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

A snowHead

@thefatcontroller, as @BKK, says those tracks lead down to the valley at the base of the (remains of) the grand col glacier and lead to the lifts at villaroger. They are described in the que de paradiski by didier....... (I loaned my copy of the book to some one and it has not been returned).
They are indeed quite difficult. Snowcrazy will perhaps provide more detail.
I may be wrong but I think it may also be the route the two skiers took when racing Richard Hammond from arc 2000 to villaroger in top gear.

A snowHead

Last minute dilemma - worrying about whether to leave LA 0530 on a Saturday and make late afternoon EStar or ski Saturday, leave 1600, stay near Dijon overnight and get EStar Sunday.

Heart says go for it.

Wallet says... how much does the extra day cost?

Anyone done the Maths?

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

Last minute dilemma - worrying about whether to leave LA 0530 on a Saturday and make late afternoon EStar or ski Saturday, leave 1600, stay near Dijon overnight and get EStar Sunday.

Heart says go for it.

Wallet says... how much does the extra day cost?

Anyone done the Maths?

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@Spin Doctor, Not sure maths has much to do with it, but on a price per hour skiing it is a no brainer. Assuming you arrived on Saturday morning and hence got 7 days skiing then adding an extra day will cost you about 40 euro per person more (go to the lift pass office and ask for a days extension). Compare that to 1/7th of your total holiday cost. It is more do you want the extra day?

Where are you staying by the way?

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Thursday 07 Feb. Another fun day in the snow. Not such good visibility today and by 2.30pm it had started to snow, but we had a good morning and stopped for a late lunch.

After meeting at 10am we headed over to the Varet Gondola for a quick warm up run and a little couloir training then over to the Lanchette chair and into the nature reserve. Managed to find a few places to put down fresh tracks and even a steeper route for some.

Then back up and this time onto Par Avalanche. Well tracked, but still nice soft snow higher up and quite fun in the trees lower down.

A fast blast down the piste and a late lunch. Then a cruise on the blues home with a little stop for a drink on the way.

The pistes around Les Arcs today were OK, but in the flat light it did make spotting the moguls quite difficult at times, even on the blue runs. The busy areas were starting to become quite polished again, but with fresh snow tonight conditions 'on and off piste' should improve again over the next few days.

Hope you enjoy the photos from today and our amazing powder day yesterday. Conditions are still excellent for this time of year.

It was a challenge to find untracked powder today, but there are still places around and with the fresh snow falling tonight, tomorrow should give us the chance to start all over again! I hope the sun comes out so we can see a little better!

To see the photos of the last two days, click on this link and read the reports and open the photos that were attached for each day.
https://www.facebook.com/LesArcsWinter/

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

@johnE, Those tracks you can see from the new platform go down a couloir called Valdez, named after the famous one in Alaska I presume. Yes, it is very difficult with a narrow section nearer the bottom out of sight which is a no fall zone!! Toofy Grin

In good conditions it is a fun ski, but make a mistake and it could really hurt! Not for those that worry what might go wrong!

In fact the guys that raced Hammond used both Parapantes and skiing. The whole filming was a bit of a fix as it was not all done at the same time, but it did make for good viewing and they started from the ridge on Aiguille Rouge then did a ski in the lower sections after a bit of a flight. All great fun and good for Les Arcs! IMO anyway!

After all it is free

@Spin Doctor, TBH I would forgo ther overnight hotel and drive through the night. Food has to be bought somewhere but we survive remarkably well on filling station sandwhichs. Check the weather forecast before making a decsion.

Enjoy the red wine.

@snowcrazy, I realised it was a fix, when hammond started driving down then it was apparent that he had forgotten something and was driving back up through Arc1600.

I thought I wouldn't mention the parachutes.

It did make great viewing, but I was trying to identify where each shot was made.

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My rough maths is the cost of an extra day for four of us would be:

Additional day on ski pass £148
Additional hire costs £55
Dejeuner £80 (probably - could make sandwiches but let’s be realistic)
Hotel £100
Supper £80

£463 for a day’s skiing in the Alps for a family of four...

As a percentage of the sunk costs of the holiday overall it’s a steal. But it’s £463 we don’t actually have Confused

snow reports

I'm awaiting the episode of the Grand Tour that was filmed in Bourg last summer with great anticipation.

@Spin Doctor, there was a lift offer buy 6 days get the 7th free, our friends bought this over new year. It was the full paradiski pass that had that offer.

You know it makes sense.

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

A snowHead

A snowHead

Friday 8 Feb. Another day in the powder comes to an end!!

