Six resorts for peaceful skiing in Isère

Skiing in Isère, it is not only Chamrousse, well known to the people of Grenoble, and the resorts of Oisans, such as the area of Alpe d'Huez et the two alps.

There are, in fact, several other resorts, smaller, more friendly, more hidden, which deserve a detour, or even a stay to ski in Isère in the heart of the French Alps.

AlpAddict.com invites you to discover six of them.

In the Belledonne massif, The Collet of Allevard et The Seven Laux.

Between Taillefer and Grand Serre, very close to Grenoble, the Alpe du Grand Serre.

In the Vercors, Gresse in Vercors et Corrençon in Vercors.

In the Chartreuse, Saint Peter of Chartreuse and its little neighbors.

Le Collet d'Allevard, in Isère, the night skiing resort!

Ideally located between Chambéry, Combe de Savoie and Grésivaudan – this wide valley north of Grenoble through which the Isère flows, The Collet of Allevard will surprise you with the beauty of its landscapes.

This small resort in the massif of belledonne, which can be easily reached in a few turns from the small spa town of Allevard, offers an overhanging view of the Combe de Savoie.

As if you were in an airplane, you will feel like you are touching the peaks of Bauges, Belledonne and Chartreuse with one hand.

As in paragliding, you will have the impression of flying above the Isère valley.

Like a wild animal that strays from the world of men, we will observe from afar the hectic life that teems around Chambéry.

But, in winter, by a phenomenon well known to all inhabitants of the great Alpine valleys, The Collet of Allevard will remain in the sun, while from below we will only see a gray sky blocked by a cover of clouds. Paradise above the clouds.

Like in an airplane…

This family ski resort in Isère starts at an altitude of 1450m and has 35km of slopes, the layout of which, spread over three sectors, appeals to beginner and intermediate skiers.

The bottom of the resort, Malatrait, at an altitude of 1450m is the area reserved for beginners. This is where you will rent your equipment.

The Super Collet at an altitude of 1640m is the heart of the resort, with the departure point for several lifts up to the summit at 2100m and the crossing point for most of the ski slopes, the ski school gatherings and the snow cover which makes it the nerve centre of the whole of this ski resort in Isère.

Between the two, the Prérond which allows you to ski in the forest.

The surprise is that at Collet d'Allevard you can practice night skiing.

It's even one of the largest night ski resorts in Europe!

10 slopes on 15km of tracks are open two evenings a week. Ski between 20pm and 22pm every Friday of the season, and on Tuesdays during the winter school holidays. A real experience that the people of Grenoble and Chambéry know well!

As a complement to skiing or after skiing?

Snowshoe hikes and cross-country skiing to discover the Belledonne massif and the landscapes of the valley, but also Zen and well-being practices in Allevard, a spa town, around fifteen minutes below.

Les Sept Laux, great skiing in Isère!

The Seven Laux, the area in the center of the Belledonne massif, consists of three stations: The Pleynet, Allevard side, Prapoutel et Pipay, Grésivaudan side. The slopes and lifts meet on the summit ridge well beyond 2000m altitude.

Here, it is the domain of wide open spaces, long slopes, sports courses. Often the playground of the people of Grenoble and Grésivaudan on the weekends – it is especially Prapoutel which offers a resort life, and to a lesser extent The Pleynet– because these expert skiers appreciate the difficulty and commitment of the top of the area. In total, 120km of slopes crisscross the ski area.

Off-piste skiing is one of the strong points of this resort in Isère.

However, beginners can also enjoy the landscapes at the bottom of the area from the natural balconies of Pipay (1550m) and Prapoutel (1350m) and the end of the world atmosphere at Pleynet (1450m).

We can practice on the domain of SeptLaux, all kinds of activities: cross-country skiing, 4-season sledding, an Escape Game, dog sled rides, etc.

Alpe du Grand Serre: skiing in peace and quiet in Isère!

A little-known station – except for the people of Grenoble –Alpe du Grand Serre is a little forgotten by the flow of holidaymakers who sink into Oisans looking for the slopes of the Alpe d'Huez and Deux Alpes area, or even who are excited at the idea of ​​trying out some freeride skiing towards La Grave.

At the gateway to Oisans, around forty kilometers south of Grenoble, just after Vizille, on the road to the large resorts mentioned above, is the quiet resort ofAlpe du Grand Serre. It is a family ski resort in Isère.

This resort allows the practice of all winter sports and activities: skiing, cross-country skiing, ski touring, snowshoeing, sledding, dog sledding.

The lower part of the resort – on the site of La Blache where the accommodation and restaurants are grouped – is located on a pass at an altitude of 1367m, and you can ski up to 2180m, at the top of the area. The altitude is ideal for good snow and good sunshine.

You can ski down 55 km of slopes around the Pérollier massif, which are more suited to family skiing, with a majority of blue and green slopes, and a few red ones for the more experienced.

Between the giant resorts of Oisans and the very dynamic Chamrousse, why not take advantage of a calm, sporty, accessible resort like theAlpe du Grand Serre ?

Gresse en Vercors, stay in Isère for the landscape!

