 Poster: A snowHead
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We've now booked for Les Arcs for Jan 2010 and are going to be based in 1800. This is our first time to this area, so can anyone suggest any day or half day routes\itinaries. In particular those that may give good day getting to know the area.
I'm not after hard core bombing about, the kids may be up to it but my old body appreciates a more sedate pace with regular beer stops! So, are there also any recommended 'coffee' stops?
Our first two days will be a Friday and Saturday. From Sunday the kids will be in ski school in the mornings and we intend ski-ing together in the afternoon.
Any advice appreciated.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I wouldn't stress to much about a route - it's a pretty striaightforward hill without many runs that have potential to 'catch you out' - i.e. prove to be harder than you might imagine. The only exceptions to that rule are the bottom half of lac in the 2000 bowl which can get quite mogully quite quickly and that seems to catch people out, but not really a problem for a decent intermediate and then malgovert (accessable from the top of the comborciere chair) which is rated a red but is never groomed and can get big big big lumps - quite an adventure really..
As you look up the hill from 1800 then 1600 is to your left and vallandry and plan-peisey to yourr right. Over the top you have the 2000 bowl, and there are a choice of routes between the two sides of the mountain. One option for a 'circular route' would be transarc lift to 2000 bowl, take plagnettes down past the bottom of arcabule and go straight on, take the next right and ski down to the Varet gondola. Take this bubble and coming off the top take the red 'arandelieres' which joins onto Valle de L'arc and back past arcabule, this time ski down below varet and if you fancy it ski into 1950 village for a quick look, you'll have to pole through the village but you can keep you skis on. Then either passing 1950 or coming out the bottom you'll find two lifts, Marmottes to your right and Bois De L'ours to the left. Ignoring both take the blue run beyond Bois De L'ours on the right (cascades) and once you get to steeeper bit where you can see a car-park on the right hand-side then straightline hard as you're heading for the lift in the distance Comborciere. Not Pre-St Esprit on the left. Take comborciere and use the time for a fag, drink or kip. At the top take belvedere blue down and round the hill. When you get round to the cachette lift and are really run out of va-va-voom, cut right just before the lift and drop onto the little track running away left to right as you look at it. This is a red Arolles (one of my faves) that winds down into 1600. Take the cachette lift back out then the blue run (belvedere) across to the new arpette lift - take this lift (cos it's new innit!) - and it gives you a feel for other routes to/from 1800/2000. At the top turn right and take the arpette run across /down to above the vagere chair and keep going straight. Provide that the chair going up (gd renard) before the transarc is open then get on that and coming off the top go down and round to the right initially and then once you see netting infront of you go down to the left, towards the top of the derby chair. This bit can get a bit mogully and busy. Go past the top of the derby chair on the renard run, and you should see an orange banner on the right after the piste bends round to the right. After this there is a junction with a cat-track going left, take that and after going round the bend to the left there's an option to take a run to the right, leaving a nursery area on the left. Take that and then at the split take the red Aigle run down to Vallandry. If you want to spend more time in this are taking some of the blues/reds then do so. To get back to 1800 then there are many options, but I quite like taking the Derby lift, turning right at top (renard) and then picking up 1st right red Bellette and after that opens up there's a junction off to the right 'Rhodos' which is quite fun and eventually will loop you round to 1800.
Will take a couple of hours if you have you skates on / don't have to look at the map  and don't get sidetracked. Or could happily take you all day if you find other bit's ''n' pieces to do as you go around the mountain.
If it's a sunny day go to the top of the mountain, take some photos and then ski all the way to villaroger - trying to do that without stopping is a challenge! Also the Grand Col sector is under-rated - if you take the arandelieres run from the top of the varet bubble, and then take the cat track blue to the left Vallee De L'arc, you can get to the gd col lift without poling (very hard to do from the top of the transarc)
Other tips - Peisey-Vallandry sector (to the right of derby lift) is good on flat / low light days as has trees.
You get the sun earlier in the morning in the 2000 bowl, and in Jan come 3pm you need to back on the 1800/PV side of the mountain for arvo sun.
Enjoy.
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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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bertie bassett, Thank you. Nothing better than advice from someone who has done a season there. 
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BMF_Skier, Note particularly the comments about Malgovert!!
bertie bassett, bottom half of Lac in the 2000 bowl - just how decent an intermediate?
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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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BMF_Skier, I've been to Les Arcs 8 Januarys on the trot and Malgovert has only been open twice. Favourite runs for intermediates / high speed carving - Mont Blanc at 1600, Les Rhodos at Peisey Vallandry, both through the trees. Best top to bottom for advanced thigh burn - Aguille rough to Villaroger. Best lunch on the slopes - Belliou la Fumee at Pre St Espirit. Best squeaky snow away from the Aiguille Rouge - Le Grand Col, but it can be bumpy towards the bottom just before a high speed schuss at the bottom that unnerves the timid intermediate. Best to avoid - anything served by a slow old chair above 1800 - there are more comfortable ways to get to the same slopes. Best on piste lake / ice rink - the return run to the Vanoise Express above Montchavin on the La Plagne side.
Does you moniker indicate that you are a BMF boss, or just a chuffing red like me 
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Mountain Haddock, welcome to snowHeads!
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| Best to avoid - anything served by a slow old chair above 1800 - there are more comfortable ways to get to the same slopes. |
Which lift do you mean? Is that the Col des Frettes chair? That's been dismantled (along with the Arpette chair) and is being replaced by a new high speed lift.
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rob@rar, cheers - I was thinking of tha Charming Todger, Renards, and others that I cannot name but don't really use. The new lift is great news. Have you got suggestions for something I've missed by not using some of the old rattlers? From 1600 there are no alternatives to slow old chairs, which is a bit of an irritation in an otherwise well served system, although good for a rest after banging down Rouelles or through the trees. 
