 Poster: A snowHead
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Go on, sell me Arc 2000 as a good base for a week's skiing for a group of intermediate skiers and boarders in mid to late January. There's a good deal at the Hotel Altitude and I'm getting the feeling some of my group prefer that to the current plan A of Port du Soleil. Views on that hotel would also be welcome.
For background, I've spent a week staying in Peisey Vallandry and absolutely loved it, but my recollection of Arc 2000 is it's a bit bleak and at one end of the ski area. My view of Arc 2000 won't have been helped by knowing it was closed one day of our holiday due to high winds and snow while we were having a ball skiing in the trees on either side of the Vanoise Express.
How easy is it to get across to the Vanoise Express and back? ( I know there's plenty of skiing in Les Arcs without needing to venture across, but we quite like the sense of travel.)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I stayed there once and a storm blew in which really hampered skiing for a day or so. So yes if the weather closes in it's not a great place to be. Better off in Vallandry or Les Coches.
That said it's good if you want to do a lot of skiing in the valley and maybe over into the 1600/1800/Vallandry side. It's a schlep to the core of La Plagne from there. Which doesn't bother some people - some don't even bother buying a Paradiski lift pass. Personally I like to stay in Les Coches and do 50/50 on each side, sometimes even on the same day. Not sure if there any Hotels in Les Coches.
If it was later in the season I'd be more for it but mid to late Jan for me I'd rather be lower/elsewhere.
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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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Although superficially it's a bit high and bleak, I think there's a free shuttle bus from Arc 2000 round to Arc 1600 which is lower and wooded.
In terms of getting to the Vanoise Express it's a doddle, though a bit longer on the way back.
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It is certainly a bit "Moon Base Alpha", especially when the weather closes in. IMV It's the least attractive place to stay in the area - but it's high and it's handy.
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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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OK I'm a Arc1600 fan but I thought I'd try and answer some of the questions posed.
I stayed in Arc2000 once and it was closed for a day due to a blizzard and the blasting to protect the slopes. We simply got the free shuttle bus around to 1600. This may not always be an option since the road itself can be avalanche prone and closed off for periods.
As @Layne, says many of us don't bother getting a paradiski pass and in fact I would say that most only get a Les Arcs pass. There is more than enougth milage in the Les Arcs sector for several weeks. The main advantage of a Paradiski pass is that it allows queue jumping on centain lifts, though that should not be necessary mid to late January.
For the record I regard the 3 corners of the ski area as Vallandry, Villaroger and Les Granges. To visit each in a day is a fair bit of milage. Vallandry and Villaroger are the extreme ends of the ski area and Arc2000 almost in the centre. A lot of skiers seem to stay in that valley almost exclusively and it is more crowded than 1600,1800 Vallandry side.
It takes 1 lift to get from Arc2000 the the Vanoise Express and 2 to get back. It is more of a trek on the La Plagne side from say Plagne Centre.
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I like all of Les Arcs - each village has its advantages.
It is considerably better than the PDS in every single way
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Love Arc 2000. Yes, it is a bit rugged and windswept when it closes in, but I've had some of my best days boarding when its been dumping down and the link to Villa Roger stayed open.
It does get proper busy at some of the bottle necks leading up to the glacier during peak season though.
So much terrain, great variety of runs, decent snow cover.
Hopefully I'll be back there in Feb.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| TheGingerPrince wrote: |
It does get proper busy at some of the bottle necks leading up to the glacier |
I was in Arc 2000 in 2004 and had a wonderful week (only my 2nd week skiing) but I don’t remember seeing any mention of a glacier. Is it a new feature? 
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@Red Leon, The glacier refered to is at the top of the Aiguille Rouge has been there for centuries. It was used for summer seasons for a short while when the telepherique was first installed.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| johnE wrote: |
| It was used for summer seasons for a short while when the telepherique was first installed. |
Do you know what kind of lift they used for glacier skiing there? I had already stopped being used for summer skiing when I first signed the contract in 2001 for my place in Les Arcs, and I've not seen any evidence of lift infrastructure on that slope.
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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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While doing a quick Google to see if I could find some info on summer skiing in Les Arcs I spotted that most of Arc 2000 is located at an altitude of at least 2120m (and Arc 1950 is mostly above 2000m). I didn't know that, and I think it's unusual for ski resorts to underplay their actual altitude. Most of the older accommodation in Arc 1800, for example, is located below 1700m.
