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

Not much time for an update as I am about to go out. Sorry. I will post todays pics later.

Today we went off piste in search of good snow. Much to my surprise, we managed to find a few places where the wind had not destroyed the powder. Very nice!!

Did a couple of routes down towards Nancoix and the Chapel, then back to the Ferme for a late lunch and then a play in the offpiste above Arc 1800 before finally coming home.

Blue sky all day, a mix of soft powder, breakable crust and well skied snow everywhere. More snow forecast for tomorrow. Should be fun.

Hope everyone enjoys themselves tonight!

If anyone reading this is out this week, some of us will be meeting at the Bulle (Mushroom) above Arc 2000 for a New Year Day drink at 12 noon. Hope to see you there!!

I hope everyone had a good New Year's Day!

The weather man got it wrong this morning. But now it is snowing on the mountain and raining in the valley.

What a fun day we had today!
Having agreed to being on the first lift up Aigle Rouge last night, well early this morning really (what a silly thing to do), I managed a few hours sleep and then made it for the first lift out of Arc 1600 with blue sky and little wind rather than rain and snow as predicted. I was very pleased the weather man got it wrong today.

We made it all the way to the top of Aigle Rouge when it opened. The snow was good, but it was cold on the top! My nice new heated gloves did the trick!! (I love Christmas presents!)

We managed to get from the top of AR down to Villaroger with a mixture of piste and off piste in variable conditions which woke us all up and made the brain focus. Finally having a drink at the Soillet before heading off to lunch.

Met the others from yesterday for lunch and then headed back up the Varet and all the way down to the Comberciere Chair and up to the Malgovert piste nature. We never get bored of this route. Finally all the way into Arc 1600 and up to the snowpark. A few jumps later and a quick video session with the new machine they have installed and down past Arc 1800 after a nice drink at the Altiport.

One more long run all the way back down from the top of the ridge above Arc 1800 and finally home.

The pistes are well used as it is quite busy, but they are still in good condition. The off piste everywhere is well skied, firm and grippy with a few powder areas still around. If you like moguls you will be very happy.

The bad weather only really arrived around 4pm and then it came in fast. Snowing up top right now. Take a look at the pics of yesterday in the Dec 2012 album and for today in the new Jan 2013 Album over on the Les Arcs Winter page. ( I will post them later tonight) ENJOY!!

Snowcrazy great posts as always..what is the new machine they have installed past arc 1800 and where exactly is it. was in arc 2000 in feb 12 and going again in a few weeks so interested to know.
thanks

Pauljames, I was talking about the new video machine in the Snowpark. The kids really like watching themselves on the big screen. They moved it from last year and it works much better.

Powder days are here again!

Last night the snow started to fall just as we were heading home. By this morning there was enough to freshen up most areas.

A group of us headed over to Mont Albert and the Omelette restaurant for lunch. With poor vis from the start, we took the forest track to Peisey and then across the Vanoise Express (VE) and over to Plagne Bellecote via a few gullies before trying our luck on the Champagny side. Good powder, but poor vis forced us back over to Plagne Centre via the 'Indian Gully' and then up the new chair by the race course (very nice). Down the powder field off the ridge towards the Mont Albert chair and then lunch at the 'Omelette restaurant'. Always very good.

After a great lunch, back over to Plagne Centre via the powder fields near the chairs in poor light. And then a little more fun on the way down to the Arpette chair in Plagne Bellecote. Finally a last play in the waterfall gully on the way back to the VE.

After a quick ride over the gap it was a mad rush to get the last lift back into the Arc 2000 bowl. Some of us made it, others took the bus all meeting up in George's Wine bar in Arc 1950 for a well earned drink. He has some very nice British real beer right now as well as his usual selection of wines.

All the pistes today were in great condition in the morning. By the afternoon some had become a little slippy, but still ok. The off piste was excellent with powder everywhere. Now that La Plagne have also added some Piste Nature areas, there are plenty of safe places to play on the other side of the VE as well. Despite the poor vis at times, everyone had fun both on and off piste.

Take a look at the pics I have just posted in the Jan 2013 Album on my Les Arcs Winter facebook page. Enjoy!

http://www.facebook.com/LesArcsWinter


Playtime in the gully!


Powder everywhere!

Looks like a bluebird day today, gonna drag my ass up the Aguille Rouge.

can't wait

Snapzzz, come join us for a ski tomorrow if you want or after skiing at George's Wine bar in Arc 1950 around 5pm.

Today was one of those days you just do not want to end!

Everywhere we went there was fresh powder to be found, most of it untracked.

After a quick warm up going down under the Arpette chair and then from the top of Bois de l'Ours Chair off piste down to the Marmotte chair below Arc 1950, we headed over to the National Park behind the Aiguille Rouge and made a circuit of one of the shorter routes before some people had to leave to take part in a ski race.

Instead of stopping for lunch the rest of us headed back into the park by one of the longer routes making our own tracks in most places until it was time to head home via a nice forest run and finally off piste from the top of the snowpark back to Arc 1800.

The fresh snow has left most piste in an excellent condition. Only where it is very busy are the pistes becoming hard packed and tricky to hold an edge. The off piste has been transformed by the fresh snow and it was great fun today. However this surface will become compacted and firm over the next few days and could present other difficulties.

Here are two of the photos from today that I like.





If you are interested in seeing more, take a look at the latest photos in the Jan 2013 album of my Les Arcs Winter facebook page. Enjoy!

http://www.facebook.com/LesArcsWinter

Snowcrazy..do you know anything about the Red Bull freeride. we will be in 1800 from 12/1 and i understand that the redbull competition will be on all that week but cant find out anymore than that..I have even sent an email to Red Bull but they havnt replied. interested to know where they will be on the slopes and if there is easy access/viewing locations.