Les Arcs Season 2014 - 2015, New Thread for this season starts on page 29.

Cathy i tend to agree with others as well..you are at the remote point to get to the VE and when you get to la plagne there feels like endless lifts to get to anywhere that makes you feel you have got to a new resort. so unless you do some serious speed and get on the first lift going to la plagne may seem like a rush and not fully enjoy your day.
we stayed in 1800 last week and i think if the snow conditions are good i would not buy the paradiski pass.. there is sooooo much to keep almost any skier busy in lesarc area. have fun i know i did :lol:

Thank you both for your replies - very helpfull. I think we will go for the discovery, that will give us 4 days in les arcs, one in la plange and one in Tignes. Have a member in our group who has never skied Paradiski before so would be nice to let him experience the VE.

Changeover days are always nice. Not so many people around so few queues and quiet pistes.

Today we toured around Les Arcs mainly 'on piste' in the Arc 2000 bowl and over in Arc 1600, 1800 and a little in Peisey Vallandry. The pistes were not busy in the morning and in good condition. The recent fresh snow has made them firm, but with a soft layer on top after the sun had a chance to take off the overnight frost. As it has remained cold today the off piste although well skied was still light and soft in places with firm chalky snow in other areas.

By mid-day some of the group had to go back to help with new arrivals while others continued for a little longer. By mid-afternoon the remainder headed for home and I went back up the Arpette chair.

As I had not taken any photos earlier during the day I went to the top of the Combe des Fond Blanc and had some nice views across to Arc 1950 and Arc 2000. Having taken a few photos I then headed down one of the couloirs where they had held the Red Bull Linecatcher competition and across the Arc 2000 bowl onto the Varet gondola. After one last ski down through the off piste area I arrived in Arc 1950 and a drink at George's Wine Bar in Arc 1950.

Tomorrow they have forecast worsening weather as the day progresses with snow later in the afternoon through into Monday. For those coming out or just arrived after the poor weather has passed, if the predicted snow does arrive you are in for some excellent snow on or off piste.

A few photos from today are in the Jan 2013 Album Two on my Les Arcs Winter page. Enjoy!

The photos I like best from today!


Looking down on Arc 2000 and Arc 1950 from the top of the ridge.


The entry to the couloir.

Only just got home so no photos tonight. It is snowing outside very lightly and it is cold again. Should be interesting in the morning.

Today turned out to be really fun. Thought we might be going over to the Bellecote, but ended up doing a number of couloirs in Les Arcs instead. Full details and photos tomorrow. Time for bed!

Time to catch up on the last two days.

Yesterday we went riding in some of the tougher off piste areas. It was a long day, but loads of fun. I even hiked a few ridges to reach the couloirs. We managed half a dozen different routes, some long others short. I shall not post loads of details as it was yesterday. Instead I have posted the photos I like the best. If you are interested in seeing where we went, take a look in the Jan 2013 Album Two under the 'Jan 27' for yesterdays pics. I think you will enjoy them!

Here are the ones from yesterday that I like the best.


Nice couloir!


!!!!!


Arc 2000


The waterfall! Where?

Now to catch up on today. POWDER again!!

I am sorry for all those back home, but I just had to say that!

Last night as I was leaving Arc 1950 it had just started to snow lightly. By the time I woke this morning we had 5cm lower down and a good 15cm higher up on the mountain.

After a slightly later start due to some lifts not opening on time I met up with the others and we made a few runs under the Arpette Chair in great fresh powder. No need to go anywhere in the morning to have fun. The whole resort had powder 'on and off' piste. We then headed over to the Clocheret Chair and the off piste area beside the pistes on the left and right. More fun!!

Finally we headed down the valley beside the Comborciere piste in more good snow and up to Mellee's snack bar in Arc 1950 for lunch.

Time for something a little longer. By 2pm most of the main areas of the resort were skied out. There are a lot of people going off piste inside the resort boundary so we headed into the back country down the Col de la Chal. Untracked powder most of the way!

Having made our way back into the resort time for one last run, something special maybe. Two of us hiked up the Aiguille Grive and down through the powder onto the Vallandry side. Still plenty of room to make more fresh tracks.

Finally as the lifts were closing we headed directly back to Arc 1600 without using the lifts and then home.

The pistes everywhere today were in great condition after the fresh snow last night and the off piste was excellent. If the wind does not spoil the snow and it stays cold we are in for a few more very good days. Putting fresh tracks everywhere again! WOW!!

If you want to take a look at todays photos go to the Jan 2013 Album Two on my Les Arcs Winter facebook page. Enjoy!


Nice!


Time for some air!


Col de la Chal!

Powder days are still with us.

Although today was very mixed visibility, the snow had stayed in great condition and we had fresh untracked powder most of the day.

Started off in flat light heading over to the La Plagne side with a warm up run down towards the Crozats Chair, then up into the Bellecote bowl via the Roches face as usual arriving at the top of the Gondola just as they opened the Traverse chair to get across into the off piste area.

From then on until we returned to the Vanoise Express around 4pm we had fresh tracks almost everywhere although at times the light was very poor. We had planned to go onto the North Face, but with the poor light we kept on the Bowl side before heading for lunch and then into the trees on the way home.

Even in the forest the snow was in excellent condition and mostly untracked where we were. After a long and fun day we arrived back in Les Arcs and headed for home around 4.30pm. I decided to make a little detour going down to the mid station of the Funicular which proved worth the effort as the snow even lower down in the forest was still good. The pistes are holding up well everywhere and even late in the afternoon were firm and grippy, but not to icy although you do need good edges at times.

Tomorrow promises to be another fun day! If you want to see where we have been today, take a look at the photos I took in the Jan 2013 Album Two of my Les Arcs Winter facebook page. Enjoy!


I really like this view, even in poor light.


Untracked Powder from the top to the bottom of the run. WOW!

What a different kind of day we had today.

Went up the top of Aiguille Rouge with the idea of doing one of the steeper couloirs first thing in the morning, but found that the wind was blowing strongly and there was plenty of wind slab about plus the rain last night up to 2000+ metres had made the snow very strange in places.

Went to have a look and we decided not to go any further. It is always better to walk away than take too great a risk.

Instead we headed over to the Grand Col and off the back into the National Park via the easier couloir and then an interesting ride down through very mixed snow conditions including powder, hard pack, breakable crust and crude plus poor visibility at times just to add to the mix. Just as the visibility improved we were able to spot the large avalanche that had come down yesterday afternoon from the ridge on skiers left. Having to cross the avalanche area to get to the path out was not much fun!

Despite the conditions we enjoyed the challenging ride down and headed back to Arc 2000 for lunch. After we finished eating we made another route which was also very mixed before finally going down through the forest back towards Arc 1600 and home.

The change in temperature has actually made the pistes soft and fun to ski although the off piste will become very cruddy if this weather continues very long. Later in the afternoon it was more like late March than the end of January. Tomorrow on the Bellecote should be very interesting.

If you are interested in seeing what it was like today, take a look at the photos in the Jan 2013 Album Two on my Les Arcs Winter facebook page. Enjoy!

Something for today!


Entering the National Park.


Powder turns again!


Now that was steep!!