What can you do in a three-day flying visit to one of the biggest ski areas in France? An awful lot, it turns out — and it’s not just confined to skiing and snowboarding. The vast Paradiski in the Tarantaise is making a name for itself for high-adrenaline activities, as well as some of the best high-altitude slopes in the Alps.
As I’m being strapped into a harness for the new 3,500ft zip line in Les Arcs, ready to soar over the ski resort at up to 130mph, it occurs to me that the ride almost keeps pace with top speeds set on the piste below, the site of speed skiing demonstrations in the 1992 Albertville Winter Olympics.
Because I’m wearing heavy ski boots, the instructor orders me to sit upright rather than being launched headfirst: pretending to be disappointed not to take the daredevil option, I stare nervously down the snow-covered valley as final safety checks are carried out.
“Are you ready?” asks the operator. Moments later he pulls a lever and I plunge into the abyss, yelling as my cheeks ripple in the wind. Attached to a sturdy wire, it feels more graceful than a rollercoaster as I soar over the skiers below and once I stop yelling, there’s time to take in the gorgeous views before I’m pulled to a stop, relieved at the soft landing.
The year-round attraction (which can be done as a single or two-person ride) is already a hit for thrill-seekers here — especially as a zip-wire ride comes free with a six-day premium ski pass.
British holidaymakers usually make up more than half of visitors to Les Arcs, lured by the snow-sure high altitude, ski-in-ski-out accommodation and 263 miles of runs.
Paradiski DSC0476 CREDIT T Shu
Skiier in Paradiski region (Photo: T Shu)
The scale of the giant Paradiski region, linking the ski areas of La Plagne, Peisey-Vallandry and Les Arcs via the Vanoise Express double-decker cable car, means it’s popularly regarded as the third largest ski region the world.
And if the zipline took my breath away, there are more jaw-dropping sights from the Aiguille Rouge, the highest peak on Paradiski’s Les Arcs side.
With 360-degree views from the top of the lift, a viewing table tells you that on a clear day you can see the Grande Casse, the Grande Motte crowning Tignes, Mont Pourri and, further off, Mont Blanc and summits over the border in Italy.
The piste below is officially known as the Aiguille Rouge run, with both black and red options for most of its seven-kilometre length.
We decide to ski all the way from the peak at 3,226 metres to the quaint village of Villaroger (1,200 metres) for lunch at La Ferme, a cosy mountain lodge with a choice of log-fire heated bar or terrace views in the lunchtime sunshine — as well as a reputation for offering the best Aperol Spritz in the region.
Away from Villaroger’s olde-world charm, Arc 1950 has everything you’d expect from a modern ski-in ski-out resort, all easily accessible from the accommodation. Along with bars and restaurants in the car-free village, there’s a creche, plus ski hire and ski lessons on the doorstep.
Each of the residences has its own swimming pool, jacuzzi and fitness rooms, while the Deep Nature Arc 1950 spa ensures visitors can recharge after an energetic day on the slopes.
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Hotel Taj-I Mah (Photo: Taj-I Mah)
Les Arcs is also home to the luxurious Hotel Taj-I Mah (which means “Crown of the Moon”), the first five-star hotel in the entire Paradiski ski area. Set on the edge of a cliff, everything from the location to the design creates a light, airy feeling.
As well as sauna, hammam and pool, ski shop and ski concierge, there are two restaurants — guests stay half-board — overseen by Michelin-starred chef Eric Samson: La Rotisserie, which serves traditional dishes using local produce, and Le Diamant Noir.
On the opposite side of the domain, beyond Arc 1800, lies the Peisey-Vallandry sector, where pretty forested slopes feature an excellent range of long tree-lined runs sweeping down to the satellite resort villages of Vallandry and Plan Peisey; here, the keenest explorers can connect with the cable car link to La Plagne.
Peisey-Vallandry, the lowest of Les Arcs’ satellites, has a new ten-seater gondola, speeding the journey from the village up to 2,138m in just six minutes. There’s also a new beginners’ area reserved entirely for novices to learn without the pressure of others bombing around them.
