Archive for ‘Les Arcs’
Europe’s Most Snow-Sure Destinations
When it comes to unforgettable ski holidays, snow is, of course, a hugely important factor. While we can’t guarantee the snow for your holiday, choosing a high-altitude resort will certainly up the chance of good snow conditions, especially if planning an early or late season trip.
Tignes – Image: Stephane Cande
Discover our pick of Europe’s most snow-sure destinations: Read the rest of this entry »
What’s New: Igloo Village Les Arcs
The Igloo Village, which is already a popular après and dining spot in the much-loved resorts of Avoriaz and Val Thorens, is set to reopen in Les Arcs this winter. Whether you fancy a soul-warming hot chocolate, refreshing beer on the sunny terrace or a fondue dinner amongst family and friends, the Igloo Village will be the place to be when it open its doors on the 15th of December 2019.
Igloo Village Les Arcs. Image: Manu Reyboz
So how do you create an igloo village complete with a bar, restaurant and two hotel rooms? After accumulating around 3000m₃ of snow, it takes around 5 days to assemble the outer structure. Then the sculpting and decorating begins! Over 10 days an expert team sculpts the different rooms and carves incredible sculptures into the igloo walls. The electricians and sound technicians then add the finishing touches. The result? A 350m₂ ice village full of atmosphere, amazing art and, of course, snow. Read the rest of this entry »
Top 5 Mountain Restaurants – Europe
Most snowsports enthusiasts will agree that there is rarely a sight as beautiful as blue skies over the Alps. Dramatic snowy peaks drenched in bright, warm sunshine – these are the days when you ski hard in the morning and take a late lunch on a panoramic terrace and relax well into the afternoon. Here are Ski Independence top 5 mountain restaurants for a self-indulgent late lunch this spring.
Chez Vrony, Zermatt
Few mountain restaurants can boast the reputation or rich history of Chez Vrony. From its humble beginnings as a spartan farmhouse, to its current position as #1 restaurant in Zermatt on Tripadvisor – one trip to Chez Vrony will have you reminiscing for quite some time, especially if you visit under clear blue skies.
Chez Vrony, Zermatt
Mille 8, Arc 1800: Family Ski Holidays Just Got Better
Les Arcs is one of France’s largest and most popular ski areas. Located in the Savoie region and part of the Tarentaise Valley, Les Arcs links with nearby La Plagne to form the huge Paradiski area boasting over 425km of ski terrain. This vast ski paradise, linked by the spectacular Vanoise Express (a slightly scary double-decker cable car) is a firm favourite with British skiers and boarders.
- Image by: Manu Reyboz
10 Years of Paradiski!
The popular ski destinations of Les Arcs and La Plagne were revolutionised in 2003 when the cable car engineering feat known as the Vanoise Express opened, ingeniously linking the two ski areas – the Paradiski ski area was born and celebrates its 10th anniversary this year!
Boasting an excellent snow record and a huge variety of skiable terrain – ranging from wide groomers, tree runs to glaciers – the Paradiski area truly offers something for everyone. Whilst intermediates will be particularly spoilt for choice, there’s plenty for skiers of all abilities – try the 7 km long descent (2000m of vertical!) from the Aiguille Rouge to Villaroger – it’s one of the longest runs in Europe! And if that isn’t enough to satisfy you, self-drive clients have the added bonus of a free day’s skiing in both the Three Valleys and Espace Killy ski areas during the duration of their Paradiski lift pass of 6 days or more. Read the rest of this entry »
Arc 1950 Le Village
As any parent will know, choosing the right resort can either make or break a family ski holiday. We looked at lots of options before deciding on Le Village Arc 1950 and I don’t think we could have chosen better.
Le Village Arc 1950 is only around 10 years old but has been built in the Savoyarde style so feels very much like an authentic French ski resort. It has been designed to make everything as hassle free as possible and this includes being able to ski from every residence to the slopes and also ski through the middle of the village. Arc 1950 is not only ski-in, ski-out but also ski through! Everything is within easy walking distance with nothing more than a few minutes away and even the two slopes for younger children and complete beginners are within the village, making life easy for parents and at the same time adding to the feeling that everything is safe and secure.
Husky rides through Arc 1950 village
Le Village Arc 1950 has been designed with families in mind and the vast majority of guests are holidaying with their children. This isn’t the resort for anyone looking for full on après ski – we didn’t witness any dancing in ski boots and any noise in the evenings came from kids sledging around the village.
Best winter for over 40 years!
Powder please? In spades? No problem…
You can’t help but notice the unbelievable levels of snow in Europe so far this season. All around us are reports of incredible conditions, some inspirational photos, and social media full of pre-holiday excitement – with yet more snow on the way, who wouldn’t want to go to the Alps and be a part of it all this winter?
Our friends from Paradiski, one of the largest ski areas in Europe linking Les Arcs–Peisey Vallandry and La Plagne, have been in touch with some spectacular photos and some truly amazing statistics!
The total accumulation of snow has already reached a whopping 4.78 metres in Les Arcs, with depths of 1.75 metres being reported at 1600m and 3.4 metres up at 3000 metres altitude. Corinne Chevance, of the Les Arcs lift pass company, confirmed this is the greatest volume of snow seen in Les Arcs since 1966! Yep, that’s more than 40 years ago! Neighbouring ski area La Plagne isn’t far behind with 3 metres of snow on upper slopes.
Check out the images below if you don’t quite believe us! Read the rest of this entry »
