 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi there
I am in a bit of a quandry. I cant decide which hotel. Me and hubby going out 9 March 2024, both intermediate skiers (although I have a red phobia so much prefer wide cruisy blues). We went to La Plagne (stayed in Club Med Aime La Plage 10 years ago) and we loved La Plagne. we never did manage to get over the Vanoise Express but I would really like to ski in Les Arcs.
i have seen 2 holidays on sunweb, 1 in Arc2000 and the other in La Plagne but I can't decide which one. I want to try Les Arcs because I have never skied there before and I know I can still get to ski the amazing resort of La Plagne.
My concerns of being in Les ARcs are (after doing some research):
1. being stuck if the weather sets in as I read they close the lifts?
2. the hotel does not have the best reviews.
3. We would be half board and can swap our evening meal for lunch but I cant see how easy the hotel would be to ski back to? ie I can't see exactly where it is located on the piste map.
4. Are there places to eat out if we fancy something different like going for a takeaway pizza or sitting down for a steak.
5. I know it is very early days as March is quite far away, but should I wait to see if the weather improves before I book. The long range forecasts suggest it is going to snow February but I am really not sure if I should wait and possibly consider another country? My head is all over the place at the minute.
6. is it easy getting from Arc 2000 to Arc 1950
I haven't got as many concerns of staying in La Plagne as it is familiar for us. I know the area and know where the hotel is and what surrounds it. My concern is again, around the hotel reports on Trip Advisor (although the reports were nicer for this hotel).
ONe of the concerns I have about not booking is that because I want to fly from Newcastle, the holiday will disappear because the flights will be gone.
I know there are so many variables so appreciate anyone taking the time to give their two penneth worth 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
being stuck if the weather sets in as I read they close the lifts?
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doesn't this happen everywhere if the weather gets really bad?
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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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#1 - mid-March shouldn't be an issue. You may be restricted for a day if a storm comes in but I wouldn't sweat it.
#3 This shows where Belambra is in the station. Easy enough to get back to, except obviously if you go to La Plagne
#5 I wouldn't worry about it and just book. There will be plenty of nice skiing.
#6 Yes, there is a pedestrian lift between the two.
Don't overthink it. Les Arcs is great and March 9 is an ideal week. And 2000 is fine.
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| Origen wrote: |
| Quote: |
being stuck if the weather sets in as I read they close the lifts?
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doesn't this happen everywhere if the weather gets really bad? |
Yes, but it appears to happen more often in Arc 2000 than most places. I'm guessing you've not been there, so are unaware of just how bleak and exposed it is up there. I've avoided staying there for that reason, as I've spent days skiing elsewhere in the resort while the whole 1950/2000 bowl has been closed. It's not that unusual there. That's been in January, though. I'd happily risk it in March.
I was chatting to someone at Gare du Nord last week who'd just spent a week in the Belambra l'Aiguille Rouge and said it was excellent for the price, with good food. I'm fairly sure someone else on here was saying not long ago that they stay there with their son.
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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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Wot @Layne says 
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@polo99, I’ve skied in Paradiski quite a lot and prefer to stay on the Les Arcs side. There’s plenty of skiing for intermediates, though maybe not so much gentler wide open motorway cruising as over in La Plagne. To me that makes the Les Arcs skiing more interesting.
Have stayed once in the Belambra at Arcs 2000. It was OK and well priced, rooms bordering a bit on the basic I thought. Food was OK, though the dining room felt a bit cramped and wasn’t the most relaxing experience.
Location not difficult to ski to or from but, as others have said, weather more likely to be bleak up high. On the big piste map it’s not far from the top of the Cabriolet Vers Arcs 1950 lift and near the bottom of Rhodos drag lift. There are village maps online which show the exact location of the hotel.
I’ve also stayed a few times in the Cachette, now a Belambra hotel, in Arcs 1600. That was a much better experience than the Aiguille Rouge. I’ve mentioned in case that’s another option for you. 1600 has the benefit of direct funicular access to Bourg St Maurice, in case you wanted a look at the town, eg on a closed in weather day.
