Sally and Skye at Lake Annecy

 
The crystal clear waters of the lake are inviting and the relaxed atmosphere in the park at the northern edge help you unwind as you make your final ascent to Bourg-Saint-Maurice and on to Les Arcs. Les Arcs is effectively made up of 4 separate villages, namely Arc 1600, Arc 1800, Arc 1950, and Arc 2000, which, demarcates their altitude. Having only visited Arc1950 on one previous occasion last summer, I was flattered by the car-parking steward remembering me, and the fact that I was driving a different car, and last time I had a bike in the roof. Coincidence? I like to think not. Friendly, welcoming staff in the hotel, cots and high chairs had been provided for the little ones, all arranged by Erna Low before we arrived. The apartment afforded us magnificent views of the surrounding mountains and the tranquil atmosphere in the Village make you feel right at home. 

View from Arc 1950

 
After a hot journey why not pop into Les Belles Pintes for a refreshing pint of Eidelweiss. Make sure you identify the location of the boulangerie/patisserie. Really difficult to leave with your freshly baked baguette without buying additional treats. The croissant abricot and their tarte citron come out as firm favourites. If you stay at the Prince de Cimes, the smell of the bakery comes wafting through the building. Nice! The Spar has pretty much everything you need including fresh milk, vegetables and fruit.

Skye and friend at George's bar

Sunday 1st August – Options are completely open, we decided to relax at the pool, while our friends headed up to Arc 2000 and beyond, for a gentle orientation, past the Chalet de L’Arc and up to the lake, affording you stunning views across the valley to Mont Blanc. The snow capped peaks look all the more majestic in the glorious sunshine. We took the easy option and popped down to the pool and relaxed in the sunshine. There is a fabulous indoor/outdoor pool at the Prince de Cimes, where can swim seamlessly from one to the other. There is also a jacuzzi, sauna and hamman. At night time the temperature drops and the stars shine brightly with the limited light pollution.
 
Monday 2nd August – Always reassuring when travelling away from home that there is good medical provision. One of the infants was poorly, which necessitated a visit to Arc 1600 cabinet medical. The doctor was brilliant. Good sense of humour, knew just how to handle the little one. He contacted the pharmacy for us so she was expecting us when we arrived. Felt really well cared for. A trip to Bourg-Saint-Maurice followed with a ride on the funiculaire back up to Arc 1600. A really interesting trip to make. Tickets for the lifts can be purchased from the Spirit 1950 office just off the main square. Worthwhile buying a pack of 10 for a discounted price of €49. The afternoon brought with it some rain but still took in a walk up to 2000 and beyond. It is advisable to take waterproofs with you, being in the mountains you have to take account of quite quick changes in the weather. If you need warming up afterwards, just head for the sauna. A relaxed evening followed with drinks at George Brown’s Wine Bar.

Stunning view at Mont Blanc

 
Tuesday 3rd August – For the intrepid, get yourselves a couple of bikes from Precision Sports shop and head down the mountain. Having done a great deal of road cycling, I was seriously outside of my comfort zone. Knee and shin protection is a must. Try the downhill run (route 5) from Arc 1950 through beautiful forest tracks to the  village of Villaroger. Don’t be misguided by the fact that you are going down hill. Once you reach the river east of Bourg-Saint-Maurice there are some testing little undulations to keep the heart rate ticking over at a fair pace. Caught the funiculaire back up to 1600 and got ourselves across to Arc 1800 to catch the Transarc lift over the top to get ourselves back to 1950. It was only going half way due to technical problems, so jumped off at the half way point and sped down the green slope (route 1) back to Arc 1600 for the free shuttle bus back to Arc 1950. Your could always bung your bike on the back of the free shuttle bus and get yourself back home for a lounge around in the pool and jacuzzi. Mid afternoon each of the families set off on different walks. The route down to 1600 and on to 1800 is a beautiful forested walk, and not terribly demanding. The route signs are generous in their time allocation so don’t be put off.
 
Wednesday 4th August – Decision was made to tackle the Aguille Rouge, which lies at 3226m. You could take the lift to Valet and the Cable Car to the summit from there, but the satisfaction gained from walking up to Valet is certainly worth doing. When you reach the little lake at Plan de L’Homme, it is a great place to stop for a snack. The views are magnificent, the lake crystal clear. It is only another 150m (vertically) before getting to Valet.

Andrew at the Plan de l'Homme

 
We took the cable car to the summit of Aguille Rouge where we had fantastic 360 degree views of white cloud – fun walking across icy snows, to the summit point. On a clear day you will get superb views across to the Italian Alps and beyond. We took the circular route back via the Transarc lift station and back down to the village. After a big day ou, we headed off to the Savoyard Restaurant to indulge ourselves in CHEESE! It was my first experience of Raclette! A must do, at some stage. I defy anyone to finish everything that is put in front of you! Awesome meal followed by big sleep.
 
