 Poster: A snowHead
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@JP Wolf, I wouldn't have thought 1950 (family oriented, not cheap) or 2000/Vallandry (smallish, not that lively afaik) would work.
But I am not a big apres skier.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@JP Wolf, If you want to use FD, I'd go to 1800.
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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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Just looking at the Vanoise Express webcam, which points over to Vallandry, amazing how far snow line has retreated since we were there last week  Still looks ok higher up and I'd guess practically empty now Easter hols are over
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Does anyone remember the pre-sale quotes of the Paradiski Essential passes? Thx!
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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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@Tristero, I do not recall any discounts being offered for pre-sale lift passes (whatever that meant) but there were occaisional flash sales throughout the season with varying discounts depending on dates, extent etc.
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| Quote: |
Still looks ok higher up and I'd guess practically empty now Easter hols are over
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The snow conditions even in 1800 look decent at the moment. I'm tempted to grab a flight and go out for a couple days next week.
TBH now the school holidays are in full swing the resort looks reasnobly busy for the penultimate week of the season. I imagine a number of families have just looked at the conditions and decided to go.
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| johnE wrote: |
| @Tristero, I do not recall any discounts being offered for pre-sale lift passes (whatever that meant) but there were occaisional flash sales throughout the season with varying discounts depending on dates, extent etc. |
Isn't there an early bird discount on season passes around october like in most other resorts? If not, do you know the standard rate?
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@Tristero, I bought our Essential lift passes in September on a flash sale - 1252 Euros for 4 of us. Not sure if that helps?
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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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The September sale always seems best
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@Tristero, I cannot recall one last year.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Tristero wrote: |
| johnE wrote: |
| @Tristero, I do not recall any discounts being offered for pre-sale lift passes (whatever that meant) but there were occaisional flash sales throughout the season with varying discounts depending on dates, extent etc. |
Isn't there an early bird discount on season passes around october like in most other resorts? If not, do you know the standard rate? |
We didn't get season passes but bought a 6 day Essentials pass (full Paradiski) in the early bird and it was £845 for 2 adults, one teen, one child. All season passes prices can be found here.. https://www.lesarcs-peiseyvallandry.com/en/forfait-saison-ski
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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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We never saw season passes on discount at all. My wife paid €677 for her essentials season pass (senior). The essentials pass is useful in busy weeks as they have access to express lanes on many key lifts. The classic pass would have cost her €590. She skied n Les Arcs for 27 days last season so she deemed it good value. The breakeven point comes at about 13 days.
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| johnE wrote: |
| We never saw season passes on discount at all. My wife paid €677 for her essentials season pass (senior). The essentials pass is useful in busy weeks as they have access to express lanes on many key lifts. The classic pass would have cost her €590. She skied n Les Arcs for 27 days last season so she deemed it good value. The breakeven point comes at about 13 days. |
Thanks! That's the info I was looking for!
How busy do Les Arcs get over New Years week? I know that La Plagne gets completely overcrowded. Is that any better better on this side of the VE?
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You know it makes sense.
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New Year week is the busiest of the year. In fact so busy that even though we have the leave and can stay that week we choose not to.
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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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New Year is busy but in my opinion bearable, particularly if you stick to 1800, 1600 and Vallandry. Start early and miss ski school rush and ski over lunch.
There are pinch points and queues but personally I’d do it again
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Poster: A snowHead
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@johnE, if the snow conditions above 1800 still good, even if only until 2pm, very tempting to squeeze ONE MORE trip in before a very good seadon ends.
Haven’t had chance to check out what flights/transfers still possible and whether they’re reasonably priced but intend to scan tomorrow morning.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Tristero wrote: |
| How busy do Les Arcs get over New Years week? I know that La Plagne gets completely overcrowded. Is that any better better on this side of the VE? |
Simply answer is no.
There are pinch points in La Plagne that get it a bad rap but if it's a busy week (which new year is) it's a busy week.
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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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Thanks guys. Makes it difficult for me to decide, but I very much appreciate your input.
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What is on your Les Arcs wishlist for 2027?
With ski season nearly over, what are you hoping for for next year? My three top wishes are:
* Extend the draglift that starts near the bottom of Arcabulle (Eterlou?). Start it about 50 metres earlier, so I don't have to pole like mad to reach it, and make it end about 5 metres later (so it ends at a place where you can gently ski off downhill and not have to keep going uphill for a couple of metres to reach the run down to the Chalets cafe)
* Extend Marmottes by about 100 metres so instead of having to ski down to Arcabulle you have the option to ski down to Plagnettes too if you want to head up to Grand Col. Would help with the ski school bottleneck at Arcabulle too
* Replace Clocheret with a faster lift. I love that area, but my word it is slow
Wishful thinking I know. Anyone else?
