Les Arcs

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The centre of Arc 1950

Les Arcs is a ski resort located in Savoie, France above the Tarentaise town of Bourg-Saint-Maurice and was created by Robert Blanc and Roger Godino. Since the opening of the new Vanoise Express Cable car in December 2003, it has become part of the Paradiski group of resorts, which also includes La Plagne. The 5 areas - Bourg Saint Maurice, Arc 1600, Arc 1800, Arc 1950 and Arc 2000 - are situated over an altitude of 810 to 3225 metres, although skiing is only really possible above 1200 meters. The ski area consists of 106 runs, 54 lifts and 200 kilometres of descent.

It has a reputation as one of the French "mega-resorts", with fairly modern (unattractive?) architecture and not too much character, but a convenient, large and varied network of pistes. It's got a mixture of open runs (especially above Arc 2000) and wooded runs (around the outlying villages of Peisey and Villaroger in particular). Its terrain park has a good reputation, with green, red and black jumps and rails. It's also good for snowboarders, with few drag lifts.

Les Arcs' ESF ski school teaches the ski evolutif method, where students are taught parallel turns from the beginning, but on very short skis (that get progressively longer through the first week). Les Arcs is regarded as having excellent beginner ski areas in each resort, although absolute beginners have little to progress to - away from the nursery slopes things get trickier.

1 Arc 1600 (also 'Arc Pierre Blanche')
2 Arc 1800
3 Arc 1950
4 Arc 2000
5 Other villages
6 Off-piste opportunities
7 External links

From the base of the gondola up to the Aiguille Rouge, at 2670m. To the right is the Aiguille Grive

The ski area consists of a broad valley, with Arc 2000 and 1950 near the bottom. One of the sides of the valley is the ridge with the area's highest point, the Aiguille Rouge. The other side is a ridge, on the other side of which a broad expanse of pistes reach down to Arc 1600, 1800 and Peisey-Vallandry.

[edit] Arc 1600 (also 'Arc Pierre Blanche')

At 1600 metres, this is the lowest of the resort areas and is linked directly to Bourg Saint Maurice by the 'Arc en Ciel' funicular railway. The journey time is approximately 7 minutes and many trains also call at two intermediate stations, serving the villages of Montrigron and Les Granges. It is also connected to the other villages by regular free shuttle buses and ski lifts. Arc 1600 was the first area to be built on and is also referred to as "Arc Pierre Blanche." Arc 1600 now has 30 shops, hotels and meeting rooms to offer its guests.

[edit] Arc 1800

Arc 1800 is the biggest of the resort areas and consists of 4 'villages' know as 'Charvet', 'Villards', 'Charmettoger' and 'Chantel'. It has around 100 shops, shuttles services, hotels, meeting rooms, a two screen cinema and an ice rink. It's in the most convenient position; its "Transarc" gondola reaches the top of the Arc 2000 valley quickly (queues notwithstanding). This area is linked to La Plagne resort with the Vanoise Express Cable.

[edit] Arc 1950

Arc 1950 is a new development by the Canadian constructor 'Intrawest', which also worked on such resorts as Whistler and Mount Tremblant in Canada. It is linked to Arc 2000 by free cable car and has 30 shops and 5 apartment buildings.

[edit] Arc 2000

With a cable to 1950 and free shuttle buses to everywhere else, Les Arcs' highest station also has more than adequate transport links. It again has 30 shops, a cinema screen and meeting facilities. Being the highest it often has the best snow, although the nursery slopes above 2000 have a reputation for being crowded, and there aren't so many tree-lined pistes for when the weather gets bad.

[edit] Other villages

At one end of the ski area are the villages of Vallandry, Peisey and Plan-Peisey, from which the Paradiski cable-car departs. Administratively these villages are not part of the Les Arcs ski domain, but are seamlessly linked. Their ski area is largely wooded, but with some open slopes above. At the other end, across the valley from St Foy Tarentaise, are the villages of Le Pre and Villaroger.

Pistes above the Peisey-Vallandry woods

[edit] Off-piste opportunities

The piste network in Les Arcs is fairly dense, so off-piste opportunities within the ski domain are limited. With a guide, though, some big adventures are possible. Particularly recommended are off the back of the Aiguille Rouge down to Villaroger, or off the back of the Bellecote glacier (from La Plagne) down to Nancroix valley, just below Peisey, which is linked by free shuttle bus. Naturally both routes should only be attempted with a guide and appropriate avalanche equipment. Off-piste routes from Tignes to the Les Arcs area are also possible.