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La Varda seems to be Nr.1! But what the others (by name/rough location) we should ride, when we're out in Les Arcs next week?
FROZEN HEIFER.
Also Magic Carpet, Italian Job and other classic high altitude Bike Village stuff.
Frozen Heifer is my absolute fave though - epic, spectaular, techy, flowy, fast etc. Bike Village FTW.
Hello!
'Double header'
is one of the best. Good warm up for length and techical ability for le Varda. Its a footpath from the road between Arc 2000 and Arc 1800. Heading from Arc 1800 up, its left after the slag heap. Go on straight, other then turning left in the meadow (Down a singletrack meadow). No-one knows where straight on goes... no one. Then from there follow bike tracks, your nose, and orange dots. Lots of switch backs, the biggest rock garden ever, fast flowy sections.
You can follow the signs for 'les deux tetes'
'1600'
the run we called '1600' goes from of all places Arc 1600. Cycle west trhough 1600 and you find the skill(z?) area with see saws.. go to the end of this, and the road joins a bigger road at a sharp angle, turn sharply right (towards bourg), then the next sharp left (which has a 3 Tonne maximum sign). From this junction is the entrance to '1600' and just follow your nose to valley floor.
Black (and white) 8
Black 8 is marked on the trail map.
White 8 goes off from this, turning right at a fork where the black eight requires a pedal over a big lump. It brings you to the hydro pipes, which you squeese under.
Grange Hill. (les granges on le map)
Accessed from top of the Trans arc.. Follow the ridge straight ahead, then drop right at the col. Follow fire track for ages down, watching the lectric fences. The shallow terrain comes to an end, and the fire road splits, left and right.. Take right, climb up slightly, then take a left single track path at about 11'o'clock to the direction of the fire track. If you are still on the fire track and it has turned more then 90 degree. You have gone too far. Follow single track and your nose down. Ends up in a village. You can take the straight path down, rather then the road zig zags... quite good fun!.. End up at the lobster pot lift in Peisy. (below the big cable car) Slight uphil to this.
Zig and Zag.
Accessed from the Vallandry Village.
Follow main road through, and you will see a large building which has lots of fire damage, which is currently being rebuilt... take the path left of this (with building to right) then follow route down. Lots of choices, sometimes meet up.... You should end up at a chapel thing, with a posh water trough. Either turn right and follow a dry leat contouring towards bourg, and its a 20min cycle slowly down, with a bit of up back to bourg. Or if you check train times, you can turn left at the chapel, then turn right onto an offroad track, and follow your nose to Landry station.
There are runs off the bottom of 1800, which end up further down the valley, but still easy cyclable back.. Look for orange dots on the trail.. these are the tried and tested downhill friendly routes. Also, of red7 there are variations you can do..
Tadah!
Just follow your nose, take any footpath you see down, they all are good! Try other side of pipes on black 8 too. In fact whilst we were there a few weeks back we were wondering why people always need guides, the paths are far, far easier to find than uk. If you have a car visit the other local resorts and try to get to la thuile and pila.
There's one in Vallandry that starts just to the right of the bar where trail addiction have a banner up. Finishes in Landry at the valley bottom and was a laugh. You'll know youre'n it as the very fist section is around 20 meters long and pretty much straight down.
Go over to la plagne & do White Lines & Gold Rush!