 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi
My wife and I will be skiing in Les Arc in March.
Can anyone recommend some of the best, easier wide blue runs? These would suit my wife.
Also, it would be great if anyone could highlight some of the easier reds, which I'm just getting started on, perhaps even a couple off the easiest black runs?
thanks
John
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Northernsoul65
Which part of Les Arcs are you based in? Nearly all the reds over the Peissey-Vallandry area are on the easy side. Great "play" area at the top using Derby, Vallandry, Grizzly, Peissey lifts. Just be aware that some of the blues are green tracks eg Poney and Foret
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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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@Northernsoul65, Put the wife on Mont Blanc blue run in Arc 1600 and then head over to the reds that @skitrack mentions
Sadly there are few black pistes in the area anymore. Eccruiel (sp) over near the Vanoise Express side is one they still bash daily though and it's quite easy
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@red 27, there are still plenty of black pistes in the area but most like cretes are on the tough side. Easy ones are ecureuil and bosses in the vallandry area and refuge from the grand col. expect moguls. They are black pistes, black pistes should have moguls
The reds in the vallandry area are all on the easy end of the red spectrum.
For easy blues look at the top of the vallandry lift or the 2000 bowl, but it really depends where you are staying. I think it will be easier to say what to avoid rather than what to do.
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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 for replies, much appreciated.
Should have said....we're staying in Bourg so coming up each day to Arc 1600
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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From 1600 you have three real options for easy bues.
The first is to walk through the 1600 to the Combettes lift and do the combettes or perhaps Vizelle pistes
The second option is to take the Clocherette lift from the top of Cachette lift and do Clapet, followed by Lutins, a short bit of Arpette 1 then turn right onto Gollet and back to 1600 by keep turning right.
The third and the one I would reccomend for the first day is to get the Navette around to Arc 1950 go down the piste to pre st espirit (I think it is not longer called Cascade) then play in the wide bowl above 2000.
Country to popular opinion I think the narrow steep road section of Mont Blanc does not consitute an easy blue though the rest of the piste is exactly what you want.
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@johnE, thanks for your tips, really useful and much appreciated. Thanks also for mentioning the steep road section of Mont Blanc, we'll avoid that on day one!
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Clocheret is veeeeeerrrrrryyyyyy slooooowwwww, though. Agree about the first bit of Mont Blanc - the road part is often scraped of snow and not necessarily for a timid intermediate. The same can apply to the lower parts of the reds above Vallandry - I've experienced sheet ice on those. Avoid Secret for the same reason - it doesn't catch the sun.
2000 bowl has several blue routes all the way from Col de la Chal down to Pre St Esprit. Edelweiss avoids the slightly steeper parts going past Arc 1950.
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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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| 195062 wrote: |
Clocheret is veeeeeerrrrrryyyyyy slooooowwwww, though. Agree about the first bit of Mont Blanc - the road part is often scraped of snow and not necessarily for a timid intermediate. The same can apply to the lower parts of the reds above Vallandry - I've experienced sheet ice on those. Avoid Secret for the same reason - it doesn't catch the sun.
2000 bowl has several blue routes all the way from Col de la Chal down to Pre St Esprit. Edelweiss avoids the slightly steeper parts going past Arc 1950. |
edelweiss is also likely to be the one you'll take if coming over from 1600 ( via Arpette or Carrely lifts)
If wanting to use Edelweiss from the very top, you'll need to start out on Plan Vert from Col de la Chal or make your way to Dents du Peigne via Grand Reynard (says it's red, but that's AFTER the turn off onto Dents).
And john is spot on, no longer Cascades, but it is now marked on the piste map as Vallee de l'Arc part 1 at the bottom, 2 in the middle, and 3 if going past the bottom of Grand Col from Col de la Chal, (part 4 is from top of the Varet IIRC. Hardly imaginative naming but there you go.)
If you choose Plan des Eaux off the top of Col de la Chal you'll join Vallee de l'Arc 2. You can avoid the steep bit into 1950 by heading left just below Varet, or staying left where VdA 1 splits into two just below Arcabulle.
But it is a great long ski, and can be returned back to the top easily with just two lifts, Pre St Esprit and Plagnettes.
