Les Arcs 2023 / 2024

A snowHead

What a wonderful day: 10cm+ of light powder on top of a firm bashed base and the skys clearing. We were joined by some other members of the Midland Ski Club who were in Les Arcs for the first time and I had a great time showing them around my favourite pistes, all in near perfect condition.

We started on Mont Blanc which had been bashed since the snow fall and barely skied. It was fantastic doing some long sweeping turns. We then gradually moving west. A trip to the 2000 bowl was shortened once we saw that the Varet was closed and the huge crowds eleswhere. I'm not sure why 2000 is always more crowded than the 1600 to Peisey side where the better skiing is anyway. Belette was great and almost deserted.

The snow stayed firmish down to 1600 at 15:00 when my tired knees called it a day.

The sun came out so we had fantastic views with clouds swirling around the mountains.

A lovely day to finish my skiing for this season.

A snowHead

Hi All. Looking for some advice for Janaury 2025 please. Found a couple of apartments in 1800 and 2000.

Lauzieres building in the Charvet area of 1800. Question - ski school meeting point for Evo2 seems to be at the bottom on Transarc. Is it possible to ski across from Lauzieres to bottom of Transarc in the morning? And in the evening to avoid a trek back uphill - is it best to get the Transarc up and ski down Traverse? Would that get us close to the apartment? Alternatively, where does Dahu go to (doesnt seem to be on the piste map) and would that lead us back to the apartment? We'll have a nearly 6 year old so looking to avoid walking / carrying skis etc where possible. She was able to come down blues in montgenevre this year at the end of her week.

Apartment in 2000 is in Aiguille du Grand Fond which seems to be right at the ski school meeting point. My question on 2000 is how does a blue slope skier get out of 2000? Is it just via Varet? Does that require a walk over from ski school meeting point? Trying to work off the piste map so its hard to judge.

Consensus seems to be that 1800 is a better base (we'll have a group of varying abilities). I've stayed in 1800 and 1950 before but both were a long time ago and pre kids so wasnt as bothered about pxoimity to school etc.
Thanks

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

I cannot answer the 1800 question, but I suspect you will have to walk across a bit under the Mile8 complex.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

@adriangrogan, "blue slope skiers out of 2000" - two routes come to mind, both start in the same way:

Take the blue round the back of the Taj-i-Mah hotel towards 1950.
I'd suggest actually turning right just above the 1950 village and skiing through the village itself, as the slope around the outside, although blue, can get a bit choppy and busy. But it is the direct route rather than an excursion.
On exiting from the village, you are just above two lifts, Marmottes and Bois de l'Ours. Either of these can be used to take you to other blue slopes or lifts as per your piste map - I'm not going to list them all! - but Bois takes you onto the Arpette ridge, and the chance to go into the 1800 area ( You can return via blue, back into the 2000 bowl) .

Or you can carry on down to Pre St Esprit, where there are the Pre and Combouciere lifts, which again, can take you to blue heaven.

So no, you don't have to walk to Varet - other options are available!

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@adriangrogan I think there would be a fair amount of walking involved to get to Transarc from Lauzieres. The Dahu lift is just a pedestrian lift to get people up to Chantel area. It is possible to ski back to Lauzieres though.

You'll need to Register first of course.

Will be in the 1950 for a week, arriving on Saturday - with a very large group, several families and their friends. Super excited and watching snow conditions and weather like a hawk. Can - Not - Wait!

I can see that there has been plenty of top ups in recent days and things look great really for this late. I am just noticing temperatures look like they're picking up from the weekend - do you reckon we'll be ok snow wise for what will be the last week of the season I guess. Am sure up high will be fine but slushy in the afternoon and at lower altitudes - i.e. spring conditions?

See you on the hill!

Thanks,

PL

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Snow still good @FiFi1975 although sugary in the afternoon on the lower slopes. Up high it's really good.

Due to snow all day today (already a very light dusting at 1950 this morning) but warming up significantly later in the week.

After all it is free

A superb day's skiing yesterday. There had been another heavy snowfall overnight. I headed up over the ridge to the 1950 bowl and enjoyed a play on Lac before heading down to the Pre St Esprit lift. I stopped at the Bulle bar for a sandwich. I'd not been in there before, I can see why it's so popular. I'd stopped at 11am so it was nice and quiet for me. Then I headed back to 1800 to collect the boys from ski school.

12 told me that the entire front part of his binding detached from the ski whilst he was on a black that morning. His instructor had managed to reattach it with much swearing apparently. The drama didn't stop there, though. We headed up to the Transarc mid station to have a ski back to the apartment, but when we got up there, his binding on one ski had widened so much, he couldn't clip in. He's a confident (slightly cocky) skier, so he decided that that was fine, he'd just ski on one ski to the hire shop in Edenarc. Which he did, and he did it well. Précision Ski didn't even bothered trying to fix it for him, they just gave him a new pair.

