GOING DOWNHILL FAST: The Bobsleigh Track at La Plagne

5/10/13

Olympic Games fever: This month sees Ferrari spending time at the La Plagne track as they test their new 2-man bob for the Italian bobsleigh team.

Updated 22/12/12

The La Plagne bobsleigh track was built for the 1992 Albertville Olympic Games::

Albertville was awarded the Games in 1986, and the track was built between 1988 and 1990; more here.

It's the only track in France, and appeared as part of the disastrous Annecy 2018 bid. (Here's some footage of the anti-JO campaign celebrating, by the way).

Indeed, given that it is the only one in France, it also formed part of the Grenoble 2018 bid as well (the venue for the 1968 Olympics, along with Nice, losing out to Annecy for the right to be France's "candidate city").  It's worth a look at the Grenoble promotional video, as it's truly dreadful:

Annecy's loss was a big blow to the La Plagne track; 6m€ were spent on the track in 2008, and it costs 800-900,000€ to keep it going each year.  In an article in Le Dauphiné last year, the Mayor of La Plagne put a brave face on things, but did say that they will need to redouble their marketing efforts to attract people to the site - more here.

For the moment, the track doesn't seem to be falling into dispute.  Indeed it hosted a round of the Bobsleigh World Cup in 2012, and is open for business until 7 April.

Here's a link to the La Plagne bobsleigh club's site.  And from the official site, here's the "Bob Experience".  Last season's prices ranged from 39€ for a place in an automatic "bob-raft" (80km/h)  to 111€ for 3 people to go in the real thing, together with a professional driver, and reach 120 km/h....

You can read more about what it's like to take the trip in this Guardian article from December 2012.

THERE IS POWER IN A UNION: L'Union des Propriéteres pour la Défense des Arcs

An isolated town, which has just lost its army base.  A large ski resort with a surplus of studio apartments, mostly owned by private individuals who leave them empty for much of the year ("lits froids").  The desire of developers to build on virgin sites.  A flat market for winter holidays, and a summer season that barely keeps things ticking over.   Here's an overview of some of the local issues and controversies.

Before Edenarc: The Chantel site

One voice in the local scene is the Union des Propriétaires pour la Défense des Arcs (UPDA), set up in 1992 by 30 propriétaires from Villards (Arc 1800).  They had become fed up with how their copropriétés were being managed, and increasingly clear that they needed to develop a common voice against the lift company, local council etc.

Today the UPDA boasts 1800 members (out of a total of 3,800 propriétaires in Arc 1800 and Arc 2000).  They say they are making progress in transforming Les Arcs into a station where the apartment owners are taking an interest in the future of their resort, and point to a number of successes in their various battles.  Here are some of them:

1. The La Maitaz plateau - victory has just been announced in the fight to stop a new hotel being built at the edge of Charmetogger, on the green piste/summer road to Vallandry.  This is a special site, beautiful in summer and winter, and its preservation is great news.

2. Clashes with the local mairie.  The UPDA is clear that all the electors are in the valley, while much of the money is collected at altitude, not least from the taxes paid by the propriétaires.  "Pay up and shut up" is the local maxim, it seems.  Some of this unhappiness was evident in the debates over the setting up of the new car parking charges for Arc 1800.  They continue to campaign for more transparence, and more of a neutral stance from the municipality.

3.  Dismantling the monopoly of the SMA (the former lift company, which controlled just about everything in the resort, including renting apartments, ski shops etc).  It claims some success here, pointing to an increase in property values (the arrival of Paradiski and investment by the Compagnie des Alpes, Intrawest etc may also have contributed here....).  There has been a long-standing dispute about who pays for the Golf course (now resolved), and there remains a lot of unhappiness about parking in Villards which I haven't quite fathomed out.

The shopping area at Charvet, Arc 1800

4. Moving the resort upmarket - the UPDA is campaigning for moving the marketing/positioning of the resort upmarket, and becoming more familial.  It points to its various plus points: the "avant-gardiste" architecture, the beauty of the site, the pedestrian villages.  And it is aghast at the "barbaric hordes" who show up on coaches with their "packs of discount beers", not to mention some "poorly chosen" seasonal workers - the result of the misguided mass-market strategies of the SMA and its successors Pierre & Vacances, Maeva etc.  (I'm sure the forthcoming visitors from Staffordshire, Surrey and Coventry universities do not fall under this category....)

5. Improving security - they have been unhappy with the lack of attention played by the local police notably the gendarmerie of Bourg St Maurice.

*****

The founder of the Union, Gilbert Driancourt, died in 2009.  But the UPDA continues, for example in its work to ensure that the annual meeting of the copropriétes are quorate, and the views of the propriétaires are heard.

LE TOURNOI DES 6 STATIONS: Allez La Plagne!

Updated 16 January 2013

This winter sees a new competition coming to the Alps - snow rugby.  Enter Le Tournoi des 6 Stations, which will take place during the rest period of the annual Six Nations tournament.  Official website here, and the latest news, including captains of the teams, here.