We had about 5 cm's of fresh snow lower down last night and quite bit more higher on the mountain. Despite the weather forecast for clouds closing in after lunch and a little snow falling later in the day, we headed for the Bellecote and hoped for the best.

And what a great day it turned out to be. Blue sky with only a little high cloud and fresh powder to ski all day!!

The fresh snow overnight had made the pistes softer than the last few days. There were no queues at the Vanoise Express and only smaller queues on other lifts. I think the forecast had put many people off.

By the time we arrived at the Bellecote they had just opened the Traverse chair so no walking today!!

We made two laps of the bowl in fresh powder with room for everyone to make their own tracks. Really nice light and fluffy snow. Just what I need for my weak leg! No hard icy pistes to cause me more problems.

Then it was time for a trip down the North Face of the Bellecote and home. using the higher entrance to avoid the rocks we headed onto the middle ridge and all the way to the forest. More fresh tracks and really fun.

Finally hit the forest track and a careful ski to the bus stop. A quick hot chocolate and then a bus ride followed with a leisurely piste ski down the blue runs across Les Arcs and home.

Although hard packed again by the afternoon, there is now plenty of snow around and with more forecast.

Photo's of today just posted over on the Les Arcs Winter page. Another fun day in the powder on the Bellecote! Take a look at the great conditions again today using this link.

https://www.facebook.com/LesArcsWinter/

For those coming out soon, with more snow forecast in the coming days you are in for some really good conditions on and off piste if the temperature stays low.

Hope to see some of those visiting for an easy ski during the holidays.

Hope you like the photos!!

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

After a little rest yesterday it was back out again in the morning with an overcast sky, but the light was OK with a few brighter spells early in the day.

The fresh snow from yesterday had freshened up the pistes and off piste nicely on our way over too the Vanoise Express.

With no queues it should have been a quick crossing over to La Plagne, but yet again one of the Vanoise Express cabins was not running. Not good for high season!

When we did make it across we headed for Plagne Centre via the Fun slope at the top of the Salla Chair. Well worth the effort of giving this a go. Fun for all ages! Then a few side routes and finally time for coffee as the weather started to change. It was time to head back to Les Arcs.

Made good time and arrived back in Les Arcs around 2pm. A piste ski back across the stations in poor light as the winds picked up meant it was time to go home and watch the Rugby before the snow storm arrived. They started shutting the higher lifts as we skied back to Arc 1600 via the Snow Park which look's good for those coming out for the holiday now that most jumps etc are finished.

Tonight it is raining in the valley and I have heard it is snowing again higher up. With high winds forecast for the morning it could be a slow opening of the lifts and quite busy lower down if the weather stays closed in.

However the good news is that with the fresh snow the pistes should be good and even the off piste above the rain line should be OK.

Enjoy yourselves tomorrow and stay safe!

I have posted a few photos from today over on the Les Arcs Winter page if you are interested in seeing what conditions were like.

https://www.facebook.com/LesArcsWinter/

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It's a Powder day again!!

After the last 24 hours the powder was everywhere. After a slightly delayed start. Had a last minute bit of work to deal with, it was up onto the hill for a very full days skiing.

It started slowly as many higher lifts were closed and there were a few queues on the lower lifts. But with the queues moving I went up into the Mont Blanc Forest for a few routes through the Deux Tetes and then the Malgovert Forest with fresh tracks everywhere.

Then time for a longer run, once more through Malgovert and all the way down to the mid station of the Funi. Interesting conditions with deep untracked snow at the start and excellent conditions in the trees until at the meadows above the mid station. Then some crusty snow with a little powder on top. Easy to break through the under crust so a little tricky.

Although the last section was not much fun. The higher section was excellent and with poor vis higher up as the clouds moved around I just had to do the higher section again.

Then they opened the top of the Transarc and it was time to go down the Col de la Chal. More amazing powder the whole way down. So good I just had to do one of the harder routes off the track down to the valley. I do enjoy putting the first lines down a route.

Back into Les Arcs and a play in the trees and on the drops on the way over to the Mid station of the Transarc.

A blast down the Bordercross course for fun and then the middle ridge and finally up the Comborciere Chair.

To finish it was once more into the Malgovert forest and all the way down to the mid station of the Funi and home.

What started as a slow day picked up well and became an excellent adventure into the powder and safer Freeride areas of Les Arcs.

The pistes everywhere I went were in great condition in the morning and even by late afternoon they were still holding up well considering the number of people around.

Tomorrow promises to be more of the same, maybe over in La Plagne if the weather and visibility improve. I do not think the higher lifts will be open very early as they will have a lot of blasting to do after all the fresh snow that has just arrived. So another slower start, but fingers crossed for another excellent day!

