Alpe d'Huez Grand Domaine: 250km of slopes, 2200m of vertical and the Sarenne

250km of slopes spread across six aspects

The domain connects five resorts: Alpe d’Huez, Oz 3300, Vaujany, Auris-en-Oisans and Villard-Reculas, providing as many access points to the same domain. The official count: more than 130 runs, comprising 42 green, 37 blue, 39 red and 17 black runs, served by approximately 80 mechanical lifts. This is consistent with a domain where one can ski terrain of very different levels without changing one’s pass.

The high point, Pic Blanc at 3330m, is the highest skiable point in the French Alps alongside the Toula glacier on the Mont-Blanc side. The low point, Enversin d’Oz at 1135m, opens the domain towards the Eau d’Olle valley. Between the two, the 2200m of skiable vertical represents the greatest altitude difference of any Alpine resort.

Pic Blanc at 3330m: one-fifth of France in panorama

The Pic Blanc cable car, initially installed in 1963 by Neyret-Beylier and replaced in 1980 by Creissels, is the domain’s centerpiece. It serves the summit at 3330m, from where the panorama is rated three stars in the Michelin Guide. In clear weather, the horizon is said to encompass one-fifth of France’s territory, from the Vercors to the Vanoise as far as Mont-Blanc.

Practical note for 2026: the cable car was damaged by Storm Benjamin in October 2025, which caused up to 30 tonnes of rime to build up on the cables. Reopening is scheduled for 7 February 2026. Before this date, the Pic Blanc sector and access to the Sarenne from above remain inaccessible, with the domain redirecting flow to other aspects.

The Sarenne: 16km descent, 1670m vertical

The Sarenne remains the domain’s signature. Officially opened in 1976, it has held the title of Europe’s longest black run ever since: 16km of continuous descent from Pic Blanc to Lac Besson, for 1670m of vertical. The black-run gradient is concentrated on the upper section, the initial “wall” that justifies the classification, after which the run alternates between traverses and wider combes.

Allow 45 minutes to an hour for descent by a confident skier, longer in difficult conditions. The “Derby de la Sarenne”, a downhill race created in 1977 on this route, ran until 1991 and remains one of the domain’s defining characteristics.

The Pic Blanc, Vaujany, Oz diagonal: skiing far without returning

The Grand Domaine’s appeal extends beyond the Sarenne. A diagonal line develops from Pic Blanc towards Vaujany via the Sarenne glacier, then shifts to Oz 3300 and Villard-Reculas. For accomplished skiers, this offers a day of long linked descents without systematic return to Alpe d’Huez, with forests, north-facing combes and secured off-piste terrain on the shoulders.

Conversely, the Bergers sector and the main snow front concentrate beginner runs and family skiing; this is also where one finds the majority of ski schools and short-rise cabins.

When to visit

The domain typically opens early December and closes mid-April. For the 2025/2026 season, the announced dates are 6 December 2025 to 19 April 2026. The domain’s high altitude provides reliable conditions from January to mid-March; the February school holidays bring peak crowds and queues. For those able to shift timing, the final week of January and the first week of March generally offer the best compromise between snow cover and flow.

Alpe d’Huez promotes 300 days of sunshine per year: this is an average of the local climate, which translates in winter to often-clear days across a very open domain, but also to snow that transforms quickly on south-facing aspects. The local rule: follow the sun in the morning, shift north in the afternoon.

Planning a stay at Alpe d’Huez

AEC Collection selects and represents premium chalets and apartments at Alpe d’Huez, in immediate proximity to the lifts of the Grand Domaine. Lift passes, exact opening dates for sectors and cable car conditions for Pic Blanc should be verified with SATA (the operating company) and the tourist office.