The resort of Les Arcs lies pretty much in the centre of the Alps above the town of Boug St. Maurice. Best known for being the home of A-Snowboards (now called Apocalypse), Les Arcs is definitely one of the best resorts in Europe for snowboarding.
The resort is broken up into Arc 1600, Arc 1800, and Arc 2000 (those are heights in case you didn't guess). You can get a ski pass for an individual area but it's best to explore the whole resort and it is possible to visit all three areas in one day as they are closely linked. Also as of December 2003 Les Arcs is now linked to the nearby resorts of La Plagne and Peisey-Vallandry via the Vanoise express cable car, which will make the ski area one of the largest in the world.

This has to be one of the most snowboarder friendly resorts in the world, with a sick park, a pipe that stays open until 10pm at night, and even seperate piste maps for snowboarders highlighting best runs and jump spots!
For both freeriders and freestylers this place is the shit, with long open terrain. The best spots to check out are the main back bowl of Arc 2000, which is littered with roll-overs, natural chutes and gullies. However be careful not to ride too low as you will miss the bottom lift! This is also the location where British snowboarder Steve Bailey had a little slide in an avalanche (carried him over 2 km!), so be careful when venturing off-piste.

The snowpark lies between the Arpette Chairlift and the Frettes drag-lift and is world class and very well maintained. If you're lucky you might even spot local hero David Vincent and friends sessioning it. The halfpipe is very close to the town of Arc 1800 at the bottom of the Carreley piste. It is floodlit and stays open until 10pm!
This snowpark is the location of the Quiksilver pro slopestyle competition in March which is one of the biggest contests of the season and attracts all the best European and US pros such as Markku Koski, Anthony Holland, and Shaun White.



Les Arcs does not attract many seasonaires, partly because of its small size and partly becuase it is expensive to stay in the actual resort (I got quoted £5000 for a one bedroom apartment for the season!). Most of the seasonaires that do come tend to stay in Boug St. Maurice which is linked to the resort by a funicular. Bourg is a typical alpine town but it is very cheap compared to any actual ski resort. If you do not mind the funicular ride each day to get up to the mountains, then it is a good option. Also staying in Bourg means you are well positioned to check out some of the other resorts in the area such as Val D'Isere, La Rosiere, Saint Foy, or Tignes (all within 1 hour drive). If you are thinking of spending the season in this area it would be worth checking out some of the chalet companies, most of which now offer complete seasons as well as weekly stays.
If you're just here visiting, stay in Arc 1800, which is the main part of the resort and is also close to the best terrain. The snowpark finishes pretty much in the village!



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