2024-2025 highlights
Direct au Pic: A free service for effortless access to the Pic Blanc
As part of its ongoing initiatives to enhance visitor experience, SATA Group – Alpe d’Huez introduces the innovative Direct au Pic service this season. This system allows visitors to book a time slot online for direct access to the gondola leading to the Pic Blanc, effectively avoiding queues and streamlining the journey to one of the resort’s most iconic peaks.
Renovation of the Pic Blanc cable car
This season marks a significant milestone with the unveiling of the new Pic Blanc cable car, the result of an ambitious modernisation project of the former Grandes Rousses DMC. Recognised as a key infrastructure within the resort, this revamped lift has been completely redesigned to meet visitor expectations in terms of comfort, efficiency, and modernity.
Mountain Kart: A new winter activity
The Mountain Kart, a fun and sporty new activity, offers an exhilarating experience for a broad audience. Participants can race down a dedicated and secure track, enjoying thrills and excitement in a unique setting.
2022-2023 Innovations
The New Gondola Huez Express
The Huez Express offers a direct, fast, and comfortable connection between the historic village of Huez and the Vieil Alpe district, with its terminal at Paganon Square near the Alpe Express departure station. This new gondola enhances the station’s dedicated public transport system, using cable transport to link different resort areas. Operating over extended daily hours, it provides residents of the Huez village with privileged access to the resort, encouraging the use of covered parking instead of cars.
Key Features:
Departure station: Huez village; arrival station: Paganon, connected to the Alpe Express.
Intermediate station (angle) without passenger boarding/unloading.
10-person cabins with a capacity of 2,400 people per hour.
1,200 meters in length with a 300-meter elevation gain.
Maximum speed: 5 m/s.
Travel time: 5 minutes.
Replacement of the Sures chairlift at Auris-en-Oisans with a telemix
The Sures sector now benefits from a new Telemix, replacing the previous 4-seater fixed-grip chairlift. This efficient and modern installation, departing from the snow front, is designed to cater to beginners, offering easy access to the gentle slopes of the station’s first level, such as the popular Jacques le Bûcheron slope.
Replacement of the Rif Nel T-Bar lifts with two conveyor belts
Two modern conveyor belts have been installed in the Rif Nel area, specifically designed to improve skiing conditions for beginners. The redesign enhances the flow and efficiency of the learning zone, with each conveyor belt enclosed in a lit gallery, enabling safe and comfortable night use.
2021-2022 Innovations
Transformation of the Marmottes Lift into a Telemix
The addition of cabins on the Marmottes line improves flow and simplifies boarding for pedestrians and beginners. A redesigned queuing system further enhances accessibility and efficiency.
Renovation of the Grandes Rousses DMC
This renovation improves the reliability and availability of the Grandes Rousses DMC, aligning with the resort’s goal of modernisation and safety.
The Chalvet Chairlift
This new chairlift improves the flow at the base of the Sarenne, offering a faster connection and optimising skier distribution across the domain. It also provides convenient access to the Gua sector and the main resort return route.
Alpe d’Huez Ski Area remains committed to enhancing skier comfort, reducing wait times, and improving safety. Each winter season sees major investments, from upgraded transport systems to enhanced snowmaking capabilities, such as new snow cannons installed in the Auris sector. These improvements reflect the resort’s dedication to maintaining its position as a leader in the global ski industry.
2019-2020 Innovations
New sales kiosks for a smoother experience
To improve access to the slopes and enhance the visitor experience, the Alpe d’Huez ski area has installed five new sales kiosks. These kiosks allow users to purchase or reload ski passes and retrieve passes bought online. They are conveniently located at the Bergers sales point, the departure and intermediate stations of the Alpe Express, and in Villard-Reculas.
Free access to key lifts for easier movement
To facilitate the movement of both pedestrians and skiers, several key lifts have been made free of charge:
Télévillage connecting Huez village to Alpe d’Huez.
Télécentre linking Vieil Alpe to the snow front at 1800m.
Alpe Express providing access from Vieil Alpe to the Bergers area.
This initiative aims to make it easier for visitors to navigate between different areas of the resort and access various ski lifts with greater convenience.
Night skiing
Experience the thrill of skiing under the stars at Alpe d’Huez. With newly installed lighting along the Signal lift and the Rif Nel chairlift, visitors can now enjoy the slopes even after the sun has set. Skiing at sunset has never been so magical!
New fun slope: Léo de l’Alpe
Meet Léopold, also known as Léo de l’Alpe, the star of the new fun slope! Accompanied by his loyal Bernese Mountain Dog, Léo will guide you through the best spots on the ski area and lead you back to the heart of the resort, skis on your feet. Perfect for families and kids!
Development of ski touring routes
Ski touring has seen a surge in popularity thanks to its eco-friendly and cost-effective appeal, coupled with advancements in equipment. To meet this demand, five new ski touring routes have been created on the Alpe d’Huez ski area.
These routes, accessible during the ski domain’s opening hours, are marked with violet signs and posts. Starting points are clearly identified with banners and signage. Descents are made via nearby groomed alpine ski runs. While these routes are freely accessible, they are not groomed or maintained, and skiers use them at their own responsibility.
2018-2019 Innovations
At Alpe d’Huez Ski Area, improving skier comfort, reducing wait times, and increasing safety remain top priorities. Each winter season brings significant investments, and for 2018-2019, the focus was on new dedicated public transport systems and expanded snowmaking capabilities in the Auris sector.
