Alpe d'Huez Apres Ski Report: 21st January 2010
We've had beautiful weather in Alpe d'Huez this week and I'm afraid that means my commitment to the aprés scene has waned a little, in favour of hitting the mountain. Last week ended with a cracking night in Lounge 21 to celebrate barman Dylan's birthday. We ploughed through starters and main courses, joining the rest of the staff for a celebratory glass of Champagne at the bar instead of dessert. Well, that's not quite true, I still managed to squeeze in a Toblerone chocolate sundae while the other guests knocked back Laurent Perrier.
By 11am on Saturday we were all hungry again and met for a Full-English at Smithy's Tavern. Laura's cooking skills sorted us out and the afternoon was spent at the Palais des Sports's bouldering wall. Needless to say, I stayed in on Saturday night!
The weather for most of Sunday was pretty rotten, with limited visibility and strong winds on the mountain. After a few runs I retreated to the warmth of Café Agua at the outdoor pool. Normally a haven of chilled-out wifi fun, the entire building was overrun with black-clad Parisienne media-types, in preparation for the comedy festival that's being held in resort at the moment. With their designer labels, chunky knits and blow-dried hair styles – and I'm not just talking about the ladies – I think the seasonaires and holidaymakers felt a little out of place and certainly less glamourous in our technical clothes and multi-coloured beanies. The annual festival celebrates the best of new French comedy and is a hit with the Paris Match set. But the impact for residents and tourists is minimal, with the only concession being the closure of the outdoor pool.
On Monday I packed my cameras into the car and set-off for Les Deux Alpes, where I'm making a documentary on seasonaire life with some friends. We've been filming since late November and are seeing some strong themes emerging: partying and skiing versus work; friendships versus romance; money versus time. Deux Alpes is a town that loves to ride and loves to party, making the eternal struggle between work and fun even more intense.
By Tuesday night I was back on top of the tables in Smithy's, not dancing this time but judging iPod Wars, where tour operator staff create ten-minute playlists and are judged on style, crowd reaction and music selection. This season's winners were Ski Plan's Beau Soleil Hotel, followed by Crystal's Hermitage and the Belle Aurore. But a very special mention has to go to the Crystal Nannies who – despite a few technical hitches – put in a great performance with their enthusiastic dancing and costumes.
Wednesday night was unofficial fancy dress night in Alpe d'Huez with Smithy's hosting a Rubix Cube party, where you start the night dressed in various colours and swap clothes in order to end the evening wearing just one colour. If you fancied something a little more creative however, you could have joined the Movie Star Bar Crawl. Hosted by the Zoo Bar, Underground, Freeride and Igloo, the idea was to dress as your favourite big-screen idol and work your way around town without feeling too self-conscious. It worked a treat and I'm sure there will be something similar on the calendar soon.
With the forecast showing more snow on the way, I'll be back on the aprés circuit on your behalf with the latest bar, restaurant and party info next Thursday.
For a full list of this week's events, check out our What's On Calendar. You can also find full Bar and Restaurant listings in the Dining and Going Out section of the site.
