Is Les Arcs good for beginners?

:DHi,

Sorry am a little late getting to this one,Les Arcs is a great resort combining Arc 1600,1800,1950,2000, Peisey-Vallandry and also the sector which covers the otherside of Arc 2000 down into Le Pre/Villaroger.


From a beginners point of view i would say that Arc 2000 is best suited as there are plenty of slopes that are not awkward when skiing/boarding back to the accommadation, there are two chairs immediately for begineers Lac Combes (a small chair adjacent to the Lanchettes chair near the car park,the small ski area it entails is a small lake/pond in summer) and the St Jacques which has easy blues off to both sides, there is also a lovely blue which takes you past the St Jacques chair down into 1950 ,and then goes all the way down to Pre-St-esprit.....this would be ideal for beginnersas it would provide a long easy blue to give the feeling of having travelled a long way down the mountian,and be excellent for confidence.

As for the skiing over the ridge and onto 1600,1800 etc there are some very good blue pistes and meandering tracks that can take you all the way down from the chairs of Mont Blanc, Cachette and Gollet in Arc 1600 (from the tops of these chairs you have blue pistes and tracks back to Arc 1600, but be carefull not to take the odd red/black leading off of them).

From 1800 if you take the first stage of the Transarc ,or the Chantel( this chair serves the beginners area),Villards,Charmettoger chairs these have blues leading back into 1800.

Ski Schools operating there are -

Arc 1600 - ESF ,GK21,
Arc 1800 - ESF ,Ecole de ski International-Arc Adventures ,Ecole de Ski Privilege
Arc 1950 - Spirit 1950 (located in Hameau du Glaciers), ESF
Arc 2000 - ESF
There are also some ski instructors based in Bourg-St-Maurice - Darentasia, Initial-Snow.com ,and two private tutors - Jean-Yves Perry and Fabrice Bernier at Mountain River High.


I hope some of this is helpfull for you ,and if you "PM" me with your address i would be happy to post you a piste map and information booklet with the contact details for all of the above.


All the best


jon

there is also a lovely blue which takes you past the St Jacques chair down into 1950 ,and then goes all the way down to Pre-St-esprit

This run is fantastic

Stewart Dowling wrote:there is also a lovely blue which takes you past the St Jacques chair down into 1950 ,and then goes all the way down to Pre-St-esprit

This run is fantastic

Yes I agree, think it is called "Cascades" from memory, one of those runs that isn't challenging but is excellent for practicing your technique on......and when empty is great fun to just take it ina tuck and schuss flat out from 1950 :thumbup:

Yes Cascades was my OH favorite in Les Arc in March.
I liked it but not the slow slow slow chair back up, especially when it stopped over the road.

Hi,

It can be a bit blowy and chilly but towards the end of the season in late april its nice to sit and travel back up at a tranquil pace and catch some rays 8), and if you are lucky you can see the odd Marmott sunning themself on a rock......but not so good in a blizzard..BBBbbbrrr! :D :D

jon

Hi thanks all for your posts, it's been really helpful and we've taken on board what you have said and we've booked it! We're going to Les Arcs 1950 in January!!

The resort sounds really good, we went to Les Deux Alpes last year and had a brilliant time.

From what I have seen and heard, Les Arcs won't disappoint. :D

Excellent choice! Enjoy :thumbup:

:DWell done,

Have a safe ,enjoyable trip and i'm sure you will have a great time.....some even spend a week in the area and fall under it's spell and never go home. :D


jon.