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I stayed at the Terra Nova last year and found it fine. Rooms quite basic, but decent food and brilliant ski-in / ski-out location. Which for me were the important factors. Short walk to Plagne Centre (mainly under cover). Ski-hire shop in hotel basement.
I prefer La Plagne to Les Arcs, as think there is more variety, but each to their own.
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I’ve also stayed a few times in the Cachette, now a Belambra hotel, in Arcs 1600.
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They must be very discrete about this because all Belambra signage has now disappeared. I’ve not stayed there but all the public rooms look lovely after their revamp last year.
Yes, Arc2000 does have all the lifts closed more frequently than most resorts I’ve been to, possibly because of its altitude of over 2,150m. This can happen in March as much as January. I may be wrong, but to me it always seems to snow more in March than January. The navette to 1600, which almost always remains open, can be very busy in these circumstances.
Though Les Arcs has more interesting skiing than La Plagne it has fewer of the wide sweeping blue pistes that La Plagne is famous for. If that is important to you then I would go to La Plagne.
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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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Have stayed in both these hotels (Aiguille Rouge 2012 and 2013 I think) and Terra Nova 2014 or 2015.
Both fairly spartan and rooms slightly tired at that point, but cheap enough to still represent good value (I think a week half board was circa £500 with flight and transfer  )
Both ski in/ski out, terra nova probably marginally better for this as it's immediately adjacent to a green run with it's own dedicated chairlift. AR I think involved a wee magic carpet up from the main piste to ski locker room.
Agree that Arc 2000 can be somewhat moonscape-y if the weather comes in but equally gets a lot of sun if it's shining - Bar terrace at Aiguille Rouge was a real sun trap.
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@johnE,
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Quote:
I’ve also stayed a few times in the Cachette, now a Belambra hotel, in Arcs 1600.
They must be very discrete about this because all Belambra signage has now disappeared. I’ve not stayed there but all the public rooms look lovely after their revamp last year.
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You're right. Well, Belambra took it over about 2019 but looks like they've sold it on again. It's had a revamp and I'd imagine prices have increased accordingly.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I have stayed at both (note - the Terra Nova is also a 'Belambra')
Of the two, I would choose the Nova : During my stay at the Rouge last year, the kitchen was a Shambles !!
Lack of Cutlery, dirt cups and plates etc ; photos on trip advisor will give you a good of what I mean
The actual food was Ok....
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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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| johnE wrote: |
| Yes, Arc2000 does have all the lifts closed more frequently than most resorts I’ve been to, possibly because of its altitude of over 2,150m. |
If there is a storm everything above the tree line will be difficult even if open even if the lifts stay open. The Arc 2000 will be similar to the likes of Val T or Tignes. One of the reasons I like staying in Les Coches is because in bad weather you can ski in the trees and the local lifts and even the VE stay open. But often the links to La Plagne will be closed. Don't Arcabulle and Pre Esprit stay open (both with covers)?
| johnE wrote: |
| This can happen in March as much as January. I may be wrong, but to me it always seems to snow more in March than January. |
This shows January the highest snowfall, followed by December, then March and lowest February. But you need to also consider the wind and temps - which can effect lift opening. And the light, which effects the length of day and general feel from a skiing perspective.
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Don't Arcabulle and Pre Esprit stay open (both with covers)?
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No they don't. The closures are entirely dictated by avalanche control. So the uncovered lifts such as Cachette and Vagere stay open but any lifts that allow skiing over into the 2000 bowl, such as Clocherette are closed. It's about safety not comfort.
For years we used to go skiing in the second week in January. The weather was always cold and clear with a blocking high pressure. Then we started going in late March and the equinox storms allways bought lots of snow. As the length of day changes so rapidly in March so it seems to me does the weather. It was just a personal perspective.
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You know it makes sense.