Despite the name, Gresse in Vercors is not found on the trays of Vercors (like Villard de Lans, Corrençon en Vercors, Lans en Vercors or Autrans and Méaudre) but on its eastern flank, in Trièves, south of Isère.

We access to Gresse in Vercors by the motorway towards Gap, less than 50km south of Grenoble.

The village, at an altitude of 1200m, inhabited all year round, offers a breathtaking view of the surrounding mountains. Sometimes you feel like you're staying in the Dolomites region of Italy. And for good reason, it's the same type of rock that makes up the landscape around Gresse in Vercors, at the foot of the Grand Veymond, the highest point of the Vercors massif.

We will come to Gresse in Vercors more to live a winter experience in the Alps and learn to ski than for a 100% ski holiday, but the charm of the village, the beauty of the landscapes, the mild climate and the many activities worthy of the Great North leave no holidaymaker indifferent. This small ski resort in Isère is a gem.

Trièves is already a bit like the South, so you will have to check the snow cover carefully before coming to Gresse in Vercors, whose ski resort closes at the beginning of March… one of the earliest closures of French resorts!

Corrençon en Vercors, the sports and ecological resort in Isère!

Up there on the plateau of Vercors, the undisputed kingdom of Nordic activities, there is a village resort, nestled in the hollow of a valley, at the foot of the area dedicated to alpine skiing shared with Villard de Lans.

Welcome to Corrençon in Vercors, its church, its typical houses and its omnipresent forests.

When the snowfall has been generous, and the sun shines again, the landscapes around Corrençon in Vercors are fabulous.

And off-piste skiing, which crosses forests and clearings too! A North American ski atmosphere at fairly modest altitudes.

The village is located at an altitude of 1100m and you can ski in the area up to around 2000m around the Petite and Grande Flycatcher. Facing West or North-West, the area is very sunny from mid-morning and is well watered (snowy in winter) by the succession of oceanic disturbance flows. In all cases, if there is a thaw, the snow cannons do their job and make skiing safe on slopes in good condition.

In total, 125 km of slopes, sometimes quite long, and largely in the forest await weekend and weekday skiers. They come in the Vercors to enjoy the vast landscapes that extend into the plateaus below the slopes, where cross-country skiers have found their happiness. The Nordic area of ​​this ski resort in Isère is extraordinary.

For the pleasure of the eyes and the senses, no large concrete complexes Corrençon in Vercors, and a respect for the environment that has led the municipality to decide to reduce the salting of roads in winter, which makes the experience of arriving in this village very ecological industrial printing process even more “northern” in snowy weather.

Corrençon in Vercors is a village very well connected with the other tourist centers of the plateau, and one can easily enjoy all the outdoor activities offered in the Vercors.

Great Canadian North atmosphere during your snowshoe walks, or on your sled pulled by dogs when you travel through large snowy spaces in the middle of the forest. If between two ski descents you want to learn other Nordic disciplines such as cross-country skiing, biathlon, ski touring, Vercors is the ideal place.

Saint Pierre en Chartreuse, wild nature for skiing in Isère!

Saint Peter in Chartreuse is the tourist center of the massif of the ChartreuseWe come here, not for the extension of the ski area, but to breathe, to take a break.

Certainly, less than 45 minutes from Grenoble, Voiron, Chambéry and 1h30 door to door from Lyon, one could imagine this massif stormed, especially on weekends. But ultimately not so much, because the infrastructure has been limited in order to keep a large wild natural space where the local wildlife feels at ease and the flora is protected.

La Chartreuse is an area for walking, hiking, trail running and cross-country skiing.

But there are also some downhill ski slopes in the resort. Heart of Chartreuse ».

Made up of several small ski sites in Saint Pierre, Granier, Désert d'Entremont and Les Egaux, the main center remains that of Saint Peter of Chartreuse/Le Planolet.

Close to shops and accommodation – at 900m altitude, this family resort offers relaxing skiing in beautiful snowy landscapes in the middle of the forest. More than half of the 35km of slopes are blue and green, but a few red runs descend from the top of the resort, La Scia at 1800m, through long bends in the woods.

In this little setting nestled in the forest and surrounded by mountains, ski touring allows you to discover hidden corners, emblematic peaks like the Charmant Som, and places of meditation like the Grande Chartreuse monastery...

So close to major urban centers, in an environment that is still very well preserved, why deprive yourself of discovering the Massif de la Chartreuse ?

Isère, land of skiing!

Grenoble, capital of the department of Isère, is the capital of the French Alps. A large city surrounded by high peaks. Ski resorts within sight… Yes, yes, Chamrousse, where the SeptLaux are visible from the city, and it's useful to know if there is snow!

Large, internationally renowned ski areas in Oisans. Or a tray, that of the Vercors, popular with Nordic ski enthusiasts from all over Europe.

Small resorts that saw the birth of skiing in France, and which still today are the playground for beginners (children or adults) who live right next door, as well as a string of pretty resorts presented by AlpAddict.com!

Isère, it is all this, and awaits every winter, and every summer too, all those who appreciate the discovery of the mountains.

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