Hope you like the photos of today.

https://www.facebook.com/LesArcsWinter/

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Here we go again!!! Yet another powder day and this time we were on the La Plagne side of the Vanoise Express.

The pistes we used were in excellent condition most of the day. Only lower down did we find them becoming a little warn in places on the way home.

The lift queues in the morning were 5 to 10 minutes at most and in the afternoon they were less. The pistes were busy and you had to take care with many out of control skiers and boarders around.

We stayed mainly in the Crozats, Inversens, Roche de Mio and St Jacques areas and we were very lucky to hit some lifts just as they opened giving us great first tracks down several routes. We actually managed six different routes into the valley today. Plus the other areas which gave a total of about 7,000+ vertical meters in total. Not a bad powder day!

Hard to count the number of powder days we have now had this month already. With blue sky and fresh snow everywhere, tomorrow should be yet another powder day!

Hope you enjoy the photos of today!

https://www.facebook.com/LesArcsWinter/

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Help for potential 1st time paradiski boarder (not 1st time boarder, just 1st time to paradiski):

I was looking at going solo and hitting the paradiski area for a week in either of the last 2 weeks of march, potentially staying in the vallandry/peisey-necroix valley for the convenience of the hitting both valleys (I'm a mileage kind of person so I'd be on the slopes till the lifts close for the day, burning through the lunch break as well).

I'm not that fussed about night life as I'd be generally physically dead by the end of the day anyway, hence vallandry/peisey-necroix seemed better and cheaper.

From what I can tell there's no shared transfers (from any of the nomal nearby airports e.g. GVA etc, but ridiculously expensive private transfer) to either of these areas (unless I've missed somewhere), hence would there be any other viable alternatives for someone who'd want to hit both areas, and that provides easy and cheap transport (prefer shared transfer due lumbering snowboard bag/luggage)

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Arc 1600, access by train to Bourg Saint Maurice, then funicular connect to 1600 village.

Think if you buy skipass in advance then you can get it to include the funicular trip too.

From 1600 it's only about 30 mins-ish to get to vallandry, it's certainly not an issue anyway to access La Plagne easily.

Both 1800 and 1600 have very straightforward access to the Vanoise Express terminal, so both could be on your radar if cost and transfer could be got on a deal. It's quite compact along that area of ski domain. Shouldn't worry you in which of the three you stay.

After all it is free

@dodgster02, unfortunately I don't believe vallandry/peisey-necroix and Montchavin Les Coches are served by shared transfers so you would have to stay somewhere like Arc 1800 or Plagne Bellecote. No major hardship getting to the VE from those though.

@dodgster02, the train from GVA airport, even with a couple of changes (GVA central and Chambery) to BSM is just over 3 hours: even quicker to the Aime station which serves La Plagne, or Landry for Peisey.
From the r/way station either (as above) get the funicular to 1600, or a much (much) shorter, aka cheaper taxi to your destination if detraining at Aime or Landry.

And then the world's your lobster.

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@dodgster02, 1600 is generally a little cheeper than 1800 and it is a little easier to get down to Bourg for shopping (there is an Aldi/lidl in Bourg) if you really want to keep costs down.

snow reports

The great snow days just keep on coming!

Today was yet another powder day. They opened the Bellecote only a little late so we managed a quick lap of the lower lifts and still found some untracked snow! Amazing considering how many people are around.

Then up onto the Bellecote via the Roche cliffs as the queue suddenly became very big for the gondola.

Into the Bellecote bowl for some fresh tracks and over onto the North Face. I managed to do the easy entrance of the Canadian Couloir today! Amazing considering what I was like back in December. I think the knee deep fresh powder helped! Soft, light and fluffy with no pressure on my leg! Just what I needed!!

Almost no tracks being some of the first down meant an amazing ski all the way to the cross country course doing a very nice exit that was still not skied!! Take a look at the photos and try and figure it out for yourselves! Ha Ha !!

Back round to the Bellecote again and this time the Friolin Bowl and another route with fresh tracks from top to bottom. Even on the final meadow out to the chair we were able to put down the first tracks.

A last route down through the meadows, cliff and forest of Les Coches with a very near miss thrown in!! Ouch, but not me this time!! and back to our car parked at the bottom to avoid the queues at the Vanoise Express.

We hardly used any pistes today, but the few we did cross were good in the morning and still OK in the afternoon, but even the Blue pistes had moguls on them on the way home.

Tomorrow after the warm temps today and the big freeze tonight the snow quality is likely to start to change so hard packed in the early morning tomorrow lower down and maybe a crust on the top of the powder off piste in some areas until the sun does it's job. Should be an interesting day tomorrow! Hopefully more of the same!!

