HIT THE SLOPES

Enjoy stunning views and thrilling activities at French ski resort Les Arcs

- WORDS: SARAH WHITE PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

On arrival at Arc 1800, one of five resorts in the Les Arcs ski region in southeast France, we were surprised to discover a 4ft dump of snow had fallen overnight.

Skis were parked up, snowmen were being built and snowballs were flying through the air like scenes from a Christmas movie.

Although the extreme snowfall had temporarily closed some of the ski lifts, it freed up time on our first day to explore the village's bustling pedestrianised centre. It's well-equipped with restaurants, bars, ski shops for the inevitable lost gloves, and patisseries with fancy cakes that wouldn't look out of place in a capital city.

TOP ACTIVITIES

Our apartment at Pierre & Vacances Premium Résidence Le Roselend offered impressive views of Mont Blanc direct from our balcony. Our daily ritual quickly became an early morning walk down the hill to the village bakery to buy delicacies for our afternoon tea. The steps back up to our accommodation were a steep but short journey, and were a good warm-up for the day of skiing ahead.

Part of the Paradiski ski circuit, Arc 1800 gives you easy access to Les Arcs' highest slope at 3,226m, at the top of the Aiguille Rouge mountain - and with 70% of the ski area above 2,000m, you can expect fantastic snow coverage throughout the season.