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@195062, brilliant, thanks
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Arctic Roll, I used to love arctic roll. Showing your age eh!
Thanks for the tips, much appreciated
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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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@red 27, Always enjoy Mont Blanc, first part occasionally notwithstanding, and it was great to be back out there last week, after two years. Club Med is an eyesore.
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You know it makes sense.
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@red 27, good vid. He probably takes it a bit smoother and faster than we will 
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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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@195062, however you look at it that club med building is an eyesore.I wonder how it ever got planning permission.
I have an apartment in 1600 and spent a fair bit of time in the locality. The only time I tend to do Mont Blanc is returning from 2000. Even then I prefer malgovert, or if there is fresh snow heading down the old black piste of deux tete. There are interesting routes in the trees on the right of Mont Blanc.
I may be prejudiced by the fact the only time I have been blood wagoned off a piste was when I hit from behind by a skier straight lining with perhaps less ability than he thought he had.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I like Club Med, I stay in the one at Peissey-Vallandry regularly.
And I agree, The CM Panorama (at 1600) is a real eye-sore 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@skitrack, @red 27, @johnE, @195062, @Arctic Roll,
Many thanks guys for all your advise and tips, much appreciated
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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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@red 27, yes will do. I was just thinking that! It's probably quite useful for other people on the forum who may in future be asking similar questions, to actually get an update from us on this particular topic.
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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, we're here!
Day 2 and we've tackled what we think are easy blue introductions.
Best of all was col de la chal blue run - plan des eaux - vale de l'arc 1. Pre saint espprit lift back up, then plagnettes. Repeat!!
A lovely intro for us on the first day.
We also followed plan vert from the top of arpette lift, then down onto edelweiss, and valle de l'arc to the bottom of pre saint esprit lift. Back to arc 1600 at the end of the day via comborciere lift and follow belvedere then arpette runs all the way back. An easy smooth way to get home after a tiring first day.
Day 2 we've gone from the top of the arpette lift down the arpette runs all the way back to the bottom of the lift. Repeat! Nice easy intro. Then we've done charmettoger and grands melezes from carreley and vagere lifts. Repeat!
Great intro with some lovely easy blues over our first two days.
Thanks to all who commented and advised - really useful and helped us a lot to start to find our feet.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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i'll update the post with reds (maybe a black or two!) after we get into the swing of things.......and we've had our lesson on Thursday!
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@Northernsoul65, weather looks set fair for you - enjoy!
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@red 27, thanks. Yes, nothing beats being in the mountains on clear blue sky sunny days!
But......is it possible to get a decent coffee anywhere on the slopes?!? Omg..... 
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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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@Northernsoul65, glad to hear you're having a good time! How's the snow holding up?
If in reasonable nick, then there's a good coffee stop at La Ferme in Villaroger (accessible by blue (mostly) or red - use the Lanchettes lift from the centre of 2000) but not 'quite' piste side, albeit you can ski to within 50 yds.
Or if conditions poor towards the bottom, stop at the Violettes lift, and return to the Solliet half way down: on the piste, and a grand place for a view of the valley.
One more Violettes will then take you back up to get to Pres St Esprit through the forest (a lovely blue track) or the Droset lift which starts from the top of Violettes to get back to 2000.
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@Arctic Roll, snow is good. Imagine it's not good if you like lots of lovely fresh powder off piste though!!
Had our lesson with John Thomas from New Gen today - wow, fantastic! Worth every penny. Best lesson i've ever had. His comment on the snow was that he's still be happy if it didn't snow for the rest of the season - "we'd get away with it".
Anyhow, snow certainly good enough for us.
Thanks for the tip on the coffee. We actually had a decent one todat whilst waiting for John in vallandry, the cafe directly opposite the vallandry 74 lift. As it was before 11.30 they even let us grab a lovely pastry from the bakery underneath to have with our coffee!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Arctic Roll Just back from Les Arcs and the snow to the middle station(s) is brilliant. Below that it can be a bit hard as the artificial snow is mixed with the "natural". The last 200m are very "sugary" in the afternoon.
It should holdup for a few more weeks 
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