Having looked at the new WTSS book and in particular the Les Arcs pages I thought I would update forum users of some of the changes in Les Arcs over the summer.
 
Generally the book is very perceptive about location of lift queues, quality of pistes and crowded pistes etc.
 
Well done.
 
Yes, the blue/red slopes above 2000 from the col du chal are boring and inexplicitly busy, as if skiers do not realise the gems that lie over the other side of the ridge. Malgovert is a brilliant roller coaster of a ride that rewards quick reactions and speed of feet with a lovely thrill of what lies just over the brow of the hill.
 
There has been less new accommodation built over the summer that previously: The MGM apartments at the top of arc 1800 appear to be having a new block added. Another new block has appeared on the massive sun balcony of arc 2000. There are largish buildings now on both sides of the Lanchettes chairlift. More new apartments are appearing in Bourg st Maurice. In 1600 the Explorers Hotel has been totally refurbished as the Arcadien Hotel and Spa. It is report as very good.
 
In arc 1600 the bar in the Trois Arcs building offers free wifi access, and the Malouine also had a sign outside advertising free wifi (I had a couple disappointing meals there after it was taken over a year or so ago so didn?t go back to test it). I wonder how long the Cachette Hotel and Abreuvoir will continue charging.
 
The Arpette and col du Frette lifts have been replaced by a fast 6 man. The new lift goes from roughly the start of the col du Frette lift to the old destination of the Arpette. I am not totally ecstatic about this. 
 
Firstly neither of these two lifts were particular bottle necks ? there were rarely any queues and 6 seats have been replaced by 6 faster seats. The money could have been better spent updating the Cachette lift where queues are starting to become a problem. Directly from 1600 to the top of the Arpette would be good
 
Secondly the new lift is not accessible from the top of the Gollet lift (as was the old Arpette) so you have to climb up a pretty busy piste to get across.
 
Thirdly the old top of the col du Frette lift no longer has any lift access. Years ago the Vagere piste used to start here and was a genuine black down the front. Until they removed the lift you could still ski down this excellent route even though it was officially off piste. Now it has gone.
 
I could not see any new snow making being installed, but there still appeared to be reprofiling of the pistes taking place. They have put a lot effort in recent years in grassing over some of the slopes and this appears to be taking hold.
 
The Notre-Dame des Vernettes chapel is closed for renovation. If you are an off piste skier or fancy a half hour walk from Vallandry this ancient chapel is well worth a visit
 
John

Thanks for this, John.
 
Agree that there are other lifts that might have been more suited to upgrades. Will be interesting to gather more feedback on the new one, once the season gets started.
 
W

Thanks for the info John, due to work and a hernia op i havent had the chance to go to BsM/Les Arcs since april (although a long weekend is planned for the end of sept early oct) so will be interesting to see whats happening.
 
I get the feeling that since BsM/Les Arcs sold the the lift system to more commercial business (vannot think of the company at present ,but they own/run the lifts in Tignes and Val) they are boosting capacity to increase numbers and I hope Les Arcs doesn’t go the way of L’espace Killy and have it’s wonderfull ski area destroyed by over planning and lift developement for the wrong reasons.
 
It will be interesting to see how it all plays out..
 
Many Regards
 
Jon.

Jon,
 
The lift system in Les Arcs is owned by CdA who have a virtual monopoly of the Tarrentaise as well as a couple other big French resorts. It has been for a number of years, but I think they are something like the 3rd owners.
 
It is the increase in beds that worries me most. Did La Plagne not increase its beds by 3000 last season and Les Arcs/ BsM are also making a lot of new apartment blocks.
 
John

Hi,
 
I know ....this increase worries me i must admit ,i am hoping good judgement will win over greed (although as a rule this rarely happens)but as most resorts start to go quiet and wind down after easter this is when i usually get the chance to go so hopefully i will not be too affected by the extra bodies on the slopes.
 
jon

I have just been looking at a new pite map for Les Arcs http://www.lesarcs.com/upload/2010_plan_des_pistes.pdf and notice that they have removed the Gollet lift. I know this was probably the oldest lift in the resort and it was a bit awkward to get onto to but it did serve an area of the resort well away from the others. It was also a very good way out of Arc 1600 avoiding the queues at the cachette lift. Since I used it almost every day I will miss it.

The Roulles piste now goes down to the bottom of a much shortened Tommelet lift (I have not seen this drag run for at least 15 years)

Thanks for some information..This is a good stuff..Cheers

Surendettement

After skiing Les Arcs over the Christmas/New Year period I thought I would add an update:

There was a lot of weather over the period with, on one day, rain below about 2100m. However, the snow was cold enough for this not to damage the piste, but to mix with the snow and freeze. The bottom 30cm, therefore has become very dense and hard packed making an excellent base for the rest of the season.

It was raining/snowing when we arrived in the middle of the night so had to use snow chains to get up to the resort.

The New Year week was, as expected, very busy, but there were few queues with the exception of the expected places: the cachette lift in the morning (I really miss the Gollet), the arcabulle, and derby lifts and the New Arpette lift had bigger queues than the old one. Due to high avalanche risks the Aguille Rouge rarely opened. One afternoon the queue for the comborciere lift was so long (the worst I have ever seen in Les Arcs at over 30 minutes in our estimation) we walked across the road and caught the bus around to Arc 1600 then caught the Cachette lift up.

Tip 1: the New Arpette lift (from where the Col du Frette lift used to depart) has a single queue on the right hand side. This is rarely used and easily allows you to overtake about 50 other skiers in the queue.

Tip 2: It is worth remembering the bus service. On occasions I have caught it after skiing the Villaroger section. And there is no need to worry about catching the last lift from anywhere in the Arc 2000 region - just ski down to Pre st Espirit and catch the bus. This is a much better than the bus station in 1800 or from the bottom of Arc 2000.

Tip 3: the last funicular up from Bourg st. Maurice is 20:00. Enough time for an evening shopping trip or a trip to the municipal swimming pool.

All restaurants were very busy at lunch time. We only got into the Cordee once during the 11 days and that was after 14:00.

Arc 1600 has had a bit of a revamp (as it usually does every summer). The bakery has been expanded and now offers sandwiches and a place to sit and drink coffee. In the Trois Arcs building the sport shop and restaurant have swapped over and been refitted. They look very nice now.

MacDonald’s in Bourg is still offering free wifi access. We spent and afternoon there working over a single coffee. Compared to the mountain it is good value.

John

Having visited Les Arcs this summer I noticed only a few minor changes.

Once again the lift operators are removing lifts. This time the Clair Blanc chairlift that has gone. This lift didn’t really go anywhere and did not appear very busy. It did, however, service the terrain park. There was a rumor that it was to be replaced by a short drag just for terrain park but I saw no sign of any construction work for this.

Looking back over some old piste maps it is surprising just how many lifts have gone over the years, some replaced by more modern ones, but many like the Gollet and Carreley have just gone.

They were also working on the Arpette restaurant with a new roof and what appeared to be more decking outside.

More residences are being built in 1800 and Bourg. 

I worry that they are putting in too many beds and reducing the ski lifts.

John