runs and two protected areas adapted for children and beginners.
If you can manage to drag yourself away from the slopes there is plenty in the town to keep you occupied. When you buy your ski pass (Visalp) it entitles you to free entry to 30 other activities including night skiing, ice-skating, swimming in an indoor and outdoor pool (which is usable in winter), rock climbing, squash and the local gym. The ski pass for six days costs €210.
Even though Alpe d'Huez attracts a lot of families, there are young people to give it a lively 'après-ski' scene. Good bars to visit are L'Underground, Smithy's and Zoo. The bar staff in the latter are very skilful at creating a fun atmosphere and enjoy giving out free shots as much as their costumers like to drink them. O'Sharkey's Irish Bar is also popular with the early twenties crowd. If you want to continue the night dancing L'lgloo and Le Sporting are good clubs for a boogie and stay open until 4am.
There is no better way to work up a good appetite than a day in the fresh mountain air and Alpe d'Huez has many good restaurants which serve some of the regional specialities. Be sure to try delicious handmade pasta known as 'crozets' and the ultimate potato dish, Gratin Dauphinoise (potatoes cooked with cheese and cream). Round off your dinner with homemade Génépi, a traditional alpine digestif.
It is an advantage to get even a few hours of private tuition on a ski trip. I had one-to-one attention from the lovely Michelle for just two hours and I improved my technique more in that time that I had all week. A private ski lesson from the French Ski School costs €40 per hour.
When you finally feel like you're skiing it's an amazing feeling and the whole winter wonderland experience becomes addictive. Speeding down a mountain so fast that you feel like you might take off and hearing nothing but the crunching sound of the snow beneath your feet is magical. Spending all day in the crisp, clean air and the bright sunshine is wonderful, as is being wrapped up in baggy ski gear and stopping off in a mountain restaurant for a mulled wine before making your way down to the resort for some 'après-ski'.
My second ski trip has given me an even bigger appetite for the sport and cemented a place in my annual travel itinerary for at least one ski holiday.
For more information on visiting Alpe d'Huez or other Topflight holidays contact Topflight on: 00 353 1 240 1700, visit: www.topflight.ie or your travel agent.
Deirdre Mullins
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