 Poster: A snowHead
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| johnE wrote: |
@dave_3, The free day in La Plagne was discontinued years ago but it is only about 30€ for an extension to visit La Plagne. There is more than enough skiing in Les Arcs to keep you occupied for weeks not just 5 days. I ski Les Arcs a couple times each year and have done for years but I seldom go to La Plagne. I do, however, buy the Essentials pass purely for the queue jumping facility. In fact if you do arrive at a lift queue with the priority lanes you will see that most people ony have classic passes that only cover the Les Arcs domain. A visit to the Vanoise express reinforces that information by how few people are on it.
Be a little careful with the "all area pass" term. It may be being applied for the whole Les Arcs domain rather than just, say, the 2000 valley. Paradiski is actually two distinct ski areas joined by a single telepherique. It is not joined in the same way as say Val d'Isere and Tignes are joined. |
Many thanks for the detailed reply. I didn't know that the essential pass gives you a queue jump option. No brainer for the few quid extra 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@dave_3, surely it depends on how you like to ski? What would you say is the smallest area that you've skied for a week and not got bored of it?
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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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@rambotion, good question. I got bored by the 6th day of sestriere/sauze
I went to val thorens last year and felt I needed an extra day as didn't see as much of the 3 valleys that I wanted
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| dave_3 wrote: |
| Many thanks for the detailed reply. I didn't know that the essential pass gives you a queue jump option. No brainer for the few quid extra |
Depends when you're going, I would add. If you're not going to head over to La Plagne and it's a low season week, it's unlikely there will be many, if any, lengthy queues to jump (others may disagree!). Remember also that it's only certain lifts, as detailed further up. Not sure I would bother paying an extra 50 euros in that particular scenario, but I use Ski A La Carte anyway.
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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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@dave_3, I've just bought the basic Les Arcs pass. Mainly because, as @johnE says, its not a huge amount to go over to La Plagne for the day as an extension, so if someone in the group is keen, then it's no biggy.
And, if you delve into the history of this thread over the past 4, 5 years, somewhere I'll also say, "If you want to spend more than 50% of your week over in La Plagne, you've booked the wrong resort". (And fair's fair, that also applies if you're in La Plagne and want to spend all your time in Les Arcs...)
So for me: plenty to do in Les Arcs (for my 20th season); the weeks I'm going I dont need the Essentials add-ons like the fast-path; and for the first week I'm there (first week of the season), the Vanoise isn't open anyway.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy La Plagne for a day, but I don't feel the need to spend a whole lot of time over there when I've an awful lot of Les Arcs to play with.
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If you are in Les Coches, Montchavin, Vallandry, 1800 I think it makes a lot more sense to buy the Paradiski pass.
If you are in the likes of Champagny, Montalbert, Villaroger it makes no sense at all.
If you are in the middle of either side then it really depends on individual wants/desires.
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I'm just debating which lift pass to buy, classic or essential; I'm leaning towards classic but I know my kids will want to do the The Aiguille Rouge Zip line which is discounted with essential and makes up a fair chunk of the price difference. but what I can't work out is if they are tall / old enough (hoping not  ) as none of the websites seem to say. Does anyone know what the age / height limits are?
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@janed9388, I assume you have read the web site for the zip wire https://en.peisey-vallandry.com/the-aiguille-rouge-zipline.html all it quotes is the weight limit >25kg. So pretty small. Try emailing them for a more definative answer
I can understand why you don't want to pay out for them to use the zip wire; it is very expensive, but you don't want to appear miserly to your children. It does look fun, however. I was wondering how they get your skis down?
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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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I did try to get to that link but it told my that I was 'forbidden to access this resource'! so thanks for the confirmation of 25kg, looks like they are big enough. Definitely expensive; I hadn't thought about the skis but I expect we won't be skiing a full week as it's their first trip and I'm expecting we'll need a couple of short days so could fit it in along with a few runs on the sledging track so the essential is looking like it might be worth it.
