J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by snowcrazy2005

Today we were back in Les Arcs and La Plagne having spent the week skiing in almost all of the local resorts (10 areas), I can now quite confidently say that the conditions in Les Arcs are no better or worse than anywhere else near here. Yes, in the last few days the pistes have become more compacted and even have patches of real ice on them in places (normally marked), but there are similar conditions everywhere, some slightly better in places others worse, it just depends where you are skiing at the time.

If this is your only holiday on the snow this year, then do not be to down heartened, even today we found some good off piste conditions at higher altitudes and lower down where it is well tracked it was soft and ok to ski quite often. You just have to read the aspect of the hill and work out which places will be good.

Getting from off piste place to another off piste area meant using the pistes. Overall the La Plagne side is standing up better on the busy areas, but they also have large icy (real ice) patches now.

I have found the same in the Three Valleys, Espace Killy and La Ros, La Thuile and St Foy. So nowhere is perfect, but you will still have plenty of places to ski.

If you have a good Instructor he should be able to find you the best snow and for the kids (big or small) the parks, nature ride areas, boarder cross courses and air bags are all fun.

It would be nice if it started to snow again mind

As I am not skiing today I thought I would share something I saw in Tignes / val d'Isere a few days ago and see what other people think!

I have just been skiing in Tignes / Val d'Isere and the 'security de piste' have posted the following notice which is very clear and leaves very little to be misunderstood.

Having talked with the pisteurs about the notice they say this notice has been up for a while and they just change the avalanche risk level on the board.

Quote: "Attention, Off piste wind slabs everywhere, No shovel, No Probe, No Transceiver, No OFF PISTE. Risk 2"

They have also posted a detailed notice board chart at various off piste entry points giving information on rescue times without full kit, where to get info before going off piste, what kit you should carry and the training needed so that you know how to use it. Remember, longer than 15min and the person is not likely to recover.

These signs are in English as well!!

Now my question to everyone, with a notice like this being posted by the piste security authority. Does this count as local authority advice and therefore if you ignore such advice will you invalidate your insurance should you be involved in an accident off piste and need to claim?

Perhaps more importantly, if you are the most experienced person in the group (whether qualified or not), will the local authorities ie. the mountain gendarmes, consider you have been negligent by letting people come and ski with you off piste without the correct gear and knowing how to use it now that a signs like this has been posted and you have not taken due care to make sure your mates have the right kit etc? One person has already posted that they have seen similar signs starting to appear in other resorts.

Please look on photo section in my facebook group for pictures of all these notices. It is public access so know need to be a facebook member.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=134900026541300&v=photos

Having skied Val D'Isere, Tignes, La Rosiere and La Thuile in the last two days. Today we completed a rapid ski across Les Arcs and La Plagne ski area.

Not going to go through every piste or off piste area we covered, but on the La Plagne side we made it across to the Champagny gondola before heading to the Glacier where the left hand coulior off the glacier area back down to the middle lift station gave us some great skiing on firm chalky snow and the decent down to the bottom chair lift at the Chalet du Friolin on the left hand side of the valley was also good until we neared the lower section where we joined the area that they have tried to make into the new black piste. The bushes and tree stumps were coming through and it does not look like there is much chance of this piste opening anytime soon.

By 1pm we were back on the VE and headed over to the Aiguille Rouge Glacier. Once up the top we skied the north edge of the glacier keeping away from the 'blue (yellowish) ice' down to the start of the Robert Blanc Coulior, down the coulior and into the Arc 2000 bowl. Again good firm chalky snow and fun to ski. Finally we headed down to Pre Esprit for a late lunch and then back to the funi for 3.40pm. Three hard days over in our tour of the Tarantaise Resorts.

Doing both Glaciers in the Paradiski domain in one day and many pistes and off piste areas in between gave us a good chance to look at the conditions across the whole ski area. The off piste above 2200m is still good to ski where it has been sheltered from the sun and wind. Good firm chalky snow with the odd pocket of sugar granule powder still to be found. Lower down where it had been rained on it was crusty, hard packed and cruddy with the odd better patch mixed in. Not great, but still ok to ski in most places.

The pistes we crossed were all well groomed and for the most part, in good condition although compacted and firm, needing a real effort to hold your edge on the lower runs into the stations. The higher pistes were good to ski with a firm base that allowed good carving and tighter turns without the skis jumping around to much.

The very cold temperatures are slowly transforming the upper pistes and off piste areas into a pleasant surface to ski although there are also many mogul fields now appearing whilst lower down into resorts the conditions are more challenging and there are many hard packed pistes where you need to take great care and control your speed when coming towards lifts or other obstacles. Overall, there is still plenty of snow and many good places to ski for all levels of ability.

Another day with blue sky and freezing temp is over. The snow is hard packed and there are icy patches or even larger icy stretches into the lower stations on the pistes developing and this is the same in all the local resorts where I have been skiing in the last few days (see my trip report coming soon). Overall the pistes in Les Arcs are good and there is plenty of places to ski. You just need to control your speed.

The off piste is the place I love best and the changing conditions are fun (also challenging at times), well I think so. Chalky hard snow, sugar granule powder in places, breakable crust, hard pack and crud. This is what off piste skiing is all about. Most people can ski powder on a firm base, but that does not make you a good skier. You need to master all the conditions before you can consider yourself proficient.

More updates to follow in the coming days. '6 ski areas in as many days', most of the time off piste when possible. Will post a report in the discussions section of my facebook group (link above) when I have a chance.

Today was very much as they predicted. Very cold and blue sky but not as much wind as they expected. The pistes around Les Arcs are now becoming very hard packed and icy lower down coming into resort stations with some bare patches starting to show through in areas which are skied a great deal.

Higher up the snow is very firm, but quite good to ski with a hard surface. The off piste and many of the nature ride areas higher in resort are transforming into the smooth chalky surface which when skied well is great to turn on, but if you loose your edge and start sliding, it is hard to recover and on steeper slopes you could fall quite a long way so great care is needed.

With the prediction of similar weather over the next week, Les Arcs area is likely to become extremely hard packed and icy on lower slopes with the best skiing higher in the Arc 2000 bowl or in the early afternoon after the sun has softened the lower slopes but before they have started to harden again later in the day.

Despite all this, there is plenty of snow still in the ski area and for those coming out, as long as you have well serviced skis you should enjoy the skiing. The Boarder cross, snowpark, luge, nature pistes which are open and speed test area are all fun to ski.

If anyone is around Arc 1950, pop into George's to say hi and drink some wine or beer. I will try and keepthe daily updates coming in the evening and the morning weather and snow reports for the day direct from the mountain over on my facebook group page each morning around 8.30am.

Crispyapplepie, if you are a good skier, have all the off piste gear and know the off piste area then it is a great place to ski, but if you are unsure then you should take a guide. There are many routes down this area, some safer than others. But it is also an avalanche area so take care. The run ends up in Val Thorens ski area by the lac and then you have to ski back down the road or get various other lifts. Hope that helps.

Take a look at the post I just made on the season thread.

broom wrote:hi, I am going to Arc 1800 on sunday and i am looking for a good ski school for intermediate skiers, any advice please

There are a number of ski schools there.

ESF are ok depending on who you get for lessons.

Arc Adventure are also ok, most speak English. Some keener than others.

Privelege Ski School are also good and speak English.

If you go to my facebook group page then you can see the links to all of these plus some private instructors that are very good. Hope that helps.