In the afternoon, Mr. O joined us. We went to the top of Transarc and down Plan Vert (us) and Boardercross (kids) and then down into 1950 for refreshments at Meli's. We looped it again via the Pre St Esprit lift and then took Bois up over the ridge at around 4.30. From there we headed to the snowpark, where Mr.O and I went for a drink in L'altitude and the boys got their fix of jumps.

The snow conditions up around 2000 were excellent, with there being a bit of ice and scraped snow on the busy runs around 1950. The slush began around the Arpette lift and got worse the lower you got, but that's typical for afternoons at this time of year.

This morning I've woken to another snowfall overnight, and it's still snowing very lightly.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Closing has been the last Saturday in April for quite a few years. Arc 2000 is probably skiable until mid May but the customers don't come so they close.

snow reports

Good thing thing next week isn't the last week - I'm out there the week after!

You know it makes sense.

What a day!! That was a proper test of character.

Pretty miserable all day until the last hour. Managed to get some respite amongst the trees heading down to Vallandry but otherwise constant snow, poor visibility and a test of how waterproof our clothes really were!

That said, it started to brighten up late afternoon and we were blessed with fresh powder and the most amazing run under the Grand Col lift. One for the memory bank!

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Test of character was right. I decided to chance it up in the 1950 bowl this morning and it was okay once I got down to about the Bulle bar. I then got carried away with picking some bits in the 1950 Carrefour and then couldn't get it all in my rucksack, so I wound up skiing back to 1800 with a flipping bag for life in my hand.

It was a whiteout from the top of Bois de l'ours down to well past the Snowpark. Horrendous slow going, basically skiing from marker to marker.

This afternoon, we shut down the kids pleas to go to the snowpark and went over to Vallandry instead. We had dome really pleasant skiing over there all afternoon. We came back to 1800 via Forêt Pitchouns, Derby lift and then Traversée. The weather rolled in so rapidly, though. It had cleared up when we were on Derby and by the time we looped back under it on Traversée, all visibility had gone and it was snowing again. We decided against a visit to Folie, and headed back to chill before going out for dinner tonight.

A snowHead

@Gilly76, @johnE, Thank you! That comfirms what I caught at the glimpse of an eye. Space for half a dozen cars max, but those might even be reserved for the restaurant. That's very bad actually. How much is parking at 2000 these days? Been to 1950 in april 2018 and stayed in their underground thingy from sat 11am to next sat 5pm. That amounted to €117. Must say I felt pretty ripped off.

A snowHead

@Tristero, The Les Arcs website gives the costs of parking at 2000 as: 83€ for 7 days (168 hours).

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Hopping on the TER to Bourg on Saturday for a days skiing, after my trip in January was cut short when I tore my meniscus. The forecast looks gorgeous if a bit too warm. How many layers would you suggest when the mid-mountain forecast is almost 10 degrees? Tempted to just bring just a t shirt and jacket but am I tempting fate...

You need to Login to know who's really who.

@northernrookie, Last week I skied when the temperature was hovering around zero I skied in a jacket and base layer, opening the jaket and removing my hat to cool off for the afternoon (and ski trousers). However, I would not abandon the jacket even at 10 degrees.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

You'll need to Register first of course.

@Owlette, your story of skiing from 1950 to 1800 with a bag for life in one hand has made me chuckle Toofy Grin

Is the 1950 shop much better than the 1800 shops?

I had a great time skiing in Les Arcs two weeks ago but it was really mild and sunny then with not much in the way of an overnight refreeze. It looks a lot more wintry this week.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

After all it is free

Thanks to JohnE for babysitting me down my first black on Monday. That gave me the confidence to have a go at Aiguille Rouge today.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

@Owlette, you didn't need babysitting. You did it well. We never got up the Aiguille Rouge at all this season. It was always either closed or had huge queues. It is a lovely run down the glacier.

None of this appears as courageous as removing base layer bottoms at a lift. I never remove my boots at all during the day.

I trust today goes well for you and you enjoy the whole holiday. Did you see the light show at the top of the Varet? Or the stuffed Dahu?

Incidently, it took us 9:30 to get to the tunnel on Wednesday, 2:30 to get across to Folkstone (only a 45 minute delay on the train departure, which I think was very good) then 4 hours home due to some motorway closures and heavy rain. We got home shortly after 1:00 Thursday morning.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Does anyone know somewhere in Bourg St Maurice that has the football on? Toofy Grin

snow reports

You may have just picked the wrong time to look at the webcam, we're here now and it doesn't seem that busy most of the time, just occasional waves of people and ski schools. Mostly getting straight onto the lifts. It's getting patchier by the day though and very mushy / heavy by mid afternoon.

