Les Arcs
Les Arcs 2000 has what must be some of the very finest, as well as the most varied, skiing and snowboarding to be found in France. This variety means that the Paradiski has an abundance of terrain suitable for every level of skier or snowboarder.
Being a relatively new ski village, Les Arcs 2000 has been designed with the emphasis on convenience and ski-to-door particularly in mind. The benefit of hindsight has also ensured that the 60s and 70s concrete monstrosities of some resorts are thankfully absent. Being very much of the new generation of resorts, it has been designed with the skier at the forefront, it's facilities are quite superb. Les Arcs suits everyone! It has an excellent range of family friendly facilities, beginner slopes, ski to door access, wooden chalet style buildings, a friendly cafe culture and lively apres ski.
The extensive intermediate and advanced skiing of Les Arcs confirms that this is a very modern well planned ski resort. Les Arcs 2000 is a new generation of ski resort that offers high altitude skiing but in pleasant chalet-style buildings - rather than the concrete high rise apartments that have ruined many a resort. Access to facilities such as pool and sauna, together with ski to door convenience enhances the resort's appeal. These high altitude "snow sure" ski destinations have been created with families and all abilities of skier and snowboarder in mind.
A long-term favourite amongst skiers and boarders, Les Arcs has increased further in popularity in recent years, due to the addition of the Vanoise Express cable car linking the ski area with neighbouring La Plagne to form the huge Paradiski Area. This is now the fourth largest ski area in Europe, consisting of seventeen alpine villages and over 460 km of pisted runs, ensuring that your ski holiday can be as adventurous (or as gentle) as you want! Les Arcs really does suit everyone! It has an excellent range of family facilities, beginner slopes, ski to door access, wooden chalet style buildings, a cafe culture and lively apres ski, which when combined with high quality snow parks and expansive intermediate & advanced skiing helps mark this as a modern, well planned ski resort.
Les Arcs is one of the better looking purpose built ski resorts in France, eschewing concrete brutalism for wood and stone in sympathy with traditional styles. The high-rise apartment blocks have managed not to fall into the dread "concrete trap". 1800 is shrouded in trees, helping give this particular area a genuinely 'alpine' feel. Les Arcs' boasts some 30 plus bars, restaurants, clubs and live music venues catering for (almost) all tastes!. The all new Arc 1950 is just 5-10 minutes away, and offers an even wider variety of nightlife. It's more diverse cafe culture is favoured by some, and being easily accessible it gives skiers a greater choice of lunchtime or evening venues.
Les Arcs offers an amazing array of on and off piste runs right across the skill spectrum. Advanced skiers can enjoy the challenge of the 20 to 30 minute long Black descent from the Glacier 8 mile down to the base at Villaroger. On top of a testing mogul field there is some fantastic off piste in the area. Not only are the trees very photogenic but, they make for an enjoyable backdrop to ski or ride around. The easier 'cruisey' runs favoured by Intermediates circuit the resort, and allow for day trips to the other side of the Paradiski at La Plagne. It is very easy, and highly enjoyable, to cover a great distance each a day. The excellent network of beginner runs all over the resort help make Les Arcs is a great place to learn to ski or board. English speaking snowboard schools are of uniformly good quality, further helping to speed up the learning process.
Les Arcs was at the dawn of European snowboarding history, and remains a favoured place to ride, being the base for many pro-riders during the season. It has incredible variety from the mellow beginner slopes to some of the most challenging runs anywhere in France. The main point about Les Arcs is that it has something for everyone, and is a safe bet to suit all tastes.
Regis Rolland is a name which many snowboarders should know, Avoriaz local, Apocalypse and A Snowboards founder/designer (a true snowboarding pioneer) designed the Snow Park and Half Pipe. This should be enough for you to know that most freestyle appetites will be well sated. The natural Freeriding terrain found all over the mountain will put a smile on your face, whether airborne or cruise the pistes. The open powder fields around Les Arcs 2000m are especially good in the morning, and well worth searching out for plenty of enjoyably effortless powder turns and that floating feeling - you'll be reaching for a swallowtail powder machine before you know it!