A classic French mountain village at the foot of La Maieuil peak (3988 m) with the glacier of the same name. The peak belongs to the Ouazan massif. It is a gathering place for lovers of extreme skiing from all over the world. Here gather those who want to get away from the noisy, colorful crowd of skiers and find out what it is worth alone with the mountains. This place is not for those who love comfort and safety.

The village consists of a few houses covered with tiles, located on a slope. There is a bakery, a bar, and a cheese shop on the main street. The lower station of the lift is located near the center with the church of the 12th century. You can visit nearby resorts: through the Mont de Lan glacier, go down to the slopes leading to Les des Alpes or take the highway to Serre Chevalier .

Few people would know about its existence, if not for one “but”: the quiet village, built up with unique alpine chalets, offers unique opportunities for freeriding.

Here you will not meet any “tea maker” and families with children in La Grave will have practically nothing to do, your neighbors on the slope will be only professionals who have something to learn from.

Unlike most mountain villages in France, wooden chalets are extremely rare in La Grave. The reason for this is the lack of trees and frequent fires in the past. Having weighed the lessons of history, local residents began to build their houses from volcanic stone, which is in abundance here, which added originality to the ancient village.

Due to the northern exposure, there is a lot of snow here, and its quality will satisfy the most die-hard lover of wilderness. The slopes of local circuses and couloirs are very steep, there is a high danger of avalanches. However, the resort pays great attention to the safety of skiing: the condition of the snow is assessed twice a day. Information about the results is posted at each lift station. Avalanche prevention lectures are regularly held in La Grave for anyone interested, and there is also an opportunity to take courses in searching for people in avalanches. It is recommended to ride in helmets, with a beeper, ABC backpacks and accompanied by guides. La Grave ski rentals offer avalanche probes, beepers and shovels for rent.

How to get there

La Grave can be reached in two ways: by car from Grenoble or by cable car up the Mont de Lance glacier from Les des Alpes and then ski down. The last option is quite dangerous, available only to advanced riders and is not always open.

The nearest airport is Grenoble, France (125 km). You can reach the airport by car on route No. 91 Grenoble – Briançon.

Tracks and lifts

Here you can comfortably hone your skills on first-class tracks, watch other experienced skiers or take a few mastery lessons from highly qualified instructors. Skiing at the resort begins with climbing the gondola lift to a height of 3,200 m. For 30 minutes, you can admire the beauty of the surrounding snow peaks, and then, having reached the end point, choose your own descent route. Experienced skiers can enjoy glaciers, open virgin fields, chutes, steep vertical walls, and areas of dense forest at the bottom of the slope. The length of some tracks in La Grave reaches 9 km, and the height difference is 2150 m. Cross-country skiers can enjoy 20 km of tracks. You can also descend from the top to the nearby resort of Les Deux Alpes, which has combined 200 km of prepared trails of various levels of difficulty.

There are only two marked tracks here – the Chancel and the Vallon de la Meilleur. The first is marked as red, the second is more difficult. Everything else is off-piste skiing. The slopes are served by two lines of the gondola lift, with a transfer at an altitude of 1,800 m. Above the upper station of the gondola are two bugels, which raise to a height of 3,550 m.

The slopes are served by two lines of gondola lifts, with a transfer at an altitude of 1,800 m. The height difference between the lower and upper stations of the lift is 1,750 m. There are only two marked routes here – the Chancel and the Vallon de la Maye. The first track is marked as red, the second is more difficult. Everything else is off-piste skiing. Above the upper station of the gondola there are two cable cars that can climb up to a height of 3550 m and two simple blue runs with a height difference of 350 m.

Altitude difference – 2150 m;

Maxim. height – 3550 m;

Lifts – 4 (63, including Les des Alpes);

Marked tracks – 12 km;

Cross-country skiing tracks – 10 km

Excellent opportunities for off-piste skiing. Mostly, these are extreme descents on couloirs, rock and ice slopes with a steepness of up to 50 degrees and higher. High danger of avalanches.

 

 

Nowhere in the world are competitions held on tracks of such a length. Often those who have at least once visited La Grave, rolled down the cold rugged slopes of the beauty of La Meije, tasted clear rosé wine in a bar near Mish, and walked the steep winding streets of the ancient village, return here to spend the winter in what still preserves tradition and resists civilization, a corner of the French Alps.

Placing

There are no fashionable hotels here, but small cozy hotels and apartments permeated with a homely atmosphere await the guests of the resort. At the same time, accommodation prices are quite democratic.

Les Enfetchores

Les Enfetchores offers self-catering apartments located in La Grave. The hotel is 200 meters from the Glaciers de la Meije cable car and offers panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. Wi-Fi access is available for an additional fee.

