LES ARCS 2012-13: A Rough Guide

If you're in Les Arcs this winter, here are 10 things you can drop into conversations to impress the locals and/or bore your fellow skiers:

1.  The bond with Bourg St Maurice

It's more than just the funicular to 1600: Les Arcs IS Bourg St Maurice's ski resort.  They are marketed jointly as Bourg St Maurice-Les Arcs, they are part of the same local government commune, and there is a daily commute of workers up and down.  Aime's relationship with La Plagne is similar.  Bourg is not a particularly wealthy town, and the economic impact of departure of the Chasseurs Alpins soldiers during Summer 2012 is a big concern.  The locals are called les borains.  People "from Les Arcs" are arcadiens. Locals over at Peisey are peiserots.

Bourg St Maurice, looking towards La Rosiere

2.  Founded by Robert Blanc

The founder of Les Arcs was from a farming family based in Hauteville-Gondon (just outside Bourg), who spent the summers with their sheep in what is now the Arc 2000 valley.  His dream was to come back and see a ski resort above his home town.  Arc Pierre Blanche (now 1600) was duly launched in 1968.  Robert Blanc was killed in an avalanche looking for lost skiers on the road up to 2000 in 1980.  More here.

3.  The resort nearly went bust in the 1980s

It all went a bit horribly wrong for Les Arcs, and a landslide on the road to 1800 did not help.  This prompted a transfer of power away from Blanc's business partner Roger Godino and land was sold to other developers.

4.  A pioneer of snowboarding

Apocalypse Snow...

Les Arcs always fancied itself as a home of les nouvelles glisses, for example in being the capital of the ski evolutif means of teaching beginners.  The Apocalypse Snow films were filmed in Les Arcs during the early 1980s....

5.  The old ski area around Courbaton

When you arrive at Arc 1600 you will see a dilapidated building on your left.  This is the former cable car station from the "old", pre-Les Arcs ski area.  More here.

6.  Intrawest

Arc 1950 was developed by the Canadian developers Intrawest during the early 2000s.  It is much loved by the Brits and, increasingly, by Russians.  The introduction of the Bois de l'Ours and Marmottes lifts were a direct result of the "resort" opening.

7.  Mountain Biking

The Cachette piste above Arc 1600 is a racing (slalom) course during the winter.  In summer there is a serious MTB descent route down its western flank.  If you're driving up to the resort, comment on how difficult the climb is, and remind your friends that this was where Miguel Indurain met his end during the 1996 Tour de France.

The top of the Cachette

8.  Architecture: a national treasure...

Not everyone loves the original architecture.  But it was part of a broader vision, starting on a relatively small scale at 1600, and moving on to the mass-construction methods deployed in Arc 1800 and later Arc 2000.  You can go on a tour if you are staying in 1600 and 1800, and you can read all about it here and here.

Pierra Menta, Arc 1800 (1978)

9.   Paradiski

The new lift to La Plagne opened in 2003.  Although no-one ever actually admits it, traffic between the two stations is far lower than predicted, but Paradiski must go down as a success in being able to promote La Plagne and Les Arcs as one of the top ski destinations in Europe.  More on the link here.

10.  Local sports

When you drive through Bourg St Maurice, comment on FC Haute Tarentaise, which is based in both Bourg and Aime - two towns together etc.  You may also see the Isere bubbling away.  This is one of the best white water rafting sites in Europe.  On the slopes you may see the Les Arcs' Ski Club training in their day-glo suits.  They are one of the best development squads in France.  The most famous local skier, however, is a "Plagnard", namely Jean-Luc Cretier.

JAMES BOND ON SKIS

James Bond didn't get where he is today without being a good skier.

This clip from On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) credits Zermatt, but there's no mention of this in the Wikipedia entry for the film.

This may be the most famous clip of all.  From the top of Murren's Shilthorn, the Escape from Piz Gloria.  Includes some impressive descending by Bond on one ski:

The scene from The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) is apparently (mostly) shot in St Moritz:

For Your Eyes Only (1981), filmed in Cortina, includes the famous but tragic bobsleigh scene - it saw one of the stuntmen killed on the final day of filming.  More here.

