Poster: A snowHead
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Read about latest plans to reorganise and develop Arc 1800 in my blog.
New lifts, new swimming pool, new everything apparently. In fact, it's the 'Dawn of a New Area' according the ADS....
http://grangedalice.blogspot.fr/
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Excellent, all on my doorstep. Hope the timetables prove to be realistic and all the funding is put in pace.
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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?
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Hmm, yet another Espace Aqualudique, which sounds very similar to the one planned for Aime 2000 over in La Plagne!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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It's all about filling the 5 - 7 pm gap, ski resorts are seeing the after-skiing-pre-dinner period as an opportunity to make more money and also build 'brand loyalty', especially for families. I think we are going to see more and more of this kind of offering, especially as it can be exploited for the Summer season as well. Moving away from the 'total ski' culture of the late 20th century, but I'm not convinced this is a sustainable solution to the decline in frequentation that's largely demographic,financial and cultural (couch potatoeism) in origin... we'll see in 20 years if we're still around then!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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araird, Do we know how the new swimming centres are doing in Tignes and Meribel?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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araird, always love your blogs.
With all this money that ADS are putting into the area, is there any concrete news on the supposed upgrades of the Pre St Esprit and Combourciere lifts, that were, rumour had it, due for 2014?
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Interesting - will see how much more impossible this makes trying to get Trans-Arc at peak times
Personally wish they would upgrade Grd Renard to give a faster option over from top Derby
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Boris, I'm sure I hear a rumour that Grd Renard was being replaced. I'll try & find out when we're out next week
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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.
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araird, You had me thinking for a while about this Plan des Violettes piste behind the Arpette restaurant. To me the Plan des Violettes was a flat area around the top of the lift of the same name in Arc2000. But no, the piste I thought of as Piste de la Millerette has now been renamed as Violettes. It just goes to show how rarely I have ventured on it. It does, however start around the ski school area in 1600, near the Accueil restaurant. Going around the back of the Arpette restaurant could lead to a rather steep drop. I might give it a go tomorrow. (The run that is, not the drop)
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boredsurfin, The new centre in Tignes was doing roaring business when we were there in October half term. Having access to the pool included on the ski pass meant that lots of people took advantage. Maybe too many.... I don't really understand how they think they'd cope at high season.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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genepi wrote: |
Boris, I'm sure I hear a rumour that Grd Renard was being replaced. I'll try & find out when we're out next week |
Hope so, was in a huge slow moving queue today for it, desperately needs replaced for a better link back to the 2000 bowl.
(Not a fan of the trans arc either!)
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Quote: |
araird, You had me thinking for a while about this Plan des Violettes piste behind the Arpette restaurant. To me the Plan des Violettes was a flat area around the top of the lift of the same name in Arc2000. But no, the piste I thought of as Piste de la Millerette has now been renamed as Violettes. It just goes to show how rarely I have ventured on it. It does, however start around the ski school area in 1600, near the Accueil restaurant. Going around the back of the Arpette restaurant could lead to a rather steep drop. I might give it a go tomorrow. (The run that is, not the drop)
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Confusion here. The 'Plan des Violettes' is the name of the chair lift above Villaroger to the bottom of the Droset lift. The piste we are talking about between Arc 1600 and Les Granges is just called ' Violettes' and as far as I know has had that name since 1961 (I've never heard of a Piste de Millerette, but Violettes does and in the 'Jardin Millerette' beginners area at Les Granges).
The Violettes piste is quite unusual and seldom opened as it has several streams across it - it needs about 1m of snow before they can open/piste it. For the first 3 or 4 seasons I was here I thought it was abandoned, but thankfully not! Please try it if you haven't already. Don't be put off by all the s**t on the top bit.
We do seem to have serious pisting issues here at Les Granges. The main Granges piste has only been pisted two or three times this season (it needs 40cm but it had that in January), and not very wide. Even the very popular JAadin Millerette has only been half pisted, the section by the old rope tow hasn't been touched (even though they put a rail there last season). About 8 years ago they used to piste the whole meadow area behind Les Granges (and my chalet) right down the the old Deux Tetes restaurant, and even all the way to the road! Nowadays it all seems rather erratic, I expect cost-cutting is an issue...
Remember, Les Granges was the centre of the 'Courbaton 1750' ski area that existed before Les Arcs, but perhaps heritage doesn't count for much with the ADS andall their new schemes....sorry to sound like a grumpy old man!
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Quote: |
araird, always love your blogs.
With all this money that ADS are putting into the area, is there any concrete news on the supposed upgrades of the Pre St Esprit and Combourciere lifts, that were, rumour had it, due for 2014?
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I believe we are looking at 2016/17 for the replacement of these lifts. And a lot depends on Bourg St Maurice coming up with the funds, and a lot of that depends on the outcome of the elections later in March. Much as I dislike the Giraudy/Polletti list (Action in Continuity) the continuing farce and tragedy of Bourg's politics will only be made worse if a clown like Minoret or Gravier ends up as mayor! Perhaps we should have started a list, "Snow-head foreigners for the future", but too late now.
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You know it makes sense.
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Boris, I'm sure I hear a rumour that Grd Renard was being replaced. I'll try & find out when we're out next week
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I think Grand Renard is going to be scrapped after the new Villards gondola and the new Carreley are built.... (if and when).
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Maraird, interesting that you perceive that less pis ting is being done, we felt in the early season that La Plagne had cut back drastically on piste maintenance and opening. Maybe it is a deliberate change by CdA. When I was back there early Feb everything was open but I felt the frequency of pisteing had been reduced, I certainly felt sorry for any beginners heading for some of the Blue slopes!
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Poster: A snowHead
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araird, I think I got the name from my first visit to Arc 1600 in the late 80s (when you still got the telepherique up from Bourg and the cachette lift was a pair of drags). I set off to do it yesterday but that brief window of opening had passed and it was closed. The piste is actually quite easy to find. As you get to the bottom of Combettes there is a sign pointing the way. For some reason I never noticed it.
Back to the renaming of pistes. I suggested to my nieces that it would be a good idea if we returned to Arc1600 along Sources. It is now called Arpette. Similarly Cascades down to Pre St Espirit is now called Vallee de l'Arc. It gets a bit tricky when giving people directions. Must get a new piste map
It will be a shame if they scrap the Grand Reynard chair lift. It is always useful to get over to Arc 2000 without the long tedious descent to Arc 1800 (or the queue at the Transarc).
There was a petition in Arc1600 this year asking that the Chantel lift in 1800 is retained. The route along Gollet is particularly suitable for beginners and in bad weather much nicer than going up the Vagere and down the aforesaid Sources (if you can find it). Probably because the queue is less or it opens later I often end up returning from 1800 along it.
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