Poster: A snowHead
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Looking at passes for Les Arc and see they do a Classic and Essential version.
The Essential has some OK benefits that I would probably not bother with, apart from an extra half day pass free.
We are thinking of doing some extra skiing on our last day and leaving in the evening, so this would be ideal.
On the les Arc site it just says extra half day free, but on the lesarcsnet website it says this can only be used on the Saturday you arrive.
Has anyone used this half day? Is it restricted to the arrival day and not the departure day?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@ish303, Not sure on the prices this year, but last day skiing, presumably Saturday, can be best achieved with a Samedijeski voucher - it was €35 for the day last year: which is cheaper than the €45 difference between a 6 and 7 day pass. See here for details: ( they put up a dedicated page during the season)
https://www.lesarcs-peiseyvallandry.ski/en/samedi-je-skie
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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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@ish303, as per what the other guys say. Half day is preceding only. If you want to ski last day use the voucher site.
On the La Plagne they had a weird thing a couple of years ago where if you booked through an agency the half day was the following morning of the last day (ended at 1pm). So we got a voucher for the first Saturday and bailed at 1pm the second Saturday. Last year they reverted to the half preceding again!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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We booked through agency in Feb and our extra half day was the day we left - kind of useless as we were leaving early hours to drive home in day
However it was a lot cheaper than booking direct so not end of world
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The new passes look interesting. Apparently there will be a separate queue that premium pass owners can use to get straight on the lifts. Useful in vacances scholaires and likely to prove value in extra skiing time
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@iainm, The Essential lift pass is the old Paradiski (whole area) lift pass and gets the separate queues on some lifts in the same way as happened last year. The Premium pass seems to add something similar for the Aiguille Rouge cable car. There's some discussion of this here.
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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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Quote: |
Apparently there will be a separate queue that premium pass owners can use to get straight on the lifts.
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You can pay 8 euross on the classic pass, or 4 euros with the essentials to get on the aiguille rouge lift earlier. As @Alastair, says the essentials pass has its own queues for a few lifts. Last New Year it shortened the queues from 5 minutes to 1 minute; certainly not getting "straight on"
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It's a real shame you have to use the half day on your arrival ☹️
It would have been perfect on our last day (Saturday) so may have to check that samedi ski pass.
I have to say I found it really annoying last year that they only open the lifts at the same time as ski school starts.
For one it meant we couldn't use the lift 20m from our hotel and had to trudge the kids over to the meeting point.
And also just creates a mass queue of ski school, parents who drop off at ski school, plus others all at the same time.
I don't understand why they don't open at 8:30 or 8:45 to spread it all out.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I have to say I found it really annoying last year that they only open the lifts at the same time as ski school starts.
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OK my observations are only for Arc1600, other villages may have different start times, but the classes start at 9:30 and the lifts at 9:00. During the Christmas holiday I think they start at 9:15 which is not long enougth to get the cachette lift up and ski down. During the Febuary holidays, 9/02 to 08/03/2020 the classes stat at 10:00
Check https://www.esfarcs1600.com/ados/cours-collectifs
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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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The half day pass on first day I believe comes from having tour op's clients arriving at various times during Saturday and not having passes issued but starting first thing Sunday. Guess it's kinda legacy of that as, certainly in 1800, you'd be allowed to use a couple of the chairs immediately going out of the village to get your ski legs going without any pass needed.
Start time, last year me plus son took the "get out first things with pistuers " trip on which you get a small look at what they do prior to opening. They get you up to ridge above 1800 and clear you to run on prescribed limited piste opened for you. But it's clear to see all the pre-work they do in getting pistes checked, lifties running up equipment during safety checks etc. It's all got to be scheduled in prior to public release.
It was an absolutely superb morning out though on an astonishingly clear day. We felt privileged to enjoy and see what they do.
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@ski3, Yep I must do that now they run it from Arc1600 as well
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You know it makes sense.
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Quote: |
The half day pass on first day I believe comes from having tour op's clients arriving at various times during Saturday and not having passes issued but starting first thing Sunday.
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I wonder just what percentage of clients are using tour operators and what percentage are independents? My guess based on the coaches arriving in Arc1600 is that the tour operator traffic is about 10 - 20%.
I think the half day may be of more benefit to people arriving by funicular. They buy their passes in advance and don't have to queue at the ticket office on arrival. Imagine a whole trainload queueing for their tickets at the same time.
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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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@ski3, I've seen this advertised in years gone by and always wanted to do it. How does one go about booking? When you say its got to be scheduled before public release, does that mean before the passes go on sale?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Apologies, my grammar. Scheduled before public release I meant for their checks, safety and sign off of all opened facilities prior to the public opening time for general admittance at the lift. To better answer previous posted question "Why don't they open lifts earlier? "
For pistuer's accompanied trip, they initially have to check and sign off the route they are going to put you on, so while that is being done you go up chaperoned by other pistuers, wait at top for them to get all clear on whichever piste they want to use and then you follow guide down initially. Subsequent runs you are on your own but directed as to where you can go. This is taking place while the other parts of the mountain are being signed off, so your collected group gets the skiing done before general public access.
To sign on, go to pass office to book as it's usually done on Wednesday. There is a cost but it's principally for the breakfast you also get at the Arpette restaurant up on the piste above 1600/1800.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It's called 'First Tracks', all info is here
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