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

SUMMERTIME NEWS

There is new snow up high, but it's the wrong type of snow.  In any case, all the resorts bar Tignes and Val Thorens are now closed.

The Montalbert telecabine is officially under construction.

@WeLove2Ski has published a warts and all guide to La Plagne.  "La Plagne's statistics make it feel like the best resort on earth....However it isn't the best resort - even in France."  It points out the slightly unusual terrain - flat around the main bowl and steep both up top and down below: "by turns it's bland and bloody terrifying".

Les Arcs' website now has its summer skin, with the resort open from 4 July - 29 August. This will see the reopening of the outdoor pool to complement the fancy new indoor pool/spa set-up.

There will also be weekend openings of the funiculaire and Cachette lift during the final two weekends of June.

The summer music festival runs from 19th July-2nd August - bringing with it lots of keen music students and free concerts.

The Tour de France continues to cold shoulder the Tarentaise, but at least the Cyclocoeur cyclo-sportive events, now in their 12th year, continue to flourish.  This year's events are on 7-9 August.

Meanwhile, over at Peisey Vallandry, home to some of the best walks in the area, there is a new website, including a summer photo competition...

Wainwright in the Alps: a walk from
Nancroix valley to the Lac de la Plagne

SEASON 2015/16

There's still a week of the season to go at Les Arcs, and all sorts of silly things are taking place (#BubbleFoot, Ride'n'Golf, Zumba at 2600m.....).  Full details on the resort's Facebook Page.

But it's never too late to start thinking about next season, and there are some new things in the pipeline.

Over in La Plagne, the final go-ahead for the Montalbert telecabine is about to be granted by the département.  There are big changes planned to the lifts at Les Arcs' neighbour over the coming years; for more click here.

Back in Les Arcs, watch out for:

• A new Col des Frettes chairlift which will link Arc 1800 with Arc 2000.  Planning permission has just gone in.  I am advised that it's a formality, but let's see
• A new "lodge" on the Mille 8 site - it's half built already, so this is definitely happening
• The long-awaited pedestrian lift which will finally link the Chantel slopes with Chantel & Edenarc
• A new hotel at the Edenarc development, which is opening on 4 July

The lift will (I believe) leave from Edenarc rather
than the Arc 1800 front de neige