Alpe d’Huez Grand Domaine Ski is defined by a few key figures: 250km of pistes, five linked resorts, a summit at 3330m at Pic Blanc and the Sarenne, presented by the operator as Europe’s longest black run. One landmark, however, has disappeared from the map: the Sarenne glacier, long associated with the domain, no longer exists. Here is how to read this vast terrain in the Oisans today.
Alpe d’Huez Grand Domaine in practice
- Linked resorts: Alpe d’Huez, Auris-en-Oisans, Oz 3300, Vaujany and Villard-Reculas.
- Domain: 250km of pistes, 111 pistes, 67 mechanical lifts and 1053 snowmaking cannons, according to SATA, the operating company.
- Altitudes: from Pic Blanc (3330m) to the Enversin d’Oz, the lowest point of the domain, a vertical drop of over 2200m.
- Season 2026-2027: opening announced by SATA on 5 December 2026.
- Access: via Grenoble then the D1091 to Bourg-d’Oisans, before the climb with its 21 hairpin bends. The nearest railway station is Grenoble; Grenoble-Alpes-Isère airport is approximately 100km away, Lyon-Saint Exupéry airport approximately 150km.
Five resorts, five ways into the domain
Alpe d’Huez is the heart of the domain, with direct access to the major pistes and most of the facilities. Around it, each resort has its own character: Auris-en-Oisans opts for a calm, family-friendly approach, Oz 3300 provides swift access to the higher summits, Vaujany combines modern facilities with mountain character, and Villard-Reculas offers a more natural skiing experience, away from the bustle.
The domain is undergoing substantial transformation. The Altitude 3300 project, running from 2025 to 2027, plans to replace several lifts with five new cable cars to simplify connections between the five resorts and facilitate access to Pic Blanc. First stage completed: the Pic Blanc cable car has received new 23-person cabins and a completely renovated departure station. To follow are notably the replacement of the Poutran cable car, the Villarais chairlift to Villard-Reculas and the installation of a new Sarenne cable car.
Pic Blanc, 3330m above the Oisans
The Pic Blanc telepherique reaches the highest point of the domain. Its 360° panorama is rated three stars in the Michelin Guide, and the Oisans tourist office notes that, in clear weather, the view encompasses up to a fifth of French territory. In summer, the Alpe d’Huez tourist office organises guided visits there.
The apparatus experienced a turbulent winter 2025-2026: severely damaged by Storm Benjamin in late October 2025, when rime ice entangled its cables, it was repaired in the middle of winter, with helicopters and snowploughs to reach the site, then returned to service in February 2026.
Sarenne, 16km of endurance
The Sarenne starts from the summit of Pic Blanc at 3330m and ends at 1510m: 16km of descent for 1820m of vertical drop. The operator estimates more than 25 minutes of uninterrupted skiing, making it more of an endurance test than a simple black run. The first section, technical and in high mountains, demands secure edges, especially in the morning when snow is hard; the piste then eases as it winds through wild valleys.
The domain’s other emblematic piste, le Tunnel, begins with a 200m gallery carved through rock before a mogul field pitched at 35°. The operator recently indicated it as temporarily inaccessible: its opening should be verified on site before committing to it.
The Sarenne glacier, a chapter closed
The Pic Blanc telepherique had been built notably for summer skiing on the Sarenne glacier, practised between 1965 and 1990. The glacier, monitored by scientists from 1949 to 2023, one of the longest measurement series in the Alps, lost the bulk of its ice in the early 2020s. The Grenoble Institute of Environmental Geosciences delisted it on 16 October 2023: summer glacier skiing thus no longer takes place at Alpe d’Huez, and itineraries that still mention the glacier date from another era.
Sunshine, the domain’s major asset
Alpe d’Huez claims more than 300 days of sunshine per year. On such an open domain, this translates to luminous days, but also to snow that evolves swiftly through the hours on south-facing slopes. For snow, the operator also relies on its 1053 snowmaking cannons, which it presents as a snow guarantee.
AEC’s tip. Save the Sarenne for a clear morning: set off early, as the operator recommends, when the piste is still uncrowded, and verify on the official app or webcams that the Pic Blanc telepherique is running before crossing the domain to reach it.
Where to stay
Staying in the heart of Alpe d’Huez means having the major pistes and all the domain’s facilities within immediate reach, with the four other resorts accessible by ski. Our selection of chalets and apartments at Alpe d’Huez allows you to enjoy the domain at your own pace, between days of exploration towards Vaujany or Oz and mornings devoted to the Sarenne. Piste maps, openings and daily conditions are published on the SATA website.
From the summit of Pic Blanc to the slopes of Vaujany, the Grand Domaine unfolds like a journey: each day can sketch a new itinerary.
