To the west of Alpe d’Huez are the Grandes Rousses villages of Vaujany and Oz en Oisans. These smaller resorts provide an alternative to the open spaces of the main Alpe d’Huez bowl with some attractive tree-lined pistes.
Oz en Oisans
Oz en Oisans can be reached from the 2100 m station at the top of Le Troncon I gondola. The red Poutran and l’Arpette pistes lead down to the village and as alternatives, the top of Poutran can be bypassed via the Boulevard des Lutins blue and l’Arpette by Champclotury blue.
Note that the Champclotury slope starts at the top of the short drag lift which connects to the Poutran II TSD.
This relatively hidden start means that skiers can enjoy this attractive tree-lined piste in peace and tranquility.
Another route to Oz en Oisans is via the Grandes Rousses red from 2800 m to l’Alpette 2050 followed by the l’Alpette red. The former is a fairly straightforward piste to descend with one narrow steep section through a gap in the cliff. The latter has a very steady gradient but is probably classified as a red due to its relative narrowness.
Vaujany
Vaujany is one of the lowest resorts in the Grand Domaine Ski area at 1250m. It can be reached either by the La Fare black from L’Alpette 2050 or the longer Vaujaniate blue which runs down from the Montfrais 1650 station.
As one of the furthest points in the domain from Alpe d’Huez, Vaujany makes a good place to escape the crowds. The tree-lined pistes are predominantly blue and a must for intermediate level skiers.
Its low altitude makes this pretty village a good place to take a break from skiing and catch some sun especially as the restaurants are good value compared to Alpe d’Huez.
Les Airelles mountain restaurant, on the approach to Montfrais, has eccentric staff who wear large floppy berets and is an ideal resting spot.
Click here to view the Auris en Oisans and Villard Reculas guide