SEASON 2011/12: Some Stats

Although there wasn't a huge amount of snow during the second half of the season, the huge falls between mid-December and mid-January make this one of the best for some time, and there are great conditions in the Northern Alps for the last few weeks of the season.  It's not clear yet how good the season has been from a business point of view - but the good snow cover has clearly helped.

At one point, Les Arcs claimed to have the highest snow-depths in the world, and it was competing against Tignes/Val d'Isere as to who could open the access roads the quickest.

Place Miravidi, Arc 1800

Here are some useless statistics from the 2011/12 season in Les Arcs:

1 new skilift (the Mont Blanc at 1600)

Snowboard ratio: 13% of slope users at Christmas, 9% this Easter

61% of slope users are wearing helmets

No of ESF instructors seen wearing helmets: 2

Property news: 

27,500€ for a studio at Plan Devin, Arc 1600

224,000-764,000€ for your new Edenarc residence

Edenarc Phase 1

Snow depths:

5 Jan: 145cm lower, 300cm upper

5 Apr: 115cm lower, 244cm upper 

Number of Twitter followers at 6 April 2012:

@LesArcs: 1,212

@LesArcsEN: 298 (the English language version)

PEISEY-VALLANDRY

Peisey-Vallandry used to be a bit of a backwater, tucked away at the far end of Les Arcs' skiing, with some brilliant red runs served by ancient chairlifts.

Today it's most certainly on the up - the Dutch are particularly in love with it, and the arrival of the Vanoise Express link has been followed by more developments, including a Club Med and some new lifts.

It's probably not the place for beginners - the nursery slopes are good, but at the top of the chairlifts, which is hardly ideal.  And there is much cheaper accommodation available in Les Arcs.  Getting to know the local place names: Landry, Plan-Peisey, Peisey-Nancroix, Vallandry....it's something of a challenge.  Minor niggles aside, it certainly has a lot going for it.

1.  The Climb Up

For cyclists, this is a not particularly well-known route.  Most people take the main road to Les Arcs and remind themselves of where Indurain came to grief in 1996.  This is a much tougher climb, with more hairpins, steeper gradients and a nightmare last 3kms.  You can continue the torment by cycling onwards via Arc 1800 and 1600 to the savage climb that runs from Comborciere to Arc 2000.  In winter, you will need chains if it snows.  No question!

2.  The Nancroix valley

This is the gateway to the Vanoise national park from this part of the Tarentaise.  There are loads of beautiful walks in summer, and in winter it's a mecca for ski de fond and biathlon.

3.  An Old Village

The ski resorts of Plan Peisey and Vallandry are basically new, and have been developed since the 1980s.  But there is a genuinely old and characterful village of Peisey-Nancroix just below, at 1300m, and served by a small bucket lift.  Together with Villaroger, this is really the only rustic option on the Les Arcs side of Paradiski.

4.  The New Lift

Suddenly, Peisey is at the centre of things - if you do want to cover the La Plagne-Les Arcs circuit, this is the place to do it.

5.  Flattering Red Runs

There is a pretty extensive selection of red runs served by the three main chairlifts - they tend to be fairly quiet, and are great after a snowfall.  Can be icy lower down, mind, and beware the lower section of the blue Retour Peisey run - probably the hardest blue in the resort!

6.  La Combe

A wonderful red run away from the lifts.  With a guide you can ski to....

7.  Notre-Dame-des-Vernettes

Also a great summer excursion - for example it's about half an hour downhill from the top of the Vallandry lift.  Or you can take the easy walk from Peisey.  Or you can take a much longer walk from the top of the Transarc.  Which brings us to:

8.   1000m of descent

The run from the top of the Transarc, at 2600m, to the Hotel de la Vanoise, and a nice lunch, is a minor classic.  

9.   New lifts

With the advent of the new Grizzly lift a few years ago (built to serve the Club Med development), and the arrival of Le Derby (the key link to Arc 1800/2000), queues are now rarely an issue.

10.  A local website

www.peisey-info.com complements the official site nicely!

TWEETERS OF THE TARENTAISE

Here's an overview of the various websites covering the resorts and villages in the Tarentaise.

To keep in touch on a day-to-day basis, we have Twitter...

So...here's a Rough Guide to some of the local Tweeters (Updated for December 2013....)

Summit of Grizzly lift, Peisey Vallandry

@LesArcs: the official account - they don't tweet too often, but are friendly folk
@LesArcsEN: as above, but in English
@lesarcsfilmfest: more of a seasonal tweeter.  Even if you're not a film fan it's worth a follow for the pre-season build up to the event each December
@laplagneactu: The official La Plagne twitter feed
@peiseyvallandry: ditto for Peisey
@la_rosiere1850: ditto - only 15 mins from Bourg to the Les Ecudets lift...

