Arc 1800

LES ARCS 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 1800 is located around the tree line, at the foot of the Aiguille Grive and is a great ski resort to stay in if you have a mixed ability group since most routes have both easy and more difficult alternatives. It is also the most conveniently located resort for access to the Vanoise Express and the La Plagne ski area: One chair-lift and a blue run is all it takes to get to the cable car from Arc 1800. The sunny, wide and tree-lined slopes offer everyone plenty of room

The lively resort of Arc 1800, which is also the largest Les Arcs village, continues to increase in popularity with the development of ‘Mille 8’ in recent years meaning the introduction of some superb new amenities (especially suited to families). Mille 8 is a state-of-the-art, hub of activities/facilities offering skiing until 7.30pm at night, a 3800m2 aquatic leisure centre, themed discovery piste through the forest, a toboggan run, a freestyle obstacle course and videoing conveniences. There are also two areas within the development completely dedicated to beginners and young skiers who can improve in a specialised, safe area.

Handy tip: if possible we would recommend avoiding the bottom of the Charmettoger, Maïtaz and Villards slopes in Arc 1800 where they meet by the Transarc gondola. This area is often quite icy and can get a little busy with people trying to steer clear of the ice! To get up to Arc 2000 we would recommend using the mid station point of the Transarc gondola.

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 Cabanes in Mille 8 in Arc 1800
• Low KL, Marais in Arc 2000
• Flocon, Cabri in Peisey Vallandry

Children and beginners are well catered for in Arc 1800 as 90% of the runs back to the resort are blues. There are some free lifts for first-timers: Lapin draglift, Jardin Alpin chairlift and the magic carpet in the children’s area. The wide and open nursery slopes in the ‘Front des Neiges’ area (right in the centre of Arc 1800) are easy and offer plenty of room. Whilst the wide tree-lined runs that lead back to the resort offer great practice space in a really good learning environment. In Arc 1800, the two green pistes can be found at the Mille 8 complex using the step by step progression system.

Watch out for the dedicated ‘Ski Tranquille’ slow skiing and snowboarding areas dotted around Les Arcs, as you may feel a little more at ease in these parts with like-minded skiers and boarders around you and not having to worry about holding anyone up.

LES ARCS INTERMEDIATES

Intermediates are sure to love the blue and red runs just above the resort of Arc 1800. The best snow can be found at Grand Col (2800m), which offers equally attractive runs for the intermediates and experts. The fantastic Malgovert run into Arc 1600 is often quiet and is accessible from the top of the Comborciere chairlift. Arc 2000 is also brilliant for intermediates with the majority of the runs being red and black. 

LES ARCS EXPERTS

Les Arcs has over 30km of black runs for experts. The Olympic speed-skiing track can be tested by strong-hearted members of the public, starting at various heights according to experience.

Arc 2000 is perfect for experts. 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! Handy tip: about a third of the way down it does change from a black to a red run and it can get quite busy, so we recommend that you head here early on and make it your first run of the day.

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, of course, 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.

A large part of this area is, in fact, a restricted nature reserve so this really is one of the last untouched areas of the Tarentaise. The most accessible and easiest run is the ‘Petit Face Nord’ and is easy to get to from the Traversee chairlift. The next step up involves a hike: the ‘Couloir Canadian’.

Parts are very steep and avalanches are common. The ‘Couloir en S’ is one of the hardest descents – a rope and ice axe are useful! An easier alternative s the ‘Col du Génépi’. The north-east slopes of the Aiguilles Rouge are classed as moderate. For any off-piste skiing on the glacier we would highly recommend a mountain guide.

The ‘Grand Col’ at 2835m to Villaroger, beneath the glacier, is a popular off-piste area. Alternatively, a longer climb from ‘Grand Col’ takes you to ‘Col des Roches’ on a west facing slope – however getting there does involve a scramble and a cable attached to the rocks would be helpful!

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 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 SNOWBOADERS

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 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.