WHAT'S NEW IN LES ARCS

The great news is that, as elsewhere in the French Alps, there is loads of snow.  The resort is 99% open, which means it should cope well with the New Year crowds.

Here are six things to know about What's New in Les Arcs season:

1. Ride in Style
The Pré Saint Esprit lift is well and truly open, and it does indeed have heated seats.  It opens up the lower part of the Arc 2000 Valley (for more on the project, click here and here), replacing the old 1980 chairlift which left from a little lower down.  Good skiers based in Arc 1600/1800 can now access the  Arc 2000 valley by taking Clocheret and then the Muguet/Comborciere piste, which is much more fun than using the Arpette lift.  Next season sees the upgrading of the Comborciere lift itself - one hopes the reggae music will be able to continue.

2. Transport Hub
Arc 1800 has a new "bus station" at Charvet.  Actually it's rather more than that, with toilets, showers, baggage storage and a waiting area.

Click here for the resort's guide
on how to get to Les Arcs

3. All Change at the Hotel du Golf
It's now been taken over by a chain called the Belambra group, who seem to have a slightly uniform "club de vacances" vibe.  One hopes they will be able to keep the essence of the Hotel du Golf which, with its evening jazz bar, is very much a Les Arcs institution.  On the positive side, they are opening in the summer season, which is really important for the resort.

4. The Fast Lane
The Varet lift now has a special lane reserved for those skiers who have shelled out 299 euros for the full Paradise 6-day pass...

5. Get Away from It All
Villaroger now has artificial snow which means there's no excuse for giving this quiet and beautiful part of the mountain a miss.  It opens up completely different views, looking over towards Sainte-Foy and the Haute Tarentaise, and can mark a welcome break from the motorway pistes of Arc 2000.  And you don't need to take the mega descent from the top of the Aiguille Rouge to get there - Lanchettes lift from Arc 2000 provides a direct link. The Solliet restaurant half way down marks a fine pit stop.  It's under new ownership this year, apparently.

Aiguille Rouge, 3226m, 23 Dec 2017

6. Blot on the Landscape
It will open summer and winter and it's creating lots of jobs.  But I'm not keen on the style of the new Club Med development at all.  It sits arrogantly at the foot of the Mont Blanc piste, marking an abrupt end to the resort's most beautiful blue piste.  It would have been nice for the developers to have made at leas some reference to the architectural heritage of Les Arcs, but this does not seem to have been part of the brief.  At least they've built the lower part of the buildings into the hill.  It opens in December 2018.

New Club Med will be open summer and winter,
with a capacity of 1,050 beds

A HIVE OF ACTIVITY: The Valleé de l'Arc

Few visitors to Les Arcs these days spend much time in the Vallée de l'Arc below Arc 2000.  Skiers venturing below the Bois de l'Ours are faced with a long ride back on on the Pré St Esprit lift or or the similarly slow Comborciere over to the 1600/1800 side.  Most piste-bashers therefore avoid the area, which is a shame.  The Comborciere ride may be slow, but the high mountain scenery is stunning.

Click here to see the presentation

All of this is about to change, courtesy of a €20m investment by lift company ADS.  The background:

• It's a strategic site - linking Arc 2000 with both 1600 and Villaroger
• It's a beautiful site - direct views of Mont Blanc
• The two lifts are old (PSE dates from 1980, Comborciere from 1985) and slow (14 and 13 minutes respectively)
• The current blue slope is tricky for beginners
• There's no artificial snow

All of this is about to change:

• The Pré St Esprit lift will be replaced in time for December 2017 (planning permission is out at the moment).  The new lift will be twice as fast and have twice the current capacity.  The planners are sensibly moving the top station to be higher than at present - linking directly with Plagnettes.  This will relieve the strain on the key Arcabulle lift.
• There will be new investment in snowmaking, and a new building for clients with toilets and other facilities
• The blue piste is going to be expanded by 40% - made wider and the slope modified to make it a piste "accessible to all".
• The Comborciere lift will be replaced the following year (i.e. in time for December 2018).  Journey time will be reduced to 5m30, and the base station will be adjacent to the Pré St Esprit.  There willl be a new project to create a new red piste.  (Presumably this means a downgrading of the black Comborciere piste, but the presentation doesn't go into details).

The piste provides bad whether links to Villaroger, as well as
an alternative route over to Arc 1600.
It also provides access to the Belliou La Fumée restaurant

WHAT NEXT FOR LES ARCS: The resorts

Linking with the developments coming soon for the ski area, here is an update on what the Bourg St Maurice town hall has in its plans for the coming years.  Again, info is courtesy of the Avenir et Animations des Arcs association.

