Wed, 01/06/2010 - 6:28pmNext Stop: Les 2Alpes

Some people would think this is the best job in the world – writing about snowboarding. I mean who else gets to rock out at the British Champs in Switzerland and then boost over to Les Deux Alpes in France for a week of work? That’s work where work means soaking up the experience, cruising around the mountain taking photos of people that are better than you. So maybe it’s not the best job in the world, but it’s pretty damn good.
Off the back of the British Champs in Laax last April I was so impressed with the skills that David Graham and Scott Penman had been laying down, that getting me to shoot over for a quick reconnaissance mission in Les Deux Alpes was like getting the proverbial hot knife through butter.
Home to the largest rideable glacier in Europe, and claiming the title of France’s second oldest resort, with one of Europe’s boldest terrain parks and a nightlife to boot, Les Deux Alpes has been a pivotal player in everyone from holiday-makers, pro snowboarders, Brit seasonnaires and the snowboard industry at larges’ winter regime for years.
I’d always heard stories about the resort but, save for a boozy trip to the British Champs in 2003, not had the chance to sample it myself.
A significant factor to 2Alpes’ popularity in Britain comes by way of the summer freestyle camps run by McNab Snowsports – The Kommunity Camps. But while the summer sessions are not to be missed, 2Alpes also offers extensive winter riding with short, steep faces for powder shredding, long wide pistes for cruising, an extensive park for jumps and jibbing and even direct link to the freeriding hotspot of La Grave.

/ Eating and drinking...
Fresh off the bus from Grenoble – which is unofficially the cheapest airport-to resort transfer in the world at €3.50-5.00 – I’m sat enjoying an aperitif in the cool mountain air at the southern-most end of Les Deux Alpes’ main street.
Changeover day is rushing around our little island of tranquility at The Red Frog and the last rays of sun are lapping at our feet.
It’s a soporific setting and a far cry from the carnage of a regular night out in 2Alpes’ main strip.
This little Brit run boozer has been catering 24/7 since before the locals can remember – even Christmas Day is a workday here (if you can call chatting up girls and sneaking a few brandys in work).
I’ve been fortunate enough to catch up with a long-time friend who after 10 years in Whistler has finally washed back to Europe, Darren Peart. And there are some significant differences that Darren has taken to rather well…
“A big difference are there are way more sunny days here than on the west coast of Canada – you can pretty much leave your yellow lenses at home. And 2Alpes is a great place to have a beer after riding – obviously Europe's got a big après scene…”
On that not we set off up the strip for dinner and, reputedly the cheapest pizza in town at Le Take Away, bfore embarking on a night on the tiles.
The name Les Deux Alpes refers to the two villages (Venosc and Mont de Lans) sat at either end of the resort’s main strip. Built on a north-south, ex-grazing pasture, plateau the strip offers a lively run of restaurants, bars, shops, cafés, supermarkets and night clubs.
Among them are some infamous locations, from The Red Frog to Smithy’s, Smokey Joes and the Avalanche club, that night in, night out, claim their victims.

/ The terrain...
Winter goes off in this town. The village is situated at 1650m and lift access goes right to the top of the glacier at 3600m so it is an incredibly snow-sure resort. Over 220km of pisted runs sprawl from the top of the mountain down, with up to 2300m vertical drop in the package.
Interestingly the layout of the mountain has created a steep-sided base and mid-section with a relatively mellow plateau on the glacier up top. This could throw a bit of a spanner in the works for beginners but the resort have counter-balanced the situation with a large nursery slope area at village level. They also piste a shallow road-route that traverses down the side of the mountain should the main piste be too steep.
If you are after some more interactive min-shred runs, trees, hits and rollers then 2Alpes can feel a little sparse but if you want to go fast and charge then the steep, wide pistes will be a joy. And despite not being a renowned backcountry resort the steep pitches and easy accessibility offer some amazing powder runs.
The winter park is built at 2600m, which, again, means the snow is usually in epic condition, even late into the spring, but conversely the wind and bad weather can close proceedings quicker than less exposed parks. It offers loads and loads of jibs accessed by both a draglift and four-man chair. The epic medium-jump line, pro jumps and pipe are only accessed by the rather slow chairlift which affords a bit of relaxing time in between runs. We had the chance to catch up with a crew of Belgians who were busy training for the following week’s Belgian Championships – a mean affair where even the juniors of our fellow landlocked country bust out 1080s per se. Somewhat surreally the Danes  were holding their annual freeride championships on a rocky aspect above the park during our stay. They had a cup for the winner that would have made the FA re-think their designs.
While the 50+ lifts serving the resort offer a combined uphill capacity of over 60,000 people per hour, the main base station access to the mountain lifts can be jam-packed in the holidays, with frustratingly long queues. When we were there in April this was bordering on ridiculous but we did find that either being at the Jandri lift super early, or taking it easy and rolling up at 11, avoided most of the rabble.
From the mid-mountain plethora of lifts the glacier is rather limited with two T-bars but incredible snow even in April and a majestic view of the French and Italian Alps including La Meije and Mont Blanc.
It’s from the top of here at the Dome de la Lauze that access is available to La Grave – one of the best freeriding resorts in the world! At certain times 2Alpes even lay on a snowcat to drag people across the short hike. But it’s only recommended for advanced skiers with a qualified guide as, being atop a glacier, there are crevasses all over the unmarked runs.
Les Deux Alpes is linked to the nearby resorts of La Grave, L’Alpe d’Huez, Serre Chevalier and, as such, a six-day lift ticket in 2Alpes will offer a free day in any of the other resorts.
Unlike many of the other French resorts however Les Deux Alpes is not owned by the local commune – it is privately owned – which explains the ferociously expensive mountain restaurants and pretty steep lift ticket.

/ From the horse's mouth

"Les 2 Alpes is the Blackpool of ski resorts; it’s like a little Las Vegas: loads of fun to go out in but with a wicked park."
Scott Penman

“Les Deux Alpes, with its rideable Glacier that reaches the heights of 3600m, is
almost guaranteed to give good early and pre-season riding. Last season I
ran a pre-season technical clinic there in early December with 60cm of fresh
snow on the pistes and next to noone in the resort!”
Neil McNab

/ Getting there
Grenoble is the closest town to 2Alpes. It’s accessible by train (www.raileurope.co.uk), plane (www.easyjet.com), coach (www.eurolines.com) or self-drive (google maps).
From Grenoble there are a few transfer options the cheapest is the bus service from Grenoble train station (www.transisere.fr).

/ Winter Dates 2009-10
November 28th 2009 to April 24th 2010

/ Summer sessions
In preparation for the summer sessions the super pipe on the glacier was already being groomed when we arrived – that’s some fastidious pre-planning in April! The summer season kicks off late June, gets in full swing by July and winds down in August. Glacier riding is on from 7.30 to midday but there are loads of ways to while away the afternoon from volleyball to climbing.

/ Tourism Office
BP 7 - 38860 LES 2 ALPES
Phone: +33 (0) 4 76 79 22 00
Fax: +33 (0) 4 76 79 01 38
Email: info@les2alpes.com

/ Mountain Guides Bureau
Tel: 0033 476 113629
Email: guides2aples@yahoo.fr
Web: www.guides2alpes.com

/ McNab Snowsports
Tel: 0044 141 416 3828
Email: info@mcnabsnowsports.com
www.mcnabsnowsports.com