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thank you so much everyone, all that information is really helpful. I think I am edging more towards the Terra Nova in La Plagne. I don't think Les Arcs is too far away if we wanted to spend the day there? Any guideline on how long it might take a slow cruisy skiier to get to the top of collosus from vanoise express?
If however we did go for Arc 2000 and the weather set in and they closed the lifts in that area, would that mean that the day was a write off or could you just ski lower down (or would there be no way of getting back?) is it only the higher lifts they would close? I guess what I am asking is when they do close that area, what lifts do they typically close?
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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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@polo99, my old mucker @johnE may counter but when I stayed in Arc 2000 (January 2003 iirc) we had a white out day and Arcabulle kept running the whole day. I would be surprised if Pre Esprit didn't stay open also. Hence my comment above. The reason I mention they had covers is because in bad weather that makes things more liveable. Lift companies like to keep a couple of lifts running because they don't have to compensate punters. I would be incredibly surprised if 2000 was completely shut down on March 9th or later.
You can get from La Plagne Centre to Les Arc 2000 easy enough. Coming back you can get from the top of Arcabulle all the way to the VE without another lift in 30 minutes without racing. And then 3 lifts and a bit of skiing gets you back to Colosses.
Personally if I was you I would stay in Arc 2000 so you can really explore that half of Paradiski. I think you are overthinking the weather aspect (given it's March).
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Poster: A snowHead
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Oh Wow, just when I thought "La Plagne it is", I think I am being more swayed to do Les Arcs and go for the Aguille Rouge. I think my mind has put at rest about being cut off. I mean if it was that bad, could we get the bus somewhere or ski down to villaroger, or would the droset 52 be closed off? we are looking to book through Sunweb and they say you can change the holiday if you pay £52. I am just thinking say for example, France is going to have a really bad March but Austria (for argument sake) is having an amazing skiing season I could technically change the country?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@polo99, you're still overthinking it.
I was once in Chamonix in March when a storm came in. We went to Le Tour. So windy we could barely stand up. After an hour we all felt sea sick and bogged off back to the chalet. Lost a days skiing. I think that's maybe only one of 2 or 3 days where I've almost a complete loss in 40+ weeks. It happens but the odds are small.
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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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I think you are probably right. I do this all the time lol. I really do want to try somewhere I haven't been, new areas, new runs so les arcs seems to be perfect. Are there as many wide cruisy blues in les arcs as la plagne?
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@Layne, They keep St Jaques and often Marmotte open, but the lifts around 1600 and 1800 in the same resort are usually open so there is no concept of all the lifts being closed. One day this Christmas most of the lifts in 2000 were closed including Arcabule.
Arcabule didn't open until 2006. Before that Plangnettes ran over the current route and before that it was served by a couple of drag lifts.
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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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| polo99 wrote: |
| Are there as many wide cruisy blues in les arcs as la plagne? |
No there aren't as many. But there are some great ones and there are loads of reds that are only a small notch up and in March should soften nicely by mid-morning and be slushy by mid-afternoon.
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I really cant ski reds,it’s like some kind of phobia ive got, even though some blues ive done should be reds. I wont even go up a lift if no blue option. This rules a lot of resorts out for me
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I don’t get this wait until the weather improves? This isn’t the first time I’ve seen this where is this coming from ? The snow cover above 1600m in the Haute Tarentaise is great and above 1800/2000m is very deep above average and enough for the rest of the season even if it doesn’t snow again which it will .
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@polo99, in which case I would stick to La Plagne
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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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@Rob Mackley, it's nonsense, certainly for major resorts such as Paradiski for a standard skiing holiday
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Thanks for all your feedback. I am certainly more confident about Arc2000 now (having read many reports about it getting closed due to weather which is why I asked), but I am happy that it would be a good place to go. Now my issue is the red run fear.
