 Poster: A snowHead
|
Resort: Arc 1950
Country: France
Domain: Paradiski
Author: LandlockedPirate
Date: 2nd – 9th Feb 2014
Our holiday: Annual Family Ski holiday
Website : http://www.arc1950.com/
Basics : Booked through Erna Low, 3rd visit to les Arcs over 25 year period but 1st time staying in 1950 . Drove from North West via Eurotunnel, used Flexiplus for 1st time and would recommend, turn up when you want and get on the next train, no waiting (Note you cant use the lounge if you have a high vehicle). We always take 2 days to drive down and back (find it more relaxing) and stayed in Premier Classe budget hotels both ways, wouldn’t recommend, tiny room, even smaller shower room, grubby and poorly maintained.
Lift system :
Lifts were mainly fast and modern but with a few old fixed chairs (Prix de Saint Esprit lift was especially slow).There are a very small number of surface lifts but we didn’t need to use them to get around. There is 1 free lift in each village, great for the budget conscious beginner.
The terrain :
Huge amount of terrain to cover with a massive variety of slopes. I think there is a good range for most skiers. We have skied La Plagne many times so only bought the Les Arcs pass at 230 Euro. The majority of runs seem to be blue, but also a good selection of red and black as well. I would say the green run options are very limited and absolute beginners may struggle at 1st. There are a number of very flat roads in the Arc 2000 bowl, hard work for boarders or timid skiers.
The snow :
Not bad, not good I don’t think 2014 will go down as a vintage season. Snowed a few times while we there and got that very rare thing for a holiday skier – a bluebird powder morning. Temps were high all week and a lot of the snow was sticky and heavy. Tree lined runs were excellent on the bad days.
Off-piste :
Strictly lift served off piste for us. Either I’m getting old or the Schumacher effect was in the back of my mind, but we barely went off piste this year so cant really comment.
The resort :
I know Arc 1950 is a marmite resort but we really liked it. Car free (Car parking underneath for around 100 Euro per week but be warned the car park is just 2cm too low for a 4x4 with roof box (don’t ask me how I know ). A few bars to choose from, Belle Pintes had live music every night, no happy hour but ok prices for a resort. Chalet Luigi had some live music and happy hour every night but was quiet most of the time. Au Chaud is a champagne bar, very chilled with prices to match.
Food :
Good selection of restaurants and a takeaway. Prices were not as bad as I had been told,2/3 course meal for 4 including drinks was from 125 Euro in the Pizzeria to 200 Euro in the steakhouse. Meli’s takeaway was cheap with meal deals (sandwich, drink and chips) for 9 Euro. Just 1 Spar shop on site, good size with usual resort prices. (As everyone says, shop in BSM on the way up).
Accommodation :
Stayed in a 3 bed apartment in Hameau De Glacier. This is the nicest ski accommodation I have ever had in a ski resort, comfortable beds and bedding, good sized rooms, nice towels, flat screen with multiple English channels, Blue Ray, log fire even had a Nespresso machine . Kitchen was well equipped but disappointingly small for such a large apartment. There is also free access to pool and Jacuzzi and heated, secure ski lockers. The only negative was the lack of lifts, especially in the morning when the staff needed to use them to move bedding, rubbish etc.
Conclusion:
Fantastic place, would definitely go back.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
glad u had a great time. one thing tho, i've used the car park a number of times with a land rover plus roofbox and i've never had a problem. the car park is used for deliveries and i've seen many quite large vans coming in and out. i think some of the actual car park spaces themselves have a low bit, or a pipe or two hanging down, but on the whole i've parked my discovery plus box pretty much where i've wanted to.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
| Quote: |
There is 1 free lift in each village, great for the budget conscious beginner.
|
The one in Arc 1600 is only free at weekends. You have to have a lift pass the rest of the week. I suspect the others are the same.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
you're right. the st.jacques? lift in 2000 is only free at weekends but it is possible to ski from 2000 down past 1950 to the bottom of the combociere lift and get the bus back up. the cabriolet linking 1950 with 2000 is free all week but it isn't much of a ski. and o'chaud is €8 a pint, don't know about spirits.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| Don Keebles wrote: |
| glad u had a great time. one thing tho, i've used the car park a number of times with a land rover plus roofbox and i've never had a problem. the car park is used for deliveries and i've seen many quite large vans coming in and out. i think some of the actual car park spaces themselves have a low bit, or a pipe or two hanging down, but on the whole i've parked my discovery plus box pretty much where i've wanted to. |
Yep, the website was a bit confusing. It claims that the height is 3.7m, but this is only in the access bit for the HGV's etc, to get to the accommodation it drops to 2.2m. This was still fine but on 1 corner it drops to a bit less, still I fancy a new roof box anyway 
Once I knew about the low bit I just dropped the suspension to get through.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
I didnt realise the lifts were only weekends, Erna Low rep just told us they were free. Cheers for the correction.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| landlockedpirate wrote: |
| I would say the green run options are very limited and absolute beginners may struggle at 1st. |
Some of the blue pistes would be green in most other resorts, but for reasons I've never understood Les Arcs seem not to use that piste notation. My two beginner nieces skied in Les Arcs last week and were happily skiing the gentle blues around 1800 and from the top of the 200 bowl down to Comborciere and then back to 1800 after three or four days.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
rob@rar, Its a nice circuit for your third or forth day on skis: up the transarc down (a long way down) to the comborciere then return down Belvarde
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
| johnE wrote: |
| rob@rar, Its a nice circuit for your third or forth day on skis: up the transarc down (a long way down) to the comborciere then return down Belvarde |
Yes, a great route for beginners in their first week. Only one really tricky section, but you can avoid that if you know the area well, and some great views and plenty of places to stop for a coffee along the way. My 11 and 7 year old nieces thought they'd been on an adventure 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
