The Les Arcs and Peisey-Vallandry lift companies recently combined to form the not-very-inspiringly-named ADS organisation. In any case, they are owned by the mega Compagnie des Alpes organisation, who oversee many of France's biggest ski areas.
You can extend your day on their slopes by buying a "First Tracks" ticket. This gives you the right to get up the mountain before everyone else, ski with the pisteurs, and have a jolly breakfast.
TheVagere lift, 7.45am
The Arc 1800 version includes taking in the view at the top of the Arpette lift, followed by coffee and croissants in the Arpette. At €10, it is good value, and well worth the early start. It's on Thursday mornings this season, but isn't well advertised; call in at the tourist office and get a copy of the weekly schedule.
Arc 1800 and the Tarentaise
It's also the opportunity to pick up some useless facts...
The 200km of the Les Arcs ski area are groomed by 26 piste bullies (les dameuses)
There are 7 avalanche dogs (all male) who also come in handy for retrieving stray piste markers (les jalons)
"It's just a game to him"
The dogs live with their owner - as opposed to their husky colleagues, who live in a communal kennel.
The first task in the morning is to check there are no nasty surprises on any of the pistes: bare patches, stray lumps of ice left by the piste bullies. Etc. If there has been snow, the dynamite is wheeled out through a complex pulley ("CATEX") system - a vast improvement on the previous method which involved the pisteurs lobbing the explosives into the affected areas.
Then they check all the piste markings.
And then it's "surveillance time" - ie hanging around waiting for accidents to happen. Bringing you back to resort in their blood wagon will cost you at least €600, by the way.
Tools of the trade...
Other ways to extend your ski day in Les Arcs:
1. Wednesday night "Soirée Savoyarde" at the Arpette. It starts after the lifts have closed, and ends in a chaotic torchlit descent.... 2. Night skiing - at Arc 1800 this uses the Chantel lift, so you will spend rather more time going up than going down....
L'Equipe magazine published its league table of the Top 50 resorts in France on 24 November. Scroll through the pictures of the Top 25 resorts to see the full classement.
In a way it's not that controversial, as it covers just about all the resorts, although a number of the smaller ones, like Géradmer in the Vosges, have found it useful for their PR efforts.
Ste-Foy (in the background) doesn't make the Top 50 Villaroger (foreground) is part of 9th-placed Les Arcs
Once the scores on quite a wide range of criteria are added up, the winner is..... La Plagne.
It only seems to fall down on two things: cross-country skiing and fancy restaurants.
And it beats local rival Les Arcs for having a halfpipe, facilities for families, sports facilities and having "villages de charme".
The other resorts in the top ten are Val d'Isere, Chamonix, Les Menuires, Megeve, Méribel, Tignes, Val Thorens and Les Arcs.
So, no surprises there, but it seems slightly odd to see Flaine at No 26, La Rosiere at No 30 and Valmorel at No 44.
Of course these league tables are most certainly an art rather than a science. For example, Alpes magazine places Serre Chevalier as No 1 in its "well-being and relaxation" league table and Alpe d'Huez as No 1 for "Le Grand Ski" and"Extreme Glisse".
Although the season has started well, the ski industry has most certainly not been immune from the financial crisis. Last year was just about OK for France and Austria, with Switzerland faring badly - more here.
This week Les Echos published a survey of the latest property market trends across the northern French Alps.
Bargain basement? Arc 1800
The headlines include:
A slowdown in sales. Prices aren't tumbling, but buyers should be able to negotiate. Recent tax changes haven't helped
The resorts in good locations with the right accommodation are doing OK
Big differences, even within a relatively small area. The price per m2, for example ranges from 1,911€ in an Arc 2000 studio, to €13.108 in a larger pad up the road in Val d'Isere
The old 1970s flats are not in vogue - indeed there is a movement among some proprietères to join two apartments together to form one larger, more attractive space. "Those with the money are looking for big apartments or chalets for 10-20 people", says M. Le Notaire. He also notes that prices in Morzine, Avoriaz and Les Gets have been rising, although they remain cheaper than the 3 Vallées and Chamonix
The other tip is to invest in areas close to the ski areas - for example in the attractive villages of St-Jean-de-Sixt or Manigod rather than Le Grand Bornand or La Clusaz
Year-on-year prices are quoted (see below), but don't seem to tally with the overall story, and look on the volatile side. For example, why would prices be rising in Morzine and falling in Les Gets?