Above Notre-Dame-des-Vernettes, Peisey Vallandry

@simplyvaldisere: for latest updates on what's happening in Val
@guidespacekilly: for slightly poetic take on the ski season, and great photos
@tignesprgirls: the official press feed from Tignes
@tignesspirit: for real fans of Tignes
@mylaplagne: a real advocate of La Plagne, complete with apartment at Plagne 1800
@simplysavoie: for latest expeditions walking, snowshoeing etc
@skivillaroger: for the latest about...Villaroger
@SimonAtkinson66, boss of the ESF at La Rosiere
@ABSERTI: for latest properties for sale in Les Arcs
@chillchalet: seem to be keener on snowboarding and MTB than skiing and road cycling, but nobody's perfect...

@ledauphine: comprehensive news site, covering a large area of Rhone-Alpes, as well as further south

@ernalow: travel company which covers a big range of resorts, but are big fans of Les Arcs and La Plagne....

THE GREAT DESCENT: Aiguille Rouge to Villaroger

Updated 13 Jan 2013

Les Arcs' finest run is the Aiguille Rouge descent, which takes you from 3200m all the way down to 1200m.  In days of old it was a black, then it was (more appropriately) graded red.  Now it's back to black again - presumably to make the skiers making the trip feel good about themselves.  There are various by-passes and alternative black/blue options as you get lower down.  One of the hardest pistes is a short black section (marked red on the piste map...) in the Planay area.

The Villaroger area was opened in 1982.  It all feels very old fashioned and rustic, certainly compared with Arc 2000.  The lifts are slow, the mountain steeper, and the snow tricker.  As the Espace Arcadien site points out, the lifts really ageing now, but there's little need for an upgrade given the small numbers who make it over here.  Allow 20 minutes to get yourself back to the foot of the Drosets lift.

You start by getting the James-Bond style cable car above Arc 2000.  Note the architecture of the cable car station - it is has been awarded a special architecture of the 20th century award.  For more on Les Arcs' architecture click here.

Most of the shots here were taken during April, which means you start off in winter in the haute montagne and finish in a green-white spring setting down in Villaroger.  A beer in La Ferme is the target.

Ski-trainspotters can revel in being able to see the slopes of La Plagne, La Rosiere, Ste-Foy and Tignes during the descent.  Here's the Grande Motte from the Aiguille Rouge summit.

The Bellecote summit of La Plagne reaches similar heights. But the Aiguille Rouge summit feels higher somehow.  There is no restaurant - just a first aid post.  And, of course, a 360 degree view - these folk are looking over towards the Beaufortain
and Moutiers.

At the foot of the glacier you take a right towards Villaroger, rather than taking the direct route down to Arc 2000:




If you are having a leisurely descent, stop at the Solliet restaurant below the Droset chair.  You used to often see the husky dogs here.  They had a kennel down by the Comborciere lift, and took their guests over to the Solliet for a chocolat chaud.   This season, chief musher Hervé has moved the dogs over to Arc 1800, so he can be closer to the bulk of his clients.

The Solliet changed hands a few years ago, and has recently been extended.  It's a fine place to stop, with views towards Le Monal, Le Miroir and Ste-Foy.



The piste below the Solliet gets very heavy during late season 

afternoons, and doesn't keep its snow particularly well.

On to the home run, just above Villaroger.  By now you are likely to be all alone.

Just above Le Pré (Villaroger), the piste/winter ends, and the footpath/spring begins.

The view across to the Villaroger chair lift.  Anyone coming from Tignes or Val d'Isere for the day should park here rather than trek round to Bourg St-Maurice.

As you can see, every effort is made to keep the run open until April, and there is now artificial snow-making on the lower slopes.   Here's a more wintery view, from January 2013:

                                        

Given its relative fame, there are of course various videos to be found on YouTube.  

This one seems as good as any:

EAT FOR A WEEK IN LES ARCS: A (sort of) Gourmet Guide

Les Arcs is far from being one of the top resorts when it comes to mountain restaurants. In fact, it's fair to say that there simply aren't enough of them.  The contrast with La Plagne is marked.  The Montchauvin/Les Coches area seems to have more places to eat than the entire Les Arcs area.  And over at Plagne Centre, there are many many restaurants to choose from.  Arc 1800 has Chez Boubou.

It's hardly the end of the world, however.  Here are six very different restaurants you could visit during a week's ski break.

Day 1: Above 1800: Blanche Murée

Probably our favourite over the years.  Good in a bad weather day, with a nice terrace where you can drink cheap rosé when the sun is out.  About 12-13€ for a plat du jour.  If you are charming and try to speak French, you may get a free genepi at the end.

Day 2: Bad weather day: The Arpette

This is a bit of a service-station below the snowpark, but usually buzzing as it's a real meeting point.  It changed hands recently, and the owners have now bought the former Poudreuse on the Peisey-Vallandry slopes. It's a good place to be when the weather is really bad, and there is a restaurant with cosy fire if you want to upgrade. There is a large terrace outside if the weather is good, including an Austrian-style "schnee-bar" (kind of).

