Les Arcs 2018 - 2019 (Useful links are added to the first post)

A snowHead

The forecast for next week keeps waxing and waning. I arrive Saturday so the Monday night arrival of the front looked good but it seems to be disappearing again.
Don’t love the sound of rock hard slopes. Not so much for me but more that the family will pull the pin early everyday and spend more time indoors. Boring.

A snowHead

@Genista I'm out next week too.

ECM still more positive for a bit of fresh snow top up mid next week, hopefully that will come off. Also the cold temps are good for snow making and keeping things reasonable.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

The pistes are very slick, in places you'll loose both edges but the snow cannon covered runs lower down are alot more pleasant to ski in the past few days. Very Happy

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have you been over to the la plagne side yet @kitenski? i expect conditions are much the same over there

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@Russeh, yes went yesterday, was a bit warmer over the back towards Champagny hence snow softer, but overall very similiar. Some very slick sections around now that are hard to see until your edges go!

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good thing my skis have just had a full service then, i arrive tomorrow can't see there being a dramatic change in conditions between now and Monday.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

On Eurostar. See y’all later Toofy Grin

After all it is free

@thefatcontroller, enjoy the russian invasion.

YUGE: love it or loathe it?
I'd like to love it, but my experience over the past 3 weeks has tended towards the other end of the spectrum. Android rather than Apple, but while there are useful features such as weather, and the battery hit is not at all bad, the "lift opening" section seems slow to update, the tracking seems intermittent ( ie if I look at something lese on my phone over lunch, then it was often not restarting again, despite showing that it was), it asks that I sign in every day, and it's distances don't discount lifts (even though I linked my pass to it so it knows when I'm on a lift).
I'm going to invest 79p in Ski tracks for my next visit , but I'll probably keep Yuge for the ancillary stuff.
Anyone else got any thoughts?

@Arctic Roll Russian invasion?

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Heading down on train from Paris. As a cautious/anxious mature (ahem) skier I would welcome any suggestions for tomorrow to avoid ice as much as poss?
Staying in 2000, happy to do blue (or green even) runs and actually do the same one repeatedly if needed.

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@Late Starter II runs with snow cannons on will be better as reported by kittenski, i would also imagine the snow is better on south facing higher runs. The other way to look at this (being positive) is getting more experience in variable conditions. you can't turn as quickly on ice as there isn't the grip for it so you just have to plans your lines a little more.

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@Arctic Roll, Initially I thought Yuge was a good idea. Now I never use it. The LesArcs.net is faster to navigate to useful things like lift openings and other programs such as view ranger are better for recording where you have been. My son likes snowtracks. Sadly Yuge has gone in the bin along with the lesarcs.com website. Sorry I missed you over the Christmas period. When are you next coming out? I'll be in Les Arcs from the 24/1/2019 to 2/2/2019

@Late Starter II, my experience last week was that the blue runs had the hardest snow and the blacks the best.

@Russeh, There aren't any south facing slopes in Les Arcs, Choose East facing in the morning and west facing in the afternoon

@Russeh, thanks, thinking may get a lesson to hopefully boost confidence.
@johnE, thanks, trouble is the only blacks I've done are the US variety....is there a website that shows where cannons are used? It may be on piste map when I get one of course.

You know it makes sense.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@Late Starter II i'm not sure theres a map of where the cannons are, you might have to just play that by ear when you get there.

Tuition is definitely money well spent

A snowHead

@Russeh,
tis Russian New Year, and they come like bears waking from hibernation, looking for good times and vast quantites of champagne and food with no expense, manners or bling spared.

[stereotypical viewpoint: I'm sure there are some pleasant Russian skiers: they just rarely seem to make it to Les Arcs.]

@Late Starter II, for a first day 'warm up', I'd suggest up the top of Col de la Chal (you'll need a descent into 1950 and then Marmottes and Arcabulle lifts): get started with Plan des Eaux (Blue) or Plan Vert (also blue, despite its name...). No cannons on either, but high enough not to need. From Vert take Plan back to Arcabulle and repeat, or continue down Edelweiss to Marmottes lift.
From Plan des Eaux use Vallee de l'Arc 2 to get to Arcabulle.

Or continue down Marmottes piste and Vallee de l' Arc 3 to to Pre St Esprit. New cannons installed along the lengh of both.

Depending on what you've seen ref ice ( I wouldn't anticipate too much, except possibly the bit from 2000 ->1950 - which is always the worst), you can either rinse and repeat (catch the heated Pre St Esprit lift back up), or take the Combourciere over to the Mont Blanc run into 1600.
The last 3 or 400 m into the village may be tricky - it is usually artifical, but also quite busy, so take care.

Cachettes lift from there (followed by Arpette to get home or whatever takes your fancy)

Well, its a start...

A snowHead

@Arctic Roll, awesome, thank you! Very helpful and pre-ski nerve calming! If there's a way to avoid 2000 to 1950 I will take it!

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@Late Starter II,

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Thanks both...looking forward to trying these out...just leaving Landry so almost time for first sights of Les Arcs ...hoping light lasts a bit longer .

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@Arctic Roll ah right - yeah i'm familiar with russian surly behaviour, hopefully not too many. Didn't really notice any this time last year!

@johnE is it Lac you think is the most unpleased run in resort? the one that leads into edelweiss?

