 Poster: A snowHead
|
@Macker13,
We always use Tarentaise Taxi. Usually about €80 each way.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
@Owlette, ok thanks will look at them too. In 12 years i've never got a taxi, always the Funi. But bringing some guests this year with younger kids and as we at Edenarc I'm thinking it will be a lot more pleasant for them than lugging kit via the Funi and bus then Dahu.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
| Macker13 wrote: |
| ... then Dahu. |
It's a bit of a schlep across to the Dahu with ski luggage from the Charvet bus station if you're heading up the hill to Chantel. Much easier to use the Charvet-Chantel shuttle bus, which takes you to EdenArc.
Charvet-Chantel timetable
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
@rob@rar, yeah it is, but there is a long wait of an hour for the bus at the time we arrive, so not going to do that. Have emailed the taxi companies for some quotes. cheers for your help.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Yeah, that wait had us considering dragging all the bags across the snow face to the Dahu, too. Stumped up for the taxi in the end. Much nicer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
ok to finish the taxi discussion and help others if looking - I asked for 3 quotes. Tarentaise Taxis 100 euros, GoAlpes 190 euros, Bourg Saint Maurice Taxis 100 euros. All for 8 seater from train station to Edenarc for 8 people and 8 suitcases with 2 big ski bags. Thanks all for the recommendations.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We didn't end up hiring a car last Saturday to get from Geneva to Arc 1950, as I was concerned about the road conditions (with good reason as it turned out).
Instead we booked an 11am transfer with Alpine Fleet.
Alpine Fleet then changed that to 11:40. In the end, we didn't depart until noon. There was about a 50 minute delay on the autoroute 10km before Moutiers, due to the traffic lights limiting volume of traffic going up the valley. Once past that, plain sailing.
But with stops at Aime, Bourg Saint Maurice, Arc 1800 and Arc 1600 before Arc 1950, there is no way, even on a clear day, the trip to Arc 1950 would have taken the 3:45 that Alpine Fleet have in their timetable.
As it was, our bus got stuck for 20 minutes about 200m short of the Arc 1950 bus stop - the snow tyres obviously weren't sufficient to deal with the snow on the road, despite it having been ploughed shortly before. We couldn't get off and walk for understandable safety reasons.
So, all in all we arrived at about 5:30pm rather than 2:45pm on the timetable. An hour of that delay could be put down to the challenging road conditions. 1.5 hours if one accepts that buses driving to ski resorts can get stuck on a ploughed road through no fault of their own, but that would be charitable IMO.
e2a: the comparison with a coach transfer from Zurich Airport to Lech a couple of years ago couldn't be more stark. There you simply show up to the numbered bus stop with your ticket a little before the departure time. None of this chaotic business in the terminal being shepharded by under-resourced bus reps.
The boarding and check-in process at Geneva was chaotic, but that seems to be the case with almost all the coach companies there (though my experience with Altibus last year on the equivalent weekend was much better). GVA Airport needs to take some of that blame: it simply is not adequately equipped to deal with so much Saturday traffic.
In short: we will be doing whatever possible to avoid Saturday coach transfers from GVA in future.
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Wed 14-01-26 10:06; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
How is the snow across Les Arc side of Paradiski? I may head over 17-24th. Heard some talk of a possible foehn though?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thanks John.
Anybody out there currently that can report on conditions?
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| Astontech wrote: |
Thanks John.
Anybody out there currently that can report on conditions? |
Piste conditions are excellent. It was Level 4 avy risk off-piste today, as it's been since the weekend, so care required, but everything low angle that's easy to get to is completely tracked out. Plenty of steeper stuff also tracked out, which makes you wonder. Higher than average temperatures aren't having much of an impact on conditions, even down the valley where there's loads of snow in Bourg St Maurice.