This clip from A View To A Kill (1985) includes what may be the first appearance of snowboarding in a Bond film (after 0.46).  Although billed as "Siberia", it was shot in Iceland.

From The World Is Not Enough (1999), here's Chamonix, pretending to be the Caucasus:

Finally, from @coulson_tom, a "mash-up" bringing the whole bizarre set of scenes together:

SKI SEASON 2012/13: THE BRITISH MARKET

The economic crisis has brought with it a sharp decline in the number of Brits on the pistes, and some quite marked changes in where we go.  The clear winner in this difficult market is Austria - click here for a handy guide to the resorts.

The most comprehensive set of data over time comes from Crystal, who seem to be compiling the information on the market in a reasonably consistent way.  Here's the 2012 report.

The headline is that the total number of British skiers in 2011/12 was 894,700, a 1.8% decline on the previous season.  

However, this compares to 1,227,000 in 2007/8, so we are talking about a 27% fall compared with pre-crisis.  Indeed there are now fewer Brits going skiing than there were in 2000/01, when 921,000 hit the slopes.

Crystal's figures show 57% going with an operator, and 30% travelling independently. They also report a decline in the school market, something which @ernalow highlight as a cause for concern in their analysis of the data.

By county, there are some big changes.  Here's the Top 7 in 2011/12:

La Thuile, Piemonte

1. FRANCE: 34.6%

2. AUSTRIA: 27.9

3. ITALY: 15.4

4. Andorra: 6.5

5. Switzerland: 4.9

6. USA/Canada: 4.5

7. Bulgaria: 2.7

And, back in 2006/7:

1. FRANCE: 37.1

2. AUSTRIA: 19.0

3. ITALY: 13.8

4. Andorra: 11.1

5. USA/Canada: 7.9

6. Switzerland: 5.1

7. Bulgaria: 2.8

By my maths, this means that the total number of skiers going to Austria has risen, from 130,000 to 143,000.  Although their market share is down on 5 years ago, France has improved its relative position, and with the Compagnie des Alpes increasingly in charge of the show, and the quality of accommodation still improving, does look ready to hold its own at the very least.

The picture in Switzerland, on the other hand, is quite acute, with the latest release glumly reporting a 30% fall on 2008/9.  See this report from @Planetski, including details - and a promotional video - of what the Swiss are doing to fight back.  The North Americans, meanwhile, are having a terrible time, and investment in infrastructure is now at its worst for years.  Crystal do report, however, that Whistler is doing well.

Aiguille Rouge, Les Arcs - looking towards Tignes

Another way of looking at this data comes from @skipedia, who recently reported on the total number of skier days - this being the metric used more in Europe as a benchmark. This shows a 17% decline since 2007/8, from 8.5m to 7.1m.

WHERE TO SKI? Winners and Losers 1995-2013

The excellent Where to Ski and Snowboard 2013 is now available - it's easily the best guide to resorts, their rude comments about Les Arcs' architecture notwithstanding.

As its name suggests, it's an annual publication, which first appeared in 1995.  A look at that first book tells us which resorts have maintained and/or strengthened their position, and which are on the wane, at least in the British market.

One change, of course, has been in the title of the book - the original guide did not include the word "Snowboard", although there was a chapter devoted to the growth of "Le Surf", as the French used to call it.

"It is estimated that by the year 2000, 

one in three people riding the lifts 

will be a snowboarder"

Not sure if the snowboarder ratio ever got to quite that level; certainly in Les Arcs last year, the number wasn't getting much above 10%.

Back to the resorts.  Then - and now - the bulk of the guide is devoted to chapters on the main destination.  There were more chapters in 1995 than in the latest edition, with the net effect being there are more resorts who have "lost" their individual chapters than there are winners/newcomers.

In France, the winners - each now proudly boasting their own chapter - are Samoens, La Tania and Les Gets.  The losers are La Clusaz, Les Contamines, Valloire, Isola 2000 and Valmorel.