Tomorrowland Winter: A unique festival experience
For the first time, the iconic Tomorrowland music festival expanded into winter, setting up a spectacular event in the breathtaking surroundings of Alpe d’Huez. Thousands of festival-goers united for a one-of-a-kind experience featuring skiing, world-class electronic music, and unforgettable celebrations at over 2,000 meters above sea level. With stages located in both the village and on the mountain, Tomorrowland Winter offered a magical fusion of snow and sound, creating memories to last a lifetime.
Snowmaking guarantee:
Building on previous investments, the Alpe d’Huez Ski Area installed 68 new fan snowmakers last season to boost snow production even at higher temperatures. For 2018-2019, additional upgrades ensured consistent snow coverage and improved slope safety across the ski area
- Neige de culture piste de Fontfroide à Auris
- Montant travaux 0,65 M€HT
- Sécurisation de la piste de ski dite Fontfroide sur le secteur Auris
- Réseau neige de culture de 1,36km
- Surface enneigée : 3,40ha
- 15 enneigeurs type bi-fluide (à perche)
- Neige de culture sur la piste retour Auris => Retour Sarenne
- Montant travaux 1,1 M€HT
- Sécurisation de la piste de ski dite du Gua assurant le retour à ski entre Auris et l’Alpe d’Huez
- Réseau neige de culture de 2,25km
- Surface enneigée : 3,33ha
- 31 enneigeurs type bi-fluide (à perche)
The TCSP: A sustainable transport solution
The Transport Collectif en Site Propre (TCSP), originally designed for urban areas, was introduced at Alpe d’Huez to provide an eco-friendly connection between key areas of the resort. This innovative cable transport system consists of two interconnected gondolas spanning a total of 2,003 meters, linking the village of Huez to Les Bergers, the ski departure area.
With three stations—Passeaux, Place Paganon, and L’Eclose—this system reduces road traffic and enhances pedestrian safety while improving accessibility across all resort sectors. Visitors are encouraged to park their vehicles in covered car parks and use the cable transport for seamless and sustainable travel within the resort.
- Télécabine 10 places Place Paganon – Eclose – Bergers
- Montant travaux : 14 M€ HT
- Constructeur : POMA
- Télécabine équipé de véhicules fermés 10 places à attaches découpables
- 3 gares embarquement/débarquement : Paganon, Eclose (intermédiaire), Bergers
- Débit montée : 2400 p/h
- Descente : 2400 p/h
- 56 véhicules
- 10 pylônes
2017-2018 Innovations
Two new fun slopes
Building on the success of Marcel’s Farm, two new fun slopes were created for skiers of all ages:
“Chez Roger” (green level), located around the Romains chairlift in the Bergers sector, features an alpine-themed experience.
“Jacques Lumber” (blue level), in the Auris sector, offers a creative course with wooden sculptures and art installations.
Redesign of the 1800 customer spaces
To enhance visitor comfort and improve access to lifts and slopes, the 1800 sales point near the DMC/Signal was redesigned. These improvements aim to streamline customer flow and create a more welcoming environment.
Sledding on rail
The Alpe d’Huez ski area introduced the sledding on rails, offering a thrilling 1-kilometre descent near the Bergers area. Accessible year-round, this illuminated attraction is located close to major accommodations such as Club Med, Belambra, and MMV. Designed for both summer and winter use, it promises an unforgettable ride with even more excitement and sensations.
Optimisation of snowmaking systems
To ensure skiing is available from the start of the season, the ski area upgraded its snowmaking infrastructure. Cutting-edge equipment capable of producing snow at higher temperatures was deployed across three key zones (Bergers, Jeux, and Signal) between 1,800m and 2,300m of altitude, significantly increasing snow production capacity.
2016-2017 Innovations
Revitalisation of the Signal/Grande Sure sector
In December 2016, the new high-capacity Telemix of the Signal was launched, replacing older lift systems. With a capacity of over 3,000 people per hour, the new lift combines gondolas and chairs for maximum efficiency and comfort.
As a symbolic milestone for Alpe d’Huez, which hosted the world’s first ski lift installed by POMA in 1936, this upgrade celebrated the resort’s 80th anniversary.
The improvements also included:
Creation of a fun slope (green level) equipped with snow cannons, starting from the Signal summit and descending to the Grenouilles beginner area.
Installation of snowmaking systems on the Signal bis slope to ensure reliable snow cover.
Replacement of the Grande Sure chairlift with a new 4-seater fixed-grip model, doubling the capacity for skiers departing from the Vieil Alpe zone.
Key project data:
- Removal of 2 chairlifts (Signal and Grande Sure) and 4 drag lifts (Signal 1, 2, 3, and Sarrazins).
- Construction of the high-capacity Signal Telemix: 3,300 p/h capacity, 39 eight-seater chairs, and 8 ten-person cabins.
- Construction of the Grande Sure chairlift: 1,650 p/h capacity, 91 four-seater chairs.
- Installation of 22 snow cannons on the new green fun slope and 7 snow cannons on the Signal bis slope.
- Creation of Marcel’s Farm, a themed fun slope for all levels, offering a playful and scenic descent from the Signal summit to the snow front.
This ambitious project, supported by the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Region, reinforced the Signal sector’s status as a key area for skiers of all abilities.