Enjoy the photos!

https://www.facebook.com/LesArcsWinter/

You know it makes sense.

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

A snowHead

Thursday and the crowds were out as well as the sun today.

But we had more untracked powder to put our mark on so we were happy.

Having met at the Vanoise Express where I estimated about 600 people were waiting. It took three Cable cars before we could get across. We then went to the top of the Roche de Mio. Oh what a queue for the Glacier. Check out my photo! It is not often this big!

Down through the Roche de Mio cliffs to miss the queue then onto the Friolin Bowl of the Bellecote for a different route to yesterday, but still fresh tracks everywhere and great powder! Finally down through the trees and more fresh tracks before crossing the stream and back up the lifts.

Then onto the North Face of the Bellecote. This time on the far left and down the Rodzin Couloirs.

Really fun and plenty of room for everyone to make there own lines all the way to the bottom and the forest track out. Then back across Les Arcs and home.

The pistes we skied today were very nice in the morning, but becoming warn in the busiest places later in the day. The off piste was still light and fluffy in some places, but you had to choose your routes more carefully than in the last few days to get the most out of the current conditions.

Another good day with blue sky and fresh powder. The queues today were the biggest so far during the week, but still if you time it right you can avoid most crowds.

Next week is the beginning of the main UK holidays plus other nationalities so it will be busy. But with all the snow we have as long as you are careful to pick a good route you can avoid the largest queues.

Hope you enjoy the photos from today. https://www.facebook.com/LesArcsWinter/

A snowHead

Onto the Bellecote again today so a fast ski across Les Arcs with only small queues on the lifts over to Peisey and no queue at the Vanoise Express, amazing!

Across to the La Plagne side and the queues begun. Each lift was longer than the one before until we reached the top of the Roche de MIo. The gondola queue was almost as big as yesterday.

Off the back and down the cliffs to the Chair and up top then a good look at conditions on the Glacier before a change of plan.

Instead of going down to Champagny we went the other way. Another route on the North Face. This time we went to the high entrance of the Rodzin Couloirs. I even had a Sherpa to carry my skis. Thanks!!

A great picnic at the top then another powder decent all the way to the forest track. So cool to still be finding powder snow in some places, although the couloir had already been skied a little the day before.

The Bellecote is still in good condition, but be careful, it is warming up so you need to do the routes early.

Back on the bus and another more gentle ski across Les Arcs back to Arc 1600 and home.

The pistes everywhere we went were in good condition and even on the way home they were still OK and the Cachette piste into Arc 1600 was a really nice fast ski to finish the day.

The off piste is holding up well, although becoming very tracked unless you walk to find the best spots.

Tomorrow the blue sky days will continue so it will be interesting finding the best snow again.

I hope all those driving out over the weekend have a good journey and see some of you on the slopes for a ski.

Enjoy the photos for today. https://www.facebook.com/LesArcsWinter/

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

Blue sky and plenty of snow everywhere. For all those just arriving you should have a great week.

Today a couple of us met up with friends that have just arrived and skied around most of Les Arcs and Peisey Vallandry. The pistes were in great condition with a soft layer on top of a hard base in the morning. By the afternoon some pistes had become polished in places and soft easy to ski in the less busy areas. It was great getting around on the uncrowded pistes and empty off piste areas as it was a changeover day. Although there was still a queue on the Aiguille Rouge. The snow quality in the off piste areas was a mix of chalky firm snow in places, soft snow in other areas and even a little untracked powder in a few spots.

We managed to have a play on the fun slope in Vallandry, the Slalom course in Arc 1800, runs down various black, red and blue pistes, a few off piste routes in Malgovert, the Derby forest including the 'big drop' and under the Grand Col chair plus a couple of runs through the snow park.

Not bad for the first day on skis this season for some people. Everyone did very well. The beginners said they had a very good lesson with the Arc 1800 ESF and managed to ski with us on the blue run to lunch and then later in the day they skied the blue piste back to Arc 1600.

Tomorrow should be another blue sky day with more adventures.

Those that have just arrived and already been in touch. Send me a PM if you fancy joining in the fun during the week whilst you are here.

For those still driving out. The roads have been very busy right into the evening and it is expected to be busy again tomorrow. However there is no snow on most roads and getting around is OK. You might find a bit a black ice on the roads by morning as it is very cold again tonight.

I hope you like today's photos. https://www.facebook.com/LesArcsWinter/

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More fun under a blue sky. Today we skied around Les Arcs again.

