Bourg-Saint-Maurice

LES ARCS SKI AREA

Bourg Saint-Maurice is directly linked by the 'Arc-en-ciel' funicular railway to Arc 1600 and is only a few minutes’ drive from some of the world's other leading ski areas, including La Plagne, Tignes, Val d'Isère and La Rosière.

The funicular railway from the town reaches Arc 1600 in only 7 minutes and runs every 20 minutes from 07:30. Although there is no ski run back to Bourg Saint-Maurice the funicular usually runs until 20:00 Mon - Thurs and 21:00 Fri - Sun, so no need to rush back.

From Arc 1600 you can explore the 425km of terrain that is one of the world's largest ski area. 

Les Arcs is part of the large ‘Paradiski’ ski area and is the 2nd largest connected skiing area in the world. Paradiski has excellent facilities and with its huge variation in altitude (1200m-3250m) and with over 70% of the area being above 2000m, there is a multitude of different types of scenery and piste to explore. This impressive lift-linked ski area is formed of 18 ski resorts (the first 7 below in Les Arcs and the other 11 in La Plagne):

• Arc 1600
• Arc 1800
• Arc 1950
• Arc 2000
• Peisey Vallandry
• Villaroger
• Bourg St Maurice
• Plagne Montalbert
• Plagne Bellecote
• Montchavin
• Les Coches
• Champagny en Vanoise
• Belle Plagne
• Plagne 1800
• Plagne Soleil
• Aime la Plagne
• Plagne Centre
• Plagne Villages

Les Arcs offers experts some tough descents beneath the Aiguille Rouge. For intermediates, the greatest concentration of blue and red runs are above Arc 1800 and lead down to the villages of Peisey-Vallandry. There are nursery slopes close to all of the Les Arcs villages, but some of the best green runs can be found in La Plagne. La Plagne has a further 225km of pistes - access via the Vanoise Express double-decker cable car (world’s largest cable car) which is in the village of Peisey-Vallandry. This takes you across to Montchavin (La Plagne).

Arc 1600 is south-west facing and offers numerous tree-lined slopes down to the villages below resort level. This ski area holds its own snow well but is also well served by snow cannons, meaning skiing back to the village is not a problem. The Mont Blanc chairlift in Arc 1600 has been replaced by a new, bigger and faster chairlift. The new detachable lift provides direct access to the ‘Les Deux Têtes’ area. The old ‘Les 2 Têtes’ and ‘Pierre Blanche’ ski lifts, which the new lift replaces, have been removed. This new lift service is designed to improve skier-flow around Les Arcs and make it easier for people to get from Arc 1600 to Arc 1800 and Arc 2000. There is also a 2-minute gondola (Cabriolet) to take you between Arc 1950 and Arc 2000, which is free.

LES ARCS SKIING

LES ARCS BEGINNERS

There are 10 green slopes in Les Arcs:

• Vezaille, Millerette, Piste des Animaux in Arc 1600
• Step by step progression zone 1-3 steps (first slides, turns and runs) at Les Cabnes in Mille 8 in Arc 1800
• Low KL, Marais in Arc 2000
• Flocon, Cabri in Peisey Vallandry

Across Les Arcs, there are ‘ski tranquille’ beginner zones including on the treeline area above Peisey-Vallandry (look out for these on the piste map). You'll be pleased to know there are around 10 free beginner lifts in Arc 1800, Arc 2000 and Villaroger. Unfortunately none currently in Arc 1600 but this may change with the new Club Med Les Arcs Panorama.

Paradiski doesn't actually have many 'green' runs (only 12) but they use some of the blue runs like greens as they are gentle enough to be greens, e.g 'Forêt' down to Vallandry is labelled as ‘a beginner’s dream’. In all sectors there are long, wide blue runs to move on to. Much of the Arc 2000 bowl is also great progression territory.

LES ARCS INTERMEDIATES

Intermediates are sure to love the blue and red runs in Les Arcs, and there's plenty of them! One particular strength of the area (mainly above 1600/1800) is that most main routes have easy and more difficult alternatives, making it good for mixed-ability groups. 

The fantastic 'Malgovert' run into Arc 1600 is often quiet and is accessible from the top of the Comborciere chairlift however its a Natur' run, so ungroomed, so best suited to more confident skiers.

