A rustic chalet in the French Alps
Winter:
Arêches is situated between Mont Blanc and the Vanoise. It is this proximity to Mont Blanc, the fact that it is in the lee of Mont Blanc, that makes snow depths so good, basically it gets dumped on!
There are 15 lifts with 50kms of pistes of varying difficulty. There is much more though, when you take off piste into consideration, which is actually why most people come here. Ski touring or 'randonee' is Arêches' most popular discipline. Once a year, it holds the gruelling 'Pierra Menta', where hundreds of super fit individuals leg it up a different mountain every day, on their own steam and then ski back down. It's pretty impressive to witness and people come from all over Europe either to enter or watch.
The rest of the season however it's beautifully quiet, meaning the pistes aren't crowded and queues are unheard of and making fresh tracks is all part of the norm.
Marshmallow snow
apt Le Mazot
Le Mappaz
3133 route de Saint Guerin
Arêches
73270 Beaufort
Savoie
France
The slopes are divided over 2 distinctive mountains linked with a ski run and regular ski bus, and offer varied and interesting runs; ranging from wide, open, 'hero' runs with glorious views; to thigh crunching moguls. And there is alot of terrain to discover just next to the piste or right off the beaten track; if you do fancy going off piste a guide can be booked locally at a surprisingly good price compared to the other resorts. Click here to see the piste map.
The lift pass also presents great value for money. The lift company offers a range of pricing options which can be booked online or in resort from end of September, but as a guide a 6 day pass costs €142.00, compared to €245.00 at the larger resorts.
The local ESF ski school runs from Le Planay and offers tuition to all age groups and abilities; further details can be found on their website www.esf-areches-beaufort.com
Equipment can be hired from various hire shops in Areches. However the nearest one to the chalet is Avocat Sports where our guests enjoy a discount and Gaspard Sports.
The local lifts usually run from the end of December to the end of March. For skiing in April the resorts of Les Saisies and Les Contamines are both a short drive away and offer a fantastic range of slopes.