Ski in Les Arcs

Why ski in Paradiski?

Les Arcs offers a wide range of ski areas and facilities for a day's skiing with friends or a week's holiday skiing with the family.

By staying in Les Arcs during your holidays, you will be able to access two best ski areas: Arcs/Peisey-Vallandry and Paradiski, which also includes the resort of La Plagne. Here are a few figures which demonstrate the exceptional character of the latter:

• 2nd largest linked ski area in the world

• 3 Savoie resorts in the French Alps: Les Arcs, Peisey-Vallandry and La Plagne 

• from 1200 to 3250 metres in altitude

• 425 km of pistes

• 264 downhill ski runs, including 12 green, 137 blue, 79 red and 36 black

• 17 new snow sports facilities: snow parks, boardercross, airbags, etc. 

• 153 km of cross-country skiing

• guaranteed snow thanks to 70% of the area being above 2000 metres in altitude

• the largest cable car in the world: the Vanoise Express

• 130 ski lifts, including 58 chairlifts, 16 gondolas, 43 drag lifts, 4 cable cars, 1 funicular and 8 conveyors

• 958 snow guns

Skiing for all

An El Dorado for experienced skiers, Les Arcs, delights them with its long, technical runs. However, less experienced skiers have not been forgotten: the resort also has some great surprises in store for them.

Riders know that the resort of Les Arcs is the ideal destination for pure skiing pleasure on steep slopes. Their choice is vast between the slopes lined with fir trees of Arc 1600, the boulevards of Arc 1800 and the endless red and black runs of Arc 2000. Some slopes not to be missed when you master the art of the spatula:

• The black run Robert Blanc is not groomed but secured, allowing you to taste the sensations of freeriding safely.

• The black-then-red Aiguille Rouge run is 7 km long and has a vertical drop of 2026 metres, making it one of the longest in Europe.

• The Fond Blanc black run is for mogul lovers.

• The red Arandelieres run is known for its splendid view from the top of the Aiguille Rouge.

Intermediate skiers will be delighted to discover that crossing the Paradiski ski area is possible using only the blue runs, as there is so much on offer. The most challenging thing will be to choose from the 137 blue runs available. Here are three suggestions to help them:

• The Plan des Violettes is the highest easy run in the domain. It is very hilly and winds between the trees.

• The Dents du Peigne is ideal for beginners because of its low relief. The descent can be continued with other blue runs that are accessible to all.

• The Charmettoger crosses Arc 1800 up to the forest of Vallandry. It is an ideal configuration to progress in the middle of superb panoramas.

With children

Which resort to choose when you have children? If all the resorts offer something suitable for the youngest, each has facilities more specific to certain ages.

If you come on holiday to Les Arcs with little ones, not yet ready to go down the slopes, you will find creches in the resorts of Arcs 2000 and 1950 to welcome them. From the age of 3, you can choose ski lessons + childcare in the resorts of Arc 1800, Arc 2000 and Arc 1950 at the Cariboo's club.

With 10 green runs and several play areas, the Les Arcs ski area has a safe and marked offer adapted to children. The progression courses located in Arc 1800 and Vallandry include several slopes to make your first slides and your first turns before setting off on your first green runs: the scenic areas of the Pitchouns forest and the Cabanes. Two regions are made up of fun modules to help children progress and feel more comfortable on their skis.

And for those who prefer sledging to ski, go to Arc 1800 for a 900-metre descent in a luminous and sound atmosphere and, for the over 10s only, to Arc 2000 to hurtle down a 3 km long sledging slope with raised bends! 

Other slides

Snowpark, boardercross, waterslide, airbag: Les Arcs has all the facilities to satisfy freestyle lovers. Even the most unusual ones.

Located above Arc 1600, the Apocalypse Park snowpark offers modules adapted to beginners and experienced riders through three blue, red and black runs.

The most daring can try to cross a swimming pool on skis or snowboard at the Water Slide in spring. Of course, the objective is to reach the other side without getting wet.

Even less academic, the Toboggan will take you high in the air on a buoy before landing on the giant airbag. This attraction, located in the heart of the Arc 1600 resort, is accessible for free every day from 1 pm until the slopes close.

Many other freestyle facilities await you in the Paradiski area and, in particular, in the resort of La Plagne, which has two freestyle zones: the Petit Park for beginners and youngsters and the Gros Park for the more experienced.

Free-ride version

Les Arcs is a well-known area for free riders, as several stages of the Freeride World Tour have been organised there. The most demanding skiers and those who want to learn about off-piste skiing will be happy here.

In Les Arcs, more than anywhere else, off-piste skiing presents considerable risks. It requires being well supervised by a mountain guide who will direct you to the right itineraries according to your level and the snow conditions. Many routes start from the Aiguille Rouge, the highest point in the resort at 3226 metres, and cross the Villaroger nature reserve. There are also off-piste routes in the Comborciere sector and the Malgover forest.

Some famous runs, depending on your level:

• to begin freeriding, go to Arc 1600 at the Deux Têtes ski lifts for an introductory course of 1200 metres of vertical drop and Mont-Blanc for a forest crossing. 

• to improve your skills: the Fond Blanc Cirque in Arc 1950 offers several itineraries from average to very experienced levels

• for an exceptional view: the head for the Grand Col in Arc 2000, between the Aiguille Rouge and the Mont Pourri, for descent along the Turia glacier

• for the more experienced: there is a wide choice, but among the most famous are the Combe des Lanchettes, the Aiguille Grive, the Couloir de la Pointe du Four and the Couloir en S. Excellent level required!

Nordic version

Within the Paradiski area, two large-scale sites share the bulk of the Nordic offer: the Peisey-Vallandry and La Plagne sites.

The Peisey-Vallandry Nordic site offers cross-country skiers 43 km of trails equipped for cross-country skiing and skating. There is something for everyone, whatever their level, as the site has 13 trails, including:

• 1 free trail 

• 1 green trail of 1.1 km (Salt Water)

• 4 blue runs of 0.4 km (le Tumelet), 1.5 km (le Vignerand), 1.6 km (les Dzirpes) and 6.9 km (la Gouille)

• 4 red runs of 0.7 km (the Beaupraz and Pre Envers runs), 2 km (Le Cassinet) and 4.1 km (le Mône)

• and 3 black runs of 0.7 km (la Culaz), 1.6 km (l'Epinerie) and 3.2 km (le Pont Romane). 

Even bigger, the La Plagne area has 81 km of cross-country trails spread over the resorts of Champagny-en-Vanoise, Plagne Montalbert, Montchavin-les-Coches... This site is, above all, aimed at beginners or intermediate cross-country skiers, as 11 out of 14 trails are green or blue.