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@rob@rar, Arc2000 was named after the then upcoming millenium not the height. I suppose Arc 1800 is so called just to be different than 1600. The lifts in both villages start about 100m different in altitude.
I found the stuff about the summer ski area in a blog by a chap who ran chalets in La Grange and used to contribute to snowheads, but I cannot find the link at the moment. There are no lifts marked on the glacier on my earliest ski maps from the early 80s nor on the IGN topo of the area from the eary 70s. Mind you that map shows some very interesting lifts that no longer exist. My neighbour in Arc1600 has some interesting photographs from his grand parents of the area I'll ask him for some more information when I see him at Christmas.
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You know it makes sense.
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| johnE wrote: |
| I found the stuff about the summer ski area in a blog by a chap who ran chalets in La Grange and used to contribute to snowheads, but I cannot find the link at the moment. |
I think this is the blog:
http://grangedalice.blogspot.com
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Thanks all. It looks like Arc2000 has probably dropped out of the running for our trip this time around, but helpful to hear views on it.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We used to take our ski holidays with Mountain Sun and Sliver Ski, sadly bith gone now 
any package holiday recommendations for Les-Arcs/La-Pagne - ideally(!) Les Coches for a week catered?
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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 often call into the hotel vanoise in Vallandry for lunch and it looks very nice. You could try them. For lunch they are excellent value but it may be a bit expensive to stay there for a week. They are just by the Peissey lift
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@simonx, not much catered accommodation in Les Coches - certainly not with TO's.
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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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@simonx, I’ve not stayed with them but Alpine365 have a few chalets in Montchavin/Les Coches and have been around a good few years.
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@simonx, just remembered there’s also Ice and Fire. Again, I’ve not stayed personally, but several reports on here from other Snowheads.
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| johnE wrote: |
@rob@rar, Arc2000 was named after the then upcoming millenium not the height. I suppose Arc 1800 is so called just to be different than 1600. The lifts in both villages start about 100m different in altitude.
I found the stuff about the summer ski area in a blog by a chap who ran chalets in La Grange and used to contribute to snowheads, but I cannot find the link at the moment. There are no lifts marked on the glacier on my earliest ski maps from the early 80s nor on the IGN topo of the area from the eary 70s. Mind you that map shows some very interesting lifts that no longer exist. My neighbour in Arc1600 has some interesting photographs from his grand parents of the area I'll ask him for some more information when I see him at Christmas. |
I am that chap! No longer at Les Granges/Les Arcs, I relocated to Valmorel just in time for the Covid epidemic!
It's true that there were plans for summer skiing on the Varet glacier in the 1980s, and rough plans were made for 2 lifts, I think. But it was always going to be a marginal project at such a low altitude, and the immense financial problems Les Arcs experienced in the 1980s put paid to the idea. Only way up (if there's any snow left in the summer, the glacier has shrunk appreciably in the 30 years I have know Les Arcs) is on foot, and plenty of people were doing that last winter, apparently!
My new location: www.chaletdevalmorel.com
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| sugarmoma666 wrote: |
Go on, sell me Arc 2000 as a good base for a week's skiing for a group of intermediate skiers and boarders in mid to late January. There's a good deal at the Hotel Altitude and I'm getting the feeling some of my group prefer that to the current plan A of Port du Soleil. Views on that hotel would also be welcome.
For background, I've spent a week staying in Peisey Vallandry and absolutely loved it, but my recollection of Arc 2000 is it's a bit bleak and at one end of the ski area. My view of Arc 2000 won't have been helped by knowing it was closed one day of our holiday due to high winds and snow while we were having a ball skiing in the trees on either side of the Vanoise Express.
How easy is it to get across to the Vanoise Express and back? ( I know there's plenty of skiing in Les Arcs without needing to venture across, but we quite like the sense of travel.) |
Not sure what your good deal is, but from a Hotel point of view, I've found Hotel Mercure in Arc 1800 excellent, and its a better base for hitting the Vanoise, as well as in a better location when the weather closes in. Although this year it looks like they are only doing half-board, no room only or B&B options. FWIW though, I do love Arc2000 and probably spend most of my time over there.
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