how busy is it compared to the heaving metropolis that is Morzine/Les Gets?

It doesn’t compare. 1st year we went the weather was crap so barely saw anyone. 2nd year the weather was awesome and we still barely saw anyone.

I have to say I dont think Les Arcs/St Foy deserves the amount of worship it gets on here, but it has some decent riding if you follow the purple lines on the IGN maps

Many of the best trails don’t appear on any map – this is where the guiding earns it’s money.

We went to Les Arcs with Trail Addiction for 2 consecutive years. The resort trails get boring after a day or so but the stuff over La Plagne is beautiful. Really technical, steep, fast & flowy with some fantastic jerry built north shore courtesy of the locals. But without a guide you won’t find it, or rather you won’t be able to ride seamlessly from top to bottom.

. The resort trails get boring after a day

That’s a weird one. There’s too many trail on the Les Arcs side to ride in a day, sounds like you may not have been shown quite a few

if by resort trails you mean red 10 an the one running under the chair lift i agree – they are crap …. the one that goes through someones garden and pops out in the between bourg and landry – EPIC

“
I have to say I dont think Les Arcs/St Foy deserves the amount of worship it gets on here, but it has some decent riding if you follow the purple lines on the IGN maps (the stuff down towards Seez was the best I found although I didnt head over towards La Plagne). You would probably get more out of the area with a guide but if you look, you will find stuff for 3-4 days without one.
“

Without realising it ianV seems to reinforce everything thats been said by the pro guide people….

Edited

Looks like the lifts close 31st August.

Ok where else can people recommend? I’m going on my own and les arcs would add 400 miles extra to the trip than say, Morzine, so quite a bit extra in fuel and time.

Morzine is like the Trafford centre on a wet Sunday!

Why not travel about and just camp at old closed lift stations and do a different resort each day?

Guide v’s no guide boils down to £850 for 5 days v’s £450 for 8 days for us which is a big deciding factor

Love the place (Les Arcs) and can’t wait to go back!

Bland – do you mind if I pick your brains on route finding. We’re heading over there for the 2nd time next month – 3rd-13th July, 3 days in the Loft house then a week in a Chalet in Peisey. We went 2 years ago and used some maps/tracklogs to find La Varda, Double Header, Grange Hill and a few other – it didn’t prove that hard to be honest. You have to try a little harder than following sign posts but we were fine just following our noses for the most part

We were hoping to get some proper guiding in this year but, given the clamp down, It’s proved a bit more difficult to arrange. We’re going with a day’s uplift with Coolbus (no guide as such but they point you in the right direction!) and a day with a French guide from Peisey, the Chalet owner put us in touch with.

Do you have any more recent info (GPS tracklogs or map info) – I’m guessing any info I’ve got would be repeat what you’ve already done?

FBK as above, pick up a days lift in St Foye (assume it’s still going) and head over to La Thuile. After that there is some stuff off the back of the Rosarrie & Pt Col d St Bernard that can be done. (trail from the very top)

FBK no worries, I can send what I have but a lot is map based however I was going to photograph it for someone else and you can copy it onto your map if you like

mikewsmith – La Thuile is definitely on the list and I’ve spotted a few interesting tracks over that side which do look like they could be fun .

Bland – that would be great if you could. Email in profile if you get chance. Cheers.

Neil

Yep was great fun as described DH for AM bikes 🙂 (throw the armour in as the speed can pick right up!)
We did most of it in a day but would happily do a repeat visit once we knew it. We also dropped in from the top – option only available if you have somebody else driving. Run in had some good bits but not worth riding up the mountain for.

Without realising it ianV seems to reinforce everything thats been said by the pro guide people….

I know what I said but I still think the area is rated more highly than it deserves. Even though I didn’t have a guide, I rode a lot of footpaths and unmarked trails so I think I have a reasonable feel for the area (if not the mythical trails that I obviously missed) if it is the only place in the alps that someone has ridden it will seem amazing but, there are a load of places that I thought were better. Pds is not one of them though.

. The resort trails get boring after a day
That’s a weird one. There’s too many trail on the Les Arcs side to ride in a day, sounds like you may not have been shown quite a few

I meant the official way marked trails: so if you’re there without a guide and relying on Red10, black 8 etc you may soon get bored.

I’m away with bland again this year. The area is amazing and really suits the new breed of trail bike. Really is singletrack heaven and not really one for beginners. Some of the local stuff to bourg is hugely steep and you’ve got to be switched on to ride it. Almost all of it is off the way marked routes though. I’m lucky enough to have bland who’s put a pretty big effort in looking at the area for routes but last year with just a little effort I still have best alps trip I’ve had so far.

As for la thuile I thought that was the real highlight. Quite and just flowed so so well.

One major positive compared to les gets etc is no braking bumps!

Shhhh you lot.

Les Arcs is crap there’s nothing to ride there, you all want to go to Morzine or Deux Alpes for sure.

trail_rat – Member
if by resort trails you mean red 10 an the one running under the chair lift i agree – they are crap …. the one that goes through someones garden and pops out in the between bourg and landry – EPIC

+100 😀

Bit late to this as I’ve just got back from my non-biking french holiday with the Mrs that buys me the Alps fortnight golden ticket. Will be in Les Arcs 13th to 28th July same as a few on this thread.

