France - March 2022.

[Sbooker]

Myself and my wife have just had a great 5 days here in Les Arcs. It’s the first time we’ve seen snow since we flew back to Australia from the US in March 2020 - just before we were locked in to our snowless state of Queensland.
It’s been interesting conditions. Wednesday was a scorcher - 16 degrees Celsius at 2000 metres elevation at about 2pm. That day was the height of the ‘salmon’ coloured snow thing too. (Referenced in another thread). Disappointingly the haze limited the scenery for a few days. The skies are clear now and the views are spectacular. Spring snow conditions have been good the last couple of days as the nights provided a decent freeze but earlier in the week was super slushy in most areas - even north facing terrain over 2500 metres. Perhaps it didn’t freeze at all overnight?
There have been times when corn snow has been available but as I’m far from a local I have only been skiing close to the pistes. There are hundreds of wet slides at all elevations and exposures. I don’t know a lot about this stuff so I’ll continue to be cautious.
The resort has a lot of their ‘naturide’ (controlled ungroomed) areas closed too for some reason - and it doesn’t appear to be because of thin snow cover.
This trip is a reconnaissance mission for a planned longer duration trip with our teenage kids next January. This area would be perfect and our current base in Arc 1800 would be suitable. It has easy access to the whole Les Arcs side and the significant treed areas above Arc 1600, 1800, Vallandry and Peisey would be great on snowy days. I imagine staying in the largely treeless zones of Arc 1950 or 2000 would be challenging in stormy (whiteout) weather. Arc 1800 is a 10 minute bus ride from the funicular down to Bourg Saint Maurice. Whilst the grocery prices here in resort area quite acceptable access to proper supermarkets would be important if staying for a month. Arc 1800 is one lift to the cable car that links the huge La Plagne area across the valley.
We’re off to Tignes for a week today. We’re both having our first ever lessons. I’m really looking forward to seeing if our home grown ski techniques are salvageable. The main goal is to help my wife gain some confidence and for me to pick up some tips that help me in different snow conditions and terrain. My wife can get around the mountain very well but she has a want to unnecessarily wash off speed in some situations.
I’ll report my thoughts on Tignes in a few days. Now for a few random photos.

Food is big part of a ski trip. The French do wonderful baguettes and local artisan cheeses and cured meats are readily available. It makes a pre packed lunch easy to do. There are plenty of dedicated ‘picnic’ areas to pull up for lunch.
It’s a cliche to try frogs legs and snails but I can report both area great.

The haze lifted to provide great views. The bottom shot from the Aiguille Rouge viewing platform. From that point a uninterrupted 2000 metre vertical drop down to Villaroger is available. We did it for the novelty despite heavy snow below about 1600 metres.

I’ve skied in warm spring weather in Australia but I’ve never seen someone without a shirt.

We flew into Paris to check out the sights. My wife has a thing for handbags. She grabbed a Prada one from Milan (the original Prada store apparently) a couple of years ago when we skied in Austria and Italy so getting a Louis Vuitton one from the flagship store in Paris will be a nice memory of this trip.
We caught the train from Paris to Bourg Saint Maurice. No car for us this time which is a big change to how we usually do things.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

even north facing terrain over 2500 metres. Perhaps it didn’t freeze at all overnight?

That's ^^ frightening during the middle of March.

Nice food porn. How long are those frog legs?

The French love these things:

 

[Sbooker]

That's ^^ frightening during the middle of March.

Nice food porn. How long are those frog legs?

The French love these things:

I would be guessing the frogs legs were about 6 inches long (including the pelvis). It sounds so wrong describing them like that.

I don’t know about the snow not freezing. I’m just assuming as it was slushy in the morning on a couple of days. I agree the weather is alarming but warm events like that one are fairly common apparently. One Englishman who owns property in Les Arcs and has been going there since the 1980s told me of a similar warm spell but at the end of February. That was sometime in the 90’s apparently. It also coincided with the orange Saharan snow.

 

[Tony Crocker]

From that point a uninterrupted 2000 metre vertical drop down to Villaroger is available.