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last season they had the skis are fastened on with you when you went down which makes getting strapped in a longer process than you may want when looking down the mountain to where you are going
For me it looks fun right up to the point where you set off
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I think I'd be OK after the first few meters when I know I'm strapped in properly. Perhaps the kids won't notice it and I'll just keep quiet 
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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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@janed9388, If it is their first trip it may actually be the best way down from the top of the Varet (I assume they will want to go to the top of the Aiguille Rouge at some point). IMHO the blue run down from the Varet is not particulalrly pleasant (a road), the red can be stoney at the top as is popular with people trying to beat speed records (I have even seen the police with speed guns pulling the worst offenders over) The blacks are as tougth as any marked piste goes.
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Interesting point johnE, thank you. , we're going to be based in Arc 1800 and the kids in ski school most of the week so it is likely they will even get over there. Think I'm plumping for classic.
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You know it makes sense.
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some more fresh snow up high and a beautiful day above the clouds on the glacier..
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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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@thefatcontroller, Serious question is the glacier still there ?
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Rob Mackley wrote: |
| @thefatcontroller, Serious question is the glacier still there ? |
Once the winter snow has melted its basically a small lump of ice now in the summer months....
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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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@thefatcontroller, @rob@rar,
Big Shame I rather thought it had all but disappeared , I only see the back of Aiguille Rouge from my place but have obviously seen the recent devastation on Mont Pourri .
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| rob@rar wrote: |
| They do seem to be offering interest-free payment scheme over three months ... |
But not really. Upon closer examination you need to use a credit/debit card issued in one of these countries to take advantage of their payment scheme: France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Austria or Ireland. But not the UK. Oh well. |
Thanks rob@rar it looked like initially that was for bank cards but I suspect that’s just a translation things. Thanks for checking too !
Still haven’t decided on parking
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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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First time posting but have been lurking for a bit. We’re in Bourg Saint Maurice for a couple of weeks over Christmas and my son is having lessons in Arc 1800. We will hire skis for him but we have our own. Has anybody come across a ski hire shop in Arc 1800 that will store all of our skis overnight (happy to pay of course). It looks like there used to be ski lockers (skicase) in Residence Les Arandelieres but from what I can gather it didn’t survive lockdown. Fallback is the intersport lockers at the top of the Funi in 1600 but if we can save lugging our skis on the navette to 1800 each day with a little one too that would be much more civilised…
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@DomBSM Welcome to SH
Is your son new to ski-ing? If not, could you get a lift up and ski over to 1800? I think it's just one lift/run
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| DomBSM wrote: |
| First time posting but have been lurking for a bit. We’re in Bourg Saint Maurice for a couple of weeks over Christmas and my son is having lessons in Arc 1800. We will hire skis for him but we have our own. Has anybody come across a ski hire shop in Arc 1800 that will store all of our skis overnight (happy to pay of course). It looks like there used to be ski lockers (skicase) in Residence Les Arandelieres but from what I can gather it didn’t survive lockdown. Fallback is the intersport lockers at the top of the Funi in 1600 but if we can save lugging our skis on the navette to 1800 each day with a little one too that would be much more civilised… |
Hi Dom, we'll also be in BSM over the Christmas period again, we found it much easier last year to get the kids into ski school from 1600, and then hire and store their skis at Intersport at the top of the Funni. Anything to make the morning easier 
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Thanks both - and absolutely agree its all about making the mornings as easy as possible! He's had a couple of lessons before but is only 6 and is very scared of chairlifts. I'm hoping after a few days we'll be able to shift over to start skiing from 1600 but to begin with we've agreed with the instructor that he'll be better off starting in 1800 until he's built more confidence and is OK with the chair. For his kit we'll just hire from the nearest hire shop to where his lessons are and store it overnight. But for the couple of hours we'll get to ski while he's in his lesson it would be so much easier if we could just leave our skis in 1800 too. I expect I'll just try my luck with wherever we hire his kit from to ask if we can store the big people skis too but it would be so much easier if there was somewhere we could just pay to store them!
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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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has anyone stayed at Le Village in 1950? Crystal have a good offer at the moment and deciding whther to book it or not. Is it up to standard or a bit dated now?
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A look at the livecams today reveels that it has snowed down to at least 1600, the snow looks thin and wet but at least winter is coming. Four weeks today I should be skiing
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Hi all,
just had the 'greening' report from ADS come through: what they're doing to reduce their impact. It's a pdf, but can share with you if you drop me a DM with your email address.
