After previous trips to The Three Valleys and Espace Killy, Paradiski felt like a way to complete the set of long established multi location French ski areas.

Inghams again

Having organised the last few trips with Inghams, they were where I looked first, and in the end the provider I chose.

Getting there

Another flight to Chambery, though an earlier start than previous occasions. At least it’s only an hour from my alarm going off to Gatwick South.

Our departure was a little delayed due to fog at Chambery, but we made up time on the way, so arrival wasn’t too badly behind schedule. Of course we were then thrown into the usual chaos of Chambery arrivals, but I know what to expect now, and we weren’t in a hurry. We were soon on a (pretty full) coach to Les Arcs, and the transfer was about 2h15m as there were no traffic problems.

Self catering

I looked at a LOT of hotel options in Les Arcs and La Plagne, and nothing stood out. Maybe Le Savoire in Val d’Isere spoiled us. I’m pretty sure we’ll never find something so good again in terms of space and food.

Residence La Source stood out as well reviewed, and offered us separate rooms at a reasonable price.

I was a little worried about the 5pm check-in given that we arrived early afternoon, but thankfully the room was ready.

The apartments offer daily bread/bakery delivery, so that was breakfasts taken care of :)

Our ground floor room was right beside the ski room, which was ski in/out, so very convenient.

I didn’t plan on returning to the apartment during the day for lunch, but sometimes we were close by, and peckish, so it was super convenient.

Equipment

Our early arrival meant we could get skis and boots sorted in the afternoon, so no Sunday morning rush :)

Inghams provided vouchers for Intersport, which was a short walk from the apartment. They were friendly and efficient, though first glance at my skis bothered me that they were a little tired.

That first set of skis was OK, but the bases were a bit cut up (hardly surprising after 5-6 seasons); and I’m not convinced they were ever that good. After 2 days I made the call that they were OK, but not great, and returned to the shop for something else.

The chap in the shop told me that I was swapping a Lamborghini for an Audi, but if that’s the case it was a battered and temperamental Countach for a newer RS6. I was much happier on the replacement skis.

$daughter0 was given some Salomon skis that were described as ‘new’ but obviously not out for the first time. I think they meant new this season. She seemed to get on with them pretty well :)

Boots were Salomon, and utterly unremarkable.

The Skiing

With 425km of piste Paradiski is larger than Espace Killy, but smaller than The Three Valleys. It’s also considered to be less good for advanced skiers, meaning fewer black runs.

Getting over to the La Plagne side was easier than expected, taking about an hour. So it was practical to explore the whole area.

Sadly the weather and skiing conditions weren’t ideal. We had (some) snow most days, which meant that pistes weren’t being groomed; and for the latter half of our stay visibility was poor, with a lot of low cloud / freezing fog.

Best of the Blacks

‘Aiguille Rouge’ is an utterly fantastic run. It starts with an imposing steep section, and was a little lumpy in the following section, but after that it was a dream run of wide open piste that could be taken at speed. Worth the wait for the cable car, and it’s a shame conditions didn’t allow for more runs.

We stumbled on ‘Murs’ whilst trying the lower section of ‘Mont Blanc’ (as an alternative to Myrtilles mentioned below), and despite poor conditions it was enough fun to deserve a repeat.

Pick of the Reds

There’s a selection of Reds that run down into Les Arcs 1800, and there’s little to choose between them. They all offer decent sight lines, and the opportunity to wind on a little speed; though they all suffer from crossing blues, and the ‘slow down’ warnings that go along with that.

‘Secret’ was fun despite poor visibility and weather, so I’m expecting it’s an awesome run when conditions are good.

Beautiful Blues

‘Myrtilles’ looked lovely from the Pierres Blanches lift, and was a picturesque and entertaining run down to take the lift again.

The upper section of ‘Mont Blanc’ was nice and wide, making it easy to navigate any traffic.

The run home on ‘Edelweiss’ was often busy, but still fairly relaxing.

Food

We ate out most nights.

Papa Pizza became a regular haunt, with good choice on the menu, generous portions, friendly service, and a good beer selection.

I’d taken a long look at the Taj-I Mah as a hotel option, so we treated ourselves to a dinner there, choosing the five course daily menu. It was interesting food, well presented, and an amazing cheese selection.

Our first visit to 2134 (for fondue) was so good we chose to return for our last night; and that meal was tremendous. Highly recommended (especially for those who like an extensive wine list).

Ski Tracks

I’ve been using Ski Tracks for a while now, but it let me down a few times on this trip. The whole of my first morning disappeared, with the watch app just vanishing. I also lost an afternoon (and my fastest run of the trip), even though I definitely stopped recording :( Data was reliably getting into Apple Fitness, but sometimes not into the app, which is a shame, and annoying.

To compensate I found myself more frequently stopping and restarting recording, which helped a little.

Getting Home

Returning via Chamberry was (once more) a frustrating experience. A 5am start for a 5.40 bus only to then spend an extra 3h waiting around for the fog to clear and our flight to arrive. Perhaps the operators should adjust schedules around what actually works rather than mythical departure times?

Conclusion

Les Arcs was a lovely place to stay (and eat), and it was fun to explore over to La Plagne. We were a little unlucky with weather, and piste conditions, so the skiing wasn’t on top form; and even if it had been I’m not sure this is the best area for the type of skiing we enjoy (compared to The Three Valleys and Espace Kitty).