That's Fraser's favorite piste in the Alps. We will probably check that out in a couple of weeks. We fly to Venice this evening, have reserved first night one hour south of Cortina and the next 3 nights in Solden.

The Sahara dust cloud in the air prevents overnight cooling/freezing. Once the dust cloud is gone, normal overnight freezing in clear weather should resume. It's encouraging that I'm not seeing much salmon colored snow in your pictures.

It is quite likely now we will ski through Saturday in Austria and drive to Val Thorens March 27, just as sbooker is wrapping up his trip. We are likely to check out Les Arcs/La Plagne after the week in Val Thorens.

 

[Tony Crocker]

The French love these things:

Yes they do!

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Isola:

Auron:

 

[Sbooker]

There’s also -

Up on the Bellecote glacier. I think the animal is an Ibex which are prevalent in the Vanoise National Park.
On La Plagne. There is a south side sector that runs down to Champagny at 1250 metres. Whilst we didn’t head that low went went half way down. I was surprised that Courchevel is as close as it is.

We arrived in Tignes yesterday about lunch time. Spent the afternoon getting a bite to eat, buying lift passes and doing groceries and a bit of shopping as Kylie’s Merrell boots split. Disappointing as they were only about 3 years old and had very infrequent use. I had same brand hiking shoes do the same thing in the past.

Tignes is a little different to what I had imagined. I didn’t expect the dam to be so big. I’m keen to get on the hill later this morning. I’m sure the vistas will be stunning now the haze has cleared. From a village perspective my very first impression is that I prefer Arc 1800 over Tignes. The trees really soften the scenery in 1800. Tignes feels a bit more developed and ‘grungy’. I’m thinking Tignes caters for a younger partying crowd.

 

[Sbooker]

Our lessons today were a success. Kylie has always had confidence issues in that she was afraid to build speed. She continuously washed off speed with turns that we’re not needed. The instructor encouraged her to embrace the speed and use bigger turns. He explained the very frequent turns is making skiing too physically taxing on her legs. This afternoon she was noticeably faster.

My instructor Pierre (a French name cliche if there ever was one) is the son of a ski instructor and has lived in Tignes his whole life - I’m guessing about 50 years. He represented France in ‘freestyle’ but is the director of the company’s off piste division. He explained this season has been a tough one as the underwhelming snowfall has been coupled with strong winds. In his view the conditions right now aren’t really conducive to off piste - particularly in the mornings. He did take us off the trails though toward the end of the morning. Pierre asked me to keep my hands more forward and concentrate on driving my shin into the front of my boot. He is also a big believer in a pole plant during short turns and at least a touch of the pole onto the snow during medium size turns.

We cruised around during the afternoon - mainly in the area above Tignes on the Val D’Isere side. We waited no longer than 30 seconds for a lift and the majority were ski on. We waited and watched above the Folie Douce about 3pm. The revellers were already in full flight. I’ll keep things to my customary couple of beers before dinner.

We’ve just got back to the unit. We grabbed a couple of croissants from the local boulangerie. They’re huge and cost only 1.10 Euro. A great after ski snack when accompanied by a good cup of tea.

No explanation required.

Nor here.

Me with the Grand Motte glacier in the background. We’ll head up that way tomorrow.

 

[Sbooker]

Went up to the Grand Motte today. And to the ‘Eye of the needle’ or Aiguille Percee in the local language. Had a great day.

French army in training. Some of them can’t ski well.

From the top of the glacier.

Awesome scenery here. Going for sushi now.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Impressive:

 

[jamesdeluxe]

From a village perspective my very first impression is that I prefer Arc 1800 over Tignes. The trees really soften the scenery in 1800.

Is this what you're referring to? Well-situated for skiing; however, as the Brits would say, "bleak."

 

[Sbooker]

Is this what you're referring to? Well-situated for skiing; however, as the Brits would say, "bleak."

Kind of. I can imagine it would resemble a giant quarry in summer.