This time from top of Aiguille Rouge down to Villaroger. Then a play over on the Villaroger side in the off piste.

Finally back to Arc 2000 bowl and the new Secret piste and lunch.

After Lunch up to Grand Col chair for another play in the off piste before heading down the Col de la Chal. The fast track out with it's banked turns was a lot of fun. Back into Peisey and a fast ski through the forest to the Derby chair.

Once more across the ridge with a few jumps and onto the 'Big Drop'.

Finally down through the Fun slope in Arc 1800 and then the Snowpark before a drink at the Altiport and home.

The pistes today were mostly firm and easy to ski although you did hit a few polished patches. The Off piste was very mixed with soft snow, icy crud, grippy snow and also very soft in places.

Although the queues were bad in some places we managed to avoid most of them.

Tomorrow we plan to head over to La Plagne. Hope you enjoy the photos of today.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Time to venture across into La Plagne today and see just how busy the other side of the Paradiski area is this week.

To avoid the queues crossing Les Arcs and at the Vanoise Express we drove up to Les Coches today. Found parking was not to difficult and were on the lifts by 9.45am.

The queues up to the top of the Arpette ridge above Belle Plagne were quite large, but moving. We started with the FUN SLOPE and the youngster's voted it the best one in the Paradiski area. Come on Les Arcs you need do better!!

Then down the first waterfall gully. The snow was not that great, but they still enjoyed the challenge.

Up the chair and across a little steep face for training and the old Boarder cross area. Then up to the Snowpatk using the tow to avoid the big queues in Plagne Bellecote

The youngster's enjoyed the Kid's snowpark area, but thought the main Snowpark was not as good as the one in Les Arcs. A better score for Les Arcs this time!

A quick stop to pick up some picnic stuff in Belle Plagne then all the way to the top of the Bellecote Glacier.

A ski around the Bellecote bowl looking for a few jumps then down into the Friolin Bowl and more jumps. Time for our picnic in the sun!

After lunch we continued down the bowl and into the trees with plenty of jumps and even a little fresh untracked snow.

A few mishaps on the way, but nothing to bad then out at the Bauches chair and back up to the top of Les Coches.

Finally one last route down the second waterfall gully all the way to the Blue piste and back to Les Coches for a drink and home.

The snow on piste today was firm, but OK and quite easy to make your turns and hold an edge. Although very busy on the pistes at times, it was only really polished and hard to hold an edge at the main junctions. Take care when crossing and look out for little kid's that come out of no-where!

The Off piste was still firm with chalky snow in some steeper areas whilst other places still had patches of untracked light snow. With good timing we did not hit any cruddy re-frozen snow on any of our routes today. The jumps were great fun and most were landed very well.

Tomorrow will be another Les Arcs day. Hope you enjoy the photos of today they are on the Les Arcs Winter facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/LesArcsWinter/

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Anyone skied down to Villaroger this week? How’s the snow? Keen to do the whole run from the top but worried it might be sketchy further down?

Pistes are great so far - weather is amazing - some of the off piste (side piste) is v crusty and in between the trees is icy but can’t remember the last time I got to ski without a jacket and sit in the sun for lunch in Feb. Fabulous. Loving Les Arcs!

Heartily recommend Le Sanglier Qui Fume (1600 below the new Club Med place) and Les Enfants Terrible (Vallandry sector) for lunch in the sun - great food and great sun traps.

Off to explore 1950 / 2000 and will don the ski jacket for the first time as probably going to be a bit colder up top...

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

I'm interested to know what are other people's go to routes for hammering out the most amount of KMs on piste in one day, starting from 1800 and staying on the LA side of the Vanoise Express? For the sake of this, assume the standard of skier is someone who can comfortably handle any piste. By way of a bit of background, I'm currently sat in London chomping at the bit for my first day of skiing this season on the 16th of March and am partaking in my favourite past time of plan the route.

After all it is free

Thanks, this is just the first day back, after this I fully intend to be more selective. Also I should have mentioned that part of the aim is to cover as much of the resort as possible, so avoiding multiple trips on the same lifts and descents of the same piste. The most I covered is around 114km in one day previously.

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@wills_h, well at least on 16th March lift queues should be minimal!

I would get up Transarc 1 & 2. Ski the Grand Col pistes. Ski down to Varet and get the lifts up to Ag. Rouge. Ski down to Villaroger. Back over into Arc 2000 and then down to Comborciere. Up, down and up again. Down Malgovert, Mont Blanc. Ski a run or two above 1600. Then do a mad long traverse over to Vallandry and do a few pistes over there including Combe. The head back over to above 1800 and keep going until the lifts shut.

Help!!

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

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