Thursday 5th August – We took a trip down to Arc1800, a very different village, with an incredibly scenic golf course. Weather was a bit drizzly and but gave us the opportunity to browse around the shops in the village. Back up to 1950 and a relaxing afternoon chilling out in the apartment followed by a swim in the in the pool.  The creperie is worth a visit with a full range of sweet to savoury fillings. An evening meal at the Brasserie 1950 was enjoyed, lovely quiet restaurant, traditional brasserie faire with an alpine flavour, cured meat platters, beef steaks, delicious salads.
 
Friday 6th August – A trip round the Village on the Ponies is must for the children. They might not find it quite as exciting as the parents, but a worthwhile venture.

Skye explores the village on horseback!

 
A brisk walk in the mountain air is always good before lunch, especially if it leads you to Les Chalet de L’Arc. You need a healthy appetite. The portions are not only ample but truly delicious. For the meat eaters, the Le Geant Kebab, with a delicious combination of local sausage, chicken and steak is an absolute treat!

The Kebab Geant!

 
For the more traditional amongst you the tartiflette is one of their specialities. If the sun is shining make the most of sitting outside and enjoy the surrounding mountains in all their glory, but don’t miss out on having a peak inside to witness the warmth and uniquely rustic charm of the open bread-making kitchen. I definitely want to go back there to experience it as an après ski venue. For a pleasant morning trek, try the Plan de Violettes leaving Arc 2000 on the eastern side. It takes you through wooded areas with superb views over the valley towards La Rossiere and Mont Blanc and off course the villages of 1950 and 2000.

Aerial View of Arc 1950

 
Drag your way up the Aiguille Rouge red piste (great work out with a baby on your back), before heading right down the blue reservoir piste behind Arc 2000 and finishing at Les Chalet de L’Arc. A lazy afternoon with a swim in the pool and the dreaded feeling that tomorrow you have to leave.
 
Saturday 7th August – Departure day. You will undoubtedly leave with the feeling that a week isn’t long enough. On this trip, no golf, no kayaking, no white water rafting, no parasending, no tennis, no outdoor chess, not enough walking, biking, or chillaxing by the pool, that is why we will undoubtedly have to do it all again at some stage! Take a look at the Arc 1950 website to get a flavour of all there is on offer.

It is a French website, but for those who like me have very poor knowledge of the language, there are loads of visuals! It was only when a friend pointed out that there is in fact a UK button at the top that you realise how inept you are with IT skills. Erna Low have a real gem in their pocket, with this extraordinary and unique village on their books. There is an abundance of activity for all ages and tastes. The Kariboo Club for the children has not been explored by us yet, but it is worth knowing that Pierre & Vacances who manage the village offer two half days of child care per apartment included in your package. Bonus! www.arc1950.com and book your ski holiday to Arc 1950 with Erna Low www.ernalow.co.uk

We all had a fabulous night on Tuesday at our EdenArc event at the Ski Club of Great Britain headquarters in Wimbledon, and hope that those of you who were able to make it did too! Located in the Ski Club’s lovely library, we were surrounded by various awards, ski books from every era, and all sorts of ski memorabilia perfect for the set the atmosphere for the evening!

EdenArc event at the Ski Club of GB

 To begin, everyone happily mingled– discussing everything from the new development, to French property laws, to of course all of our passion for skiing!! Next came the daunting presentations… I always feel so nervous for the presenters, but every speaker was calm, collected, informative and each managed their talk very well. Who knew learning about mortgages and taxes could be interesting?? The various photos of EdenArc were also wonderful to see, and they really showed how incredible this new resort is going to be. The surrounding views of Mont Blanc and the Paradiski domain are spectacular, and the residence itself has massive windows to further enhance the experience of the beautiful scenery – even when behind closed doors! I especially enjoyed seeing the different floor plans that exemplified just how thought out and spacious the apartments will be. Luckily, my excitement for the project could be shared with everyone else after the presentations were completed when the wine started to flow (for a second time that night!) and the chatter picked up again.

Not only a very enlightening evening, but also a really fun one that had a heightened sense of enthusiasm from the moment the words “EdenArc” were said. A HUGE thank you to the Ski Club for graciously hosting us, and hope to see you all soon at our next ski property sales event!

Interested in hearing more? The ski property for sale specialists can be reached on +44 (0) 207 590 1624 or property@ernalow.co.uk

EdenArc - the new development in Arc1800

Last week was the most beautiful week of the season so far – sun every day, cool temperatures to keep the snow good but not too cold (only one day of not feeling your toes at the end of your ski boots) and a small amount of fresh snow when it was needed.  And as I start in the ski property sales office every day at midday (jammy!), I decided to make the most of it by taking some ski lessons.  I’d taken a handful of private lessons before but never group ones, so it was going to be a little bit different and I wasn’t sure what to expect. But the bonus with the ski school in Arc 1950, ‘Spirit 1950′  is that it’s an ESI (International Ski School) and so the groups are limited in number so we were only 8 in total.