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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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A drag tow at the foot of Vagere, from Dahu to where it drops down to Villards. A drag tow up the piste from Transarc to the snow garden just above! But mainly just the one along the flat by Vagere!
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@SCruttonStreet, interesting selection. I think extending lifts is not really on. They may as well just build a new lift. I’ve never had a problem with the tow rope we normally hit it 5 or 10 metres from the base and leave at the flat bit at the top. I think leaving on a down slope may cause some accidents. The clocheret lift is massively underused so I cannot see any commercial value in upgrading it.
Now my improvement list:
Reinstate the link between muguet and combourcier. bulldoze that little ridge between combourcier and secret to save walking uphill.
Keep the rhonaz lift permanently open so you can return to villaroger without having to do a red.
Put snowmaking on the combe piste in vallandry so it stays open longer.
Develop the off piste route that goes to notre dame de vernette into a piste and add a return lift.
Reinstate the gollet lift in 1600 to improve uplift.
Increase the capacity of arcabulle to 8 seats.
Somehow increase the piste capacity in the 2000 bowl.
Open the cachette piste to everyone. The race area takes up too much of it.
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The ‘yogurt pots’ lift from Peisey old village up to the Vanoise Express area of Plan Peisey will be replaced this summer by a new gondola.
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Really? Now, I've only been on those once, when Lad1 and I rode them for fun, so I've no skin in this game, but I'm a bit sad to hear that. I'm sure the gondola will be quicker and much more comfortable, especially on cold and snowy days, but I'll be sad to see the whimsy go.
John, I agree with you about increasing Arcabulle to an 8 man chair. This was the first year we used it with any regularity. We've always been creatures of habit taking the Bois lift back over the ridge from the bowl. This year we only used it once, instead preferring to take either Marmottes then Arcabulle up and accessing 1800 that way, or taking Comborciere and heading back past Mont Blanc. Arcabulle was busy but it did keep moving and only took 5 minutes each time, but yes, an 8 man would help. Each time Plangettes seemed to have stopped. 'Poor Plangettes' became a stock phrase as we cruised on past folks just sitting there.
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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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@Owlette, the first time we went to les arcs arcabulle was only a couple drag lifts. We were really pleased when the 4 seat plangettes replaced it. The again when plangettes was shortened and replaced by arcabulle. Now even that cannot cope. Do you think this is following the road building model _. Once you build a new road it just attracts more traffic until it too is over burdened.
I cannot see a lot the lift company can do to improve the the resort. Unlike when the resort was created they cannot simply bulldoze the forest. They could take some of the popular off piste runs and make them pistes I suppose. Or increase lift capacity. Or, controversially cut the number of visitors.
Coming from 2000 to 1600 we used to be be frequent users of bois de l’ours lift. At Easter it seemed to be half and half combourcier and col de chal. Even odder we always came via traversée never arpette. It was much more mellow.
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| johnE wrote: |
Develop the off piste route that goes to notre dame de vernette into a piste and add a return lift.
…
Reinstate the gollet lift in 1600 to improve uplift. |
I don’t think it’s possible to develop new lifts or pistes down towards Nancroix as you soon cross in to the Vanoise national Park when you ski from Col de Chal. I think new development would be prohibited.
Would love to see a new version of the old Gollet lift, especially for bad weather days when the upper lifts were closed. Would make a brilliant alternative to skiing the trees above Vallandry.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@rob@rar, I was thinking of the route from the top of combe piste where the old drag lift finished and reinstalling that lift further to the west almost at the entrance to the chapel. IIRC there is a footpath there. It could run down as far as nancroix.
There were a couple pistes sort of in the area to the west of the combettes lift. These included a black piste between cachette and rouelle and the old competition piste. They are overgrown now. Occasionally after a fresh snowfall we will ski from the top of the Vizelle drag lift straight down to the traversée piste. You can also take this from arpette piste at the area where the footpath is marked. This was the old black piste.
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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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@Owlette, I'm with you, always a fun trip we used to do when kids were younger for an afternoon off and a break.
@rob@rar, Any plans to build more at the bottom do you know? Although not sure where, generally new lifts mean new development.
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The only new lift rumour I have heard is a lift up to 1800 from Bourg (near the rafting centre) - build a huge car park there and basically make 1800 car free.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Boris wrote: |
| @rob@rar, Any plans to build more at the bottom do you know? Although not sure where, generally new lifts mean new development. |
I've not heard, but I don't know anyone down in that part of the resort. I'd agree that new development would seem likely to justify the expense of putting in a new lift.
I used the old yogurt pots a couple of times in poor weather. Not an especially nice experience.