The league table (in € per m2) is as follows (% change in the year to 31 Aug 2012 in brackets):
Courchevel 1850: 11,170 (-5)
Val d'Isère village: 7,357 (+2)
Méribel village: 8,327 (n/a)
Megeve: 7,262 (+9)
Méribel Mottaret: 6,667 (+10)
La Clusaz: 5,333 (+3)
Courchevel 1650: 5,293 (n/a)
Chamonix: 5,049 (+1)
Les Gets: 4,816 (-7)
Morzine: 4,711 (+13)
Tignes Val Claret: 4,447 (+2)
Avoriaz: 4,356 (-1)
Tignes Le Lac: 4,333 (-7)
Le Grand Bornand: 4,249 (-5)
Valloire: 4,028 (no change)
Arc 1800: 3,333 (+13)
La Plagne: 3,280 (-7)
Arc 1600: 3.169 (+9)
Arc 2000: 2,046 (-13)
For a good guide to what's out there, follow @FrenchSkiHomes: website here.
Le Grand Bornand offers something very different to the "ski factories" of the Tarentaise.
An old village, at the heart of Reblochon country, with more than 400 traditional chalets, set at the foot of the striking Aravis range.
Parking at the main village (1000m)
It's very close to civilisation - a little over an hour from Geneva, with regular ski buses direct from Annecy. If you get the early flight from Luton or Heathrow, you will be on the slopes by 11.30 (with a following wind).
"Le Grand Bo" has been developing quietly over the years. Its population has risen from 1,500 in 1960s to 2,000+ now, making its current population now above 1807 levels (for more, see the wikipedia page). It actually has more inhabitants than its better-known neighbour, La Clusaz, which boasts 130km of pistes. There has been talk about linking the two areas via Le Danay since at least 1974/75 apparently. The reasons for this not having happened yet appear to be as follows:
1. Local rivalries between La Clusaz and Le Grand Bo 2. Low natural snowfall - apparently there was a draglift there until 1950 but it got taken down because there wasn't enough snow, even then... 3. Environmental concerns associated with developing a virgin site 4. Environmental concerns associated with having to build a mega neige de culture facility to keep the link open (see 2 above) 5. Would it be worth the investment - it's a moyenne montagne area, very familial, people coming here aren't into the motorway piste-bashing experience you get in the Tarentaise. Etc
I can't find much recent by way of debate about the proposals. So, for the foreseeable future, you need to rely on what seems to be a reasonably well organised network of ski buses to access the 200km+ of Aravis pistes.
The skiing
It won't keep you going for a week, but Le Grand Bo's 90km of pistes are a lot of fun. There are a whole series of areas to explore, including a real "away from it all" valley below the Col des Annes. It has one of France's leading snowparks. There is a great kids' area at the top of Le Rosay gondola. The area is peppered with restaurants. And at 31€ for a day pass, you have money in your pocket for a plat du jour, when compared with Les Arcs' €46...
Col des Annes (1)
Col des Annes (2)
Ski geeks will find just about everything they'd wish to know about the ski areas of both Le Grand-Bo and La Clusaz is on the excellent www.ski-aravis.com site.
Day-trippers can stop in the old village where there is a car park by the two gondolas and some street parking (1000m).
At the top of Le Rosay gondola
This is probably neater than driving up to Chinaillon (the summer gateway to the Col de la Colombiere). The pistes at Chinaillon (1300m) are great for second week skiers:
Above Chinaillon
Le Grand Bornand has been trying to brand itself as a real "sporting town" in recent years. For example, it has been very assertive in investing in its role as a regular Tour de France location. The 2013 Tour will finish at Le Grand Bo for the fourth time in a decade - you can read more about its TDF history here and see a profile of the 2013 stage here.
Although temperatures have warmed up things over the last week or so, the season has started well, with snow conditions good or better in most French resorts.
La Rosiere from Clocheret lift, Les Arcs
For a good overview of some of the snow depths in key resorts, click here.
And to look in a little more detail at your favourite resort, you have the strangely addictive www.snoweye.com at your disposal.
Nightmare start to the season goes to La Giettaz in the Aravis. The two new chairlifts planned for this season did not open in time for the Christmas and New Year holidays...
In Les Arcs, there's not too much new to report, although the upmarket Edenarc development is continuing its slow move up the slopes.
Les Arcs is of course one of the many resorts whose lifts are controlled by the giant Compagnie des Alpes, and they have declared war on the so-called lits froids, and plans to buy up ageing apartments ready for renting out or re-sale. Les 2 Alpes, Serre Chevalier and Les Menuires are also on the hit list here.
