Hi all. I have a chance to go to either of these resorts in January. I have never visited them before so I was hoping that those of you that have would share your experiences with me. Thanks in advance
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
This is the most puzzling choice I have seen for a long time.
It's like choosing between a hamburger, and caviar
When your objective is skiing, you go to Les Arcs.
When your objective is apres-skiing, you go to Soll.
Or do you mean Solden instead of Soll?
Les Arcs is a large area, high mountains, ski-in-ski-out, lower part between trees. Most accommodation in apartments, but you can get surprisingly good value in B&B and hotels as well.
Soll is an organically grown ski-area, low elevation (with resulting snow cover reliability issues). Most accommodation in B&B pensions.
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?
There are lots of experience reports on this forum on les arcs. Lots. I cannot recall any on sol however. That may tell you something on its own.
@johnE, Soll is part of the Skiwelt which is a large and lovely ski area that is regularly discussed on here. I've not stayed in Soll but have stayed in one of the other uplift towns. I believe @Speechmaus is a Soll regular.
In answer to the OP, I like both ski areas so a lot depends on what the OP is looking for in a ski resort and when they're planning on visiting.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@sugarmoma666, it was soll in particular I was referring to.
@Huwphill, Been to Les Arcs lots - or rather Paradiski as Les Arcs is connected to La Plagne via a cable car.
It's a fantastic ski area. Highly recommended.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I've never been to either but am off to Soll at the end of next week. Looking forward to it.
After all it is free
After all it is free
So many factors that would determine one from the other, it's chalk and cheese, neither will be like each other.
I can pretty much guarantee though that it'll cost less to eat and drink on the mountain in Soll than it will in Les Arcs
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I've never been to Soll but I love Les Arcs.
There's 5 different villages you can stay in so you can have a range of experiences depending on what you're looking for including aesthetic and atmosphere.
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Been to Les Arcs many times, Soll once - love both of them. More options for challenging skiing at les Arcs, more sense of touring a region going around the ski circus (though that may reflect how much more familiar I am at les arcs, and ignoring the la plagne link). Soll does have a ‘home run’ that gets busy, and the uplift is a way away from most accommodation, if that matters to you - so a bus/walk. But then you have Austrian ambience and apres on the plus side.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
I've been to Skiwelt and Soll a few times. The snow making facilities are fantastic and I've never had an issue with the low altitude. There are toboggan runs approx 3km each which is an experience not to be missed one evening!
The restaurants on the mountain are not anywhere as expensive as France (but I'm comparing to Val d'Isere / 3 Valleys), the food is great and the ambience is always bouncing in Austria. Be prepared for apres ski to start early afternoon
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.
Quote:
When your objective is skiing, you go to Les Arcs.
When your objective is apres-skiing, you go to Soll.
What an absolutely bizarre response @Onnem So you've written off a huge area with 270km of piste?
In full snow cover, surely most skiers and boarders would find the Ski Welt to be an absolutely brilliant area.
I loved both Les Arcs and Ski Welt but, as others have alluded to, they're entirely different in terms of ambiance, mountain views and terrain. But all part and parcel of the enjoyment of discovering different places to ski.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
@Huwphill, Choose one this year and do the other the following year.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@Onnem, I have to disagree with this. I’ve been to both and thoroughly enjoyed both. They both have their own character for sure but my experience of Soll definitely isn’t that it’s just an après boozy focussed place at all. The town is a proper Austrian alpine town with some nice restaurants and bars, none of which I found to be raucous at all. We had a fantastic holiday there. The slopes are linked well, a lot of red runs, and all the adjoining resorts around the SkiWelt are accessible and have their own identities too.
I’d highly recommend Soll, as I would Les Arcs.
I think Soll has something of an outdated label a bit like Sauze as party central. It’s really not that way IME.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@jirac18, @TopGooner, that's good to hear.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@jirac18, spot on - Soll has lively apres if you want it (e.g. Hexenzeit from 3-7, or Moonlight or the Mill from 9-1), or several places for a civilized meal or a quiet drink if you'd prefer. As for the idea that 270Km of piste is not sufficient for "serious" skiers because of a lack of vertical or total distance or variety, here's day 2 of my most recent trip a month ago... there's no real gnarly off-piste, but there are challenging but relatively short options across the area if you know where to look. On this early season day (week 1), I covered about a quarter of the Skiwelt runs and didn't make it into the Ellmau/Going Hausberg area, or across to Westerndorf. If you pay about €20 more for your 6-day pass, you can also try Kitzbuhel for another 200Km of slopes.
Also, ignore the statement "Most accommodation in B&B pensions" - it's entirely wrong, as most is in apartments or family-run hotels, and while there are of course plenty of pensions as well, no-one is forcing you to stay in a brutalist building full of rabbit hutches with bunk beds in the corridor as you'd typically find in much of Les Arcs unless you are prepared to pay double to go to 2000 or 1950, and you'll lose far less days to high winds or white-out conditions in the Skiwelt than you would in Les Arcs, especially in January.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Fri 19-01-24 15:44; edited 1 time in total
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@jirac18
I've been to both as well. They cater for different types of skiers.
Les Arcs, especially when combined in Paradiski, for the sportive skier hungry for challenging slopes, hungry for the maximum number of miles-per-day and heightmeters-per-day. Soll more catering for family-holiday-goers. Not that there's anything wrong for either category, horses-for-courses.
In the NL there is a clear division in 2 categories: those for whom apres-ski is most important, and those who put sport on #1.
IMO, the apres-skiers might just as well stay in the NL and go to one of the big apres-ski-events in a big conference hall.