 

[Sbooker]

We spent the day on the Val D’Isere side today. Took an early morning run down the olympic downhill run ‘Face De Bellevarde’. It gets steep in sections and is quiet icy but it’s always groomed. I believe they inject it with water early in the season.
Santons was the best run of the day. I don’t think it’s been groomed for a couple of days. It’s got concave shape - almost like a half pipe and it’s quite long.
Had a nice lunch with the beautiful people and hip young things in Val.

The obligatory giant sign shot.

Overlooking the town of Val D’Isere with the dam in the background. The black gondola is a nice piece of kit but the Olympic gondola is the most impressive. The cars on that one are almost tram sized. Each gondola seats at least twenty skiers.

That’s the Santon run. Note the south facing side has next to no snow.

Striking scenery.

And another heart shaped Val sign.
We’re heading out for a walk over the frozen lake toward Tignes Le Lac now. Best do it while we can. Another big warm up coming in the next few days apparently.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

What are your impressions of Val d'Isère?

 

[Sbooker]

It’s hard not to be impressed.
1. Good snow conditions even considering the poor season - largely due to elevation and orientation I suspect.
2. A huge variety of terrain from the best pod of beginner green runs I’ve ever seen (off the Borsat chair) to oodles of runs for groomer preferring intermediates to challenging stuff for advance skiers to unlimited serious off piste terrain for experts. There’s also plenty of easy accessed low angle off piste for wannabe advanced skiers like me.
3. Incredible big mountain scenery.
4. A happening atmosphere even for those that don’t do happening. I love people watching in ski resorts and a few minutes above the Folie Douce is as good as it gets.
5. A negative is the cost. We found Les Arcs to be a bit cheaper than Tignes for almost everything and Tignes cheaper than Val for almost everything. (Lift ticket aside).

 

[jamesdeluxe]

We found Les Arcs to be a bit cheaper than Tignes for almost everything and Tignes cheaper than Val for almost everything. (Lift ticket aside).

How much are lift tickets there?

On my recent trip, I noted the walk-up prices for peak-season tickets, which continue to be significantly less expensive than the equivalent in the U.S. The top three in my list below are proper resorts with associated infrastructure while the lower three are local areas. You and Tony are visiting top-tier resorts (the biggest ski-tourist destinations in the Alps) while the three resorts I visited would be considered second-tier resorts.

• Warth-Schröcken: €58/$63
• Damüls: €55/$60
• Kleinwalsertal: €52/$57
• Hochhäderich: €35/$38
• Bezau: €34/$37
• Grasgehren: €30/$33

 

[Sbooker]

How much are lift tickets there?

On my recent trip, I noted the walk-up prices for peak-season tickets, which continue to be significantly less expensive than the equivalent in the U.S. The top three in my list below are proper resorts with associated infrastructure while the lower three are local areas. You and Tony are visiting top-tier resorts (the biggest ski-tourist destinations in the Alps) while the three resorts I visited would be considered second-tier resorts.

• Warth-Schröcken: €58/$63
• Damüls: €55/$60
• Kleinwalsertal: €52/$57
• Hochhäderich: €35/$38
• Bezau: €34/$37
• Grasgehren: €30/$33

We paid about 60 Euro a day or roughly $87 Aussie dollars. A day at Thredbo or Perisher in the Australian ‘Alps’ is $175. A day in Aspen/Vail/Jackson etc is now about $266 aud.
I know it’s spring but the lifts run until after 5pm so if you get a late start a big ski day is still possible.

 

[Sbooker]

Oh. Did I mention the lift systems are good? I must say I have a very strong preference for a fast chair over a gondola or cable car simply so I can keep my skis on. In my limited experience there are a lot more gondolas/trams in Europe than I’ve experienced in Canada/US/Japan. Still plenty of detachable chairs here though I guess. Some heated with bubbles. I can see a need for that in winter. The Les Lanches chair here in Tignes has to be the longest I’ve seen. (I’m sure longer than the Sheer Bliss chair at Snowmass).

 

[Tony Crocker]

Sölden: €62 yesterday
Obergurgl: €60 today

Cortina Tuesday was free on Ikon, but Liz saw a sign for €26, possibly due to the sparse season there.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Sölden, Obergurgl, Cortina

Standing by for your reports.