 Poster: A snowHead
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Looking at going to Les Arcs either 24 Jan or 21 Mar for 1 week.
The party includes a baby (9 months around then) and a 3 year old.
There will always be 1 adult (sometimes 2) not skiing. They will likely be wandering around 1800 occasionally for something to do, and taking the 3 yr old to very easy slopes for sledging and possibly to begin self-taught skiing.
We're considering an Iseran apartment in Le Chantel above 1800.
How high above 1800 is Le Chantel?
I believe there's a path between the two... is it kept clear of snow always/mostly?
What is the nature of the path - as in is it wide/easy/well-maintained/steep or shallow/steps or sloping ground etc etc?
Is it suitable for a push-chair?
Just how steep is it?
Walking time (a) down (b) up?
Is walking up/down the road a viable alternative if the path becomes too slippery for the 3 year old or the adult perhaps carrying the baby?
Is Le Chantel generally a sunny location in the afternoon (& early evening in the case of March)?
We are leaning towards 21 Mar as will be warmer and path more reliably safe.
I believe there is at least one free "rolling carpet" lift in 1800 serving a gentle nursery slope - is that correct?
Where within 1800 is it - near the Le Chantel end or elsewhere?
Is this lift free every day all day or just some days?
What is the situation for easy sledging with the 3yr old?
We're also considering Peisy/Vallandry... although that looks perhaps a little limited and quiet for things to do and see in the daytime (and presumably even less in the evening).
Any thoughts or advice welcome - please share your experiences.
Also, any off-the-wall suggestions on alternative resorts where we're likely to get a nice apartment at this relatively late date for booking welcome too.
The party is 7 adults + the 3 yr-old + 9 mnth-old and we're highly allergic to the following:
Queues
Ski buses/awkward transfers
Driving to & from the pistes
And we're not so keen on slush 
No, we can't go any other dates, except Feb 21 but we've pretty much ruled that out because of clashes with various European school holidays.
And it would be real nice to have some afternoon sunshine to accompany the apres-ski beers.
We're likely to have a lunchtime exchange of child-minding adult with a skiing adult, so ease of access from/to slopes quite important.
Thank you all in advance.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Can't comment on kid related stuff, but Le Chantel IS Arc 1800 (as you look down the mountain, the right hand "village" i.e end)
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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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We're also considering Peisy/Vallandry
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Can't comment on 1800, but you're correct in that it Vallandry is limited for activities. There are a few walks from the village and you can take the bucket lift down to the old village, but that's about it. Fine if you just want to mooch and have a coffee, not so fine if you want shops and other activities.
My parents were ok there not skiing, but they went out on walks each day.
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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 a steep walk from Chantel to the centre of Arc 1800, way too steep for a buggy. The route down the hill, especially from L'Iseran, includes a short walk on the piste before joining the footpath. The path itself doesn't seem to be cleared of snow other than the passage of feet keeping the snow firm. However, there's no need to walk down to the centre of the village as there is a free shuttle bus (which stops directly outside L'Iseran) - it's a journey of 3 or 4 minutes, and runs every 20 minutes from 7.30am until late evening.
www.myfrenchchalet.com manage a couple of apartments in L'Iseran and several more in the next door building St Bernard.
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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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Thanks all.
We're going ahead with myfrenchChalet, mentioned by rob@rar
Can someone help with the query on sledging & nursery slope?:
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I believe there is at least one free "rolling carpet" lift in 1800 serving a gentle nursery slope - is that correct?
Where within 1800 is it - near the Le Chantel end or elsewhere?
Is this lift free every day all day or just some days?
What is the situation for easy sledging with the 3yr old?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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there's no need to walk down to the centre of the village as there is a free shuttle bus
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I struggle a bit with a baby and a buggy even on our nice local buses which are supposed to make it easy, because the loading platform chuffs down to pavement level. Holding baby under one arm whilst folding buggy with the other (when the bus is busy the drivers insist you fold the buggy). With two adults, one adept at folding a buggy, it would probably be OK if the bus is not too busy.
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| petem77 wrote: |
| Can someone help with the query on sledging & nursery slope? |
It's slightly complicated as there are likely to be changes for next winter. Last winter there was a very small moving walkway lift for little kids on the snow front at Arc 1800. Next winter there are plans for new nursery slope facilities so I'm not sure if the old moving walkway lift will still be used. The plans for the new nursery area include a longer, and covered, moving walkway lift serving a new nursery area above the village (near the golf driving range of you know the resort). Building work on these new facilities is continuing, but until we get to the start of the winter season impossible to say what these new facilities will be like.
The new development above Arc 1800 will also include a proper luge course, finishing on the snow front at Arc 1800. This will almost certainly be too much for a 3 year old, but kids seem to do a little sledging in any flatish bit of piste after skiing has finished.
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Here is a link to some of the work which will be complete for this season in Arc 1800 or Mille8 as it will be now known.
It looks fantastic, particular for families, non skiers and beginners.
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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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