Les deux Alpes, home of the European Crankworks, a European Whistler? With a range of 21 routes and a maximum elevation gain of 2,300 meters, it definitely has potential and is also popular with (mainly Italian) summer skiers. But we are not the only bikers there and are excited to see what awaits us...
Tracks | Trails
The Jandri Express gondola takes us up high. The glacier begins at 3,200 meters above sea level. The skiers can go even higher, but we can already look forward to the descent. The upper part of the bike park in the Martian landscape of scree and rubble has various trails to offer. They are often a little rough with lots of rubble and stones. The trails are fun, relatively open, wide and usually not very steep. Some rather small jumps and drops increase the fun factor. From the trails at the top, you can return to the lower part of the park via an unpaved road and either ride back to the Jandr gondola or to the Diable chairlift.
The Diable takes us 730 meters up to the most popular part of the park. From the top, we can choose between four different routes, with even more options further down on the descent. The trails are mostly wide, not very steep and with plenty of berms and jumps. The black fury is the exception here. The route is already familiar from the Crankworks Air DH. The upper part is very open with a few tests of courage, the lower part is a relatively steep singletrail. The other trails are suitable for beginners as well as more experienced riders. The jumps are usually not very big and don't have too much pop, but they are still fun. From the Diable valley station, we continue downhill to Venosc. A route that offers "only" 830 additional vertical meters over 3.5km. The entire descent from Diable to Venosc is a beautiful descent of 8 to 9 km in length and covers 1560 meters of altitude. We particularly like the fact that Diable is open from 9:30 am to 7:30 pm, while the Venosc gondola is open from 8 am to 8 pm. Those who like to (or can) ski a lot will find what they are looking for here. The Vallee Blanche lift offers a further four routes, but these only cover 440 m of ascent. The routes here are similar to those in the Diable area, but a little more relaxed; however, they also offer a lot of fun.
Infrastructure
The Jandri gondola has large cabins without seats. It is pleasant that up to 4 to 5 riders can ride together in the gondola. The Venosc gondola takes two bikes outside (one at the front, one at the back) with a holder system. I've never seen a system like this before. Similar to some car bike racks, the bikes sit in a rail here and don't have to be lifted up. The Diable and Vallee Blanche chairs each take two bikes in the back. All the lifts run relatively quickly and we hardly had to wait for our turn.
Washing facilities can be found at the valley stations, but unfortunately they only have a little more pressure than a typical garden hose.
The village has many bike stores and shopping facilities. There are also several restaurants and pubs. Thanks to the many summer skiers and mountain bikers, it's not completely dead even in the evening.
Conclusion
Les 2 Alpes can't compete with Whistler and all those who prefer to ski in Champery or the Nordkette will probably be disappointed here. Especially for those with a preference for flowy bike park trails, the long journey is probably worth it. Les 2 Alpes is also particularly suitable for groups with mixed riding abilities, as the trails are fun whether they are ridden fast or a little slower.
What we like:
The very wide range of trails
Opening times until 8 pm!
Super many vertical meters
Fun bike park trails like Diable, Venosc
What we wish for:
High-pressure washing facilities
A trail with bigger jumps
Another real downhill trail or two