On the agenda:

Arc 2000
- a new 5* hotel, opening December 2016, courtesy of the Schonauer Group
- 150M euro investment in a new 60m X 40m ice rink (Dec 2016 also)
- Upgrades to the shopping areas

Arc 1800
- renovation of the Villards parking area, including new bus station, baggage store, welcome area.  Similar improvements are planned to the Charvet "bus station"
- improvements to the dilapidated Place Basse at Villards

Arc 1600
- New Club Med (2018)
- Construction of 15 luxury chalets between the UCPAand the former Beguin Hotel (to the left of the Mont Blanc chair)
- Project (private investors) to turn the Beguin Hotel into apartments

Bourg Saint Maurice
- Extension of the medical centre (currently nearing completion)
- The start of works on the new tourist developments at the former army base
- New youth hotel
- Completion of the renovations of the pedestrian bridge linking the funiculaire with the town

That was then:
1970s marketing literature

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.

VARET WORRYING: The Retreat of the Glaciers

The warm weather is here, and the few remaining resorts offering summer skiing are now open.  La Plagne is no longer among them....

A good time to reflect on the retreating features of the glaciers of the French Alps.  They have lost a quarter of their area over the last 40 years.

The greatest losses have been in the southern Alps: the decline in the Ecrins Massif is more than three times faster than the levels observed around Mont Blanc.  The Chamonix glaciers are aided somewhat by their higher snowfalls.  Having said that, Vincent et al (2014) found that the lowest 12% of the 12km Mer de Glace is now stagnant and now poised to melt away.  They predict a retreat of 1200m by 2040.

"95% of the world's glaciers that are monitored are retreating.  And it's happening so fast. Twenty times faster than any natural temperature change before human beings became so active", says glaciologist Atsumu Ohmura, quoted in this CNN article.

In Les Arcs, the pint-sized Varet glacier saw a protective sheet introduced in 2010 in a bid to ensure the top of the glacier was able to benefit from the winter snowfalls.  Apparently it has been quite successful, and the rate of retreat has slowed.

The Varet Glacier under cover.
Click here for more on the epic ski run from here
down to Villaroger

Still on the subject of the Varet glacier, some readers might like this account of a failed attempt to make it to the summit by mountain bike.

(Research by Holly Atkinson, University of Sussex)

PARADISE LOST: Force Majeure

Snow Therapy (French). Turist (Swedish).  And now Force Majeure (in English....).  Now on release in the UK, this Swedish film, set in Les Arcs, is now in UK cinemas.  You can also watch it online at home via Curzon Home Cinema.

Arc 2000 has moved location, and now sits
in the main Haute Tarentaise valley

The Guardian put it on the front page of G2, gave it four stars and interviewed lead actor Johannes Bah Kuhnke.  They filmed the interior scenes in a Swedish hotel (it looks like the Hotel du Golf, but rather swankier) with Les Arcs forming the backdrop to the exterior shots.

"This ice cold Swedish drama about a family torn apart by cowardice is like Bergman with a wicked streak", says the Telegraph, also awarding the film four stars.

At Le Solliet, above Villaroger?

For Les Arcs fans, there is of course the opportunity to completely miss the point of the film and play "spot the location".  These include:

• Arc 2000 moving location (see photo above)
• Drinking at Le Solliet
• Skiing from La Plagne back towards the Vanoise Express
• The Varet and Aiguille Rouge lifts
• The Pierra Menta block at Charvet
• The scary pedestrian tunnel linking Charvet with the Croisette parking at Arc 1800
• Plus, the star of the show: La Creche restaurant at the top of the Transarc, location for the pivotal avalanche scene:

Click here for an interview with
Ruben Ostlund

THE LONG WAY DOWN

The famous descent from the Aiguille Rouge down to Villaroger features in this week's welove2ski.com snapshot of the world's longest ski runs.

Click here for a little more on the run.  If weather and (your stamina) permits, it's good to do it two days in a row.  On day one, take it all in one go and crash out at La Ferme in Villaroger for a well deserved lunch.  The next day, allow time for pottering around the various reds on the Villaroger side, coffee at the Solliet, etc.

Finally, don't forget La Plagne's 2000m descent from the Glacier all the way down to Montchauvin.  This never appears in the guide books because there is a 2km flat bit below Les Bauches.  But it's worth persevering - more here.

