Alpe d'Huez Activity Review: 9th September 2009

In early autumn, the colour of the hills and mountains deepen from the verdant green of summer to rusty brown, as the grass dries and dies, unkempt and long. The falling leaves are trodden underfoot, while those on the trees wither and singe in the autumn sun. The towns empty of all but locals and workmen, with just a few bars and restaurants remaining open. It’s a great time to get out on the hill and catch-up with friends who spend the summers working hard with the visiting tourists.

This week we’ve seen the first autumn frost, as the storms of Thursday and Friday cleared to bright starry skies on Friday night. Saturday was the first cold morning and a chill breeze kept temperatures low, despite the sunshine. By Sunday however, we were back up in the mid-20s and slathering on the sunscreen for alfresco lunches, aware that is likely to change in just a few short weeks.

During inter-season, the regular Saturday market in Bourg d’Oisans becomes a hub for locals from the surrounding villages and this weekend the town hosted the Autumn Fair too. Both markets are great for stocking-up on locally grown fresh produce, cheese, bread and meats. There are also craft stalls and the Autumn Fair closed the main road for children’s activities and displays of jewellery, solar panels and machines that dig holes for gateposts. It’s quite an eclectic mix and the atmosphere was great, with lots of people eating on the terraces of Bourg’s cafes and restaurants.

Early on Monday morning I headed back to Les Deux Alpes and took a walk down to Cuculet. During the winter months, the village is all but cut-off from its nearest neighbour, Mont de Lans, but in summer you can hike a steep path from the northern end of town. When I say steep, I’m talking about 50°… this isn’t a gentle stroll but it is shady. The path starts at Lac Buissonniere (the Fake Lake) and takes you through the trees onto the promontory above Mont de Lans.

From there you wind down into the forest and it takes about an hour to get to the village. By the time I hit the road, my legs were wobbly from gingerly shuffling down the steep slopes and the return route was a little daunting. But it took just over an hour to get back up and felt great to emerge back into the sunshine and onto the more moderately incline of the path back to town.

The walk to Cuculet was training for Tuesday’s big hike to the top of Pied Moutet. The smaller of Les Deux Alpes' two mountains forms the western boundary of the town and peaks at 2339m. Most people only get to 2100m where the pistes, bike trails and wide walking paths stop because from here it’s a near vertical scramble to the cross, which commemorates two young, local men who were part of 1944's liberation effort. The path continues for another 20 minutes, along the spine of the mound with steep drops either side. This final section isn’t steep but the width of the path, the extent of the view and the proximity to the edge makes it pretty challenging.

The route up took two and a half hours and the path down, around two hours. The peak is accessible from either end of town and we chose the gentle incline of the northern path for the ascent, and the steeper southern path for the return. It’s not a route I’d recommend unless you’re prepared for quite a workout and are happy to climb and scramble for about an hour to reach the cross.

Safety equipment isn’t strictly required, but there are two sections of via ferrata line attached to the route to help you pull yourself up, as some stretches of the rockface are slippery with few holds. It was at these points that I have to admit to missing my trusty helmet and harness! The Pied Moutet peak is not for the feint-hearted, but the unique 360-degree view looking down onto Lac Lauvitel, Bourg d’Oisans, Alpe d’Huez and the St Christophe valley are a fantastic reward and I’ll definitely be heading that way again soon.

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