The apartments are equipped with a TV, a seating area and a private bathroom with a bath or shower. Some of them have a balcony or terrace. The kitchens have a dishwasher and a microwave. Guests can enjoy mountain and garden views from the rooms.

At Les Enfetchores you will find a garden. Other facilities are offered, such as ski storage. The hotel offers free parking.

If you want to visit the surrounding area, check out Lotharet Pass (10 km) and Lauza (7.6 km). Grenoble-Isère Airport is 214 km from the hotel.

3-star Hotel Panoramic-Village La Grave

Hotel Panoramic-Village La Grave is located in the village of La Grave, 10 km from Col du Lotaret. It is located in a pedestrian area with 17 chalets, including a large reception area. Free Wi-Fi is provided.

The rooms and apartments are located in the chalet. On the upper floors, the rooms all face south with a view of the glaciers. On the first floor, the apartments have a kitchenette, a fireplace and a terrace with a panoramic view. Additional services include a TV with international channels.

Breakfast is served daily in the dining room, which offers a panoramic view of the mountains, or on the terrace, which allows. Guests can also relax by the fireplace in the lounge bar.

Local summertime activities include cycling and glacier hiking. It has 2 seasonal outdoor pools, open in summer, and a private spa with sauna and hot tub.

For winter skiing, cable car services to the Meije Glacier ski slopes can be found 150 meters away. Hotel Panoramic-Village La Grave is 5 km from La Grave. Free private covered parking is available on the premises near the reception.

Hotel Auberge Edelweiss 3-star hotel

Auberge Edelweiss is located in the heart of the medieval village of La Grave, 10 km from the Col de Lotharet. The hotel is located in a former inn and has decorated chalet decor.

Rooms are accessible by stairs, with mountain views and a bathroom with a hairdryer and free toiletries. Additional amenities include a flat-screen TV and a desk.

Breakfast buffet is offered with cereals, yogurt, fruit juice, hot drinks, jam, fresh homemade bread, meat, cheese and fruit salad. The hotel’s restaurant serves fresh seasonal produce and its bar offers an extensive wine list.

Guests can enjoy the on-site terrace with panoramic views, warm up by the fire, try wine tasting at the hotel’s own events, relax in the sauna and unwind with a massage. A charging station for electric cars is available.

Auberge du Pont de l’Alp

Auberge du Pont de l’Alp is an inn located on the Grand Alpe road, 7 km from the nearest ski station of Serre Chevalier. Ski storage and an on-site restaurant with a panoramic terrace are at guests’ service. It is a 7-minute drive from Les Grands Bains du Monétier.

Rooms at Auberge du Pont de l’Alp are decorated in a mountain style and include free Wi-Fi. Each of them has a view of the mountains, a TV and a bathroom.

A breakfast buffet is served each morning and sandwiches can be arranged in advance the day before. You can also relax with a drink in the bar or on the terrace before sampling regional-style dishes in the à la carte restaurant at lunchtime. Half board options are available at the hotel in the evening upon booking.

Free private parking is just one of the other areas available at this hotel. Massages can be done at the spa, which is a 5-minute drive away. Hiking routes through the mountain passes and lakes of Erkris National Park start outside the Abergé.

The nearest ski resort is only 5 km away. Other activities include Le Ranch du Grand Aigle, a 12-minute walk from the hotel, and the via ferrata l’Aiguillette du Lauzet is 2 km away. Auberge du Pont de l’Alp is located 20.6 km from Briançon.

APRES-SKI and nightlife

The resort has several shops, including a couple of sports shops. The choice of bars and restaurants is limited. Most of the restaurants are located near the hotels.

Active recreation

For fans of cross-country skiing, the resort has two tracks about 10 km long. In winter, people come here to go snowshoeing on the Empary Plateau, go ice climbing and mountaineering, or go ice skating in the open air.

In bad weather, you can have a good time in the sports complex with gyms and a climbing wall, in the library or in any of the few restaurants and cafes.

In the summer season, La Grave is interesting primarily for amateurs

in, VAE, mountaineering and rafting. From here you can also go hiking or riding donkeys in the mountains or go paragliding.

Only at this time of the year you can descend into the mysterious ice cave at an altitude of 3,200 m. Go on a tour of the abandoned silver mines or visit the high-altitude alpine botanical garden of Lothar. Those who are not inclined to change places will be happy to spend time fishing, playing golf or tennis.

The resort has a kindergarten, where young children will be looked after by attentive teachers, a ski school, shops, Snowlegend ski equipment rental points and the Meije sports club.