I have just returned from a weekend’s skiing in Les Arc. Having heard that it was not a good snow year I was very impressed with the skiing available and the quality of the snow. OK it was typical spring snow; hard in the morning, softening during the day to becoming heavy (but not slushy) in the afternoon. The resort was very empty with most of the skiers over on the Arc2000 side. At one point I stopped on one of the red runs down to Vallandry. There was no one else visible for about 5 minutes I could just stand admire the view and listen to the birds singing.

A notice appeared by the Cachette lift in Arc 1600 saying they going to redevelop this part of the resort (whoopee). The picture showed replacing the Mount Blanc chair lift with a 6 man demountable and leaving the Cachette as it is. The 3 man mount blanc currently gets very little use as it only serves a single piste and a frequently closed drag lift so I wonder where the new lift is going to finish and if it will link into the rest of the resort. The picture appears to show it taking the route of the long overgrown drag lift that used to go up through the forest from there.

I just wonder what the rest of the plans are.

Wendy, do you fancy asking the tourist information office so you can update the book for next year?

John

Hi John,

Sorry I haven’t been around for a while on the forum, but have been trying to sort out a new job ( starting the day after I get back from BsM on the 4th April ). I am out there myself in the morning 7.25am to Geneva , will try and find out anything I can about any new lift’s etc when I see Rosie and Gordon at the Polairestar shop at the funicular.

Glad you arrived back safe and sound and you had a good time. Mind you I do like the tranquil blue from the old Mont Blanc chair as it was very under used and at some times had it all to yourself….but maybe they will do something good with it hopefully ( laying my hands on some land next to it would be nice to put a small log chalet maybe…...     ).

Jon.

I have mixed feelings about the Mount Blanc blue. It was the scene of my only serious ski accident. The piste was almost deserted and I was hit from behind by a helmeted skier straight lining it down the piste. No doubt the empty piste encouraged him to ski far too fast for his ability. In future I will stick to the safer Malgovert and Deux Tetes pistes.

John

Now I have chance to think about the notice. It appears the area is to being altered to allow easier access from the new apartment blocks that side of the village and to allow relaxing skiing for beginers in the forest. In French

Reorganisation des flux de skieurs sur le front de neige d’Arc 1600

Adoption des debits remontees mecaniques aux arrives des nouveaux hebergements

Developpement du ski detente et debutant en foret

Not really sure why this needs a 6 man demountable chair lift for an area currently massively over served by a slow 3 man (without foot rests). Perhaps they should resurect the old drag lift!

John

Hi Wendy, Hi John,

I only missed you by a day John, went out to BsM on the 30th and arrived back on Monday night, as you say the snow conditions were not brilliant although catching it at the right time each day did give some very satisfying skiing, but what struck me most were the hourly avalanches of all sizes, some of them taking out large sections of the Eidleweiss blue track and also taking out the piste below…..lucky nobody was on it at the time.

We took the track over to Arc 2000 and again about 2 hours later and a large wet slab avalanche had removed a large section of both runs….not good, since getting back the temps have dropped slightly and with heavy rain on Monday I hope it was falling ad snow above 1800 meters in time for replenishing the Easter pistes.

One day ( Friday ) we got back down to the BsM funicular car park and the cars temp gauge read 35 degrees….not good, the Sahara winds are early this spring I think.

On the Mont Blanc chair situation I couldn’t gleam any more info than you already have posted, even Rosie and Gordon down at the Polairestar ski shop mentioned they are only floating around some ideas at the moment….time will tell, next season or over the summer, I will hopefully be back out there in August so might know some more.

Jon.

Yes we were skiing along on the Saturday and noticed the Eidleweiss run closed with a big wet avalanche over it (I went out on the Thursday night and returned on the Monday morning). However, given how busy that run usually is I suspect the pisteurs closed the slope and released it. Ours had 3 or 4 avalaches tracks on it, even one covering a lot of ski tracks. They had ropes ocross the top warning of avalanche risk.

What suprised me was the avalanche flags were only showing 3 or somtimes 2!

We will have to see what developments are afoot in the Mont Blanc area. It may open up some nice skiing between the trees.

John

That actually sounds like a pretty amazing place to go. I’d love to try skiing one of these days and am looking into some places where I can go. I have to say this sounds wonderful.