In Austria, the main winner this year is Soelden.  It was in the original guide, but then lost its place, and has now been rightly restored as "Austria's best kept secret", with its 130km of pistes, near-2000m vertical descent and, er, varied nightlife.

Hochsoelden

WTSS 2013 also gives good coverage to the Vorarlberg region.

A number of Austrian resorts are no longer covered in detail - the most notable perhaps being Zell am See, Zell am Ziller and St Johann in Tirol.  Each were mainstays of the ski brochures during the 1980s and 1990s.

Other Austrian resorts no longer covered include BKK, Fieberbrunn, Galtur, Innsbruck and Niederau.

In Italy, Bormio is out, with Passo Tonale and the Trentino region on the rise, each boasting a chapter for 2013.

Finally, Switzerland.  Arosa, Flims, Lenzerheide and Les Diablerets no longer justify a chapter.  The rising star is clearly the Val d'Anniviers, with four pages now devoted to Zinal, Grimentz et al.

THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER?

The verdict on the 2011/12 season was something like this: OK-ish in the French Alps, not too good in the Pyrenees and shocking in Switzerland: more here.  For the Austrians, the good news is that they are taking market share from their Swiss rivals.  The less good news is that Austria is down 2% on last year.

Les Arcs' lift system is part of the Compagnie des Alpes
portfolio,  and they're doing rather well.    See their results here

As the excellent @adepierrefeu has uncovered, the big news is that France has overtaken the US as the No1 ski country.  This is not the result of a stellar French season in 2011/12 (up a modest 3%); it's due to a drastic fall in the US numbers, down 16%.  The US saw the worst season since 1991-92.  Europe's poor snowfalls of 2010/11 were replicated last year in the States, with 50% of American resorts opening late and 48% closing early - particularly unwelcome when skier numbers will not grow as a "natural result" of growing incomes and optimism about the future.  You can read the release from the US National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) here.

Using these figures, it looks like the recent "evolution" for French skiing, measured by the number of ski days each year, are as follows:

2008/9:    58.5m

2010/11:  53.7m

2011/12:  55.3m

If the decline in France has been halted, things don't seem quite so good the other side of the border, if this summer's figures are anything to go by.  Via @snowslider, we find Swiss hotels registering a 7% fall in hotel stays during July compared with the previous year, with a particularly sharp fall in the Lake Geneva region.  Switzerland is being quite successful in attracting Russian and Chinese visitors, but the numbers remain small, and are yet to offset the decline in visitors from Europe.  It looks like this coming winter could be a difficult one for nos amis Suisses.

Cause for Lucerne?  Hard times for the Swiss tourist industry

LES ARCS AND THE SMALL SCREEN: 10 Videos

Here, in no particular order, are ten videos all about Les Arcs and its environs.

1.  The Beginning of the End for Miguel Indurain

Tour de France, 1996.  "Big Mig" has a jour sans on the road to Les Arcs.  Chris Boardman finds it a tad tricky too.  More here..

2.  Top Gear aux Arcs

Watch Hammond et al descend from Arc 1950 to Villaroger.  By car.  Racing against the locals.  On skis.

3.  Skiing Today

Courtesy of my daughter.

4.  Ski Joering:

Les Arcs seems to be one of the few places to practice this, er, unique activity.

5.  Tour de France 2009

Sadly, they stopped in Bourg St Maurice rather than making the climb up to Les Arcs.  And the winner of the stage was later tested positive.  More here.

6.  The 7e BCA

The Chasseurs Alpins have now left Bourg St Maurice - a big event, and one which will take some adapting to on a whole range of levels.

7.  Mountain Biking on the Cachette

The red run above 1600 morphs into a notable VTT descente in summmer:

8.  Panorama

This starts rather higher up, and gives a wonderful overview of Les Arcs' terrain during the summer.

9.  Welcome to Paradise

It's hard to love the official Paradiski branding but hey ho:

                          

10.  The "LA Session"

I think the days of these February meetings have now gone, but they were quite something...

A WEEK IN ARC 1800: The Non-Skier's Guide

Updated 10 Feb 2013

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.