Les Arcs Snow Report: 27th February 2015

Bienvenue, wilkommen, bienvenida, welcome one and all to the snow report. This week we have mostly been...avoiding the queues (and finding powder when we can)! We have been completely and utterly spoilt with the combo of snowy day followed by bluebird. How rotten for all of those people stuck in the office and how marvellous for us here this week and all of those heading out to visit!

We had positively torrential snow on Monday and Tuesday which was quickly followed up by a beautifully sunny Wednesday. Thursday started off magnificently clear which descended into snowy goodness during the night, with big ominous looking clouds spreading thick and fast. Friday we have been attacked by the snow gods yet again, (oh what fresh fluffy hell is this?) with a brilliant bluebird day predicted for Saturday (oh gosh darn it)!

I was asked to review a restaurant today so the weather was perfect for a cozy, warm indoor meal next to a fire, check it out on the website in a few days time! On that note, we have briefly discussed the best places to hide from the blizzards and grab a hot chocolate, but now what I wanted to talk about is the refined art of deckchair hopping. If, like some of us, you want to escape the lift queues as much as possible in this busy time but want to enjoy the vitamin D that the alpine sign bestows upon us in abundance, this will be the sun-terrace/trap guide for y’all.

First of all you need to decide if you’re drinking alcohol or not, this will affect your start time, most peeps don’t feel right drinking before the stroke of noon, but some might decide to choose a different time zone to use as a reference... Let’s imagine that we are drinking. Obviously you’ll want to avoid the queues so, if we begin in 1800 in haut villards on the terrace of BKM (Barking Mad), we’ll have time for quick tipple before heading off to empty pistes at lunchtime. Lunchtime you can ski until around 2:30pm before being bombarded by other skiers, so, this would be an opportune moment to take full advantage of those lovely empty slopes...or not. I would suggest following this deckchair route to Le Bulle Café at the base of the Arcebulle chairlift in 2000. Then after one or two in here, slide slowly down to the Chalet de l’Arc (the food is also excellent in here and home of one of the highest bread ovens in the world). After the Chalet de l’Arc, cautiously crawl towards Luigis in 1950 for the very last of the sun in 2000/1950 before zipping onto the Bois de l’Ours and following the sun back over to 1800, where you can have some of the most spectacular sunsets. At the top of the Bois de l’Ours chairlift head towards 1800 but first stop off in the Col de Frettes snack hut, just hidden to the left of the cat track. After the snack hut you can head down to the Altiport for an American sandwich to line the tummy before dancing to the Arpette terrace where they have adopted a Folie Douce style atmosphere with pumping music and everyone throwing questionable shapes on the tables ‘til the sun goes down (there’s also the option to stay for dinner on Tuesdays and Wednesday).

So, after the Arpette, probably quite squiffy by now, maybe unsure about which village you’re staying in at this point too, there are a few options: Peisey/Vallandry, 1600 or 1800. For Peisey/Vallandry I would suggest, although you might need to write this down, because there is no way after this many “deckchairs” that I could remember my own name let alone several bars/restaurants, that you slink on over to (either via the Blanche Murée or not) The Mont Blanc in Vallandry, which is an extreme sun trap and if you have the energy after that to Le Vache in Plan Peisey. For 1600, waddle your way down to Le Sanglier qui Fume. For 1800, you can make it a round trip back to BKM, or just next door, The Red Hot Saloon to finish off that afternoon sun in style.

If the predicted sunny days fail to arrive, don’t fret! These places are equally enjoyable in snowy conditions. With heavy snow with around 30-50cms expected on Sunday and Monday of this week you can decide for yourselves where to seek shelter.