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
|
The pistes are in excellent condition; off piste generally - well, off! A mate got caught in an avalanche on Monday; wrong place, wrong time; bad decision making. Despite the beautiful weather, it's not a time to be bold!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sounds great, with cooler temps next week I think I may pay a visit.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
@rob@rar, thanks for this update, heading to La Plagne on Sunday so expecting it to be similar!
See how we go, might even make it across for one of the days to explore Les Arcs
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
We're going to Arc1800 on Saturday, having stayed in Arc2000 two years ago. Back then we never made it up Aiguille Rouge (I think it was closed at least some of the week) but I definitely recall Arandelieres (red) started at the top alongside Aiguille Rouge (black). I see the piste map now only shows Aiguille Rouge from the top with Arandelieres starting at the fork after the glacier. Is the stretch from the top to Arandelieres truly a black in peoples opinion?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
There's two ways down from the top. I take the bit that used to be red because other way is steep (its marked straight down on the map). But they both meet in the same spot a smidge further down. I wouldn't say that bit is particularly black. As you move down the run there are steep bits (that are definitely black in terms of pitch imo), but they are closely followed by some really chill, flatish sections to allow your legs to recover. In fact there's one bit that's completely flat, and you'll need to pole. I did not expect to be poling on something marked black! It's really wide, so you can get some wide turns in. I tend to take it slow and allow all the crowds to go ahead of me on the steep sections, so I can go at mu own pace.
You can then dive off down Arandelieres if you've had enough or follow it further down.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
@StuHolmes_73, on the piste right at the peak there is a little squiggle and a straight bit. Both in black. As I recall the squiggle used to be a red. Basically the straight down being from quite steep and often mogulled. The squiggle zig zagged across the slope. But it only got you past the initial section. Nothing has really changed.
I do think the top part of the run regardless of the squiggle or not is quite intimidating. You've often waited a while, stood like a sardine in the cable car, come out onto a high platform, it's often a bit windy, it's initially busy when the car has arrived. And then run IMO is definitely a black. Of course like many blacks it's not consistently steep.
That said after the recent snowfall the piste should be in good nick, it's obviously not the busiest time of the year and if you choose a good weather day...
Ability wise, if you are at least confident/comfortable holding an edge on a steep piste you will be fine with it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
|
At the top it can be quite windy, the snow can be scoured and difficult, and it is steep and crowded. Further down there is a reasonanably long, pretty steep, albeit wide section. It's definitely black and I would say it should not be the first black you do.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
| doddles wrote: |
We didn't end up hiring a car last Saturday to get from Geneva to Arc 1950, as I was concerned about the road conditions (with good reason as it turned out).
Instead we booked an 11am transfer with Alpine Fleet.
Alpine Fleet then changed that to 11:40. In the end, we didn't depart until noon. There was about a 50 minute delay on the autoroute 10km before Moutiers, due to the traffic lights limiting volume of traffic going up the valley. Once past that, plain sailing.
But with stops at Aime, Bourg Saint Maurice, Arc 1800 and Arc 1600 before Arc 1950, there is no way, even on a clear day, the trip to Arc 1950 would have taken the 3:45 that Alpine Fleet have in their timetable.
As it was, our bus got stuck for 20 minutes about 200m short of the Arc 1950 bus stop - the snow tyres obviously weren't sufficient to deal with the snow on the road, despite it having been ploughed shortly before. We couldn't get off and walk for understandable safety reasons.
So, all in all we arrived at about 5:30pm rather than 2:45pm on the timetable. An hour of that delay could be put down to the challenging road conditions. 1.5 hours if one accepts that buses driving to ski resorts can get stuck on a ploughed road through no fault of their own, but that would be charitable IMO.
e2a: the comparison with a coach transfer from Zurich Airport to Lech a couple of years ago couldn't be more stark. There you simply show up to the numbered bus stop with your ticket a little before the departure time. None of this chaotic business in the terminal being shepharded by under-resourced bus reps.