Day 3: Excursion: Villaroger, La Ferme

The Villaroger side of the mountain is a big contrast to the main Arc 2000 motorway bowl. It's steep(ish), takes you over into another valley, and has some very retro slow lifts. There's also never really anyone there.  Ski all the way down to Le Pré, and have lunch at La Ferme, which is a proper old hamlet, just by the lift.  The picture below is a bit harsh, as it was taken in April!

Day 4: Above Peisey: Hotel de la Vanoise

This is a nice Logis de France, with a good menu.  More expensive than Blanche Murée but cheaper than Chalet de l'Arc (see below).  Try the Quiche Lorraine.  It's upgraded itself in recent years, with a new spar and indoor pool.  Be in Arc 2000 at about 1145, take the Arcabulle lift up, and then ski all the way down to Peisey - more than 1,000m of vertical before lunch, the perfect run!  It's just above the Peisey chair.  Again, the picture attached is a little harsh, as it was mid-April.  Views over to the Nancroix valley are very good.

Day 5: Running out of money: Arcabulle Cafe

This is a new establishment in the Arc 2000 bowl, with a great outdoor area, and cheap prices.  For example you can buy pizza in slices and beer in cans.  A good option if you are starting to feel your holiday money draining away.

Day 6: Blow-out: Chalet de l'Arc

This is getting quite well known away from Les Arcs, and visiting skiers from La Plagne tend to make a bee-line for it.  It has some enticing tables inside and out, and a fairly unique menu (at least for Les Arcs).  Try the mince beef or cheese pie, or the outrageously large pasties.  Prices are on the higher side.  And the service is rarely that personal.  But you should probably go there at least once.  It even has its own website.

Elsewhere

Personal views of course, but I'm less keen on the places in Arc 1950 (Chalet Luigi, for example) which have Val d'Isere prices and lack soul.  The Creche restaurant at the top of the Transarc is good for drinks but over-priced for lunch, given it's self-service etc.  If you ski down to Arc 1800, the restaurants at Place Miravidi are all open for lunch - you can ski to them if you take the descent below the Chantel MGM apartments.  Le Solliet above Villaroger has great views, though haven't been there for a while.

THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC: Alpine Pop Videos

I am sure there are more, but here are four....in honour of those who felt moved to place their music against an Alpine backdrop.

Star billing, of course, goes to Wham's Last Christmas.  This is the extended, seven minute, version...

For me, the most bizarre of all is The Police doing an alternative Don't Stand So Close To Me video, complete with impeccable Santa mogul-bashing skiers, and Sting stripping off.  Can this be real?

A few years earlier, we find Abba appearing on the BBC's snowtime special, with "What's the Name of the Game".  February 1979, Les Diablerets.  Although in this account of the shoot, Benny says he was born with "skis on his feet", I think the Swiss Ski School might have a word or two to say about their style, shoulders etc....

Also in 1979, and also in Switzerland, we have The Jacksons.  I believe this was shot in Leysin.

And it was 40 years ago that we had Tom Jones in the snow, Walking in a Winter Wonderland.  Can't locate the venue for this one, I'm afraid.

THE ALBERTVILLE OLYMPICS: 20 Years On

The Albertville Olympics were the last to be held on the same year as the summer games.  They were the first to have a unified German team and a "Unified team" from the former Soviet republics.  Both did rather well - here's the medal table.

Albertville saw off Sofia and Falun (Sweden) to win the games, and follow Grenoble (1968) and Chamonix (1924).  Nineteen years later, Annecy, having beaten Nice and Grenoble for the French candidature, flopped dismally against Munich and the victorious Pyeongchang (South Korea).

It's an unprepossessing place, pop 17,000, at the junction of the Combe de Savoie (the flat valley from Chambery/Grenoble), the Tarentaise, Beaufortain, and Val d'Arly.  A bit like Penrith being the venue for a British version.

The venues for the Games were of course mainly in the various ski stations, and the RN90 was upgraded, putting an end to some monstrous traffic jams.

Some of the facilities you will see in resort today are a direct result of the games - for example the rather excellent ice rink at Meribel.

The speed skiing was held at Les Arcs, and marred by the death of Swiss speed skier Nicolas Bochatay on the morning of the event.

The downhill race was on La Face de Bellevard Val d'Isere, with Graham Bell finishing 33rd, just behind brother Martin (29th).

This was of course four years after Eddie the Eagle's triumphant Calgary tour de force (cue video):

There were actually some pretty strong British performances at Albertville.  For example Wilf Reilly finished 5th in the 1,000 metres short-track speed skating.

Perhaps the highlight of the speed skating, however, came from Austria:

The second notable performance was the British team at the Bobsleigh track in La Plagne, who were 6th in the 2-man and 7th in the 4-man, beating our French rivals on both occasions...

Although I can find no record of this on the results website, apparently Australia had a bobsled team in the 8-man section to complement Glenn Turner and Paul Narracott in the 2-man.  You can see a reunion of these fine athletes here:

Twenty years on, the future of the Bobsleigh course in La Plagne (the only one in France) is by no means assured.  It's not helped by being outside the resort and indeed relatively isolated half way up the Tarentaise.  More here and here.