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?
@halfhand, I think you’ll enjoy it. The bus takes you from town up to the main gondola, only takes a few minutes. There’s a good ski and boot garage there, we stowed our gear there every day which made life very simple.
We tended to walk back down to town at end of day which is a pleasant stroll and stretches out the legs a bit too, they’re a few nice bars en-route. We skied over to Going one day via Scheffau annd Ellmau and took a taxi back which only cost a couple of euros each. Did the same at Westendorf the other side. You can easily get back to Soll it was just we found some really great runs and were enjoying those areas so decided not to stress about last lift times etc.
Off to Soll and the Skiwelt for the first time at the end of Feb and looking forward to it.
Has anyone stumbled across a weather thread for that region on the board? Apologies if there is one but can’t seem to find it. Will look to do the standard snow obsession scanning in a few weeks!
It's not unusual for the town to be covered in cloud and the slopes to be in sunshine, so check the webcams or TV station when you're there - I've met people who stayed in bed because there was zero visibility when they looked out in the morning, and they missed a perfect day.
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The weather tends to be much better in central Austria at lower altitude than high up in the western alps. That might be a factor for a six day holiday if you want to get around a bit. Personally I found the skiing at Less Arcs and La Plagne a little dull and rather samey. It’s also mostly above the tree line so can be rather bleak in poor visibility.
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@Huwphill, what a great dilemma to have! Both vast ski areas so very much depends what your priorities are. If you want the wow moments that come from descending peaks like the Aiguille Rouge (3,226m) or Bellecote (3,417m) go for Les Arcs, if you love superb long reds that go from the very top to the valley floor, cosy mountain huts (+ a good smattering of friendly 'circus tents') plus lively nightlife in the village, go for Soll.
Of the two, I was in Soll more recently so I'll tell you a bit more about that. The long reds go into the Scheffau, Ellmau, Going valley and, unless you're a beginner, you can comfortably get back to Soll.
There are two runs 'home' (the red is worth doing in the morning when everyone is rushing off elsewhere!)
The blue is a lot of track but does have a lovely log hut/bar about two thirds down!
I hate waiting for buses, not even 5 mins, so I'd walk to the main lift in the morning - 10/15mins mainly flat in beautiful scenery - nice warm up. Ski/boot deposit there is well staffed and efficient. No queue for main lift up, no queues anywhere come to think of it. Maybe just lucky.
The low altitude = poor snow doesn't hold so much in Austria because its further east.
Hope that helps. Both areas are amazing in their own ways! Let us know how you get on.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@Huwphill, he is a short review what I wrote about Arc1600. The whole of Les Arcs will take too long to write about. I tried to stay clear of the comprehensive reviews in where to ski and snow board books.
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.
@Huwphill, lots of good advice in response already.
I think if you could outline what you like / dislike from a ski trip, it might make the choice clearer. Also any areas you’ve skied before and which you liked best.
I’ve been to both quite a few times. Soll mostly when an early intermediate and out late every night. Les Arcs mostly when a lot more experienced and happy with a good meal, quiet drink and early night.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
@Huwphill, Long time (1980s) since I was in Les Arc so my views on there will be a bit dated.
I was in SkiWelt about 10 days ago and have been lots over the past 20 years. Söll is not my favourite bit of SkiWelt I would say Ellmau or Brixen are better places to stay from a skiing perspective (apres maybe not so) but it is perfectly good. It does have a really good toboggan run (night time too) which is well worth the visit on its own.
The skiing is generally ideal for less experienced skiers and family groups though the quality of the snow can be pretty variable especially on the home runs. There is a lot of snow making machinery but the issue is often high temperatures not lack of precipitation. January is usually the best time to visit as the lower temperatures mean a higher possibility of good conditions.
For January I would choose Söll over Les Arc as it is a better place in poor weather ( though from memory Les Arc does have some skiing below the tree line) and the village is simply more pleasant being stereotypically "Austrian". If the weather is really bad plenty of Gasthofs and spots for "Kaffee und Kuchen" to retreat to. If March or April no doubt Les Arc would be a better choice.
Last edited by So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much on Sat 20-01-24 22:42; edited 1 time in total
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Quote:
though from memory Les Arc does have some skiing below the tree line
You are correct
5 blacks
11 reds
about a dozen blues.
In bad weather the tree less bowl of Arc 2000 is often closed, but the tree line skiing from 1600 across to Vallandry is usually open. I'm not sure how many 2000 residents venture down to the trees in Vallandry in bad weather. I suspect very few.
When the weather is really bad we often talk about a visit to the cheese factory in Bourg st Maurice. We still haven't made it, even during summer thunder storms.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Thanks everyone, really appreciate all the help and advice. I am looking forward to getting back on the snow. Most of my time has been spent in Austrian or Italian resorts. I love the idea of long runs on the piste and a decent lunch followed by a nice bar to end the day and a decent meal and several more beers. I enjoy an early start and a late finish so I think either of these resorts would be great. I have never done France before though so Les Arcs could be fun, people I know have been there and loved it. Mind you Alpe d'huez also sounds like a great place.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
munich_irish wrote:
@Huwphill, Long time (1908s) since I was in Les Arc so my views on there will be a bit dated.
That is indeed a long time!
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Old Fartbag wrote:
munich_irish wrote:
@Huwphill, Long time (1908s) since I was in Les Arc so my views on there will be a bit dated.
That is indeed a long time!
Says he, quietly petitioning admin to change his name to “Young Sprightly Fartbag”
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?
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
So you've written off a huge area with 270km of piste? 
