In January I went to Oisans in the Isère region of France for an Alpine adventure. Read this review of Oz 3300 ice climbing and snowboarding in Alpe d’Huez to find out why it is a must-visit destination for anyone who loves a proper snow-filled winter escape.
Oz 3300 is a purpose-built ski village that forms part of the Alpe d’Huez Grand Domaine ski area, which offers around 250 km of pistes. Isère is one of France’s most popular mountain destinations, home to 21 ski resorts spread across four mountain ranges: Belledonne, Chartreuse, Vercors and Oisans.
Over four days we travelled from London to the mountains by train, explored the resort, went ice climbing, snowboarding/skiing, splitboarding/ski touring and snowshoeing. We also experienced a range of local bars and restaurants, giving us a very enjoyable crash course in the resort of Oz 3300 and the Alpe d’Huez ski area.
Travel from London to Oz 3300
The journey began early at London Kings Cross station, where the group met before boarding the morning Eurostar to Paris. After a smooth and seamless journey we arrived in the French capital in time for lunch.
In the afternoon we boarded a TGV high-speed train to Grenoble. You need to jump on the Metro across Paris to connect between stations – check out my article about travelling to the Alps by train for more information on this. We arrived in Grenoble just three hours later and hopped in a minibus for the transfer to Oz 3300, with the scenery getting more alpine and snowy the higher we climbed.
Review of Moontain Hostel
During this review of Oz 3300 ice climbing and snowboarding in Alpe d’Huez we stayed at the Moontain Hostel on the edge of Oz 3300. It is billed as a modern alpine hostel and offers both private rooms (€119 per night for a double) and dormitory (€23 per night) accommodation.
My private double was very nice, with en-suite shower room, safe, towel warmer, desk, wifi and USB sockets. In short it had everything you’d expect from a good hotel room. The chipboard finishing felt understated-chic and comes off as stylish rather than budget, and while it was clearly not a four star hotel room I think calling it a hostel does it a bit of a disservice.
We began the evening with a drink in the hostel bar followed by a short walk around the resort. On returning we had dinner at Moontain Hostel, which at just €27 for three courses it is reasonably priced and was very tasty. It’s a set menu that varies each week with options for all dietary needs, but the lasagne was exceptional.
Oz 3300 Splitboarding / Ski Touring
The second day began with breakfast at the Moontain Hostel before heading to 2G Sports to collect splitboard equipment for me and ski touring kit for the skiers. Here I encountered a problem: the brand new splitboard had bindings that unfortunately did not fit my boots – a slightly frustrating start to the day and proof that as a snowboarder bringing your own kit is often the safest bet.
I was offered snowshoes but decided to hike as it was on an access cat-track and not too hilly or too long. The goal of the tour was to check out the ice climbing area we would return to the next day. Some of the group had not done much touring so there was even more faffing than usual, especially with everyone using kit they were unfamiliar with.
I set off hiking as I knew I’d be slower than the rest. The cat-track had 20–30 cm of fresh snow making it slightly difficult, but I powered through and got into position to take some good photos of the ski tourers. It was an undulating path so I’d walk uphill for a bit, then snowboard down so it wasn’t just a long uphill slog.
Passing the impressive ice climbing area we stopped to take pictures, and to be honest I was a little apprehensive about trying it for the first time the next day. We stopped for a lovely lunch at L’Île d’Oz, a typical mountain restaurant within the Alpe d’Huez Grand Domaine ski area.
The afternoon was spent snowboarding in the area which offers 250 km of slopes. Before dinner I had a relax at the Timberlodge swimming pool and spa, a welcome recovery session after a long snowy day. We dined at the excellent La Potée Oz, which serves a mix of local specialities and classic alpine dishes.
Review of Oz 3300 Ice Climbing in Alpe d’Huez
After another hearty breakfast in Moontain Hostel we headed back to the Grandes Rousses massif where we’d seen ice climbers the day before. This time we were loaded up with kit as we headed off on the same hike/ski tour as the day before. The cat-track shad been pisted so it was an easy hike, but once we entered steeper terrain to approach the frozen waterfalls the fresh snow was very deep and it was hard work on foot.
On the way there our guide from Bureau des Guides talked about the rich history of ice climbing in the area that had been strongly influenced by British climbers, particularly the Scottish mountaineer Hamish MacInnes. Often described as one of the fathers of modern ice climbing, MacInnes helped revolutionise the sport during the 1960s and 1970s through both his climbing and his equipment innovations.
