The leading resort of les 2 Alpes is one of the most popular in France. Located between the northern and southern Alps, its slopes climb to some of the highest lift-accessed runs in Europe and are crowned by a glacier. This high altitude and southerly latitude means it’s both snowy and sunny!
Those high lifts, up to nearly 3,600m, also open up one of the world’s biggest lift-served descents, a fabulous, 2,300m from top to bottom (3,600m down to 1,300m), for some incredible skiing, with 220km of slopes to enjoy too.
Lift Access to High Terrain
The fact that Les 2 Alpes lifts climb so high means that 70% of the terrain, which includes 85 individual runs and more than 40 lifts, are above 2,000 metres. That was the snowsure level last winter when there were reports of little snow cover in December and early January on lower runs, above 2,000m there was actually as much, or more snow lying than average.
@Pyrouu – OT 2 Alpes
Les 2 Alpes’ high-altitude glacier area is also one of the few left in the Alps that still opens outside the main season for racers as well as recreational skiers and boarders to get on the snow in late spring and even early summer.
The Village
Besides its fabulous ski area, with its world-beating stats, we must not forget that Les 2 Alpes village itself is a laid-back resort with a great offer that most skiers fall in love with even before they hit the slopes above. Along with lots of accommodation options, the resort is famed for its great après-ski scene with 80 bars and restaurants to choose from, as well as several on-mountain restaurants. There’s something for every visitor type here.
Much of the accommodation also provides ski-in/ski-out resort access or provides quick access to the ski slopes via the Belle Etoilehybrid lift, Super Venosc gondola, Jandri Express lift and Diable hybrid lift.
To add to the appeal and make Les 2 Alpes even better for the 2020s and beyond, the company which runs the lifts, SATA Group-AEON, is nearing completion of a five-year project to upgrade à large number of the resort’s key lifts, to improve speed, capacity and skier flow across the huge domain.
Lift Expansion & Modernisation
The centrepiece of this modernisation program is the New Jandri 3S cable car, currently under construction and set to open in a year’s time in December 2024. It will replace the current Jandri Express lifts I &II which have been in service for almost 40 years and are reaching the end of their service life.
The new Jandri lift will more than halve the ascent time from the village to the high-altitude area from 40 minutes today to just 17 minutes when the new lift goes into service. It will also feature spacious cabins which can each carry 32 people compared to the 20-person cabins on the lifts today. Each will have 24 seats and room for wheelchairs as well as panoramic windows for a breathtaking 360° view. All this means the new lift can carry 3,000 people per hour rather than the 1700 people with the old lift at present.
With three new terminals at 1650m (resort level), 2,600m (mid-mountain) and with glacier access at 3,200m, the new Jandri will facilitate the resort’s transition from a ski area destination to a four-season mountain destination and will provide access to the high-altitude area for all visitors in every season -. The new Jandri will also fit with les 2 Alpes’ aim to constantly reduce both its carbon and visual impact on the mountains, reducing the number of lift pylons from 17 today to just seven.
©Les 2 Alpes_ski neige_Luka Leroy
But not all the upgrades in the five-year plan are still a year away. The flagship installation for the 2023-2024 season, the new Belle Etoile hybrid lift, goes into service this winter.
The new lift combines cabins and seats on the same line to meet the needs of customers with diverse needs for different activities in the mountains. Experienced skiers and snowboarders will be able to board on classic chairlifts, while pedestrians and beginners will be able to use the cabins with complete peace of mind.
The new Belle Etoile lift will feature 65 chairs and 22 cabins and is set to open just in time for Christmas on 23rd December 2023. It will be able to carry up to 3,000 people per hour.
Also new this winter is the Coolidge magic carpet on the snow front which opens on December 2nd, 2023, which is also Les 2 Alpes’ 2023-24 season opening date. The l’Orée des Pistes ski lift has also been upgraded and is re-opening on the same date too.
@Pyrouu – OT 2 Alpes
For beginners and families, it’s also good to know that the resort’s snowfront has been redesigned with state-of-the-art button lifts and magic carpets to make those first skiing experiences so much easier. There’s really something for everyone, from families with little ones to thrill seekers.
There will also be two new runs to enjoy this winter, the new “Vallée Blanche” very-easy green slope on the Vallée Blanche side of the resort, which has been added to help make this side of the ski area ever more of a fully family-friendly space. There’s also a new blue slope “La Balade du Jandri” in the high-altitude sector of the resort.
All of the facilities included in the five-year investment plan (Vallée Blanche, Diable, Super Venosc, Jandri…) have the same ultimate purpose of providing a faster, more comfortable and quieter ascent, with fewer queues, greater comfort and altogether more leisure time in the mountains.
This modernisation will enable the Les 2 Alpes ski area to transform itself smoothly over the coming decades into a mountain resort, accessible to all, , four seasons, for all their visitors’ sporting and non-sporting activities.
Main Image ©Les 2 Alpes – luka leroy
3 AEON resorts (Les 2 Alpes, Alpe d’Huez and La Grave)
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