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La Joue du Loup Ski Resort
Paired with Superdévoluy, La Joue du Loup forms the Dévoluy ski region in the wonderful Hautes Alpes. This is the newer but prettier of the two resorts, nicknamed “the wood station” for its low-rise, chalet-style of its buildings and the thick woodlands that surround them.
Though the snow-covered chalet village could easily be mistaken for being older, it’s actually one of the youngest resorts in the Alps, having been built in the seventies. The modern nature of the place is a big plus for convenience, with most chalets, apartments and hotels being within easy reach of the bars, shops and ski lifts.
The Place des Boutiques marks the centre of the village, home to shops and restaurants to see visitors kitted out and well-fed for the week.
For train travellers, the nearest station is Veynes-Dévoluy which is 25km away and has links with Marseille, Paris, Grenoble and Briançon. If you’re flying in, Marseille, Grenoble and Lyon are the closest airports.
Stats & FAQ
Location: Hautes Alpes, France
Established: 1976
Open: December - April
Downhill: 55 runs, 100km
View our detailed La Joue du Loup snow forecast or snow report and see all live webcams, piste maps, road and travel maps and lift pass prices. For a picture of historic snow conditions see the snow depths month by month with our La Joue du Loup snow history.
| Nearest Airport & Transfer Time: | |
| Grenoble (GNB) | 137km, 2 hours |
| Marseille (MRS) | 207km, 2.5 hours |
| Lyon (LYS) | 184km, 2.5 hours |
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| Top Altitude: | 2500m |
| Bottom Altitude: | 1500m |
| Resort Altitude: | 1500m |
| Longest run: | |
| Slope Orientation: | |
| Vertical Drop: | 1000m |
| Skiable Vertical: | |
| Night Skiing: | No |
| Glacier: | No |
Snow Report
Web Cam
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| Downhill Runs: | 55 runs, 100km |
| Beginner slopes: | |
| Intermediate: | |
| Advanced slopes: | |
| Lift Pass Price: | €178 (adult 6 day) |
| Nearby resorts: Superdévoluy | |
Skiing/BoardingSkiing in La Joue du Loup
Beginners can book lessons with the ESI and ESF ski schools, who teach the basics in a snow garden and by the Chaumattes lift. Riondels is a mostly green descent to progress onto, and when your ski legs are ready, the choice of blue runs goes on and on...
Take the Telemix Fontettes and you can ski the cruisey blue Plattes du pin down through the treeline on skiers’ left of the area, or link Choucas with a number of options back to the village. Mirages (via the Serre Lacroix lift) is one of the highest pistes, beaten only by the Sommarel where you can clock up vertical linking with Aurouze down to Superdévoluy. Where you set off from here is the area you’ll want to head to for red pistes, which stream down from the Sommarel, Festoure and Genepy lifts – long ones (like Draille, the longest in the area) and shorter ones (like Loy) which we could lap for hours.
Besides the steep back runs from the highest point of the area – Le Pierra at 2500m – the only other black rated slope is the one from the Clos des martins drag on the Superdévoluy half. There’s some brilliant off piste skiing to be had, with favourites including the Ratin Combe from the Bure plateau. Freestylers should take the Pré du Renard lift for the snowpark, where you’ll find a boardercross, bump initiation line and five rails among other modules.
If you favour skinny skis, the cross country trails here are some of France’s finest, totalling 35km and featuring wide open spaces, thick forest and everything in between.
La Joue du Loup Apres Ski
This is far from the liveliest resort in the Alps, but while it doesn’t hold a candle to Val d’Isere, there are still a couple of good options for après ski. Pulp’s is a favourite watering hole, with good beers and cocktails while L'Inuit does drinks and tapas with music. On the mountain, we like L'Op-Traken where you can nab a deckchair, order your favourite tipple (maybe a crêpe for good measure) and watch the world ski by.
For restaurants, La Casita is good for a quick bite to eat (sarnies, burgers, pastries) and usually offers a delivery service. Up on the pistes, Gilles and Julien make guests feel right at home in L’Etoile and we like Lou Patou for fondues and raclettes. Vi Aï Pizza do eat-in or takeaway, or if you find yourself over in Saint-Etienne-en-Dévoluy, Vi Ai Pi is a brilliant steakhouse.
Activities include Snake Gliss, husky rides and snowshoe walks. Indoors, Le Centre Sportif du Dévoluy has a climbing wall and ping pong tables.
Best time to go
Best time to ski La Joue du Loup
Best time to visit & ski La Joue du Loup
With 37km of artificial snow cover and slopes above 2000m, the area between Superdévoluy and Joue du Loup is usually in best nick between the middle of January and the middle of March.
Peak Dates
The snow cannons are firing on all cylinders and Santa usually makes an appearance over Christmas in La Joue du Loup.
Celebrate the New Year in La Joue du Loup on the snow front, where music and an 11pm firework display see out the old year in style.
Half term in La Joue du Loup sees some of the year's best snow conditions, and as you'll find throughout the winter, the family facilities are excellent.
Spend morning skiing the highest slopes, then relax in the some come afternoon over Easter in La Joue du Loup.
Families in La Joue du Loup
With the French Famille Plus label awarded in 2011, this area really pushes the boat out to make skiing with children amazing. Ask the tourist office for your free Family Guide, which comes with handy hints and tips as well as games and quizzes to keep sprogs entertained.
The playground here promises fun in the snow, spent tobogganing and squealing on swings and slides. Older kids will have a whale of a time zooming down the hill on the Snake Gliss, or husky sledding with Les Traineaux du Dévoluy.
If your little ‘uns are taking their first slides on the piste, the Snow Garden for 3-5 year olds has a magic carpet lift and inflatable characters to make skiing easy and fun.
GroupsGroup Holidays La Joue du Loup
Pretty, convenient and with a decent sized ski area – La Joue works well for groups after a week of skiing and lazy evenings. The nightlife is far from wild, but if you prefer the sound of hearty food and wine anyway, this place is just the ticket. If you’re all skiers and snowboarders, book a table at L’Etoile and meet up for a mountaintop meal with gorgeous views over the valley.
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