En route to La Plagne's Glacier.
This "characterful" gondola will
be replaced soon

THE SEASON SO FAR: A tour of Les Arcs

One month into the season, a quick tour around the resort to pick up on what's occurring.

At 1800, the big news is of course the Mille 8 development, which is settling down well.  A new ski cross course (Les Bosses) was built at the end of the year, running parallel to the foot of the Vagere lift.  It will video your performance, giving you the option to review your style half way down the run and upload the film to social media, if you so wish...

Peak time queues do remain a problem at Arc 1800, and the Vagere simply can't cope with New Year and February crowds.  Help is at hand, however..  The next stage of the Masterplan for the resort will be the new Col des Frettes lift, which will give a direct link to Arc 2000.  Two bits of gossip on this:

1. It will leave from Edenarc/Chantel - the intention is to create a new "axis" from the upmarket development.

2. Although the budget is in place, planning permission is not yet forthcoming.  So let's see if it arrives for 2015/16.  Meanwhile, it looks like the "urban lift" which will link Edenarc/Chantel directly with the front de neige will happen in time for next season.

New Year crowds at Arc 1800

Up at the Col de la Chal, the new extension to the La Creche restaurant is now open - giving another 80 or so seats for dining inside, without feeling that the space on the panoramic terrace has been compromised.  (For a summer view of the site, click here).   It's arguably the best place in resort for a mid-morning coffee, although for lunch I would tend to go elsewhere.

La Creche, Col de la Chal

La Creche just got bigger

One place worth considering for eating is the Bulle café in Arc 2000.  It is now well-established and has a bit of a buzz about it.  This relatively new establishment gets high marks for its varied offering - those with deeper pockets have oysters and champagne on offer; student types can opt for a slice of pizza at less than €3.  For more on where to eat in Les Arcs click here.

January weather outside the Bulle café

Local hero Simon Beck has been in resort, and he was creating one of his trademark pieces below the Varet earlier in the month:

Impressed? Click here for more...

Looking ahead to March and April, take a look at this account of late season skiing in the Telegraph.  And, because of the changes to the French school holiday calendar, it is likely to be very quiet.  Much to the irritation of resort bosses and businesses.

A "dinky facsimile of a traditional ski village", according
to Ben Ross of the Telegraph. Click here for a guide to
the original (and far more interesting)
architecture of Les Arcs

SNOW (AND SAND) ART: Simon Beck

Les Arcs has always had a slightly eccentric streak, and Simon Beck's brilliant snow art is part of that tradition.  The British cartographer has a flat in Arc 2000, and much of his work can be seen on the slopes above the resort.  It takes him 6-9 hours for one of his masterpieces to appear - more here from  laplagnet.com.

Take a look at this video on how he does it, as well as this selection of pictures from the Telegraph and the Guardian.  There's another nice gallery here at plusmaths.org.

"Making these drawings is map-making in reverse.  

You start with the map, and you need to make the ground agree with the map."

Simon Beck

He has also been busy back home, taking to the sands off the Somerset coast armed with just a rake and a compass.  There's more in BBC report.

For the latest news, including the chance to buy a copy of his new book, check in at his Facebook page (complete with nearly 300,000 likes) and website.

ARC 2000: The Wembley of Speed Skiing

Speed skiing is apparently the "sport of going downhill in a straight line as quickly as possible".  

Vars and Les Arcs are the two remaining French courses

It certainly goes down as something of a niche sport, but does have a history going back to the 1930s.  The French Wikipedia site gives a more detailed overview than its English language cousin.  The first races were held in Switzerland, in Murren and St Mauritz, with the Austrian Leo Gasper achieving 137km/h in 1931.

During the 1970s the Italians appear to have been the keenest on the sport with the kilometro lanciato course in Cervina hosting an annual event.  In the southern hemisphere a course was established at Portillo, and here Steve McKinney reached the 200km/h barrier in 1978.  

Unsurprisingly, the big shadow hanging over the sport is safety.  In 1978 two fatal accidents at Cervinia prompted the FIS to take speed skiing out of its portfolio altogether. Speed skiing races continued to be organised both in North America (Silverston), in Les Arcs and at La Clusaz.  These events, coupled with improved security, prompted it to be included in the 1992 Albertville Olympics - the one and only time it has been included in the winter games.  That event (which drew the second highest viewing figures of the games) saw the death of the Swiss skier Nicolas Bochatay during training.  More recently, 2007 saw the death of British speed skier Caitlin Tover, who fell from the start area.

