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

shipjack wrote:We'll be there that same week doing the day trip the other way around! I'll be with a mixed bunch including a couple of first weekers..although they are both fit outdoorsy lads in there twenties so I'm hoping we'll be able to ski over as a group towards the end of the week. Any pistes to avoid with beginners on the way from ARC 1600 to la plagne? Ta for any tips..

Shipjack

Getting from 1600 to La Plagne is VERY easy and even first weekers shouldn't have any issues.

Any of the two chairs out of 1600 will drop you on the Belvedere piste, which in any other resort would be a green, that will take you to 1800. From there you can take the Transarc to the mid station where the Plan Bois and Retour plan peisey will take you all the way to the VE.
Both these pistes are very easy too, again would be green elsewhere.

Returning is just as easy, pretty much all the blues above 1600, 1800, and Vallandry that traverse the mountain are very easy. Gollet is prob the easiest to return to 1600 on.

Aha..great news, thanks for the reply

I have posted this elsewhere, but with people asking for various directions around both Les Arcs and La Plagne, below is a link to a very detailed piste map for both areas. May be useful to see where is mentioned.

Large Piste Map

Edit. :shock: Dang, I just realised it only has the lift names, not the piste names. But you can get the general idea from it.

Should have posted this yesterday for all those just arriving, but it was to late last night. Yesterday we travelled around Les Arcs checking out the whole ski area one last time before my friend headed for home.

Mostly on piste today, the conditions were still very good. With plenty of snow depth on all the pistes we used. Starting from Arc 1600 we crossed over to the Arc 2000 bowl, then up the Varet and over to Villaroger. A good descent in the sun almost the whole way to the bottom, then up again and through Arc 2000 before heading to Peisey Vallandry via some nice off piste above the forest area to get some good photos of the Freestyle jumping. A quick lunch then up top again using the Grizzly Chair and all the way back to Arc 1800. Straight to the snowpark for a bit more fun and photos before heading back to Arc 1600 and home.

The snowpark is almost finished now. The Airbag is a great hit as always and FREE. The new video jump area is very popular. The boardercross is good and the Red and Green jumps are busy. It would be good if they ...built some blue jumps as well. The pro and blacks jumps are under construction.

The Speed test area above Peisey Vallandry is being well used.

In the Arc 2000 bowl, the Bordercross courses and the Sledge Rodeo run are open and also busy today. They have built an ice tunnel on the Sledge course again and down near the Arcabulle there is an Igloo being built for corporate events. Looks interesting.

The off piste is well tracked in most places now unless you go further away from the pistes, but the snow depth is good and there are plenty of places to find natural jumps and lines through the trees and open areas. All the piste natures are open if you want to improve your off piste skills without needing the safety gear.

Anyone coming out should have a great time as the sun is forecast to continue for the next few days. Have FUN!

Photos of today will be posted in the Jan 2013 Album of my Les Arcs Winter page shortly.

http://www.facebook.com/LesArcsWinter

The photos I like best from today!





Enjoy!

With the weather on the change it was time to hunt for more fresh powder before the sun and wind destroy it all.

Met up with friends and as we had to be finished by 3pm for them to get back to work (sad!!) we headed up to the Bellecote again.

After various discussions we choose a route which had a very interesting entrance and the finish was a little tricky as well. But in between we found some excellent untracked powder. At least 2000m of the stuff. Just what we wanted!

After a fun descent over a cornice and across a number of powder fields finally finishing thorough the forest we headed to the Cheval for a drink and then home.

The snow off piste was still good, firm and grippy at the start, soft and light in the sheltered areas and very mixed lowed down. Watch out for the old avalanche ice lumps. They stop you without warning when you hit one that looks like soft snow.

If you are interested in the photos. They are will be posted in the Jan 2013 Album of my Les Arcs Winter page shortly. Not many today as we did not have time to stop and pose.

http://www.facebook.com/LesArcsWinter

Two photos from today I like.


An interesting entrance, just about to jump!


A tight entrance, pleased I was not going first.

Enjoy!

It looks highly likely I might get a sneaky week from April 12/13 and wondered what Les Arcs is like that late in the season? Any info or tips would be appreciated. Thanks.

LOTA, April for the last few years has had great snow, but that cannot be certain late in the season. Fingers crossed.

Left early this morning to make the most of the good snow before it warmed up to much. Headed straight over to Montchavin to meet up with friends and then went as quickly as possible up onto the Bellecote Glacier via the Roche de Mio face as a warm up.

After a quick check of conditions with the pisteurs we headed over the back and down to Champagny du Haut via a nice long powder field and some interesting areas where there had been a few slides which we crossed very carefully.

After negotiating the tricky path out we had a quick bus ride back to the Champagny Gondola and up to the restaurant by the Rossa chair for lunch.

Another quick ski and a few lifts later and we reached the Bellecote Glacier again. This time heading to the Friolin Bowl and a pleasant route down through mixed snow conditions to the Bauches chair. One final route through the forest above Les Coches and home.

Despite the lack of fresh snow for a few days now, we were still able to find powder in various places and firm chalky snow. First thing in the morning the pistes and off piste were hard packed and frozen in most places, but by 1pm the snow was more like spring conditions where it had been effected by the warm sun. If anyone is planning to go off piste, I would suggest doing so early in the day whilst the conditions are more stable. The pistes are holding up well and still excellent to ski in most areas. The warm sun makes it feel more like April than January right now.

Sadly there was an avalanche on the Petit North face of the Bellecote again today, but fortunately they were able to get both people out. I hope they are OK. Take care out there!

The photos i like the best from today!


On our way down the first slope. Very mixed snow early in the day.


Now it is time for powder turns!

More photos of today's route posted on the Les Arcs Winter facebook page in the Jan 2013 Album.

More to come tomorrow!

RattytheSnowRat, look forward to seeing you.

After an early start to make the first lift again today we headed straight to the Bellecote Glacier and over into the National Park. This time climbing the steep face above the Glacier before descending an equally steep snow field with a nasty surprise near the bottom which needed to be jumped before stopping on the glacier field below.

Following a little rest to collect peoples composure we headed down through the snow fields and bowls to make our own fresh tracks in the powder which was still in very good condition and mostly untracked. At over 3000m the air was thin, but the temperature was pleasant and it was turning into another very good day.

Finally stopping at the Refuge for a quick snack after a long descent we headed on towards the exit and the waterfall at the bottom before a...rriving at the car park for a well earned drink and the bus ride down to Champagny.

Following a nice lunch we headed for home via some easy off piste going into Plagne Bellecote which was in surprisingly good condition and a little more fun in the forest coming down to Les Coches where we also still found soft snow hidden from the sun amongst the trees..

The pistes we skied today were holding up well even late into the afternoon despite the warm sun and the off piste whether tracked or untracked, if you took the right aspect, was enjoyable to ski.

A fine day was had by all and with the warm weather continuing, as long as the routes are chosen carefully this week still has plenty of good skiing to be had!

Here are the two photos I like best from today!


Passing the waterfall, mind the holes!


POWDER AGAIN!!

If you are interested in following the route we took today, take a look at the Jan 2013 Album on my Les Arcs Winter facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/LesArcsWinter

Enjoy!