Excursion

Friday, 2 February, 6:15AM - 5:30PM

The last day of the Snow Hydrology conference will take us on a full day tour around L’Alpe d’Huez to discover various field applications of snow science.

We will reach this popular ski resort from Grenoble by a 1h30 bus ride to the very famous Alpe d’Huez Tour de France ascent. A gondola lift and a 30 minutes walk on a groomed track will lead us to the Col du Lac Blanc observatory at 2700 m elevation mainly dedicated to research on blowing snow and snow-atmosphere interactions. Local scientists will explain the observational challenges and scientific investigations pertaining to this high-altitude snow site. After the descent in the stunning landscapes of the Grandes Rousses mountains, an avalanche forecaster will present the observation station which is part of a large operational network in French ski resorts in support of avalanche forecasting. Finally, after a last 15-minutes walk in the resort we will take a chair lift to visit a snow factory and discover the challenges of ski resorts operators in their adaptation to variable and uncertain snow conditions.

Left: instrumental site at the Col du Lac Blanc observatory; right: inside the snow factory at L'Alpe d'Huez

Please note

We meet Friday 6:15 am at Rue de la Frise, which is at the back of the main SNCF train station in Grenoble. You can either take Tram A or B to 'Grenoble – Gares' and then cross all the railways by the tunnel inside the train station; or take Tram B to 'Palais de Justice – Gare' and walk from there. People attending the excursion must wear appropriate winter clothes and shoes and should be able to walk about 1h30 on a groomed track. A lunch bag will be provided by the conference organization team. More detailed information is available here.