I did a season in Bourg 2008/2009 and I finished most days with a run on the Mont Blanc.  I had a few chats with the lifties about the new lift.  Back then the plan was to take out the Mont Blanc chair and the Deux Tetes drag, replacing them with a high speed chair that finished around the top of the Deux Tetes, or slightly higher.  This would ease the pressure on the Cachette during busy periods. There were also plans to put in a blue track/piste down the through the Malgovert / Deux tetes area to make the return to Arcs 1600 suitable for beginners, which would be a shame in my opinion! As far as I know it should be happening this summer.

there are some links below,

http://www.haute-tarentaise.net/t934-les-arcs-nouveau-tsd-mont-blanc

http://www.remontees-mecaniques.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=12457&mode=threaded

Thanks for the reply Nick. After I returned I saw some other information that indicated that the lift would go above the Deux Tetes (more or less where the old drag lift form Arc 1600 finished (the line is still visible as smaller trees and clearly marked on teh 1:25000 map).

The route of the new Blue appeared to swing to the right of the Deux Tetes (looking up) before cutting back somewhere along the line of the flat road that leads off Arrolle. Whatever they do it will require some bulldozing. The lift will have to stop fairly high to serve the Malgovert area.

Like you I hope they do not loose this beautiful red.

John

I looked at the plans

http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/2921/ammnagementarcs16004.jpg

And it looks as if the beautiful Deux Tetes black is going to go. This makes me very sad.

John

It seems a pity to ruin one of Les Arcs hidden gems, but the queues for the Cachette were huge when I was out there during the French holidays this season, and with the Gollet gone they need to increase capacity somehow.

I gather there are environmental objections to extending the lift up to the top to allow access to the Comborciere valley, which is fair enough, but the thought of being able to get up there in one lift on a powder day is enticing to say the least.

The old drag is a bit before my time i’m afraid, although I have often wondered what the gap in the trees was for!

there is another discussion on the Paradiski forum which seems to have some specs:

http://www.leforumdeparadiski.fr/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=2705&start=0

I have just returned from Les Arcs and seen the work they are doing on the Deux Tetes.

The lift starts just up from and to the left of the cachette lift and finishes above the Deux Tetes on the Belvarde piste. They are easing the entry, ie making it gentler, to the Deux Tetes pist and, judging by the surveyers pegs in the piste, going to be using a lot of earth moving equipment to make the Deux Tetes piste a gentle meander down the slope. Shame on them.

We went sport climbing on the Deux Tetes, which was OK but not great. Buying a guide book showed a lot of really good crags in the vicinity. The snow level dropped to 2200m and we had to abandon one walk/climb due to 5-10 cm of fresh snow lying on the ground. The locals say this is the coldest summer they have experienced in living memory. The mountains lying the other side of the Isere looked more like April than July. I imagine the Tour de France riders had a pretty torrid time going over the Galibier.

Looking forward to next season.

John

Wendy,

The big new apartment complex on the Eastern side of Chantel looks fairly complete externally, but there were still a few tower cranes visible. I did not give it a close inspection but imagine that much of it will be ready for habitation this winter.  Is does dominate that area of the resort.

As to the blog. It will be a little out of date in that I am now back in the UK but I will write a few words about each day’s activities. How many words to you want and should I email them to you. I have some pictures.  Remember that I am a 60 year with a 56 year old wife and 17 year old son. None of us are very fit so these blogs will be the outdoor pursuits of a fairly adventurous family not a group of hyper fit 20 year olds.

With 2 9 day trips to the mountains planned this summer I have just realised that I am spending more time there in the summer than winter!

Most of the activities are the same in most ski resorts but by the nature of its location Les Arcs does rather better for white water rafting and paragliding than most.

John

Hi All,

Sorry I have not been around lately…...

On a recent trip to Bourg-St-Maurice, there have been some developments ( both building wise and Politically wise in the area ).

There is now a new lift at the top of the Deux Tetes, with some new short pistes over the top between 1950 and 1600, with a new wider track back to the top of the Cachette lift( the reinforcing of the sides of this track are an eyesore which is visible all the way down in BsM but hopefully after time it will blend in with vegetation growth etc).

There is also the ongoing development of the Eden project/apartments above 1800 ( although I haven’t been to have a look so can’t give an honest report on that but the extra apartments people will mean the area will be busy in peak times of the season when complete ).

While down in BsM the Marie ( Mayor) has been removed and an old BsM family ex Marie has agreed to stand for two years , when their deputy will take over , due to the outgoing Marie taking illegal payments from developers for passing and signing off too many large scale developments ( the MGM apartments at the cross roads for example, these were given the go ahead apparently because it would mean more people would live in the full time and find employment in the town ).

This is somewhat of a lie as next April to June the French Alpine Regiment based in BsM are leaving and are to be joined with a regiment in Grenoble ( this will mean the loss of up to 3000 people both civilian/military and the families of both to the towns economy ).

There is still no published plans as to what is to become of the military apartments in BsM both on base and in the town proper, but I would imagine they will be sold on, if they are and anyone interested should aim to buy one of the officers apartments as they are larger and better furnished.

All the best for now and will update more after my next visit in late November.

jon.