You know it makes sense.

Had the Derby lift and runs to ourselves this morning and also most of Piesey. Everyone must have been in the 2000 bowl. Snow springlike but highly enjoyable, although heavy if you went to Grizzly.

After lunch a different story and it was porridge all over, so we called it by 2pm, and watched Paris Roubaix instead...

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Another blazing hot day:with no overnight freeze we went for first lift, and thought well, if not now (9.15), when else to go down as far as 1600. Got first tracks on Mont Blanc as far as Club Med, but after that was not pleasant. Not only soft, but churned up by the myriad ski schools. Avoid.
So, went and lapped Clocheret. No, hear me out. Not as daft as it sounds.
Figured that although long and slow, with zero queues, it wasn’t much worse than a 5 or 10 Min wait elsewhere.

Again, first tracks, but more importantly, completely empty. The snow was good, and with no one to bolloix it up, stayed that way for the majority of the morning. The crossing of the connecting piste from Cachettes to Arpette was getting more and more crowded, more and more lumpy, and was, by the 4th crossing, a total mare. So glad we stayed away from the crowds. Made for a very pleasant ski.

Final time up, Muget down to Secret both fine in the soft stuff, then up to Col de la Chal, and the reds off there. Lunch at the Bulle, before calling it, (probably wise after the rum babas and genepi…) for an afternoon of resort meetings.

According to ski moniteurs, expecting rain tomorrow even as high as 1950, turning to snow early evening. May be a duvet day…

In other news, EVs becoming more popular: have to book a time slot for use of the chargers in the 1950 car park this week. Seems a little OTT but there were 6 bookings made apparently between me agreeing a time with the attendant, and going to charge a few hours later, so who knows.

A snowHead

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@Boris, Couldn't agree more.

A common start of the day for me is: Combettes lift and if there is fresh snow up Vizelle, because no one goes up there and you get fresh tracks around the chalet. The old black piste down to what is now know as Traverese is now overgrown and can be quite unpleasant, down Combettes blue and cut across to Cachette, down Lutins (once again lots of potential for fresh powder). There are a couple of hairpins on the piste where you just angulate and cruise round which is a lovely sensation. Then up and down Clocheret. If I'm going over to 2000 then once again Clocheret and down Secret.

Many would dissaprove as I've started the day with two slow chairs, one demountable one and a drag lift Smile

ps Arolles isn't a bad run either, but the good bit is rather short.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

@johnE,

I'm sure you'll know, but what was the route of the old Deux Tetes black route down from the top of the Mont Blanc lift? Was it just through the 2 outcrops and down under the lift?

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@Gilly76, It doesn't go between the heads but goes east of them. Go down the Mont Blanc piste and shortly you will see the old deux tetes piste on your left. Just leave the piste more or less any point before the big left hand bend on the track and you are on the old black. It terminates where it joined the Malgovert piste and what was then the top of Mont Blanc, where the monsters are now. It is still a wonderful run and as you will see by the amount of moguls still very popular. I have no idea why it has been abandoned. After I'd been skiing a few weeks and done a couple of blacks in Italy and Austria I took the drag lift (started where the monsters are now) and had a go at it. I remember standing at the top thinking "this is bloody steep" and "what a wonderful view". TBH it was the first real black I ever did. It was still fine when I did it at Easter

There is also another abandoned black piste in the vicinity, the Tommelet. It started near the top of the Cachette piste (where the old Cachette drag lifts stopped) and took a line to the west of the Cachette piste. Once again people still ski the line though it is now largely overgrown. Keep an eye out on Traverese and you can see where it went down to the top of the Vizelle lift after the Rouelles piste. It must be over 10 years since I last did it and the shubs have grown much talller.

You'll need to Register first of course.

Looking at the old piste map again. I see that the route that @Gilly76, may be thinking of is an old itenerie that goes east of the deux tetes then down the face to the Arrolles piste (lots of variations are possible in the trees). It then more or less follows the mont blanc lift down through the trees, or the even older drag lift route.

I made a mistake in the post earlier. The route from the top of the Vizelle lift to Traverse is the old Stade de Slalom. Tommelet terminates at the top of the drag.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

After all it is free

I only noticed the run, as it's still shown on the small piste map attached to the bottom of the Mont Blanc lift. I followed Junior back down amongst the trees and beneath the lift until we got onto the Arrolles piste, so we can't have been too far off the original run.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

I see it has snowed again and my friend in Grenoble tells me the temperature dropped 20 degrees today. I'll keep an eye out on the forescasts but may come out again next week or the week after. Anyone else planning a late trip?

Help!!

Les Arcs 2023 / 2024

snowHeads Forum Index >>> Snow Reports - weather - snow conditions