Most interesting stat (in 29 pages of French...) to me was that travel to the resort on aggregate accounts for 52% of the carbon footprint of skiing. That includes the lifts, the snow management, the accommodation, and the other facilities.
The biggest difference you can make? According to them for 4 people:
Fly from London to Chambery and get a private ICE transfer: 419 kg eq CO2
Drive from London (ICE again) 220 kg eq. CO2
Train + funi +ICE navette: 16 kg eq CO2
They're looking to get to 30% visitors by train by 2030 (up from 20% currently)
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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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| Arctic Roll wrote: |
Hi all,
just had the 'greening' report from ADS come through: what they're doing to reduce their impact. It's a pdf, but can share with you if you drop me a DM with your email address.
Most interesting stat (in 29 pages of French...) to me was that travel to the resort on aggregate accounts for 52% of the carbon footprint of skiing. That includes the lifts, the snow management, the accommodation, and the other facilities.
The biggest difference you can make? According to them for 4 people:
Fly from London to Chambery and get a private ICE transfer: 419 kg eq CO2
Drive from London (ICE again) 220 kg eq. CO2
Train + funi +ICE navette: 16 kg eq CO2
They're looking to get to 30% visitors by train by 2030 (up from 20% currently) |
They could do with some public transport between chambery airport and chambery station if they really want to encourage train travel instead of transfers. We’re off in a couple of weeks and the whole journey is sorted except that bit - and none of the taxi companies seem to want to know given it’s a short journey.
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Just had a quick look at the Vagere livecam on YouTube and saw a video piste-map display board near the chairlift station, displaying what I assume will be live lift opening data. Has this always been there or a new addition this season? I know that info is now readily available on the Yuge app, but it’s nice to have that info available at a glance and without having to get your phone out.
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You know it makes sense.
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@rob@rar, I thought it was there last season, but suspect I never looked at it. If I'm at the bottom of the Vagere there are not many other options. Is it just me but I feel that there are fewer and fewer lifts in Les Arcs and I find most are open all the time so if I get to the top of a lift and find the run is closed I go another way. As an example one of my routes to Arc 2000 is up Clocheret and down Muguet. There is a significant avalanche risk on this run and it is frequently closed. If that's the case then Arpette is an alternative and Clocheret is a lovey run anyway.
ps the live cams are starting to look good. You might have a very snowy start to the season.
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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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@johnE, I’m not especially observant, so might well have missed it last winter! You’re right to say that lifts are generally open, but it’s on days with very high wind that I check to see what’s open.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I set off to France later today and have been watching the live webcams showing lots of snowmaking in 2000 and 1800 which is good to see though I'd prefer natural snow
2000 seems busier with piste bashers in the village and more people around as the season approaches, with quite a few walkers having set off earlier.
At 1800, the non piste area doesn't have any snow as yet, or just a sprinkle, which will fill out all being well
Over the last two weeks, the level of camera watching has increased as departure day approaches
Hopefully it will be a great season for everyone in Paradiski and I'm looking forward to seeing if any pistes have been changed, bars or restaurants changed hands etc
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@ipken, let us know how the Arpette has changed since the building work in the summer
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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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Fly out on Saturday for a week; then, back on January 5th for 4 weeks ... 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@johnE, I've seen some pics of external work replacing what looked like all of the decking area plus some of inside.
I hope its finished as its one of my regular stops
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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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Seems like there will be at least some light snow Fri to Sun. That will help get things started.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Talking to people in 1950 atm they reckon on 20cm of natural in the village as of last night with top up expected Fri, Sat. Sun.
I arrive Sat. eve for 1 week. Should be enough to ski on.
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@ipken, when I peered into the arpette in the summer it looked like they had stripped all the iconic seating of the restaurant area.
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Been snowing since the early hours, currently quite heavy. Maybe 15cm at 1800m, with no wind. It's not especially cold, so the snow is relatively heavy - perfect for snowballs, less good for billowy face shots 
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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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Alright -- who has burnt out the webcams ?? : I can see the one at 1800 (and a 'green' slalom one) but nothing else ???
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FAQ
