MTB’ing Alpe D’Huex or Les Deux Alps
Discussion
Does anyone have experience of the above?
It’s a lads trip at the start of July. We’ll be riding in Alpe D’Huex and Les Deux Alps during the days, but it’s been suggested that both towns will be dead in the evenings and we should stay 30 mins away in the town of Bourg d’Oisans. Seems like a pain having to drive in every day, or is it the best solution?
For several in the group, the evening beers are just as important as the trails.
Cheers
It’s a lads trip at the start of July. We’ll be riding in Alpe D’Huex and Les Deux Alps during the days, but it’s been suggested that both towns will be dead in the evenings and we should stay 30 mins away in the town of Bourg d’Oisans. Seems like a pain having to drive in every day, or is it the best solution?
For several in the group, the evening beers are just as important as the trails.
Cheers
declaration: i've never been to that area in the summer so take this with a pinch of salt.
I'm also of that mindset apparently: Having gone out with a group that i don't know that well, I declared at 2am i wasn't really much of a big drinker and i got a response of "[go away], you had 6 pints before dinner" . in my defence there is a great bar* at the bottom of one of the runs back into Morzine and i just got comfortable
.
The nightlife is never really there with the MTB crowd; half our group is usually tucked up in bed by 8pm because for them it is all about the riding, which I don't have a problem with, but as a chronic FOMO sufferer, if i'm away i like to cram as much as i can in. Even places like Morzine unless there is some other type of event on, which fortunately they tend to do fairly regularly at weekends, tends to be a little dead after the evening meal during the week. I think most people drink back at base rather than go out, which isn't my thing really - i'd rather have a cuppa if i'm staying in.
An hour in the car/van everyday, loading and unloading doesn't seem like much fun to me and Bourg d’Oisans doen't look that lively if that is what you/they are after?
Bastile day is on the 14th July, but I can't find much else going on from booze/party point of view https://www.seealpedhuez.com/events/main#var_2543 It might be a bit too early for events to be listed.
some of these bars/clubs are only open for the ski season. but there are still a few places open:
https://www.seealpedhuez.com/bars/
https://www.see2alpes.com/bars/
bar*
I'm also of that mindset apparently: Having gone out with a group that i don't know that well, I declared at 2am i wasn't really much of a big drinker and i got a response of "[go away], you had 6 pints before dinner" . in my defence there is a great bar* at the bottom of one of the runs back into Morzine and i just got comfortable
. The nightlife is never really there with the MTB crowd; half our group is usually tucked up in bed by 8pm because for them it is all about the riding, which I don't have a problem with, but as a chronic FOMO sufferer, if i'm away i like to cram as much as i can in. Even places like Morzine unless there is some other type of event on, which fortunately they tend to do fairly regularly at weekends, tends to be a little dead after the evening meal during the week. I think most people drink back at base rather than go out, which isn't my thing really - i'd rather have a cuppa if i'm staying in.
An hour in the car/van everyday, loading and unloading doesn't seem like much fun to me and Bourg d’Oisans doen't look that lively if that is what you/they are after?
Bastile day is on the 14th July, but I can't find much else going on from booze/party point of view https://www.seealpedhuez.com/events/main#var_2543 It might be a bit too early for events to be listed.
some of these bars/clubs are only open for the ski season. but there are still a few places open:
https://www.seealpedhuez.com/bars/
https://www.see2alpes.com/bars/
bar*
Its a few year ago now, but I did a week of both mountain and road biking based in Les Deux Alps.
The lift assisted MTB was pretty good in L2A. Whilst the trails were nowhere near as extensive as Morzine/Les Get, they were in better condition and therefore more rideable IMO.
I agree that L2A, at the time, wasn't very lively on an evening. There were a few restaurants that were pretty good though. This may have changed since.
From a road biking point of view, I agree that Bourg d'Oisan would have been a better option, being more central for a lot of the big climbs around that area.
I can't comment much on the biking in AlpD'Huez.
Maybe consider splitting and doing both?
The lift assisted MTB was pretty good in L2A. Whilst the trails were nowhere near as extensive as Morzine/Les Get, they were in better condition and therefore more rideable IMO.
I agree that L2A, at the time, wasn't very lively on an evening. There were a few restaurants that were pretty good though. This may have changed since.
From a road biking point of view, I agree that Bourg d'Oisan would have been a better option, being more central for a lot of the big climbs around that area.
I can't comment much on the biking in AlpD'Huez.
Maybe consider splitting and doing both?
Sarkmeister said:
Its a few year ago now, but I did a week of both mountain and road biking based in Les Deux Alps.
The lift assisted MTB was pretty good in L2A. Whilst the trails were nowhere near as extensive as Morzine/Les Get, they were in better condition and therefore more rideable IMO.
I agree that L2A, at the time, wasn't very lively on an evening. There were a few restaurants that were pretty good though. This may have changed since.
From a road biking point of view, I agree that Bourg d'Oisan would have been a better option, being more central for a lot of the big climbs around that area.
I can't comment much on the biking in AlpD'Huez.
Maybe consider splitting and doing both?
Cheers for the advice. Sounds like Bourg d'Oisan may be the best bet, we did Passporte du Soleil last year in Morzine so I guess L2A and Alpe D'Huez will feel very quiet in comparison.The lift assisted MTB was pretty good in L2A. Whilst the trails were nowhere near as extensive as Morzine/Les Get, they were in better condition and therefore more rideable IMO.
I agree that L2A, at the time, wasn't very lively on an evening. There were a few restaurants that were pretty good though. This may have changed since.
From a road biking point of view, I agree that Bourg d'Oisan would have been a better option, being more central for a lot of the big climbs around that area.
I can't comment much on the biking in AlpD'Huez.
Maybe consider splitting and doing both?
I was in AlpD'Huez a last month - second week in September. Hadn't planned in going but we were on a meandering Motorhome tour around France and realised that we were pretty much going past there.
The town was dead, one supermarket and two bars open. Only people in town seemed to be maintenance crew for the lifts which which had closed at the end of the summer season two week previously.
I eMTB'd up and rode most of the mapped easier trails in two days. I had to take it easy as I was riding solo and there was no-one around. Great riding and worth a visit if the lifts are open.
Would be a pain to drive up and down from the valley floor each day I reckon.
The town was dead, one supermarket and two bars open. Only people in town seemed to be maintenance crew for the lifts which which had closed at the end of the summer season two week previously.
I eMTB'd up and rode most of the mapped easier trails in two days. I had to take it easy as I was riding solo and there was no-one around. Great riding and worth a visit if the lifts are open.
Would be a pain to drive up and down from the valley floor each day I reckon.
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