J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by admin

Which airport*, and what time's your flight due in?

There may be public transport or shuttle bus options, although with 3 of you plus bags then car hire is probably cost effective.

[* - Turin Cuneo or Turin Caselle?]

And finally...

We'd like to thank the Les Arcs Press Office for inviting us over for the day, and encouraging us to honestly report on the snow conditions.

Thanks also to Pierre Marchand-Maillet, of ESF Arc 1800, who whisked us from one side of the domain to the other and back.

On a personal note, Les Arcs has been a favorite of mine for (cough) many years and the advances in snow management and lift access over the years are really impressive. Looking forward to my next visit already!

After lunch we dropped down to Plan Peisey, on pretty much deserted pistes. Pistes were well covered, top to bottom, with good surface - albeit getting a little hard in places in the afternoon sun.




Slightly surreal as you drop toward Plan-Peisey, but the piste is nicely skiable all the way and being refreshed regularly with cannon snow.




It seemed as if everyone in Les Arcs was over in the 2000 bowl, leaving us in our own private ski resort for the afternoon! Crowded it was not...



Look! Someone we don't know!


Surface conditions at around 1900 metres...

Regardless of the snow, the Bulle cafe in the Arc2000 bowl is always a good value stop for lunch... (8^)

Looking down at Arc 1950


Cold in the shadow on the Aiguille Rouge, but good snow up here.


Looking across toward La Plagne - similar snow conditions there apparently.

Top of the Aiguille Rouge, great snow, hard on the steep bits but grippy

We've been in Tignes this week, but took a day-trip to Les Arcs yesterday to check out the snow.

In summary :-

The Arc 1950/2000 bowl has lovely snow on-piste. There's thinner cover off-piste than the same time last year, at least on any sun/wind exposed slopes BUT the pistes are in great shape and Les Arcs are clearly doing a great job keeping the surface fresh with overnight grooming and top-ups from cannons. Most (all?) of the Black runs are closed, although some are being skied regardless, and some sectors (e.g. Grand Col) and lifts are not yet open.

On the 1600/1800 side, the pistes at the top of the ridge are good but the off-piste cover is very thin and pretty bare below about 1800 metres. Key runs are being kept open with cannon snow, however, and these are perfectly skiable and good fun as they were (yesterday, at least) virtually deserted.

As with Tignes, the low sun and cold air makes for interesting temperature variations and we would caution against dressing for what might feel like Spring down at Plan Peisey; it is bitterly cold in the shadow... which is much of the 2000 bowl by mid-afternoon. The cold is, of course, one reason the snow is keeping so well.

Ok, some pictures - mainly chosen to show the snow conditions...


Lookup up the Col de la chal (Blue) at the Aiguille Grive - thin cover off-piste but piste good.


Same piste as above, but looking toward Mont Blanc. lovely chalky/powdery surface.


Looking toward the Grand Col

One-way car hire, and a return to the airport on Alpibus or similar might also work; I think at least Europcar have an office in Bourg Saint Maurice.