If you want a moment to catch your breath, there’s also a charming new Museum of Mountain Animals on the first floor of the cable car station. A collaboration with the Vanoise National Park, entry is free and the museum shows more than 30 species of animal including wolf and ibex, along with the mountain’s fauna and flora.
Museum of Mountain Animals Espace-musee-HD (c)Juliette Rebour (29)
Museum of Mountain Animals (Photo: Juliette Rebour)
And as a reminder that Italy lies less than 20 miles away, the Fragola di Neve restaurant at the foot of the Derby chairlift is a gastronomic journey through Piedmont, down to the fresh pasta on the menu.
Travelling onwards, the swift Vanoise Express cablecar links La Plagne with Les Arcs, with space for up to 200 people. La Plagne itself is one of the most popular ski resorts on earth, with over 2.5million visitors enjoying its 11 resort villages.
We check into the hexagon-shaped Araucaria Hotel, on the very edge of the pistes at Plagne Centre, just under 2,000 metres up. With quirky yet comfortable rooms and a lift that takes you conveniently down to the ski room to get kitted out, the four-star hotel has fast access to the slopes, a Nuxe spa and huge bar.
Before checking out the pistes, we discover the power of Ski Sophrology, run by Karine Fromaget, from the Oxygène Ski School in Monchavin La Plagne.
After discovering sophrology as a 14-year-old when a practitioner from Geneva visited La Plagne to help young skiers cope with the stress of ski racing, Karine has developed it further and has been using sophrology techniques since 2018 to help her students deal with their own issues.
A form of meditation using breathing exercises and visualisation, you practise it on your skis: a relaxing form of sports psychology, it’s as helpful for beginners afraid of falling or getting hit as for more experienced skiers nervous of icy slopes.
A nifty ski instructor as well, Karine teaches me some excellent ski techniques to control my speed in the steep bumps when I reveal that icy moguls are my biggest mental obstacle. I’m soon handling even the biggest moguls like a pro.
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Moonbiking (Photo: Moonbikes/La Plagne)
Along with the skiing, there’s Moonbiking — a bit like an electric scooter version of snowmobiling, but more eco-friendly and far less noisy. Created and built locally at Annecy, the back of the Moonbike has a caterpillar track, while at the front is a ski, in place of a wheel.
You steer by leaning left or right rather than by turning the handlebars but it doesn’t take long to get the hang of it as we ride through the fields of off-piste snow, whooping with delight.
For an even bigger rush, La Plagne also gives you the chance to throw yourself down the only bobsleigh track in France, originally built for the 1992 Winter Olympics. Stretching for 1,507.5 metres, and passing through 19 curves, it drops 125 metres along the way.
As first-timers, we’re advised to take the slowest bobsleigh, called the Bob Raft. The four-person bob still reaches speeds of around 50 miles an hour and we watch the group ahead of us jolting left and right on the live video playing in the waiting area.
After a quick safety briefing, it’s our turn to enter the metal torpedo before being shunted forward. The start is gentle enough but as we reach top speed, our exhilarated shouts turn to silence as the G-force in the corners terrifies and thrills us in equal measure.
Fortunately, unlike a professional bobsleigh, our craft is self-driving and self-braking, so all we have to do is hold on tight for the 90-second descent, before tottering elated to where the waiting minibus whisks you back up the mountain.
Compared to the other forms of transport we’ve encountered, it seems positively tame.
Getting There
The closest airport to Les Arcs is Chambery, around a two-hour transfer from the resort, with flights from Stansted and Manchester costing from £90 with Jet2.
Grenoble and Lyon airports are both also less than three hours away, with fares from around £90 with Jet2 and easyJet.
Doubles at Taj-I Mah cost from around £345, B&B.
Doubles at Hotel Araucaria cost from around £150 B&B.
Visit paradiski.com for more information on the area, activities and lift passes.
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