Bethan getting ready to go in Arc 1950

Although we were a level 3 group, in reality our ability was quite mixed but our instructor, Alex, coped well by giving us lots of different technique lessons so everyone had a different thing to work on depending on our capability.  We also took some pistes and off-piste routes that I’d never been to, despite having already had many ski holidays to Les Arcs, and I know that the rest of the group were also discovering areas they didn’t know existed.

We had a day where we went to the top of the Aiguille Rouge – the highest point in the Les Arcs domain – and did the run part of the way to Villaroger, so almost 7 km of black and red pistes without a chairlift!  We had a lesson on moguls and off-piste and did lots of fun tree runs around Peisey Vallandry and Arc 1600, which always test your technique, and then did technique to try and improve our general piste skiing – short turns and longer carving turns.

On the lift with Spirit ski instructor, Alex

All in all it was a really fun few days : great to be part of a group and fantastic to ski with an instructor who has all the local knowledge to guide you to places that you wouldn’t have known to explore alone.  Private lessons are great for really improving your technique and always working at your own pace but group lessons are a real laugh and you get to learn from other people too.  Not to mention the price advantage of course – adult group lessons cost 160€ for 6 mornings of 2 ½ hours.

Safe to say I would definitely recommend group lessons and also the Spirit 1950 Ski School in Arc 1950!

Louise making her ways through the woodland runs of Les Arcs

 There is no need for snow shoes as the trails are well packed however, for a bit more adventure and to really get out into the wilderness, you can rent them at one of the Skiset shops in les Arcs for just a few Euros and get off the beaten track.  The ski schools also offer guided snow shoe walks which is a great idea as the guide can point out and name the various wildlife tracks and also mountains in the views around you.   The variety of walking trails and also amount of lifts available to pedestrians makes Les Arcs is a fantastic destination not only for people looking for a great ski holiday but those who don’t ski (like my Dad!)

Skating pro Luka!

We are back for our seventh season in Les Arcs and so far it looks like it’s going to be a great one.   Cold weather and lots of snow mean that the mountains are looking beautiful blanketed in snow and the skiing is fantastic. 
The recent snowy weather meant that tree skiing was the best option and best visibility with some great runs winding down like a roller coaster through the tightly wooded areas of Vallandry.   My Mum, who prefers the gentler slopes, loved the Foret run which is a relaxing blue cruise from the top of the Grizzly chair all the way down into Vallandry.
This year, we are here with our 2 small sons, Luka and Oliver.  Luka is two and a half and had his first go at skiing the other day.  It was a great success and he keeps asking to put on his ski boots.  There is an excellent children’s area in Arc 1800 (free of charge) with a magic carpet to get the children up the small slope – I think that is the main attraction for the little ones. 

Little Luka makes his way around Arc 1800

I spent yesterday afternoon in the picturesque mountain village of Arc 1950, organising discounts for our Erna Low clients in the village shops, bars and restaurants.   It is one of our most popular destinations for ski holidays and also a great place to buy a ski property.  The village is always alive with street entertainment, people skiing through and no cars to get in the way.  Yesterday there was a torchlit descent and food stall for the Orthodox Christmas. 
There is more snow forecast for tomorrow so it should be another great week in the mountains! 

Daddy struggles to keep up as little Luka hits the slopes of Arc 1800

60% Off Accommodation at Val D’Isere This Christmas
Erna Low is offering a week in Val D’Isere over Christmas for £155 (reduced from £362). This price includes 7 nights accommodation at the Chalet Tutel on a self catering basis and includes return Eurotunnel crossing with free FlexiPlus upgrade, departing on 19^th December. The apartment sleeps up to 9 people and is located a short 8 minutes from the resort centre, and 10 minutes from the slopes. 

Everything You Want For Less in Val Cenis This Christmas
Erna Low is offering 8 nights in Val Cenis over Christmas for £163 (reduced from £246). This price includes 8 nights accommodation at the  Les Alpages de Chantel on a self catering basis and includes return Eurotunnel crossing with free FlexiPlus upgrade, departing on 18^th December. The one bedroom apartment sleeps up to 4 people, and is a ski-in ski-out residence with many facilities including an outdoor heated swimming pool and fitness room.

