Some of the best film and TV moments were of course shot in the mountains, for example many of the best James Bond scenes and unforgettable pop videos by Wham, the Police and the Jacksons. Not to mention the, er, iconic Apocalypse Snow, shot on Les Arcs' slopes in 1983:
But a number of resorts have developed their own niche in hosting film festivals, as part of their bids to broaden their appeal - for example in Les Arcs.
The season kicks off above Bourg St Maurice with the Les Arcs Film Festival which runs from 14-21 Dec. This year includes a special focus on film from "Yugoslavian countries", for example the 2011 Serbian/Macedonian production "Punk's Not Dead":
Prior to all this excitement, next week sees the 30th Mountain Film Festival taking place at Autrans, over in the Vercors:
Les Arcs has a number of cinemas: Bourg St Maurice (which has a special architecture of the 20th century label), Arc 1600, Arc 1800, Arc 1950...
But it has only recently had its own film festival.
It's never been a resort which opens really early, ie the minute December arrives and there's enough snow. It's too far from Geneva & Lyon, and has no "special features" like the glaciers of Tignes or Les 2 Alpes.
The Film Festival has become a real focal point around the start of the season. Without it, the slopes would be the preserve of Staffordshire, Surrey and Coventry universities (who are on the agenda for this season).
It started slowly, but seems to have found its niche. More here. The idea is that it is an opportunity for independent film from across Europe to get a good airing. Each year there is a "special focus" (Belgium in 2012), and each year there are various meetings and workshops for film makers, producers, etc.
Les Arcs cannot claim to be the best destination for non-skiers. All is not lost, however. Here are some things to do if you are going to be in Arc 1800 for a week, and have some time to kill....
SATURDAY
Take the bus to 1600 and then the funicular down to the market in Bourg Saint Maurice. The Grand Rue is quite animated, and the assembled stalls sell more cheese, ham and jam than you can shake a stick at. There's even a horse butcher. It starts at 8 and is over by lunchtime, so you'll need to be organised. After lunch you could have a swim in the municipal pool, which is on the road to Tignes and Les Arcs.
SUNDAY
To the top of the Transarc to see the Grotte de Glace. This is actually quite good - each year there is a different theme. During November they create an ice cave, and then expert sculptors do their thing. The only downside is that the adjacent restaurant (La Creche) isn't Les Arcs' finest. But it's a good place to meet skiers and the view from the terrace looking over to the Nancroix valley is great. The Transarc is one of the lifts open to non-skiers (see below).
MONDAY
Snow-shoe walking. This "snow art" below the Varet lift (below) was created by a gifted snow-shoer, by the way. (Search for "Simon Beck" on Google to see his latest work). There are quite a lot of organised outings - Arc Aventures have a daily programme, as do the ESF in both 1800 and 1600. Some outings go from the top of the Tranarc; others in the forests above 1800 and particularly in the 1600/Courbaton sector.
TUESDAY
Les chiens de traineau are not cheap, but it is an amazing experience. Their kennels have now moved from the Comborciere lift to Arc 1800, so the dogs can be closer to their clients. More here.
WEDNESDAY
Check in at the Hotel du Golf. You can get good deals out of high season if you book direct. And they now have a small pool/spa complex which will be nice and quiet during the day.
THURSDAY
Running out of options here, but today might be the day to take the bus round to Arc 2000 and meet your skiing chums at the Chalets de l'Arc (more on restaurants in Les Arcs here.) Pedestrians can (just about) make it to the Varet lift, and onwards to the Aiguille Rouge at 3226m).
If it snows or rains, the option of going to see a film in Arc 1800 and Arc 1600 is sadly no longer available. (The cinema in Bourg St Maurice on the main road is a listed building by the way). Occasionally some of the big blockbusters are shown in "v.o.", with English subtitles. Of course if you come before Christmas, you can immerse yourself in an entire film festival.
FRIDAY
Connect with the "real France" by going back down to Bourg St Maurice and taking the train to Chambéry, which has a lovely setting, a fine old town and some good shopping.
Chambéry is, by some distance, the largest town in Savoie, is the capital of the department, a university town and one of the few places in the area to vote for the Parti Socialiste. More on the town here.
It is also home to a noted handball team, which regularly records attendances of 5,000+.
AND FINALLY....
The tourist and lift pass offices sell a special "pedestrian guide", which includes one or two other attractions eg the "luge run", which goes from the top of the Transarc down to Arc 2000. A day's lift pass for pedestrians was €16.50 in 2011/12, with the following lifts on offer: Transarc 1 and 2, Arcabulle, Vallandry, Vanoise Express and the Funiculaire.
Les Arcs opens its doors to skiers on 10 December (review of last season here). A few things to look out for this winter:
Things kick off with the not-exactly-world-famous Les Arcs Film Festival , which runs between 10-17 December. There will be 60 films, with a special focus on Italy. There's a bit of a debate about whether the Festival is proving to be a worthwhile initiative, but the commitment has been made, and it's into its 3rd year now. And, although early season snow has been patchy in recent years, it's a good excuse for pre-Xmas visit. Tignes will also be open.
At Arc 1800, the big news this season is the opening of the long-awaited (by some, anyway) Edenarc apartments at the top of the Chantel lift. It took a number of years to sell enough units off-plan, but now the chantier has begun, and stage 1 will be open in December, apparently. Lots more on this at the Edenarc web site which includes a new webcam, showing where they've got to with the works, as well as the beautiful tennis court which will soon fall victim to the bulldozer :(
More noticeable to skiers will be the new lift at 1600, which will replace the old Mont Blanc chair, and open up the Deux-Tetes area. The entire 1600-1800-Peisey Vallandry flank of the mountain (by far the most rewarding part of the ski area) is now covered by fast lifts. For more, see the Building for the Future in Les Arcs posting.
Les Arcs wouldn't be the place it is without Paradiski and its wonderful marketing. You can see this year's delightful "Lord of the Rings" promo here. And, perhaps more to the point, we now have the opportunity to take advantage of the newly launched app.
To "reach out" to fellow Brits with news and views on Les Arcs, you can join the SnowHeads ski forum for Les Arcs here.
Finally, some more links to the various websites around the valley. The official site is at www.lesarcs.com.
All of the resorts have their own sites of course (my favourite is www.pralognan.com). The Les Arcs official site looks quite smart, but loses marks for not being kept up-to-date. For example (on 27/12/11) the link to the piste map is for 2010/11 rather than the new 2011/12 version. Here are some links to some other places on the web:
For Les Arcs: www.espace-arcadien.fr. The content is a tad out-of-date, but has good links to local webcams.
Also for Les Arcs: www.lesarcs.net will sell you chalet/apartment accommodation, but has lots more.
Finally, a bit more of a collector's piece: the Les Arcs film festival. Oh yes. There's still a bit of a debate about whether the investment has been worth the while (the idea was to extend the season, as part of a more "diverse" offer of activities....)
For La Plagne: www.perso-laplagne.fr. This is a great site - lots about new developments, history of the resort, etc etc. La Plagne fans who don't speak French will still enjoy the pictures.
For the weather:Meteo France. This is the local forecast, with "previsions" for the next few days.
For getting excited/depressed about local snow conditions: www.snoweye.com. This has just about every resort in Europe, with various cameras in the big reports...
For cycling: www.grenoblecycling.com. This is based further down the Isere valley, but includes descriptions of most of the main cols in the area. Recent posts include video, which makes it doubly exciting.
To improve your French: www.bourgstmaurice.tv was set up this year by an enterprising local. And the regional newspaper www.ledauphine.com is worth a browse/a follow on Twitter.
