© Sam Birch
© Sam Birch
© Sam Birch
© Sam Birch
© Sam Birch
© Sam Birch
Hundreds of kilometres of pistes in Les Arcs
All the lifts open as the sunny weather settles in
On Saturday afternoon, for the first time in over a week, the Aiguille Rouge gondola reopened to keen skiers and snowboarders alike. The incessant snowfall, which disrupted the lift’s normal service and ensured snow depth at the peak reached four whole metres.
It finally stopped snowing long enough for the pistes to be secured and the full length of both the Arandelières and Aiguille Rouge runs to be opened to the public. This means the vast majority of slopes in Les Arcs are skiable and, equally importantly, in excellent condition.
From Peisey-Vallandry to Arc 2000, there is almost unparalleled access to the runs, with practically every lift opening over the weekend. Ski traffic is still relatively low, so most pistes are pretty quiet although the opening of the Aiguille Rouge gondola saw an instantaneous rush (and subsequent queue) to the top of resort.
Piste Conditions
Whilst it is possible to make a sweeping generalisation about the highest runs being the best, in actuality there is very little variation according to elevation. I found that the on-piste snow base was practically perfect, providing sufficient grip whilst keeping hard enough to prevent mogul-formation. The snow park is looking great at the moment and, although I have no idea why, it is being rather underused. Very steep runs, or sectors, like Arandelières after the Varet gondola, the top of Teppes, the initial jump-off onto Belette, Cachette after the Arpette crosses (all red) and the Fond Blanc black run are hard and fast, but not unforgiving. I am yet to find an icy patch anywhere this season, which is incredible as my ‘board normally makes the unilateral decision to actively seek them out; I can only assume there are none out there.
The major differences in daily piste condition seem to be due to environmental factors rather than altitude. Around 1600m, particularly in Plan Peisey and Arc 1600, exposure to the sun can make the snow a little “sandy” in the afternoon. This may extend a bit further up the mountain in the next few days as the freezing level ascends above 2000m during the daytime. Whilst most pistes are splendid to ride, I found that Granges (red) and Bois de Saule (blue) below the top station of the Arc en Ciel funicular were quite unpleasant, with a very bumpy surface covered by abrasive icy debris. Hopefully, by the time you read this, the piste-bashers will have sorted that whole sub-Arc 1600m section out. Otherwise, I really could not fault any of the runs across all resorts. It is lovely out there.
Off-piste conditions
Much of the obvious off-piste has been tracked out with very few areas of easy powder still untouched. The excellent recent visibility, combined with a reduction in avalanche risk to 2 (moderate), has seen every man, woman and child straying beyond the designated boundaries. Towards Arc 1600, underneath the Clocheret and Arpette lifts, you can still hit some fairly soft stuff, although it is the odd clump of amongst pre-ridden lines. Over in Arc 2000, most of the off-piste from the Col de la Chal feels practically groomed; this is great for expanding the overall skiing area but provides little variation from the standard marked runs. It is still important to stay vigilant in these conditions because, despite the impressive snow depth, there are still a few rocks and plants sticking through the top layer in various places. In the forests above Arc 1800 and Peisey-Vallandry the powder has largely settled, making backcountry progress that much more technical. By and large, on-piste skiing is the better option at present, although some of the off-piste areas are virtually the same thing.
Lifts, weather and the week ahead
As mentioned earlier, the Aiguille Rouge is now open, allowing the adventurous to ride all the way from 3226 metres down to the lowest (skiable) village, Villaroger, at 1075m. The next few days should remain clear, sunny and basically wind-free, ensuring the lifts which are currently open (all of them) ought to stay that way. The forecast suggests that, at some point on Wednesday, snow will return and temperatures will plummet, bringing wholesale changes to conditions everywhere. If you are staying for the week, I would suggest primarily skiing the Arc 2000 for the first few days (including at least one trip on the Aiguille Rouge gondola), before moving over to Arc 1600, 1800 and Peisey-Vallandry once the weather moves in.