So I am studying the piste map to make sure there are plenty places I can go with blue options at the top of a chair and that I can get back to the resort via the blue. I was looking at the top of Arcabulle which is probably where we would go to head over to La Plagne or to ski in Arc 1800 etc and even though the Grand Renard and Reches (to the top of the Derby 69 lift) are red, having looked at some Youtube footage, they look fairly blue (ish)? then it would be blues down to the bottom. I think the only place I might come unstuck is if I needed to head back from Arc 1600, it might take a bit of navigation to try and get to the top of Plan Vert? How difficult is the red secret run? ( I understand a lot of it will depend on conditions). I know a lot of it is in my head and I would love to overcome my fear of the red runs. I was just looking at some of the comments I had made on Creux run in 3 valleys and my take was that it was hideous and I would never do it again. That is a blue run but the conditions were not very good. I am sure if I did it at a different time it would be a different story. I will also be having some lessons this year so hopefully my instructor will help me overcome my red run fear.
from youtube videos, les arcs does look lovely and cruisy and I am really looking forward to trying some of the runs there (as well as la plagne). Just need to decide which will be the best to base myself.
thank you to everyone who has helped me so far. It really is appreciated. which are the reds in les arcs that I should avoid that maybe not be used by someone just stepping up from a blue? or which ones would you definitley recommend that would help gain my confidence and reduce my red run fear?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@polo99, nobody can easily answer those questions because (as you've acknowledged) so much depends on the conditions. Not just the state of the snow, but how busy they are and - crucially - the visibility.
The best thing is to go by local advice at the time, and if you're having lessons, the instructor will be absolutely the best person to advise.
I know it's easier said than done but try to forget about colours! Talk about easy runs and not-so easy runs, but always in relation to a particular day/hour. We probably all know places where some bits of blue runs, especially towards the end of the day, are definitely harder than an easy red in nice conditions.
The colours don't mean that much, at the end of the day.
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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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@polo99, most of the blues are traversing the slopes and are fairly boring.
Secret is not an easy run at all but yes Plan Vert should be no issue.
As per @Origen I wouldn't place much focus on colour personally - more on conditions.
As you say hopefully the lessons will help.
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@polo99, From the top of Arcabule it is probably blue to the col and hence down Dent du Peigne. However, Reches and Grand Renard are definately red. Reches used to be marked black and the bit to the top of Derby can be hard, though a lot better now they have but snow making in over that section. To get to the Vanoise Express you are better getting Bois de l'Ours and making your way down the blue pistes. They are well signposted.
Secret can also be on the hard side if the piste is hard packed. From 1600 the easy way to 2000 is Cachette, down to the Arpette lift then down Plan. It is a really obvious but tedious road.
The obvious red piste to avoid is Claire Blanc, which is much harder than a black piste in many resorts, in fact most.
The easy reds are those in the Vallandry sector - all of them are more or less the same with the slight exception of Combe which is quieter and IMHO more scenic.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Layne, There are a lot of really nice blues such as Mont Blanc, Barmont, Renard in Vallandry, Clapet and I even like a blast down Lutins.
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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, if Clair Blanc is the run I think it is, the OP should be safe from ending up on it by accident. Last time I was there I couldn't see a sensible way to drop into it even intentionally 
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Poster: A snowHead
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@polo99, 10 years ago I did a season working in La Plagne and we had to attend a meeting run by the lift company primarily explaining the process for buying lift passes for our guests. However they also explained that there is little difference in the steepness of runs on the between the La Plagne and Les Arcs sides, but purely for marketing reasons they make more of them red in Les Arcs and more of them blue in La Plagne! There‘s certainly some pretty steep blue runs in La Plagne (Mira?). The Peisey reds for sure would all be blue in La Plagne. Les Arcs has (or at least had) some unpisted reds - marked as such on the map - which are trickier and probably best avoided. The other thing I‘d note is that Arc2000 is the least interesting part of Les Arcs, and so in your shoes I think I‘d be tempted to stick with La Plagne which you know and like and explore Les Arcs from there. The easily accessible Peisey runs are lovely, and especially in the middle of the day tend to be quiet as everyone goes elsewhere.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Last time I was there I couldn't see a sensible way to drop into it even intentionally
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There is a rocky band at the top which after a period of no snow is often exposed. You just need to watch for the stones over the first two metres.
