Les 2 Alpes Ski Resort in France, for Mountain Fun All-Year Round
By: Julia Aidan
Submitted: 2008-12-20 07:44:17 | Word Count: 744
All that visitors desire is available for their convenience, from winter hiking to tobogganing, from mountain biking to rock climbing, from cross-country skiing to paragliding, and from swimming to rafting.
An underground funicular railway called The Dome Express opened in the late 1990s. It operates year-round, transporting visitors up to almost 3500 meters. On top, tourists can take photos of breath taking panoramas. On clear days – generally mornings are unclouded – Mont Blanc can be seen over 100 km away. In the winter, however, the top can close due to unpredictable weather or avalanche threats. There can be a line to get on the Dome Express but it is worth the wait, so jump in queue and in less than an hour your patience will be rewarded.
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Les 2 Alpes resort starts at an altitude of 1,650 meters and the highest lift takes skiers up to 3,568 meters (the longest run lasts an impressive 12 km). Depending on the day, there are 200-220 km of pistes and around 70 different runs. Furthermore, with an uphill capacity of over 65,000 skiers and boarders per hour, Les 2 Alpes gets busy during the high season. This becomes possible with the near 60 total lifts.
The Les 2 Alpes resort boasts 70 surprisingly diverse pistes. There are about 17 beginner pistes, 31 intermediate and 22 advanced runs with 78 snow cannons (over 200 total). With this kind of installation, one can take the kids out for the morning, then ride with friends on the intermediate course after lunch and later test his or her skills on an advanced run or two before dinner. Almost nowhere else in France will you find an equally distinct ski resort.
Les 2 Alpes has welcomed snow boarders with opened arms for many years. Spaces, terrains, a boarder cross, half pipe and fun parks are all at their disposal. The boarder cross course, however, is not groomed throughout the day. This lack of maintenance gives way to several daily changes in the land. Plus, you'll enjoy the half-pipe, ride the Slide Zone, and fly down a 185-meter drop with canyons, waterfalls and ledges.
Cross-country skiing is a gentler alternative to alpine skiing and the ski resort of Les 2 Alpes has numerous ski trails and skating areas that will be beneficial to the cross-country skiers. Paragliding, however, could not be considered as gentle, despite the gracefulness of the gliders as they move across the sky. The gliders take off from a high location and glides down through the air, taking advantage of the air friction caused by the parachute. Note that a license obtained after proper training is mandatory to fly by yourself but daring novices can fly in tandem with instructors.
During summer, swimming in the new ski resort of Les 2 Alpes can be done either indoors or outdoors, and the ski resort has four swimming facilities to choose from. Should the visitors desire a closer commune with nature, mountain lakes are close by. For rafting, the visitors can rent the services of any company that offers a white water adventures. Such adventures usually take place on the Veneon River. There are mountain biking trails at the new ski resort of Les 2 Alpes for all levels, even an annual competition. And if biking happens to be a spontaneous decision, the visitors can find numerous rental shops that provide a variety of bikes and equipment.
From a ski resort, the skiers also expect services and facilities that will meet the needs of a family on vacation. Les 2 Alpes provides a tradition of impeccable customer service, including the provision of activities that are suitable for children. Babysitting services are also provided, as long as the visitors book in advance, indicating the need for a babysitter. The French laws do require the childcare services companies to obtain the clients present medical records.
As for skiing, families enjoy discounted passes. Children who are 5 years old or younger have a free pass. Children who are aged from 6 to 12 years old will have discounted lift passes and families who have more than 2 children are also entitled to more discounts.