Rugby is no stranger to the area.  Tignes regularly hosts beach rugby competitions during the summer, and it is a favourite training camp for Stade Francais.

But this new competition, brainchild of @yanndelaige, will take place in the middle of winter, and indeed right in the middle of the French school holidays.  It is a "new, fresh and original" concept, says Yann.  A melange of slalom and rugby sevens is promised, and stars of rugby (including Marc & Thomas Lievremont, Serge Betson) and the ski slopes (Luc Alphand, Antoine Deneriaz) have signed up.  Orangina and Peugeot have signed up too:

Press Conference in Paris, November 2012

The event takes place between 26 Feb and 3 March, with the final chapter taking place at La Clusaz apparently.  The other participating resorts are La Plagne, Les Menuires, Courchevel, Valmorel and Chamonix.

One of the aims is to initiate people into rugby.  Of the "Top 14", only Stade Francais and Racing Metro are located outside its southern heartlands, so presumably the idea is that the sport has quite a lot of untapped potential.

There's more background here in the official video of the press conference, which include a heroic photo shoot in front of the Arc de Triomphe.

What is worth a look is the official trailer, which shows you what playing rugby sevens with crampons is really like....

Alongside the website, you can follow developments Le Tournoi's Facebook Page.

LES ARCS v LA PLAGNE: Head-to-head

When it comes to Les Arcs and La Plagne, in many ways it really is too close to call.  La Plagne's ski area is very slightly bigger; Les Arcs is (according to Where to Ski and Snowboard) very slightly cheaper.  Both have skiing from over 3000m down to 1200m. Neither is particularly good for non-skiers.  Etc.

La Plagne has to win on its more creative marketing, and they did a good job at publicising their 50th anniversary last year.  More here.

Below are three further areas where I'd put La Plagne ahead of Les Arcs....

1. Loads more mountain restaurants

Cross over from the Peisey side, and the contrast is marked.  La Plagne has miles more places to eat than Les Arcs, and the Montchauvin/Les Coches area seems particularly well served.

2. A richer Tour de France history

The dramatic "it's Stephen Roche!!"arrival on the line in 1987 (in La Plagne) has to beat Les Arcs' claim to fame as the climb which signalled the end of the Miguel Indurain era. Click on the links for more on La Plagne and Les Arcs in Le Tour.

3. A more extensive glacier

The La Plagne glacier is more extensive than its counterpart at the top of the Aiguille Rouge, and was open for summer skiing until relatively recently.  There's investment going in here too, with a new lift for 2012/13.

And here's where Les Arcs has the edge:

1. Historic architecture

Yes, really!  Les Arcs had a "grand plan" which was followed reasonably consistently during the 1968-1980 period, as Arc 1600, 1800 and then 2000 took shape.  It's now got a "historic site of France" label, and you can treat yourselves to tours of both 1600 and 1800.  More here.

Hotel du Golf, Arc 180

2. Easier to get to, easier to explore

Bourg St Maurice beats Aime for having the bigger train and bus station, and of course for the funiculaire direct to Arc 1600.  Connections to La Rosiere, Tignes and Val d'Isere are easy even for those without a car.

3. A Premier League snowpark

La Plagne's park is OK, but the Les Arcs set-up is widely viewed as one of the best in France:

4. Vertical drop

The 2000m descent from Aiguille Rouge to Villaroger gives Les Arcs the lead here, at least in terms of official pistes (there are some pretty long runs down from the Bellecote glacier.....)

Villaroger in April

LES ARCS v LA PLAGNE: Le Marketing

With the ski season approaching fast, it's local derby time.  Which one is best - La Plagne...or Les Arcs?  Here's a first installment....

Setting the two resorts head-to-head, there can only be one winner when it comes to marketing.  Les Arcs 0 - 1 La Plagne.

Let's look at the logos first.  You can still see the original "Les Arcs" logo in some parts of the resort, including on the Varet gondola.  It was replaced by the new version in the early 2000s - and both are pleasing designs....


I am less in love with the ghastly Arc 1950 logo, which lacks any character or subtlety whatsoever.  A bit like Arc 1950 itself, one might say:

Meanwhile, over in La Plagne we have THE classic logo.  On the one hand, it's deeply silly.  But it's stood the test of time, going through various reincarnations, and is a lot of fun.  There really can only be one winner!

La Plagne also wins in terms of having the best website.  

It's not quite as flashy as the Les Arcs site, but there's a lot more there.  Basically it's been given more love and attention, and it shows.

On the La Plagne site, take the "virtual flight tour" under "Guide", to get yourself salivating ahead of your next visit...

Another (non official) site is the excellent www.perso-laplagne.fr  which includes an "exhibition" of La Plagne's marketing through the years, including skipass designs etc here.

 

On the Les Arcs side, there is an excellent website called http://www.espace-arcadien.fr/ which is packed with history etc, albeit updated less frequently.

More on websites of the Tarentaise here.

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: