{"id":1848712,"date":"2026-03-26T17:49:46","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T14:49:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1848712"},"modified":"2026-03-26T17:49:46","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T14:49:46","slug":"les-deux-alpes-france-report-endless-vertical-glacier-powder-and-a-mountain-that-just-keeps-going","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1848712","title":{"rendered":"Les Deux Alpes, France, Report: Endless Vertical, Glacier Powder, and a Mountain That Just Keeps Going"},"content":{"rendered":"
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One of the many incredible views skiers have as they descend from the highest point at Les Deux Alpes. | Image: Brett Ploss<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Report from Monday, March 23, 2026<\/em><\/p>\n

Some mountains reveal themselves all at once.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Others take a run or two.<\/strong><\/p>\n

And then there\u2019s Les Deux Alpes<\/a>, a place that keeps unfolding lap after lap, zone after zone, until you realize you\u2019ve spent the entire day chasing terrain that never really ends.<\/strong><\/p>\n

We didn\u2019t expect it to feel this big.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Straight From Town to the High Alps<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Chloe showing us where to ride at the Les Deux Alpes Information Office. | Image: Brett Ploss<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We started in the village at 1,650 meters (5,400 feet), hopping on the new Jandri gondola, a lift that immediately sets the tone for the resort.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t one of those slow, step-by-step Alps progressions where you stitch together four lifts just to reach the upper mountain.<\/strong> Here, you load once and get pulled straight into the alpine.<\/p>\n

In under 20 minutes, you\u2019re above 3,200 meters (10,500 feet).\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A view of the Jandri Gondola and surrounding Alps on one of our runs. | Image: Brett Ploss<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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From there, it\u2019s a continuation upward to 3,600 meters (11,800 feet), <\/strong>Jandri<\/a> into the glacier zone, a s<\/strong>urface lift to Puy Sali\u00e9, followed by a f<\/strong>inal push to the top of Lauze.<\/strong><\/p>\n

And suddenly, you\u2019re standing at the highest in-bounds skiable point in France.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It feels like you skipped the middle of the mountain entirely.<\/strong><\/p>\n

7,500 Feet of Continuous Vertical<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Surface lift Puye Salie as seen from the Jandri top station. | Image: Brett Ploss<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From the top, the numbers almost don\u2019t register until you ski them.<\/strong><\/p>\n

You point your skis downhill, and it feels like you never stop.<\/strong> You can drop nearly 2,000 vertical meters (6,560 feet) back to town or continue all the way down to Mont-de-Lans at 1,300 meters (4,265 feet).<\/p>\n

That\u2019s 2,300 meters (7,500+ feet) of lift-served vertical in a single run, one of the biggest continuous descents anywhere in Europe.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The top of the Puye Salie surface lift as seen while skiing down. | Image: Brett Ploss<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And it doesn\u2019t feel like a novelty run.<\/strong> It feels skiable the entire way, with big lines or intermediate options to choose from.<\/p>\n

We lapped variations of this line throughout the day, cutting through different zones, weaving between groomers, soft chalk, and pockets of leftover powder, and every descent felt like a full top-to-bottom experience.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Each run was more than a lap; it was a journey.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Snow That Still Feels Like Winter<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
A view of the Jandri midstation and Pano Bar at Les Deux Alpes. | Image: Brett Ploss<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A storm had rolled through a few days prior, but what stood out wasn\u2019t how much snow fell; it was how it held throughout the resort.<\/strong> Up high, the snow hadn\u2019t hardened at all. No melt-freeze cycle. No crust. No afternoon heaviness.<\/p>\n

It skied like it had fallen overnight, light and consistent, even days later.<\/strong><\/p>\n

With 75% of the terrain above 2,000 meters (6,560 feet), and a glacier topping out at 3,600 meters (11,800 feet), the resort holds onto winter long after others begin to fade.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n