© Sam Birch
© Sam Birch
© Sam Birch
© Sam Birch
© Sam Birch
© Sam Birch
© Sam Birch
© Sam Birch
© Sam Birch
Chills and thrills in Les Arcs
Low temperatures and mixed weather but great conditions on-piste
It has been another fantastic week in this fantastic season. Although there has been some cloud and changeable visibility, particularly in the mornings, we have also seen clear skies and sunny spells. It has often been rather cold, with the freezing level rarely rising above valley level (800m). The consistent temperatures have kept the pistes in excellent order with many being groomed overnight before softening up throughout the day.
Whilst you should wrap up warm at the moment and possibly make regular stops for hot chocolate, the skiing conditions are very good indeed. Underfoot, the snow is generally quite predictable, with pistes staying quick and smooth. When the piste-bashers have finished working their overnight magic, the freshly prepared runs can be really very fast and confidence-inspiring. As the day goes on the slopes can soften up a little depending on altitude and aspect, but do not expect to find slushiness anywhere; it's far too cold!
Weather
The last few days have seen clouds, snow flurries and intermittent sunny spells (usually in the afternoon). The next few days are going to be very similar, although we may see increased snowfall by the start of next week. The thermometers at all altitudes are unlikely to indicate much change in the near future, with lows of -20ºC possible at the top of Les Arcs (3226m), even during the daytime. We have seen some gusty winds recently and, whilst they have thus-far had little effect on lift opening, they are likely to return over the weekend.
Slopes
It is genuinely difficult to critique the runs at the moment, as things have been close to perfect for so long. The snow base is deep everywhere, ranging from 132cm at 1600 metres to a, quite frankly, whopping great 380cm at 3226 metres. There are no thin patches to speak of. There is very little ice, although the more precipitous red and black runs (such as Arandelieres, Fond Blanc, the Glacier du Varet and Cachette) can be quite hard; this is particularly noticeable early in the day, or in areas more affected by the wind. Overall, most blue and red runs are staying flat (as opposed to moguled) and fast.
When the cloud has set in, I have spent quite a lot of time exploring the tree-lined runs of Peisey-Vallandry. Once the sun has broken through, however, I have been heading over to Arc 2000 and the red runs cascading down from the Col de la Chal. Again, it is difficult to find fault anywhere on the mountain, regardless of altitude, resort, or type of run, so it is easy to find fun whatever run you choose. The pistes are still fairly quiet, with the start of the school holidays just around the corner, so it has been the perfect opportunity to maximise ski time. Unfortunately, the Aiguille Rouge gondola has been disproportionately busy for the last couple of weeks, so you can expect to queue when visiting the highest peak.
Off-piste
The obvious off-piste has been well ridden and there is not a lot of soft stuff around the slopes. Even though there have been a few sprinklings of fresh snow, and we are expecting a few more imminently, these constitute top-layer titivation rather than an influx of powder or a major change in conditions.