The boarding and check-in process at Geneva was chaotic, but that seems to be the case with almost all the coach companies there (though my experience with Altibus last year on the equivalent weekend was much better). GVA Airport needs to take some of that blame: it simply is not adequately equipped to deal with so much Saturday traffic.
In short: we will be doing whatever possible to avoid Saturday coach transfers from GVA in future. |
We used alpine fleet on a thursday and it took just over two hours and the trip back at 6am last sat we were in Geneva for 9am
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
A surprisingly deep discount right for the week when I'm going (21-28 March), yay! No refunds, though.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I was up at the top of Varet today and read this regards the red at the top of Aiguille Rouge -
"It is therefore our responsibility to adapt to these changes.
Our most profound goal is to protect the access to the iconic summit of the Aiguille Rouge in order to retain the historic link between the mountains and Man but we have decided to renounce all development and reinforcement work initially planned to maintain the red run and to remove all its foundation work.
Changes to the use of the Aiguille Rouge as a result of the unfolding situation: The Aiguille Rouge lift remains accessible and monitored by different systems. The skiers return will now be made possible via a black run which is safe and ungroomed.
To enjoy the exceptional views of the highest Alpine peaks the Aiguille Rouge footbridge is accessible to good skiers and pedestrians."
This suggests the red will be no more and its just the steep black to head down..?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
It hasn't been graded red for a couple if years, however, the black (original and squiggly) was always groomed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
|
They can't groom it anymore due to the recession of the glacier and too dangerous for the piste bashers to get up there. So it's now ungroomed. The lift itself is also on fairly unstable ground (not dissimilar to the Aiguille du Midi in Chamonix) and due to melting permafrost they'll either need to try secure it better over the years or potentially give up on it at some point.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
It was upgraded to Black this year. I was told at Christmas that they're planning to make the pistes 'natur' next season too. I assume this was in reaction to the tragedy up there last season.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
This all sounds similar to the Bellecotte glacier in La Plagne with permafrost melting and old lift pylons no longer safe. Lets hope they can find solutions to keep it open and safe.
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
|
I have to confess that I haven't been up the Aiguille Rouge for a number of years. Though I loved the wide open bashed glacier part of the run it was not worth the queue. The rest I thought so so. However it did give access to one of the best black pistes in the resort, the Robert Blanc, but the times of the year I visit the resort that piste is often closed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Les Arcs has lots of Natur pistes, so it'll just be another to add. By doing that, it will likely reduce numbers and therefore hopefully increase the lifespan of the glacier. You don't tend to see too many crowds on the Natur pistes, but the queues for AR are nuts.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
For a decidedly mediocre skier like me, could never see the attraction of going up Aiguille Rouge, other than for the view and to say you've done it. Much preferred to take Lanchettes from 2000 and then take runs down towards Villaroger
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
| Quote: |
For a decidedly mediocre skier like me, could never see the attraction of going up Aiguille Rouge, other than for the view and to say you've done it.
|
I've rarely had good conditions up there, the piste is often severely wind-affected at first. The broad, steep pitch before Arandelières forks out to the left is fun, though.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
| peanuthead wrote: |
| At the top it can be quite windy, the snow can be scoured and difficult, and it is steep and crowded. Further down there is a reasonanably long, pretty steep, albeit wide section. It's definitely black and I would say it should not be the first black you do. |
This *was* the first black I ever did...  IIRC, that first black bit is quite a thing to behold - short and steep and shaded, with the void beyond, before a left turn, but that void just stares at you... After a period of reflection (on my life in general), I took the plunge and promptly finished that section on my back!  The rest of it was relatively straightforward, and the wide steep section a little lower down is a lot of fun, with plenty of room to manoeuvre. It struck me that the first section would be quite a challenge for a piste basher- really exposed and steep. Anyway, all good fun...I'd definitely do it again, but I wonder how much more challenging it may be if left Natur...
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Does anyone have any recommendations on how to meet with other people on the slopes?
