Im off to les arcs in 2 weeks, so was wondering if anyone can recommend any decent trails, or companies to use for 1 or 2 days guiding that would be great.

Were not into massive jumps and drops, so some fast flowing singletrack would be great, and if there is a chairlift to the top that would be good too.

Were going to drive down so well have a car if that get us access to anything decent further afield.

Use the search function or indeed just go back a few pages on the forum – there are dozens of threads, some with maps and offers to share trail information plus information on guiding.

Most of the off piste stuff in Les Arcs/Vallandry/Peisey is not fast flowy singletrack. It’s rooty, rocky, bone shaking stuff, some very steep. I went at the start of the month.

We had a days guiding from our Chalet hosts so can’t help, but I would reccommend finding someone.

I was there last week.
It’s pretty much as cb describes it. Make sure that your brakes are fully working – you will need them! I had a stuck piston on the front brake on day one and it made the steep stuff hell and the brakes overheated within a minute.
One of the group kind of knew where he was going so we did many of the off piste trails, I not sure that I would of found them without him. They are a good challenge (I found several sections unrideable) but the lack of ‘flow’ gets a bit tiresome after a time.
There are actually very few jumps or drops and we didn’t see any mandatory ones. Don’t be put of by all the people with full facers and DH bikes, most have hired them and won’t be that capable of fast, unless you are hitting the jumps and going through the sections a full pely you don’t need the kit.
La Rossiere is worth going to, Tignes was a bit meh but has more jumps and drops, didn’t get to La Thuile but I’ve heard good things.

I have nothing to add other than…

I will be there in 2 weeks with TA, and very excited!

I was surprised (and a bit disappointed) at the lack of fast flowing singletrack when I was there 2 weeks ago.

It is very much like the Peak District on steroids, with bigger roots and bigger rocks, and longer / steeper… with many many steep switch backs lol

La Thuile is well worth a visit over the other side of St Bernard Pass in Italy… it was close to being one of my favourite days.

I hear Sainte Foy uplift service is very good and probably more the fast flowing smooth singletrack you may be looking for.

You will find yourself on the back brake a lot more than you would in the UK. Some of the steeps will have you over the bars if you use any/too much front brake, so you find yourself moderating your speed wth the rear *a lot*.

I had a 203mm front disc, expecting flowy fast stuff, and a 160mm rear. I cooked the rear every day, meaning spongy lever and no rear brake….oh and serious arm and wrist ache.

The fastest flowiest stuff is actually the marked stuff, like Cachette Red at the top of Arc 1600, and the blue stuff at Vallandry is also flowy and ‘poppy’.

Peak District on steroids…

is a good analogy for the off piste stuff.

The fastest flowiest stuff is actually the marked stuff, like Cachette Red at the top of Arc 1600, and the blue stuff at Vallandry is also flowy and ‘poppy’.

I’d agree with this. We were over there a few weeks ago and the off piste stuff did tend to be pretty technical and steep. Lots of exposure. The marked stuff was a lot of fun, less exposure to worry about, more flow and the odd double and what not thrown in.

We also did do some nice flowy stuff with Bike Village a couple of years ago but it tended to be very high up the mountain so a fair bit of climbing required to get to it. One of the trails started at the top of Mont Jovet and headed right back into the valley. Quality riding.

If you’ve not ridden at La Thuile before, it’s best to work yourself in slowly, as the trail grading is somewhat “Italian” (i.e. haphazard). In fact i think one of the “blue” runs was the most technical trail we did 😉

Sun, Bikes, Mountains, Coffee and Icecream 😉

La Thuile is a right giggle. Most of the stuff in the Les Arc valley is steep and techy. If you want smooth and easy follow the PJ wearing boys on the DH runs 😆

Sun, Bikes, Mountains, Coffee Beer and Icecream

FTFY 😉

I’d recommend doing ‘Duchies’ from Vallandry to Bourg. It’s hard to find. It starts from close to the valladry lift, you kind of go down a steep gravel path from the road, close to a house hat’s being built, which leads to a narrow grass path into a rocky switchback, then it’s just medium techy fun from then on, with a a few faster bits thrown in.

La Thuile is a right giggle, it is indeed. But I did find it got a wee bit repetitive after being there all day. Wouldn’t want to spend my whole riding there. See if White Room have any spare places those days. They’ll take you to some of the best riding places you’ll do. The place is chockers with it. It’s just knowing where it all is really.

Loads of info here;

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/les-arcs-a-few-qs

If you want flowy try Sauze D’Oulx. But at least half a days drive from Les Arcs.

Thanks for the advice.

We’ve done a fair bit in the sierra nevada, but never been to the alps, will see how it goes.

Will take the shin/knee pads. Bike should be fine, has been fine in southern spain.

if anyone has any GPX tracks of good routes that I could download, that would be good.

Cheers

La Thuile was out best day- like innerleithen dh, if innerleithen was on a mountain instead of on a lump 😉 My idea of riding heaven. But yeah I wouldn’t spend a week there.

We did a week there after the Mega. Wasn’t really sure what to expect, the Alps has always been about DH in the past, being for a riding holiday or racing so this was all new.

Very different to the usual alpine riding I would normally do, a lot more natural, on old (and current) walkers trails, plus a few others.

Some sections on trails are pretty exposed, and some corners are super tight hairpin switchbacks which are slow & awkward.

I can completely see peoples points about not much flow on some trails. Some of them are hard work in that respect. Some are pretty cool though. La Varda was a lot of tech on a long singletrack descent, but got a sense of achievement riding it clean. There was some good trails over the La Plagne side of the valley (think they were called Gold Rush & Miners Strike) if you wanted something a bit faster & more open.

The others that stuck out were Axe Wound, White 8, Thumbs Up & Granny’s Garden.

I think we would go back, but for a few days next time & just cherry pick the trails we enjoyed.

La Varda was a lot of tech on a long singletrack descent, but got a sense of achievement riding it clean.

Fair play!

I’d recommend doing ‘Duchies’ from Vallandry to Bourg. It’s hard to find. It starts from close to the valladry lift, you kind of go down a steep gravel path from the road, close to a house hat’s being built, which leads to a narrow grass path into a rocky switchback, then it’s just medium techy fun from then on, with a a few faster bits thrown in.

We were staying in the chalet right at the start of that trail, just down from the one being built. Quality bit of riding. Certainly got you to focus quickly if you rode it as the first trail of the day 😀

St Foye, La Thuile, Tingnes to St Foy and heaps more
usual vimeo album link http://vimeo.com/album/1988585