alpe d'huez activities

If there is a bad weather day, or you simply don’t feel like skiing one day, Alpe d’Huez has a huge variety of other activities to do if you don’t feel like skiing or snowboarding. On the other hand, if a day on the mountain is not enough to tire you out, and you don’t want to go to après every night, then these are a great alternative.

Ice skating

Alpe d’Huez has an outdoor ice rink that is free to use if you have the full lift pass. It is open every day from 11:30am until 10:45pm. Whether you want to learn a lutz, or just try some turns, the Alpe d’Huez ice skating rink has everything you need.

Night skiing

Alpe d’Huez is one of the few resorts in the Alps that offers night skiing. As if a whole day’s skiing wasn’t enough, they open up the Signal run between 5:30pm and 7:30pm every Tuesday and Thursday night, so you can get a few more turns in before bed! Night skiing is free if you have the full VISALP lift pass, or otherwise it is only €8.50.

Snowmobiling

Snowmobiling, or Ski-dooing as it is also known, is an exhilarating experience, sharing similarities with motor biking or quad biking but on snow.  Instead of a front wheel, two skis are used which steer the snowmobile in a similar manner to a motorbike, while the rear wheel is replaced with a caterpillar track to power the machine across powder and piste alike. Espace Motoneige gives you the opportunity to ride around the pistes of Alp d’Huez after they have closed on an ‘excursion’, alternatively they have a circuit set up that you can ride on during the day, where you pay  by the minute!

Ice driving

If trying to drive a car around London doesn’t seem stressful enough, then Alpe d’Huez offers a course in ice driving, where you can learn to control long power slides around corners and really get to grips with some of the world’s best rally cars. At least you won’t have to worry about those cyclists… 

Ski joering

Ski joering is an activity similar to dog sledding, except that instead of a pack of huskies pulling you around the mountain, you use a horse. And instead of riding a sleigh, you just use your skis! It only costs €15 for 30 minutes, and is great fun.

Hnag gliding

Hang-gliding offers the unparalleled experience of flying amongst the mountain tops unpowered, with skis on your feet and only the sound of the wind in your ears. The flights usually last around ten minutes, and are weather dependant.

Paragliding

Paragliding is similar to hang gliding, but offers a more controlled descent, with lower speeds achieved in a horizontal motion. It is also a safer way to fly through the air, as hang gliders need to be constantly travelling in a forward motion to stay airborne, while paragliders can stay aloft with no forward motion. Paragliders can also descend at a greater rate and perform impressive aerial manoeuvres. Both are an amazing way to return home at the end of a great days skiing.

Dog sledding

If you like dogs, husky sledding is a unique activity you can do while you are on holiday in Alpe d’Huez. As you may have seen on Top Gear, husky sledding can be a fantastic way travel across the snow, and is also unlike anything you will have ever experienced before. Don’t forget to bring your gloves!

Snow shoeing

Snow shoeing offers the opportunity to trek into remote areas that would never see with skis; all you need is some walking boots and to be reasonable fit. There are many snow shoeing organisations based in Alpe d’Huez, with some specialising in day time excursions, some on late night, full moon excursions, and some for whole weekends. Discover the unspoilt nature that is the French Alps, well away from the pistes and noise.  Your guide can teach you all about the local flora and fauna and really get away from it all.

Cat excursions

Cat trips, are unfortunately for animal enthusiasts, not trips to discover snow leopards, but are in fact trips where you get to ride inside a snow cat, which is the machine they use to groom the pistes. These off road vehicles can drive on just about any surface covered in snow, so allow you to get to places not usually accessible to skiers, unless a long hike is involved. Trips happen every Tuesday and Thursday and leave at 10am and 2pm.

Fitness centre

As the government constantly tells us, keeping fit and healthy is important to general wellbeing. While skiing is great fun, to really excel, doing some work in the gym can improve your strength and balance, enabling you to stay up the hill that little bit longer. Even better, if you have the full VISALP lift pass, the gym is free to use!

Spa

If a day of skiing or snowboarding is enough exercise for you, or if you have aching muscles, Alpe d’Huez’s spa is the perfect remedy. Many services are on offer, including saunas, massage, a hammam and even beauty care. This can help keep you in shape for the rest of your holiday, and is also just incredibly relaxing. Watch out for the sports massage though, they can be quite intense!

Swimming

While outdoor swimming pools may not seem that appealing back in the UK, when they tend to be cold and have the odd leaf of small animal floating on them, they are quite different in Alpe d’Huez. The pool is heated to a temperature such that it is covered with a layer of steam in the cold air, and is a sensation that needs to be experienced to be fully appreciated. However, the French are still resisting the worldwide fashion for men to wear shorts, so if you want to experience the swimming pool, men will need to bring Speedos, or (ahem) bathing suit rental is available.

Climbing

Alpe d’Huez boasts an impressive indoor climbing wall, which is free to use if you have a full VISALP lift pass, and climbing boot rental is only €2.50. The climbing wall boasts 14 routes, going up to 12m high.  Rock climbing is a fantastic way to keep fit and strengthen your core muscles and improve balance, which is sure to improve your skiing, as well as being great fun in itself!

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