MacInnes climbed extensively in the Alps, including in the Oisans region around Alpe d’Huez. His techniques and equipment helped shape the sport and his early explorations helped turn the region into one of France’s best known ice climbing destinations. The frozen cascades near Vaujany, Oz-en-Oisans and Malaval attract many climbers every winter.
How did the Ice Climbing go?
I had a slightly gammy shoulder from a snowboard crash so I was a bit apprehensive. But all kitted up with my helmet and harness, some dangerous looking crampons and two wicked looking axes I felt ready to take on the zombie apocalypse — I just needed to get to the top of the ice-wall first.
I have done some climbing in the past but this was my first time on ice and it was very different. It was less of a puzzle trying to find the route up and more about the physical exertion, although there were still elements of choosing where to kick your feet in and where to strike with your axes.
At one point my axes and crampons slipped and I started to fall providing a moment of terror. Although you know you are attached by rope it does not stop it being scary just like any form of climbing. Fortunately, the safety rope did its job during my dodgy moment and before I knew it I was not far from the top.
At this point I encountered a slight overhang and harder ice plus some rocks, and it suddenly became much more difficult. It was more important to pick where I struck with the axes and to get my feet right. It didn’t help that I was tired, hot (I was wearing my snowboarding gear), thirsty and what felt like very high up!
But I persevered and the feeling when I made it to the top of the climb was both elation and relief, with muscles I had not used in years screaming to make themselves known. Abseiling back down was a doddle compared to going up. Apart from ripping my snowboarding pants with the crampons I thoroughly enjoyed this review of Oz 3300 ice climbing.
Review of Snowboarding in Alpe d’Huez
After dropping most of the gear back at the guide hut we headed up to Pic Blanc glacier, which at 3,330 metres is the top of Alpe d’Huez. From here is the world’s longest black run, the 16 km Sarenne which drops 1,800 metres.
It is a great run. It’s not full-blooded black the entire way, but there are some very challenging sections. There were also quite a few people who probably should not have been doing the run, which means steep sections can become busy bottlenecks. As it had snowed the night before I was playing in the off-piste to the side of the run most of the way down, which made it an absolute blast.
There is a lot more to snowboarding in Oz 3300 and Alpe d’Huez than Sarenne. There are some fantastic wide reds and blues plus extensive beginner zones. Although I did not get to visit them there are two very well regarded snowparks plus extensive backcountry to explore.
It really is an excellent ski area that I’d wholeheartedly recommend for snowboarders.
Snowshoeing in Oz 3300
The final activity of the trip was sunset snowshoeing at Pré Reynaud in Oz.
Now having hiked into the ice climbing area, waded through thigh deep snow to get to the face, then ice climbed and snowboarded very hard all day I was pretty shattered. So be honest at first I was not keen, but it ended up being a lovely experience.
We took a gentle route through the trees up the mountain to a viewpoint where we watched the sunset and overlooked the valley below. There was wine and charcuterie at the halfway point, which certainly helped morale.
With head torches on, snowshoeing back down in the dark through nature was a really enjoyable experience. That said I was glad when we reached the base and went for a drink.
We followed that with a lovely dinner at La Ferme d’Oz, which serves traditional French alpine cuisine. I don’t often eat steak, but with my watch telling me I had burnt north of 5,000 calories I didn’t hold back on three courses of delicious excess.
A Great Adventure in Oz and Alpe d’Huez
To conclude this review of Oz 3300 ice climbing and snowboarding in Alpe d’Huez I’d say multi-activity winter breaks don’t get much better. The ice climbing was a stand out experience — it looks far harder than it actually is and anyone with good fitness can give it a go.
The Alpe d’Huez Grand Domaine ski area is very impressive and an area I would love to return to in the future. I’d certainly like to splitboard in the area and explore some of the renowned backcountry the mountains have to offer.
The snowshoeing was also far more enjoyable than I expected and would be great for families or as a relaxed early evening activity for couples and groups.
The village of Oz 3300 in the Oisans region of Isère is a great little find. Alpe d’Huez is relatively cheap compared to the likes of the Three Valleys and Paradiski, and Oz can be done on a budget, particularly if you stay at the lovely Moontain Hostel.
I hope you found this review of Oz 3300 ice climbing and snowboarding in Alpe d’Huez useful. For more information head to www.oz-en-oisans.com to find out more about the resort or www.alpes-isere.com to learn about the area.
