J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by AJMCA

15.5 more sleeps now !!
Lying in bed ill at moment so can't wait for that fresh mountain air. :P
Have fun everyone who's going this weekend 8)

NellyPS wrote:20.5 sleeps? That's very specific.

Have a lovely time.

The 0.5 sleep was the bit before I leave at 2.15am to drive to the Eurotunnel but 0.5 is actually a bit hopeful, I'm normally way too excited to sleep by then ! )

Abi, what happened at Chambery airport to make you not like it ? Just asking because my sis & friend are using that airport in a couple of weeks when they come to join us. (We drive- works out a lot cheaper when there's 5 of us plus I like driving). I've flown in there once- amazing take off and landing over the lake in between the mountains. Not for the fainthearted !
My sis also finding return transfers from Chamberey to Peisey
VERY expensive- any advice ?

20.5 sleeps til I set off at crazy o'clock to drive to Peisey-Vallandry to ski Les Arcs & La Plagne with family & friends and stay in lovely old farmhouse chalet. Can't wait to be back there ! In J2SkiTop 10 snow reports at mo !!!Sooo excited. Hope it keeps on snowing then we have blue skies for our week there ******

Snowcrazy it's been really really great reading all your daily postings about Les Arcs.Helped to get us prepared for our hols then read, in retrospect, what you wrote while we were out there- you do report fairly and accurately. My ski hols are over now ..til 2012. Luckily my two trips out there probably coincided with two of the best weeks for snow in Les Arcs/Peisey-Vallandry.Your skiing sounds so adveturous. As we stick to pistes with family and friends or sometimes the areas in between pistes or through trees at edge we don't get all the best snow conditions you describe.We do spend a couple of hours every few days with an ESF guide to do a bit of more adventurous off piste powder skiing but probably need to book half a day to do some of the runs you describe.Will join your FB page if you can send your link please.Will also still keep reading your posts- enjoy the rest of the season! Hope the snow lasts.

As you know Orson and I swopped from Les Gets to another resort at last minute. We are just back from Les Arcs,we had a fab time, plenty of snow and great skiing as usual especially at the top.Hardly any people especially if you head over towards Peisey Vallandry. Saturday gave mixed weather fog, sun, and a bit of new snowfall, more like icy pellets which stuck well. Glorious sun and blue skies on Sunday and Monday.Sunbathing on the deckchairs outside Bulle and Chalet des Arcs mountain bars. Lower slopes below 1800 a few stones appearing on some pistes and very heavy and slushy at 1600 in afternoons, so just stay high.We were told that the snow cannons have used most of the resrvoir water now ! A few pistes closed eg Comborciere. Grand Col was lovely. Aiguille Rouge great too but we had a narrow miss with an avalanche that crossed a red piste on Aiguille rouge-(see post on Avalanche topic in main J2Ski index) Two avalanches also on the Bellecote so take care if you're an off-pister. The locals told us that they don't want thick fluffy snow now because it'll just raise avalanche risk.Have a great time - wish we were back there. :-)

Just back from Les Arcs and on Sunday 20th March, by just a five minutes delay (after admiring and photographing views at top of Aiguille Rouge then having to chip ice off my boot before putting on skis) we missed being in an avalanche that whooshed across Arondelieres red piste on Aiguille Rouge- apparently caused by off piste skiers who went through fence at the top (under cable car) and dislodged a slab off the couloir. Pretty selfish to do this when more novice skiers including families are just below decending along an apparently safe red piste ( a zig-zagging mountain road.) The cable car had to be closed to stop more skiers coming up.Lots of pisteur,skidoo and helicopter activity followed for the next hour. The red run was obviously closed. My less confident friend also had to negotiate a black run to descend back to Arc 2000 - she was fine but terrified. Anyone got any news about this ? We were told three people possibly more got directly hit, probably some we had been taking photos for a few minutes earlier.

I agree with JonG - Les Chalets De L'Arc is a good place and great views- eat inside or if it's a lovely day, relax on the deckchairs with great views of the pistes, the Olympic downhill run and L'Aiguille Rouge and Mont Pourri.
If you can persuade your friends to venture a little further or for another day- then I highly recommend the Blanche Muree,a pretty chalet located at the edge of the forest just above the intersection of La Foret and Barmont (both blue) To get there ski partway down Charmettoger (blue) turn left down a blue access run just to the left of the Transarc mid-station and Charmettoger chairlift. Great food or snacks, good banter with the friendly staff and lovely, large, sunny balcony terrace.They'll probably give you all freebies or even the bottle if you order a genepi ! You might already be there but thought I'd post this as you might have wifi. Have fun !