GOOD-BYE TO SPEED SKIING

One of the USPs of Les Arcs for many years has been the Kilometre Lancé speed skiing piste, on show every March and April below the Aiguille Rouge.

Speed skiing was briefly an Olympic sport

Les Arcs and Vars have traditionally been the two main French venues for this niche sport.  But it's been a number of years since the piste at Arc 2000 has been used, leaving the way clear for Vars, venue for this year's Coupe de Monde.  In the words of one ESF instructor I spoke to last month: "the resort has chosen to invest in other things - the ski de vitesse piste is just too expensive".

It still remains an important part of the resort's history - not least in the various posters you will see in local cafés and restaurants.

Les Arcs has not given up on being the host for competitions, however.  The coming years are likely to see more serious slalom races following the investments at the Arc 1600 Cachette piste: more on that here.