My brother and I are staying in Arc 2000 from 24th-31st Jan. In the past we've either gone as a family, or with friends - this will be the first time just the two of us. We'd happily ski around just us, but for some of the week, it could be nice to branch out and ski with other people. We had thought about joining adult ski school, but we didn't want to commit for the full week.
Is there anything in the resort that facilitates this sort of thing? Or alternatively, happy to meet up with anyone here if they are going the same week! We don't tend to venture off-piste and are comfortable skiing blacks, but probably spend most time on red runs.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
@doddles, Some perspective. I am a private transfer driver based in the Tarantaise. Last saturday was a nightmare for everyone on the roads, and its genuinely a miracle that your transfer took such little time.
The first significant snow in a month brought in significant additional local traffic onto roads in poor conditions.
The police were not controlling backroads (which are supposed to be limited to locals during peak traffic events) meaning there was literally no progress for 60 minutes+ (not even a car length).
A quoted 2.5 hour transfer ended up taking 9 hours.
Moral of the story, get the train to BSM!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Been in Arc 1950 for 10 days. In all that time, the old red, cat-track at the top of Aiguille Rouge has been closed. They are clear that only good skiers should be skiing down, and I think that's sensible, particularly given the accident last year. It is not a piste that should be skiied by anyone less than an advanced skier - i.e, being able to ski parallel down a steep, icy, and possible bumpy piste, while keeping speed in control.
Snow for the last 10 days has been great, though lower pistes and wind-blown top ridges now starting to get icy. Did a run down to Villaroger last Wednesday, which was already icy in patches. The new telecabine is great, though I do have to wonder about the commercial sense of installing a telecabine out of a small town at 1200m altitude.
Skiied over to La Plagne last Thursday. Great skiing over there, but the links to/from Les Arcs are frustrating. Multiple chair lifts just to get skiing when headed over is the biggest headache, especially when one of the lifts is not working. Complete reliance on the Arpette lift to get back is also not ideal. Hopefully some of that will be fixed in the years ahead.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
| AlIre2024 wrote: |
| @doddles, Some perspective. I am a private transfer driver based in the Tarantaise. Last saturday was a nightmare for everyone on the roads, and its genuinely a miracle that your transfer took such little time. |
Yep - no question the roads and traffic were not good. Though it didn't help that our transfer left 1 hour after we had booked it.
Our bus driver was superb btw - no criticisms of him at all.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| doddles wrote: |
| Did a run down to Villaroger last Wednesday, which was already icy in patches. The new telecabine is great, though I do have to wonder about the commercial sense of installing a telecabine out of a small town at 1200m altitude. |
They did have ambitions. I guess the point is you can't expand the ski area so you need to invest and make the best of what is there. They needed to do something with the Villaroger lift infrastructure or just let the sector die.
| doddles wrote: |
| Skiied over to La Plagne last Thursday. Great skiing over there, but the links to/from Les Arcs are frustrating. Multiple chair lifts just to get skiing when headed over is the biggest headache, especially when one of the lifts is not working. Complete reliance on the Arpette lift to get back is also not ideal. Hopefully some of that will be fixed in the years ahead. |
Not sure what you are expecting tbh. It's a long way from the centre of Les Arcs to the centre of La Plagne. Unfortunately I can't see there ever being a second way back, other than Arpette.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A big improvement would be a telecabine/high capacity lift from Vanoise Express/Montchavin/Les Coches sector all the way to the top of Arpette, allowing direct connection to the main La Plagne skiing area. This would benefit not only skiers coming from Les Arcs, but also those staying in Montchavin and Les Coches. Of course whether that is commercially sensible is another question entirely.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
@doddles, yep, ain't happening 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Any recommendations for Hotels in any of the main Les Arcs stations , prefer a proper hotel with a restaurant and bar rather than one of those appartment blocks with a manned reception, and do any particular stations have more going on by way of apres ski / evening bar activity .
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