Anyone fancy an STW group ride or two?

Sounds good doug. Email in profile if you want to catch up with us fr a beer/ride

Hiya Doug – didn’t know you were out there again this year. We’ll wave as we leave on the 13th, or maybe throw stones at you coz we’ll be jealous

Neil (Techno – RaveRacing)

Neil is with me Doug so maybe come find us in the campsite on sat night, bring some hand grenades with 1664 wrote on them and all will be good! See you in a month!

I’ll drop you an email closer to the time

Boom, will be there 2 weeks this Saturday.
Don’t know why we bother though, rubbish hard to find trails, crap weather, substandard chalet…

I’m there from the 13th for a week as well, in morzine for the week before.

Will try to get down early enough on the 13th to meet up for a bite with Faffy and yourself Neil.

You in Versoyen Darren? Will be stocking up on Carrefour Beer d’Abbeye somewhere on the way down, cheap as chips 6.2% Leffe style rocketfuel at around 50p a stubby. Might even have some left to bring over by the weekend 😉

Sounds like a plan, however there is a lidl for bargainous beers!

We are, hopefully in the back corner by the gate to the forest track to the fenicular

This might be of interest for those in the area: http://librairie.vtopo.fr/vtt-savoie-tome-2.html

Thought I’d resurrect this thread rather than starting a new one.

We are driving to Deux Alpes via La Thuile/Sauz D’Oulx, so looks like we will be pasing Les Arcs with enough time for an afternoons riding.

Did an excellent guided ride there with White Room a couple of years ago, but doubt I will be able to find any of it.

The day we are passing is Sat, so only the Fenicular and TSD Cachette will be open. Apart from the runs back down to Arc 1600 and Black 8, not sure what options this gives us.

We did a lot of riding over near Arc1800 and Peisey the last time, but not sure that will be doable with only 1 chair open. (we dont want to have to ride uphill!!!)

Is it going to be possible to contour across towards Arc1800 from the top of the Cachettes lift ride some of the trails above the golf course and then still get back to Arc1600 without any significant climbing.

We also did some fantastic trails below Arc1800. But they dont seem to feature on Blands map. But looks like it could be Red D on the official map.

Any pointers on what’s rideable and worth riding with the limited lift access is appreciated.

Hi Neil, The google map is what i have gpx files for so probably not much use, however i have a load of trails marked on the paper map below 1600 and 1800. You will be able to get to 1800 fine, just turn right off the lift and follow the well trodden path into 1800 and then basically just take any path down you see. All the trails there will take you to the river and then its just a few mins to the fenicular.

There is some interesting hidden trails off White 8 (which doesnt exist) but its a trail off black 8 that goes silly steep in places. You will see it to the right of you if you do black 8. You can go under the hydro pipe (second bit of pipe you see, not the first obvious looking path under the pipe, keep going till you come to it again) Its pretty shady in places with berms made out of branches actually leaving the hill side and shady jumps and drops but fun. Also lovely trail if you carry straight on the path that leads you to the north shore stuff.

We’re just about to head to Les Arc as well, the weather forecast has taken a bit of a turn for the worst though, which is a bit disappointing.

I shall be riding at Les Arc staying at Versoyen 13th-20th with Wallop and Rondo of this parish. Hopefully will catch up with some of you there.

whatnobeer – Member
We’re just about to head to Les Arc as well, the weather forecast has taken a bit of a turn for the worst though, which is a bit disappointing.

First year we went it p*ssed down all week. Still rode all day every day (even though it was **** freezing at times, cold enough to build a snowman at one point) as the trails dont tend to get muddy as there’s not really much soil on them.

This is where having a guide is even better, as the last thing you want to do in the rain is faff around looking for trails and the guide should know the best for the conditions

Bland – I know the area you’re talking about. It was so steep in places, I ended up sliding down much of it on my arse.

Going this weekend, weather looks ok on Meteo?

Going this weekend, weather looks ok on Meteo?

Been using these guys for the weather forecast they always seem spot on at home.

We’re setting off down there tomorrow night.
Been keeping an eye on the weather too, doesn’t seem too bad, a bit showery, but being the mountains it could go either way!

[hijack]nickc – Ive pm’d you to your sky address. not sure if it’s still current though[/hijack]

He’s got a house in the sky!?

Doug – Member
Bit late to this as I’ve just got back from my non-biking french holiday with the Mrs that buys me the Alps fortnight golden ticket. Will be in Les Arcs 13th to 28th July same as a few on this thread.

Anyone fancy an STW group ride or two?

We’re there 14th-20th if you fancy meeting up for a ride or few? We’re staying near the Funi in the valley.

Can’t wait. 😀

Hopefully the weather will settle down some soon. Don’t actually think they have had much summer yet there, next week looks a lot better here!

It was 35 degrees when we got there last year!