A new resort for the UK market for winter 2022/23 in Isère
Le Collet d’Allevard – Isère
Little known ski resort, Le Collet d’Allevard, is a family-friendly destination situated at 1,450 metres between Chambéry and Grenoble. Its ski area, reaching 2,100 metres altitude, is made up of three sectors (Les Tufs, Pré Rond and Super Collet) with slopes that are a mixture of gentle-chilled pistes and narrower, more technical, runs through the pine forest. There are 27 slopes covering 35 km, 11 lifts comprising four chair lifts and seven drag lifts, and the pistes vary in range from cruisy greens and blues to more demanding reds and blacks. Le Collet d’Allevard’s ski area is highly suitable for beginners and families with young children. There are two dedicated nursery sections that are both equipped with magic carpet lifts. At the top of the Belledonne massif, skiers can enjoy the magnificent views over the Grésivaudan valley (Isère) and, to the north, the Chartreuse and Bauges mountain ranges. And on Friday evenings (and Tuesday evenings during the winter holidays), the ski area comes alive with night skiing on ten floodlit slopes from 8 pm to 10.30 pm.
The resort will open in December 2022. One-day lift passes cost from as little as €21,25 pp (Depending on the number of days skiing).
The town of Allevard-les-Bains is a spa resort which offers many cures (therapeutic virtues of the Allevard spring recognised since 1836) and the thermal baths are constantly developing their range of treatments centred around well-being. The thermal baths of Allevard have been considered very fashionable since the beginning of the 19th century and remain popular to this day. They were completely renovated in 2019. The accommodation includes hotels, apartments and gites. A seven-night stay, at Élégance contemporaine près des Thermes costs from £259 total for two people sharing a one-bedroom apartment.
How to get there…
Grenoble to Le Collet d’Allevard: 52 kilometres (32 miles). Estimated time: 55 minutes by road.
Chambéry to Le Collet d’Allevard: 55 kilometres (34 miles). Estimated time: 54 minutes by road.
THE spot for night skiing
Le Collet offers one of the largest night ski areas in Europe, having developed a vast network of floodlit runs over the years. Nowadays, 10 pistes are open two nights a week: Tuesdays and Fridays. All the lighting has been updated with new, more energy-efficient LED spotlights; skiers and snowboarders can now whizz down 15 km of slopes every Friday from 8 pm to 10.30 pm, and on Tuesdays during the winter holidays. Ski from the top of the resort at 2,100 m (Claran chairlift) to the bottom of the station at 1,400 m (Tufs chairlift). Evening lift passes cost from €15.50 pp www.lecollet.com
Slipping around
Skiing’s not the only way to get down the mountain in Le Collet d’Allevard. Towards the end of the day, the resort’s mountain guides organise a free multi-slide session when the ski lifts have stopped. Try out a Yooner (a wooden sled with one runner), an airboard, or a snake-gliss (10 toboggans tied together) for alternative ways to travel down the slopes. www.lecollet.com
Astronomy Evenings
During the winter, the “shepherdess of the stars”, Nadège) shares her passion for astronomy with families. Jump on the Claran chairlift and rise to 2,100 m, far from any light pollution, for a telescope viewing under the star-strewn sky. The activity lasts for 1 hour 30 mins. www.labergeredesetoiles.com
Speed Riding
Le Collet is one of the few resorts that offers a dedicated run for speed-riders. Speed-riding is a blend of paragliding and skiing that lets you ride/fly the slopes at incredible speeds. Try some smaller wings, which allow short flights of a few hundred metres, at Super Collet with a qualified instructor. All that is required is a proficient level of skiing. An initiation costs from €90 pp per day. Age 14 & above. www.lecollet.com www.ecole-parapente-isere.com
New Family Fun Trail
The Tétras Délire Park is the new fun trail for families. Welcome to an area where you can have fun skiing while learning about the environment in Le Collet (animals, the natural world, heritage). www.lecollet.com/winter/
Here are a few highlights of what is new for this winter in Isère. www.alpes-isere.com
