{"id":499,"date":"2014-08-11T15:02:24","date_gmt":"2014-08-11T13:02:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mountainpassions.com\/wordpress\/?p=499"},"modified":"2021-09-17T12:18:12","modified_gmt":"2021-09-17T10:18:12","slug":"ski-le-devoluy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mountainpassions.com\/winter\/ski-resort-reviews\/alps\/ski-le-devoluy\/","title":{"rendered":"Le D\u00e9voluy"},"content":{"rendered":"
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T<\/span>he drive up from nearby Gap<\/strong> is a breeze, but our own arrival via Grenoble <\/strong>and the celebrated Route Napol\u00e9on<\/strong> is a more time-consuming approach, despite offering an unforgettable introduction to the captivating scenery of the Southern French Alps<\/strong>. Much of it still slumbering beneath a thick blanket of snow, but the village of La Joue du Loup<\/strong>, situated to one side of the ski area of Le D\u00e9voluy, looks and feels welcoming, with development on a refreshingly human scale. So far, so good.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\nLes Meules snakes its way ski-cross style through what feels at one point like the ultimate half-pipe before firing us back out again neatly beside the village, with broad smiles on our faces..\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Extraordinary views from the Festoure high-speed 6-seater chairlift.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Early intermediate skiers will love pistes like Marmottes, pictured above.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Le D\u00e9voluy popular with intermediate skiers<\/h2>\n
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The following morning we board the Fontenettes t\u00e9l\u00e9mix lift<\/strong> to begin discovering the ski area. Getting our bearings proves interesting at first, since our piste-map is a model of clarity when it comes to illustrating the lifts, but fails to name the pistes. That\u2019s different. Fortunately they turn out to be well-signed, and we have a great time dropping down the blue- and red-graded runs towards the forest above the village.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Heading over to the SuperD\u00e9voluy<\/strong> sector couldn\u2019t be simpler, the liaison being accomplished via a choice of routes, the simplest of which is a long blue cruise<\/strong> from the top of Fontenettes. We have every intention of doing so, but along the way pause for a welcome lunch-break at L\u2019Op Traken<\/strong> before heading back up to 2200m <\/strong>on the Festoure high-speed 6-seater chairlift<\/strong> to appreciate the extraordinary views. From the top the full effects of the season\u2019s mammoth snowfalls are clearly visible, even in late March.<\/p>\n

This image provides the vast backdrop to our the exhilarating, more direct onward run all the way down into SuperD\u00e9voluy<\/strong>. En-route there\u2019s a choice of red-, blue- and even green-graded terrain, guaranteeing its popularity with aspiring early intermediate skiers and while still being thoroughly enjoyable for those with a great deal more mileage under their skis.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Family-friendly architecture<\/h2>\n

The scale of SuperD\u00e9voluy\u2019s original architecture isn\u2019t to everyone\u2019s taste, but we can tell you that it actually looks a lot better when you\u2019re skiing down towards it than it does on the printed page. In its time it\u2019s also offered countless ordinary families in the region an unexpected opportunity to secure their very own ski apartment along with the prospect of limitless visits to the mountains. They still come, of course, and bring with them a refreshingly down-to-earth atmosphere of fun which you can sense as soon as you arrive.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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