Alpe d'Huez Activity Review: 4th August 2009
Bourg d’Oisans is the small town that lies between Les Deux Alpes and Alpe d’Huez. Lying in the centre of the valley’s flat, glacial floor, the town has stunning views of the near-vertical rock faces surrounding it.
In the winter it’s a virtual ghost town – thanks to the bypass – and it doesn’t receive much direct sunshine. But in the summer Bourg d’Oisans springs to life as it’s a popular with tourists travelling along the valley, or those who use it as a convenient base to explore the nearby resorts. Prices for accommodation, fuel and food are generally cheaper in Bourg and there’s a big Casino supermarket, which is great for those on self-catering holidays.
As a destination in itself, I didn’t think Bourg d’Oisans had much to offer other than shops and a weekly market. However, this week I’ve taken some time to get to know the area a bit better and discovered some great walks around the town.
Unless you park in the supermarket car park and walk into town, there’s limited parking in Bourg d’Oisans, so take a space where you can find one. We parked in a small, new area on the right as you drive into town from Grenoble, avoiding the bypass. From here we crossed the main road and headed straight to the face of the mountains to the south of town and the avalanche/landslide safety chute.
About eight years ago, a huge slab on the cliff face above Bourg broke free, falling down the mountain and through the trees, engulfing the town in a cloud of dust. Thankfully nobody was hurt, but it did make the local council reconsider its safety provisions, hence the safety chute.
In summer the safety chute is dry and you can scramble through it. As you look up, you can clearly see where the rock fell, as the new face is lighter in colour and smoother in texture. The safety chute is designed to direct future falls away from the town and the nearby school. The base of the chute is full of debris from the winter melt water and shouldn’t be crossed unless completely dry.
Once over the edge of the chute, the path gets narrower and winds down through the trees in the forests behind Bourg. The great thing about this walk is the only vertical climb is over the safety chute and this can be avoided if you want. The rest of the route is flat and takes you between the trees, which muffle the sounds of the road and the town. Eventually you come to a road and can continue to follow this to the smaller of Bourg d’Oisans’ rivers. Small, moss covered bridges are dotted along the banks and allow you to access the winding tributaries and boggy flood plains.
Continuing away from Bourg d’Oisans, the road continues, providing a tour of the most remote houses and ruins in the town, which are dotted amongst the fields. We took the walk just before the local hay festival (Fete des Foins), which is rather like a Harvest Festival-style celebration and thanksgiving for the hay crop.
Eventually you come back to the ‘suburbs’ of Bourg d’Oisans, marked by the campsites, housing developments and outdoor pool. This is certainly the less attractive, more modern side of the town and a far cry from the tranquil fields less than one kilometre away.
The whole walk was around 8km and was shaded for most of the way, making it a great way to appreciate the scenery, get some exercise and stay cool.