The long run into Villaroger is apparently very rewarding and worth a try.

LES ARCS EXPERTS

Paradiski has a pretty decent number of black slopes for experts (with just over half in Les Arcs and 4 in Arc 1600 itself), many being ungroomed Natur' runs which is a plus or minus depending on your level! 

If you want to try the impressive and demanding longest run in the world, then head to the top of the Aiguille Rouge cable car in Arc 2000. Here you will find the Aiguille Rouge black run which is 16km long! 

For the mogul lovers out there, head to the top of the Comboriciere and Ours black runs. They are steep and demanding and are accessible via the Arc 1800 lifts.

LES ARCS OFF-PISTE

Les Arcs deserves its very good reputation for fantastic off-piste skiing. The powder is excellent, due to the resort being spread over a large area, a lot of which is not touched by lift systems. Arc 2000 offers truly amazing off-piste possibilities. 

The main off-piste area is the Aiguille Rouge glacier (in Arc 2000), where you have the longest run in the resort at 7km, with a 2100m vertical drop! The most popular runs can be found on the north face with an immense area of off-piste skiing in the direction of Villaroger.

For novices, from the top of the Dos Rond there is a gentle off-piste slope that follows the Les Bauches blue. There is also an eay route from Col de la Chal down towards Nancroix.

LES ARCS SNOWBOARDERS

Les Arcs is a hot spot and firm favourite with snowboarders, where many of the Pros choose to come. Les Arcs offers brilliant freeriding including steeps, trees, gullies, natural jobs and hits. Arc 1800 and Peisey-Vallandry offer the best wide-open rolling slopes for beginners and intermediates. 

LES ARCS SNOWPARKS

You will find Les Arcs' Apocalypse Parc (snowpark named after Regis Rolland for the cult film 'Apocalypse Snow') between Arcs 1600 and Arc 1800 and is served by a snowboarder-friendly J-bar lift. For years now this has been one of the most advanced parks in the French Alps and is on a par with the main park at Avoriaz which is highly rated. If you're after snowcross runs, you will find them below Col de la Chal at Arc 2000 or above Plan-Peisey.

Snowpark access:
From Arc 1600, take the Cachettes chairlift then join the Belvédère piste to reach the SnowPark chairlift. 
From Arc 1800, take the Vagère chairlift and follow the Arpette.
From Arc 2000, you have to go downhill to Arc 1950 to catch the Bois de l’Ours chairlift then go back down on the other side towards Arc 1600. You then have a choice of several pistes of different levels to get to the Snowpark.

LES ARCS CROSS-COUNTRY

The ski area of Les Arcs/Peisey Vallandry has 55km of cross-country trails (131km in La Plagne also).

In Arc 1600 there is a loop starting at Courbaton, the top of the funicular. 
In Arc 1800 a trail starts from the top of the Jardin Alpin chairlift. 
In Arc 2000 the trail begins near the ESF 2000 ski school office. 
Each trail is free to use and is approximately 5km in length.

A longer trail of 15km can be found in Bourg St Maurice and access is via the funicular from Arc 1600.

However, for the best of the best cross-country skiing you need to be further down the valley in the Peisey-Nancroix Nordic area (Peisey-Vallandry), at the entrance of the Vanoise National Park – 44km of well kept and marked trails await you. There are also paths here for walkers, snowshoe trails and toboggan runs. You do have to purchase a pass to use these trails, but the good thing is that any profit they make purely goes into the daily upkeep of these beautiful trails.

LES ARCS IN BAD WEATHER

If the weather turns bad, the clouds creep in and the snow falls heavy it can be hard to know where to ski. Avoid the high and open glaciers at all costs. The trick is to head for the tree-lined slopes as they provide definition when the slopes and the sky merge into one and everything seems white! Head to the lower resorts of Arc 1600, Arc 1800 and Peisey-Vallandry.

From the top of the Chantel and Les Villards chairlifts, you can take some long blue slopes through the trees from Arc 1800 to Arc 1600. La Plagne Montalbert is another safe beat with gentle blues that cut through the trees and as you will be lower here you may even completely miss the high cloud causing the bad weather. There are also plenty of trees to be found in Vallandry, Plan Peisey and Montchavin/Les Coches.