@Gämsbock, Interesting that bit about the grading. TBH I've never noticed any difference. Perhaps I haven't explored La Plagne sufficiently to find those blues that would be red elsewhere and I have done Mira. Though the motorway pistes in Arc 2000 are uninteresting and often busy the collection of black pistes from the Varet along with Robert Blanc, Ours etc make it a very interesting area to ski in. Perhaps the most interesting in Paradiski.
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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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@polo99, if you are more comfortable on blues I think you would prefer La Plagne. From the Terra Nova you could head off in a different direction each day. Montalbert, Champagny, Les Coches, etc. Arc2000 is at one extreme of Paradiski, so you would be skiing the same pistes at the start and end of every day.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
in your shoes I think I‘d be tempted to stick with La Plagne which you know and like and explore Les Arcs from there.
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If I were in the OP's shoes I'd stick with La Plagne, fix up lessons early in the week ASAP before all choice disappears and then, having done some work with the instructor, including some red runs he or she recommends, achieve my goal of not being psychologically intimidated by colour! Do some recommended red runs lots of times, in different conditions, and really nail that conviction that you CAN. Going over to a new area, trying to stick to blue runs, being uptight every time you're on a new run, just to say you've done both sides, seems pointless. Just have one goal, but do it really well. I'm sure many of us are apprehensive (to put it no more strongly) when faced with a first run down something we don't know, or think might be tricky. The second, third, or fourth, time you do that red run, will feel good!
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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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If an abundance of blues is the priority then I’d definitely pick La Plagne. Personally I love Les Arcs, but the best wide pistes are by some distance the reds (particularly those towards Peisey and Vallandry). Les Arcs does has some decent blues (Mont Blanc and Renard stick out) but not in the concentration of wide motorway blues that LP has, and you’d find the skiing a bit limited in LA if you’re totally avoiding reds.
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| johnE wrote: |
| @Layne, There are a lot of really nice blues such as Mont Blanc, Barmont, Renard in Vallandry, Clapet and I even like a blast down Lutins. |
There are some but not a lot IMO.
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Thank you so much for everyones input in helping me make the decision. i decided to go for La Plagne, having weighed up the pros and cons.
I am very excited, we booked with Sunweb and booked everything including transfers, lift passes, lessons, flights etc all in. I tried to do some research on how the transfers work but couldn't really find anything (I know someone had asked the same question on here in the past but didnt really find any answers), so when I get back I will post my experience with them.
I have never done lessons since my first ski holiday back in 1986 and have just done my own thing over the years. I know I will have picked up some really bad habits over the years and my problem is confidence and aversion to red runs, which i would love to overcome. In a group setting, how does the instructor help each individual? or do they just lead and everyone follows and if they make it to the bottom, job done? I have no idea how big the classes will be. there was the option to be put in beginner, average or expert so I chose average. Do they usually ask what people want to improve on? Do they look at how you ski and tell you where you are going wrong or how to improve? Sorry for all the questions, not sure if I should have started a new thread on this?
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I really cant ski reds
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That's what you said, and you rightly recognised this as a "phobia".
Ski lessons vary a lot - but don't knock the idea that an instructor leads, and you follow. Having ascertained that people are in the right class, and perhaps jiggled them around a bit after the first session, if an instructor sets out a good line down some well chosen red runs, and you follow successfully, then the job will be done, won't it? If you watch from a chairlift you will see that very few skiers do nice rounded turns.
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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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@polo99, they will demonstrate, they will drill you, they will sometimes watch you and then critique you. They will give you tips and pointers, sometimes as a group, sometimes as individuals. One aspect that helps when following is that you can't choose your own line (and hence "cheat"). You will also be with others you don't know which can bring a bit of peer pressure but also be interesting/fun.
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FAQ