At La Plagne, there is much change at Plagne Centre in terms of both lifts and an upgraded shopping centre: see www.perso-laplagne.fr for regular updates.
And there are more developments on the way....
Further up the Tarentaise, La Rosière will truly be a Premiership resort when 40kms of new lifts open in 2016/17.
Meanwhile, €140m of investment is going into 10 new lifts at Courchevel and La Tania; more here.
Away from the Tarentaise, Avoriaz is udergoing a significant makeover. Again we see a move towards bigger apartments. In contrast to Les Arcs, the original architect is still overseeing things.
At the other end of the spectrum, Saint-Hugues in the Chartreuse is up and running, with its bargain €10 day pass offering something completely different.
January sees a serious off-piste/backcountry ski competition come to Les Arcs. "The best free-skiers" in the word on the Fond Blanc slopes", proclaims the Dauphiné.
The "stade" is off-piste - at the Cirque du Fond Blanc, on the Arc 2000 side of the mountain. You get there by climbing the improvised steps from the top of the Clocheret lift. But this is not particularly encouraged; pictures will be beamed back to Place Miravidi in Arc 1800, for example.
Previous "host resorts" have included Vars and La Clusaz.
The official opening is today, with the competition proper starting on Monday.
Armchair off-piste skiers like me enjoy looking at the various options in Didier Givois' Les Clés du Paradiski, available in resort.
Le Dauphiné's preview also covered a "bluffer's guide" to the various words used in "freeski" circles, given that they all have English origins:
Rider: a name given to both skiers and snowboarders. Only skiers are participating in the Linecatcher.
Le Freeride: The practice of ski or snowboard on a virgin (off-piste) slope.
Le Freestyle: Also for skiers and snowboarders - involves acrobatic displays of various types. Style counts for everything.
Le Backcountry: A hybrid of freeride and freestyle, taking place on virgin slopers. This is the discipline of the Red Bull Linecatcher.
A couple of weeks into the season, the main news in Les Arcs - as across the region - is that there is A LOT of snow. The resort is completely full for the New Year holidays, and there are February-esque queues at the main lifts (Vagère, Arcabulle).
Belles Challes, Arc 1800, 29 Dec 2012
What's new in Les Arcs? Well, not a lot, in reality. There's more change going on at La Plagne - see www.perso-laplagne.fr for regular updates. But here are 5 things the keen visitor to Les Arcs may notice during the 2012/13 season:
1. The next phase in the Edenarc development above Arc 1800 is now open
There are now two apartment blocks on the Chantel site, and plans to extend the development up the hill, including a new hotel. It's fair to say that the units have been slow to sell (I have marketing emails from them dating from 2007, and they are still miles away from completion. Apparently the original developers went bust). According to the website, work will start in "December 2013" (sic) on the new hotel, but it hasn't been updated for a while. A "telecabine" of some description is also planned, which will replace the ancient Chantel chairlift, and give a more direct link between the Edenarc satellite and the main resort.
For more on Charlotte Perriand's original design for the Chantel site click here.
Left on the drawing board. Perriand's design for Chantel Haut
This new 4 star hotel/chalet development is on the site of the much-loved-and-now-demolished Aiguille Grive restaurant, formerly run by Gilles and Annick. It cost 5.3m € to build, and promises a luxury that is rare in Arc 1800. The website is up, they've had a bit of press coverage. But the doors are closed. To be continued...(13/1/13: apparently there is an issue with the electricity certificates - there were people on site last week).
3. The Arc 1800 cinema is CLOSED
This is a real blow, taking away one of the few non-skiing activities. Given that Brits are at least 30% of visitors, the management didn't help themselves too much by ignoring the wonders of English subtitles and showing Hollywood blockbusters in the dubbed French versions only. But it's a big shame, and an online petition has been launched calling for it to be saved. (13/1/13: one stumbling block appears to be the costs associated with upgrading the cinema to digital format).
4. The Aux Enfants Terribles restaurant above Peisey has been extended
It now has a new "lower deck" including a self-service bar. A good move, as it's a popular spot, and these latest changes open up a "budget eating" option. For more on eating on the slopes click here.
Aux Enfants Terribles
5. Famous visitors
The Aux Enfants Terribles management also run the Arpette restaurant above Arc 1800. This was the location for the sighting of disgraced French politician Dominque Strauss-Kahn this Christmas. "DSK" was spotted eating at this "très simple" establishment, queuing up along with everyone else. More here.