The courses at Les Arcs and Vars are still going. But Les Arcs is no longer marketing scaled-back versions of the course to holidaymakers.  I think it is just being left to the people who really, really want to do it.  I am told that there is only one ski maker still producing the 240 metre skis required to take part.

The Vars course has a 98% gradient at the start

Les Arcs does appear to be the Wembley of speed skiing, and both the male and female records were set there (251 km/h by Simon Origone and 242 km/h by Sanna Tidstrand). It starts at 2710m, below the Varet lift, and finishes, 1.7km later, at 2145 metres, at Arc 2000.  You can watch it all unfold from the Chalets de l'Arc restaurant.

                           

The top speeds can only be achieved be gliding on the thin watery layer above the melting snow, and so the records tend to have been set right at the end of the season.  And, from 6 April, the piste will be back in action, during Les Arcs' speed week.  This will see attempts at the world record on skis, monoski, handiski...and mountain bike.  It's the brainchild of Eric Barone, who will be getting back on his bike with a view to breaking the 200 km/h barrier again.... 

TOUR DE FRANCE: Les Arcs 2009

The Tour de France stage to Bourg St Maurice lacked the drama of the 1996 visit to Les Arcs (scene of Indurain's downfall - more here.

What could be better - a start in Switzerland, through Italy, down into Bourg St Maurice, via the Grand and Petit St Bernard passes, before a final climb up to Arc 1800.

Except the decision was taken for the riders to finish down in the valley in Bourg St Maurice - so that the suspense could continue right until the final Saturday and the climb of Mont Ventoux.  Here's the Wikipedia account of the 2009 Tour.

In the event, the Ventoux stage proved to be a bit of a let-down, and the stage to Bourg is little remembered.  Or at least remembered for the wrong things.  The winner of the stage, Miguel Astarloza, later tested positive for drugs, and the stage was awarded to Sandy Casar.

Here are the riders on the descent to Bourg St Maurice.

The finish line was in the road leading from the SNCF roundabout to the Funiculaire:

The following day the riders left from Bourg St Maurice.  Here they are on the very lower slopes of the Cormet du Roseland.

Lance Armstrong and co stayed - of course - in Arc 1950.  The Euskatel Euskadi team, on the other hand, stayed in the more modest environs of Arc 1800.  As did The Tour Doctor:

More on cycling in Les Arcs this summer here.  If you think the 1st category climb from Bourg St Maurice is too easy, go down to Landry, take the (much harder) climb to Peisey and up to Arc 1800 on the summer road, and then continue to Arc 2000.  The final climb from the Comborciere lift at 1800m to Arc 2000 (actually at 2100m) is a tough one....

APRES SKI: Summer in Les Arcs

Update 27 May 2013

Les Arcs is open this summer from 6 July to 30 August, with "pre-ouverture" on a couple of weekends in late June.  Cyclocoeur runs from 9-11 August.

There are one or two parts of the Alps - the Chamonix Valley and the Jungfrau region which do at least as well in summer as they do in winter.

This isn't the case in the Tarentaise.  But the resorts are open, the sun is (usually) out, and you are much further from the madding crowd than you are in winter.

Here's a "Top 10" Guide of things to do in Les Arcs.  If it rains, go to Le Lagon in Tignes for a swim.

The Les Arcs website is now in "summer mode", with the resort (including key lifts like the Transarc) open from 7th July.

Although there are lots of things to do, it's arguably the cycling that's the jewel in the crown.

Tour de France 2009, lower slopes of Cormet de Roselend

For cycling uphill, there is an almost endless range of options from Bourg St Maurice: Le Cormet de Roselend, Petit St Bernard, Cold de l'Iseran, plus of course the mythical climb to Les Arcs :)

The best English-language guide to cycling I've found is www.grenoblecycling.com, which covers just about every col you can think of.

In Bourg St Maurice, the big local event is Cyclocoeur, which runs from 10th-12th August, in aid of local disabled charities.  It involves various events for road and VTT, including the hard-core climb to Arc 2000, which takes the experts around an hour.  More on the event below:

For cycling downhill, there are endless VTT trails, including the Cachette piste at 1600 which is used for competitions.  The video below gives a good guide to the terrain. NB The initial descent, from Aiguille Grive down to the Nancroix valley can also be covered more sedately on foot, ending at the Hotel de La Vanoise in Peisey.  A chacun son gout....

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.