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@Arctic Roll, re YUGE - I agree that the tracking seems to be a bit flaky but otherwise it seems to work OK for a free app. Don't know why you're being asked to sign on daily, though - I'm also on Android and this doesn't happen for me.

After all it is free

@johnE,

Hi snowheads I'd be really keen on the opinions on those who have been in Les Arcs this season as to whether the paradiski pass is worth it for the queue skipping elements? I'm likely to only pop over to La Plagne once during the week, I'm there from the 26th of this month. It's an extra 30 euros so is it worth it do you think?

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@Minion1980, I would have thought it's only worth it in very busy weeks when queues develop. Even then, it's only a few lifts that have the priority queue.

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@Minion1980 i think it depends when you're going e.g. in the busy weeks and if you plan to ski la plagne side more than once. Personally for 30 euros i like the option to do either side plus i also stay in les coches which makes it easy to do both. I think for skipping the queues probably worth it during peak weeks but not if you're going on a quieter week e.g. like next week

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@Russeh, No Lac is actually a nice run once you leave the road. The one I find unpleasant is secret, fortunately Combourciere is next to it, which I quite like even though the bushes at the bottom were sticking out rather a lot at Christmas.

@Minion1980, For Jan 26th I wouldn't bother. The lift queues would be minimal that week. The queue jumping was useful New Year week, but it appears it is rather unpopular with Les Arcs lift pass holders. I will be advising my guests that week to only get Les Arcs passes and buy me beer with the money saved.

@Alastair, @Arctic Roll, WHere shall we meet up? May I suggest in 1600; the smoking Boar is very nice for an end of the day drink. I'll have a lot of friends to entertain from the Friday to the Monday and will be rather busy slaving over the stove until Monday night.

You know it makes sense.

Just arrived 2000. Popped over to the Sherpa, plenty of snow but also lots of brown snow Confused

Don’t the French know how to bag it?

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@thefatcontroller, now I'm worried as I didn't spot brown snow...but maybe there is more than one Sherpa? I'm not far from top of Cabriolet..

A snowHead

@Alastair, @Russeh, @johnE, thanks for the advice guys much appreciated!

A snowHead

@Late Starter II, We own in La Cime beside Lanchette lift. Direct walk from there over to Sherpa, near Sherpa, 3 big piles of it.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@thefatcontroller, ah...Will keep eyes more open...tho there were several dogs out when I came back from Sherpa....quick question...friends are at Club Med...do you know where the reception is as I strolled over earlier to find a locked door...with Club Med written over it....looked like deserted reception but maybe I was in wrong place..? If I missed brown piles then missing a reception entrance is easy also...

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@johnE, @Alastair, quite like the Sanglier qui fume so yes, will suggest it to the mob. May need to bus home mind you!! Let's DM when we get there.

There are 'doggy poop bags ' down in 1950, the dispensers are on the street lamps. Whether the French know what they are for is debatable. Maybe 2000 could come and borrow some

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@johnE, @Arctic Roll, the Sanglier qui fume sounds good to me - never been in but skiied past many times. I imagine I'll probably need a bus home as well - but I think they're quite frequent.

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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@Russeh, The worst bit is is that it is now very difficult to get from Mugaret to Combourciere

@Arctic Roll, @Alastair, It is a simple ski down from Sanglier qui fume to the bus stop at the top of the funicular. One goes one way, one goes another.

After all it is free

Secret was nice moguls to the side with the odd rock in there and slick in the middle this week.

@Minion1980, we reckon the upgraded pass could have saved about 20-30mins a day during the past week at the busy queues. Not sure I’d buy it outside of the mega peaks weeks though.

@Late Starter II, the main runs above 2000 have some really slick icy bits in them from what I’ve found this week due to high traffic and no cannons. My recommendation for runs would be

Down to 1600 was quiet with good artificial snow and not many icy patches this week.

The blues down to the only lift we found with heated seats (Pre Saint Esprit) were busy but not many ice patches. With it being -13 some mornings skiing in the sun and a heated lift were important factors!

Reynard off the Derby lift was ok.

Recommended easy reds would be

Belette off the Derby lift had nice snow this morning, as did Arandelieres 1 off Varet with some cracking bumps off the side of the first pitch.

The Grand Col run had the odd steep pitch but my nervous friend managed it fine, better snow and less scraped areas.

@Russeh, my intermidiate skiers in our group had the impression La Plagne was icier than Les Arcs.

@Arctic Roll, Yuge seemed like a good idea, but has major flaws, it missed the fact we did certain lifts and also told my friend he’d hit 114 km/h one day and 94 today! I also tried the recommended route facility which didn’t seem to work! The alerts to key closing lifts could be very useful as could how busy the lifts are.

@kitenski, thanks very useful. Now have piste map, also have found friends at Club Med and put our heads together a bit.
Now watching piste bashers heading out...with mug of tea so all is good. @thefatcontroller, I must be opposite you...I look out onto Cimes building and Le Savoy...would be happy to catch up.over the next few days..

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There's a Web cam on front of Savoy (I think) which if you get friends back in UK to look at you can wave at them Very Happy

It amused us last season, just needs a phone call to synchronise.

Help!!

Les Arcs 2018 - 2019 (Useful links are added to the first post)

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