Paradiski snow forecast

Skiing in Paradiski

Paradiski joins Les Arcs and La Plagne, two large Tarentaise resorts facing each other across the Ponthurin valley, via the Vanoise Express, a double-decker cable car that spans the gap in about four minutes. Together they offer around 425 km of pistes between about 1,200 m and 3,250 m, with roughly 70 per cent of the runs above 2,000 m.

Les Arcs has around 200 km of runs spread across several purpose-built stations, from Arc 1600 to Arc 2000, plus the lower village of Peisey-Vallandry where the Vanoise Express lands. The Aiguille Rouge, the area's high point at over 3,200 m, gives a long descent with a big vertical for strong skiers. La Plagne is slightly larger, at about 225 km, with a cluster of high resorts suited to beginners and intermediates and the Bellecôte glacier above 3,000 m for higher snow.

Because the lower links and tree-lined runs sit well below the glacier tops, conditions can range from wintry up high to spring snow near the valley on the same day. The tree-lined runs around Peisey-Vallandry are a useful choice in poor visibility. The season usually runs from mid-December to late April.

Les Arcs is unusually easy to reach without a car: a funicular runs from the platform at Bourg-Saint-Maurice station, which takes TGV and seasonal international trains, up to Arc 1600. La Plagne is reached by road from Aime or Moûtiers.