Ski Paradiski for 1/3 of the Original Price
Erna Low is offering a week in Plagne Soleil over Christmas for £106 (reduced from £308). This price includes 7 nights accommodation at the   Les Chalets des Alpages on a self catering basis and includes return Eurotunnel crossing with free FlexiPlus upgrade, departing on 19^th December. The chalet apartment is for up to 10 people, and every apartment enjoys great access to the extensive skiing being very close to either the St Esprit lift or the Melezes chair lift.

A White Christmas In Morzine
Erna Low is offering 8 nights in Morzine over Christmas for £286 (reduced from £352). This price includes 8 nights accommodation at the L’Aiglon de Morzine on a self catering basis and includes return Eurotunnel crossing with free FlexiPlus upgrade, departing on 19^th December. The 2 bedroom and cabin apartment is for up to 7 people, and is a part of the newly-built luxurious residence in the centre of Morzine.

High altitude but not high prices a Week in Arc 2000
Erna Low is offering a week in Arc 2000 this New Year for £246 (reduced from £400). This price includes 8 nights accommodation at the Chalet Altitude on a self catering basis and includes return Eurotunnel crossing with free FlexiPlus upgrade, departing on 26^h December. Just 100m from the pistes and 500m from the centre of the resort, this apartment chalet can house 10 people, and enjoys the benefits of a complex with swimming pool, sauna, pub and mini-market.

Save Money and Ski In La Rosiere This New Year
Erna Low is offering a week in La Rosiere this New Year for £243 (reduced from £396). This price includes 7 nights accommodation at the Chalet Altitude, Le Refuge on a self catering basis and includes return Eurotunnel crossing with free FlexiPlus upgrade for two vehicles, departing on 26^th December. The apartment for up to 12 people is a top quality residence only 150m from the pistes, with access to indoor heated swimming pool and sauna.

Perfect Location, Prime Prices – New Year Skiing in Serre Chevalier
Erna Low is offering a week in Serre Chevalier this New Year for £213 (reduced from £260). This price includes 7 nights accommodation at the Best Western Premier Chantermerle on a self catering basis and includes return Eurotunnel crossing with free FlexiPlus upgrade, departing on 2 January. This apartment suite for up to 12 people is located in the centre of Chantemerle, just 5 minutes and across the road from the ski lifts and near to shops, bars and restaurants.

If you would like to discuss these or any other of our special ski offers, then just call our sales team (Rob, Andy, George, Kirsty or John) on 0845 863 0525  or email us on info@ernalow.co.uk

Happy Shopping!
Sappho

Flight operator, Flybaboo, has just announced that they will operate a twice daily flight from Oxford Airport to Geneva from 19 December 2009 until 13 March 2010.  Flights will leave Oxford at 12.20 and 14.05 (so civil … no battling the Oxford ring road rush hour)! Flybaboo says if there is enough demand, they’ll extend the route through Easter which falls between 2-5 April next year.

For those of us who live in Oxfordshire and the surrounding areas, this news will transform our ski holidays.   Between the cost of a car to London airports or the slog of taking a bus (with skis anyone?) and the simplicity of checking in at a smaller airport , the time saved and the hassle avoided is an early Christmas present. 

Watch Flybaboo’s flight finder in the next week or so for the newly announced Oxford-Geneva route!   Then match it with one of our many nearby destinations in France or Switzerland.   Witwoooooooooo Flybaboo!!!

It looks set to be an exciting upcoming ski season in the Alps from world-class Superpipe competitions and giant Slalom contests to car racing on ice and prestigious film festivals. I hope you can take the time to experience some of these action-packed moments to come.

Take part in the ultimate season opening in Les Deux Alpes from 28th November to 5th December 2009 with the NJR Powderweek, which offers fun and action for any young skier or snowboarder. Depending on snow conditions, the complete ski region will be open to explore, meaning 220 km of wide pistes and a fantastic 240,000 m² large snow park! Check out this site for more details.

having a little too much fun girls?

I am particularly excited about the Winter X Games taking place in Tignes from 10th – 12th March 2010; the first X Games to be held outside the United States. Several world class sport athletes will be invited to France to compete in 8 different events over the 3 days including Ski and Snowboard Superpipe and Slopestyle. For more details go here.

Hop on over to Val d’Isere for the Superslide week starting on 12th March 2010 and enjoy 5 days devoted to all the different ways one can travel down the mountain on various contraptions. Go here for more info.

Two amazing events taking place in April 2010 are the Flying Kilometre in Les Arcs and the Val Thorens Luge Cup. Be part of the spectacular sporting contest of speed skiing in Les Arcs where contestents travel as fast as possible along a kilometre-stretch of piste with a near vertical run-up or take a trip to Val Thorens where the resort arranges a unique tobogganing competition with six kilometres of track; the longest tobogganing course in France, with different competitve categories for children, adults, couples and professionals.
For more on the Flying Kilometre go here or if the Val Thorens Luge Cup takes your fancy check this out .