Rightly well known for it’s fantastic Winter season, Les 2 Alpes is fast becoming a magnet for those trying to artfully combine activity and relaxation into one holiday. This the resort manages with a great deal of style and panache, helped by the largest skiable glacier in Europe. Les 2 Alpes’ 2010 Summer season runs from the 16th of June to the 28th of August, there are plenty of deals to be had..

Family

Les 2 Alpes has put a lot of thought and effort into making the resort a strong family destination, all brought together under the ‘Famille Plus’ banner (look for the logo). From Swimming to Fishing and Tennis to Ten Pin Bowling, Devilkarts to Quad bikes and Mini-golf to Horse Riding. The bouncy castle area at the bottom of the pistes and the trampolines are just some of the kid-specific fun. Regular street entertainment is impossible to avoid, with arts & crafts ‘makes’, clowns and music liberally spread over the resort.

One of our firm family favourites is the Venosc Adventure Park. This is a tree-borne heaven; more than 90 different sections featuring Tarzan swings, zip wires, air ladders, aerial walkways… and all of this is 15 metres high up in the forest! For younger children there is a special route with 20 games to complete as they go along.

Less strenuous activities such as Spas, Float tanks, Massage and Wellbeing sessions feature alongside more physical ones. Bodybuilding, Squash and Cardio-training are just some of the options available at the numerous Health, Fitness and Spa facilities in Les 2 Alpes.

Eating, drinking and nightlife are very well catered for in summertime Les 2 Alpes. There are over 30 bars, and many traditional restaurants serving local and international cuisine. Les 2 Alpes is also able to boast a Michelin starred restaurant, at the Chalet Mounier hotel. The Avalanche tends to be the tourists disco of choice, the locals have their own favourites.

Ski and Snowboard

The 120 hectare of skiable summer pistes are spread over the largest glacier in Europe, open from 7.00am ‘til 12.30am, served by 14 lifts. The main gondola lift (Jandri Express) takes you from the resort at 1650m all the way to the 3200m station. Summer snow is best tasted early on, by mid-day the glorious sun is turning the snow sugary, the cold beers and recliners are calling!

For youngsters, the Snow Garden is a wonderful way to experience skiing and snowboarding in safety – and without the cold of winter!

Snowpark

2 Alpes’ Summer Snowpark sits pretty at a mighty 3200m, guaranteeing the best of the available conditions. The entrance to the Superpipe is the place to be, chilling out, raiding the Barbie, listening to the tunes and watching the action, and is open to all.

There’s been a lot of preparation work during the Winter season. In particular the entry level ‘Initiation Area’ Dôme Sud has more tables and railslides complimenting the whoops and boxes. The 2010 summer park is open from the 16th of June until the 28th of August.

Advancing Beginners and Inters have the top-to-bottom-of-the-park lines of sequenced tables and rails. Jibbers gravitate to the SHRED area, with tighter, more focused modules.

For the more advanced, the airbag really gives you the confidence to go bigger and badder – put a red wig on and thing Shaun White! The 22 feet long 2009 Superpipe (that’s 6.5m wide and 140m long!) still has it’s dedicated lift.

Mountainbike

Knowing that Les 2 Alpes offers 127kms of French Cycling Federation marked bike runs, from 3200 right down to 700 metres  is a pretty good indication to the extent of the areas bike friendly terrain. There are some 36 different routes to chose from – 20 downhill, and 16 x-country.

The Bike Park is so choc full o’ features you may as well just check out the drawing. But… there’s the four bike 100m drop, 250m long MTB-cross, banked wall, air wall, different levels of aerials ( half a metre to five and a half metres up in the air!), canyons, northshores, beginners area and the list goes on.

Just to back up what we say about 2 Alpes as a MTB heaven: 17-20 of June sees around 3,000 rider at the ‘Mondial du VTT’, if it’s good enough for the elite riders… This is one of the top 5 MTB events in Europe. A full programme of entertainment runs alongside the bike events themselves. Other dates include the ‘Mountain of Hell’ (July 16-18) which is a free ride downhill competition, the highlight being the 25km downhill that starts way up on the glacier, over an unmarked course!

Other Activities.

The range of summer activities available at Les 2 Alpes is mind-boggling, and reads like a wish list for any summer holiday, be it the family, the chillaxer, the adventurer, the teenager. Here’s a brief (incomplete!) run down: Bungee (from 140m @ 120km/h), Golf (9 hole, par 64 + 40 bay Driving Range), Hiking & Walking (the scenery is spell-binding), Horse Riding (from 30mins to full day treks, with official lessons and Pony Games as well), Paragliding (see the Alpes from a startling new perspective), Rock Climbing (from the 30m high, 45 route climbing wall to some of the best guided or un-guided routes in the Alpes), Canyoning & Hydrospeed (take on the alpine rapids), Tennis (20+ courts including floodlit facilities), White Water Rafting (an adrenalin rush with few equals). The amazing traditions of the area are well preserved, with numerous museums and cultural exhibits, of special interest are the villages of Venosc and Mont de Lans.

Information

For iPhone users, there’s an App for Les 2 Alpes. Check which ski areas are opened and have been groomed, webcams, detailed weather forecast, GPS based daily stats of your (snow) performance. For the clumsy/unlucky there are all the emergency numbers you’ll need. A most impressive app, and it’s free!

For Les 2 Alpes Holidays call 0844 770 4070 or email sales@alpinelements.co.uk

Summer Facts

Snow

Lifts 14

Blue Pistes 4

Green Pistes 2

Red Pistes 2

Freestyle areas 1

Snowpark 1

Bike Facts

Bike lifts 10

Green 7

Blue 12

Red 12

Black 5

Transfer Grenoble 1.5 hours, Lyons 2 hours

Links

Tourist Office

Les 2 Alpes Holidays

Summer weather reports

Piste map

iPhone App

Snowpark

Mountainbike info

Webcam page