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Mountain Haddock, I like the old rattlers when it's busy as they are often much quieter than the high speed lifts. There's some gentle off-piste off the Charming Todger and I often use Renard if the TransArc is busy as a quicker way of getting in to 2000. I think it's important not to underplay the desirability of a long rest on a slow lift 
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Mountain Haddock, BMF_Skier, I'm with Rob on the slowies here - while Comborciere and Mont Blanc stay as the old rattlers, those runs will remain quiet and peaceful and beautiful.
The kids may like to emulate something we did with ours this year - the 6 village challenge, Starting in 1950 ( where we are based) and ignoring Villaroger because the snow was gone, we visited 2000, 1950 ( again), 1600 1800, Vallandry and Peisey in one route - Reds and blues only.
6 villages, 5 lifts, 4 adults, 3 'under 8s' , 2 skis (each) and 1 day.
We got them to plan the route the night before, rather than just "follow dad", and realistically, were finished in about 4 hours, with plenty of photo and food stops. They had a great time, and loved the responsibility of reading the piste maps for themselves. Starting in 1800 may take a few more lifts, but if it's their trek, something they can plan on!
In the 2000 bowl, you can go blue from the top of the TransArc all the way to Pre St Esprit: (google maps has it at 8km) and you can do that three different ways off the top, they all come together at the bottom of the Marmottes / Bois de L'Ours lifts.
If needing a quick thigh burner - moguls, steep, narrow, icy, all perversions and combinations thereof catered for at different points - the advantage of the bowl and its pistes is you can nip off onto another route and meet up again further down (albeit no blacks on that particular route).
As earlier, the 1800 face has many different routes down, some of which we love, some of which are a bit cat-tracky, but there will be more than enough to explore. Bertie has some good detail for you, and I'd second a lot of his recommendations. But you will find your own favourites too - we've been going since 2002 3 of 4 weeks a season, and still find new bits ( snowcrazy helping friends , who help us! ) to love.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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BMF_Skier, actually, thinking about it, they should be able to plan to do the 6 villages in 5 lifts too - take the TransArc over and down to 2000 - ski via 1950 to Combourciere (or Bois d L'Ours): down to 1600, Cachettes up, thence to 1800, Vagere and across to Vallandry, Grizzly and across to Peisey. Job's a good'un.
Of course, you'll have to let them find the route themselves... 
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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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JimW, There is absolutely nothing wrong with a circular route that doesn't involve blacks!!
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Oops x-post. Still, now you know one way of doing it, you can be the smart-alek the night before while they pore over the map! ( 1600 has a nice little morning beer stop btw... "3 Arcs" ? IIRC) )
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You know it makes sense.
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I really enjoyed the run down from the Aguille Rouge to Villaroger. Long way, but it was one of the best days skiing I've had. Black from the top, some moguls, but it does get easier, and there's a nice coffee stop.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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BMF_Skier, Megamum, oh well, I guess it's hard to get a room if you live a long way from each other.
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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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Hurtle, He started it!!
Mind you, you have also been to stay in the same appt. haven't you? Did you have any favourite runs?
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Megamum, I especially loved all the runs in the trees around the Derby chair - never anyone on them when I was there (in March). The situation of the apartment is brilliant: we used to flog one area to death, as it were, come back for lunch and then choose another one for the afternoon. No real need to spend a whole day trying to cover the entire domain, unless that's your particular bag. Beware Malgovert, though, as bertie bassett said, the red rating is distinctly misleading, especially if the snow's a bit thin. 
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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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Hurtle, Malgovert def. goes on the suspect list. It's those sort of bogies that I, at least, still find its useful to be aware of (even though I get taken the mickey taken out me by him above). I've learned a lot, and was able to get down all the reds I tried in Val Thorens, I've even negotiated the odd short black, but I'd sooner not knock the newly found confidence by something insurmountable if I can help it. If there was a position where I could get a good look at it before being committed to skiing it that would be best.
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Hurtle, Thanks for the warning. With some good weather we'd certainly like to get a good overview of the area. I'm not a piste bagger though. Hopefully on one day a trip over VE cable to La Plagne.
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Megamum,
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If there was a position where I could get a good look at it before being committed to skiing it
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You can't see all the difficulties until you're well and truly on it. There are some delightful picnic spots overlooking it, by the way. I think I gave one or two picnic-ers a few laughs. 
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Malgovert is an experience. As in
"Good decisions come from experience. Experience comes from bad decisions."
I love it, it is unique, and you know you've earned your beer once you've completed it. But if you are nervous, or newly converted to reds, or just don't like to find what your limits are, and then go one step further, avoid.
If you look not at the piste map, but at the google earth or walking trails, , you'll see it marked as "Foret de Malgovert", which kind of sums it up: the piste markers are frankly, optional, and it has some of the weirdest, wackiest piste you will ever encounter. But it's not 'off-piste' - you certainly don't want to take fat boys on it! We suspect it was designed after a few genepi's one night - " I bet you can't make a piste over there..." " Oh yeah? wanna bet? (hic). " etc.
Even the Black Deux Tetes alternative way to Mont Blanc is easier imho - I've taken SmallW down that a couple of times in preference - steep, mogully and very icy. Far nicer for youngsters.
Of course, if the the kids see this thread, they will insist... BMF you've been warned.
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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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Picnic spots sound good news - its nice to sometime eat out on the Mountain, but with the kids its not a cheap option, I don't mind taking some sarnies on a nice day to save some cash occasionally, but in VT there were not many picnic spots suitable to stop and grab a bite.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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JimW, I think you should pen the alternative piste guide for Les Arc's - I think that's best description of a piste that I've read on here for a long time.
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