A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT

This week sees the arrival of the French national canoe & kayak championships in Bourg St Maurice.

The action takes place by the Isere, just outside Bourg.  Apparently the course is uber-technical. The new Les Arcs site provides the novice with a briefing on the sport.

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

WHAT NEXT FOR LES ARCS? The Ski Area

The latest update from Avenir et Animations des Arcs summarises some of the changes coming up in Les Arcs over the coming years.  There's going to be a fair amount of activity both on the mountain and in the resorts.

On the mountain, the lift company's plans include:

Summer 2016
- Further improvements to the area around the Le Lodge restaurant
- Free access to the Villards lift to take you up to Mille 8
- Inauguration of the new club house on the golf course; the idea being that this becomes a focal point for summer visitors
- A new mountain bike track at Mille 8
- Improvements to key footpaths including the balcon sentier at Villaroger and the route to Notre Dame des Vernettes at Peisey

Sumer walking below the Grand Col

Christmas 2017 (sic).  I assume this means the forthcoming season, but not sure...
- New investment in the lower part of the Arc 2000 valley, centred on the replacement of the ancient Pré Saint Esprit Lift
- Remodelling and widening of some of the pistes
- Artificial snowmaking at Villaroger

Programme 2018-2020
- More investment in snowmaking
- Modernisation of the Transarc
- New carriages for the funicular
- Replacement of the Comborciere and Vallandry lifts

The Villards lift to Mille 8 will now run summer and winter

This is all part of what appears to be a reasonably coordinated plan also involving the town hall and private investors, who are putting money into improving the infrastructure and boosting the numbers of visitors.  The battle against the "lits froids", apartments occupied for only a few weeks a year, continues.

These investments - in the mountain and in the resorts - amount to some  €450-€500m between now and 2020.  More on the plans for the resorts soon.