Les Arcs 2020

We left Llanarmon Yn Ial on Wednesday 8th January 2020 to drive to Folkestone in the car. We had loaded up the day before with skiing gear, suitcases, food, a microwave, snow chains and much more. The car was very full! We had a good journey and arrived at the Eurotunnel check in at 14.15. We were booked on the 15.50. train but were able to board the 14.50. train for no extra charge. We arrived in Calais at 16.25. local time and drove the 35 miles to Bergues. We got to the town at about 17.15. but were not able to check in to the Chambers d’hotes Les Capacins (where we stayed before when we travelling to Greece) until about 18.00. We put the car in Anne’s garage and then went for something to eat at the same restaurant we had been to in May and had a very cheesy pizza!

We set off from Bergues the next morning about 9.30. and Mel drove all the way to Nuits St George arriving about 14.30. The journey was mostly OK, just a short period of rain which caused a lot of spray on the motorway from the HGVs but fortunately it didn’t last long. We checked into the Ibis Budget Hotel which was very close to the motorway and went to a restaurant across the road for a meal. The food was OK, typically French and expensive!

The next morning we left Nuits St George and had an excellent journey to Bourg St Maurice, arriving about 14.30. We quickly found the apartment, unloaded the car and then walked to the Funicular Station to get Lesley’s lift pass. The station has been completely rebuilt and the Funicular trains are brand new, very impressive. We then went to do some shopping at the SuperU Supermarket stocking up on essentials for our stay. The apartment is in a block called Le Solaret, a great location near to the Funicular, Lidl and an excellent Boulangerie.

View from our apartment

On Sunday morning we got organised and went up to Arcs 1600 on the Funicular at about 10.30. We thankfully managed to hire a ski locker from Precision Ski at the top of the Funicular.

It was a beautiful day and the snow was excellent so we started off skiing in the Arcs 2000 bowl and had a great first day. We went back to the apartment about 3pm as we didn’t want to overdo it on the first day.

On Monday we set off a bit earlier and skied over to the Vallandry/Peisey area. It was another lovely day and the snow at the top of the runs in this area was even better than at Arcs 2000. It was a bit icy and not so much fun at the bottom of the runs to Peisey. But we had another great day and even better to be able to leave our skies and boots at the ski locker in 1600.

When we returned to Bourg we went to Lidl for a few things and met Audrey who we knew from the campsite where we used to stay. It was lovely to see her and have a catch up; she now works in a new hotel in Bourg and seems to like it very much.

On Tuesday Lesley had a rest and didn’t ski but Mel went off on his snowboard for the first time. Lesley walked to the Super U to buy a few things but also to check out where the launderette has moved to. The Super U entrance has been completely rebuilt since we were last here and the Launderette has moved to behind the Intersport shop. They have also built a double level car park in front of it. It was another beautiful day and Lesley sat on the balcony of the apartment to have lunch whilst Mel was doing his bit on the slopes.

Mel snowboarded again on Wednesday whilst Lesley skied. We went over to Arcs 2000 again and it was another fantastic day with great weather and snow conditions. Thursday was similar and we both skied and had lunch at 1800. We decided to buy a copy of the picture we had taken by a photographer and Mel picked it up the following day from 1950.

It snowed on Friday evening and over night and the next morning it was cloudy but it cleared later in the afternoon. We went for a walk into the town centre and had a wander around the market and then Mel went off to ski in the afternoon by which time it was sunny but cooler.

It turned very cold for the next few days so we had to put on extra layers to keep warm. On Monday of the second week it was also windy but it was OK to ski in the Arcs 2000 bowl. The wind was also quite strong in Bourg in the evening and we could hear and feel it in the apartment. I bought a new pair of apres ski boots that evening from the Intersport shop in town as the sole on my own had disintegrated.

The weather got milder over the next few days and we skied together or I skied and Mel snowboarded.

Mel skied with Chris Lees and his friends one day whilst I stayed in Bourg and went to the launderette at Super U.

On Friday we went to do some shopping in the morning and then Mel went on his snowboard and timed the journey to the Vanoise Express. He went snowboarding again the next day whilst I had a walk around the town, it was warm and sunny today. In the evening Guillaume (who manages the rental of our apartment for the owner who happens to be from the UK) came to see us and we had a chat about renting the apartment again next year.

Sunday was a cloudy day so we went to the Super U and did some washing at the laundrette and Mel washed the car at the car wash there. On Monday it was sunny in the morning so I skied and Mel snowboarded over to Peisey and then Arcs 2000 before catching the bus at Pre Saint Espris.

It was raining and cloudy for the next two days so we didn’t go skiing. On the Wednesday we went to the Vietnamese Restaurant (L’Indochine) on the main street for lunch. They do a buffet style eat as much as you like for 14.50€ which was very good.

Thursday was sunny with blue skies and the best snow conditions so far. I skied and Mel snowboarded and we had a fantastic day on the slopes even though it was a bit busy. It was similar on the Friday although the snow was a bit slushy as it was quite warm. I went back in the afternoon and did some shopping whilst Mel stayed on the slopes. In the evening we went to the cinema to see the film ‘1917’ which we enjoyed and we picked up take away pizzas on the way back from the restaurant near the station. They were very good pizzas and reasonable prices.

We had a morning’s skiing and snowboarding on Saturday but it clouded over in the afternoon so we came back to Bourg where it had started to rain. It didn’t stop raining until Sunday night so there was no point going to the slopes so we did the washing again at the Super U. Monday morning was cloudy so we had a walk around the town and bought some presents but it brightened up in the afternoon so Mel went snowboarding.