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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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| timlongs wrote: |
| The only new lift rumour I have heard is a lift up to 1800 from Bourg (near the rafting centre) - build a huge car park there and basically make 1800 car free. |
Wow! That sounds massively expensive. Wonder how many people would want to use it, especially outside of holiday weeks? Seeing how laden some cars are when families turn up with all their kit and boxes of groceries for the week, the idea of carting all that stuff up from Bourg in order to use a free car park down there doesn't seem very appealing.
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Poster: A snowHead
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My Improvements:
Extend the funicular to run as a monorail to charvet 1800 so you remove the need for getting off and onto busses. Big project but would be great - or maybe a second funicular track that just goes to 1800.
Rope pull up from Villards to Dahu
Add another igloo bar somewhere near the transarc mid station
Add some jumps/grind rails and boxes to an easy blue like Maitaz so beginners and kids can get entry level tricks going. My kids love doing the little natural jumps along this run anyway and they miss the boxes on Les Cabanes run.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Macker13 wrote: |
| Add another igloo bar somewhere near the transarc mid station |
Although I didn't investigate, in the second half of this winter something was built of snow/ice next door to the laser target shooting range behind TransArc 1. It might have been an ice maze, or something along those lines?
I do like the Igloo Bar, especially in bad weather. If there was something similar on the 1800 side of the resort I'd be tempted to give their overnight option a try.
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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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| rob@rar wrote: |
| Macker13 wrote: |
| Add another igloo bar somewhere near the transarc mid station |
Although I didn't investigate, in the second half of this winter something was built of snow/ice next door to the laser target shooting range behind TransArc 1. It might have been an ice maze, or something along those lines?
I do like the Igloo Bar, especially in bad weather. If there was something similar on the 1800 side of the resort I'd be tempted to give their overnight option a try. |
yes that's what i'd love to do, but as I'm always stayying in 1800 cant ever do it. I always base our troops at the igloo in 2000 while skiing as its an easy to get to base with lots of different coloured runs available for the different levels of skiers in the group. Some people sunbathe while the others ski, then we have lunch there and people can ski off and return whenever they feel like it. Reasonably priced drinks for up a mountain too.
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@Macker13, what are the food options like in the Igloo Bar? Only ever stopped there for a drink.
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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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| rob@rar wrote: |
| @Macker13, what are the food options like in the Igloo Bar? Only ever stopped there for a drink. |
in the day time they are limited to waffles with various toppings etc. I usually pack ham and cheese baguettes for the troops then we get drinks/waffles/crisps/chocolate if desired from the igloo.
In the evening its fondue and other savoyard delights, but i've not done that yet.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Impractical due to space, but a little drag lift from top of Derby just up the ridge, be a great way to ski down to Arc from Dents du peigne
used to be able to access it from Grand Renard ? lift - an old 2 man chair which went from behind mid station over the crest
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@Boris, personally I’d prefer them to reinstate the grand renard lift. A drag lift up the reches piste would narrow the already narrow piste. perhaps repurposing the charmetodger lift and put a high speed one in its place hence increasing the usage of that whole area moving crowds from elsewhere
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@johnE, yes restoring GR would be great easier than trying to get on TransArc at mid station or going via Carreley or Arpette
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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@rar wrote: |
| Boris wrote: |
| @rob@rar, Any plans to build more at the bottom do you know? Although not sure where, generally new lifts mean new development. |
I've not heard, but I don't know anyone down in that part of the resort. I'd agree that new development would seem likely to justify the expense of putting in a new lift.
I used the old yogurt pots a couple of times in poor weather. Not an especially nice experience. |
From what I know from the Peisey village, the original plan was to build a big 300 space underground parking next to the start of the new lift. Fell through due to disputes on land.
So it'll just be a new lift, and no real development to speak of. Peisey village itself is small with no real room for anything to be built.
It is quite odd to spend so much on the lift but the new one will run much later into the night (9/10pm apparently) so people can access the bars/restaurants in vallandry and Peisey.
RE the 1800 lift, it's just a idea being batted around by ADS, nothing concrete yet. I think potentially part of it is maybe the funi is on a limited lifespan, especially given the subsidence around the concrete supports for the track. And that funiculaires that go round bends always have issues.
They can't put a normal gondola where the funi is as it gets too windy.
I was on a funi on Sunday (free) with 60 mountain bikers. About time ADS started to invest properly into mountain biking now, starting to miss the boat for year round tourism.
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@timlongs, the téléphérique ran from bourg st Maurice for years before the funicular was built. As did a pair of chair lifts. The very first time I went down to the town was on the téléphérique. The top station is still in arc 1600.
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FAQ
