Les Cascades
Backcountry Skiing Route
Details
2.11 mi
1,377 ft
One of the most exposed faces in Les Arcs
Les Cascades is a face that is both exposed and steep and I would put it up there with some of the most dangerous faces in the area. Take the gondola to the top of the Aiguille Rouge, follow the piste down until you reach a point where they split, the right side goes to Villaroger and the left heads towards Grand Col. At this point you go about 2o metres to the right, just until the fences along the piste stop. This is your entry. You are looking straight down into the Les Arcs 2000 area, from here you will be skiing the fall line but before you do check your avalanche gear. You will most probably be asked by patrol if you know where you are going as this face has major consequences, it's a no fall zone the whole way down. Its very hard to describe the path to take as it changes regularly, but ski the fall line through small gullies until you reach an opening with a route that will go to your right, take this direction as right now you are above a 20m cliff band....stay high on your traverse. Keep going for around 30m until you can see the snow slope down to your right, go this way and make a kind of hairpin turn, you will now see the cliff band you were just stood above. Ski directly underneath it keeping it close on your left. The rest should now be obvious, the hard part is done and you can enjoy a nice, usually untracked run back to Arc 2000. With good snow this is one of the most satisfying runs in Les Arcs, its a good idea to pick your line from the bottom so you can find reference points and to never do it straight after fresh snow. An avalanche or even sluff here could be bad news Written by Leon Butler
Les Cascades is a face that is both exposed and steep and I would put it up there with some of the most dangerous faces in the area. Take the gondola to the top of the Aiguille Rouge, follow the piste down until you reach a point where they split, the right side goes to Villaroger and the left heads towards Grand Col. At this point you go about 2o metres to the right, just until the fences along the piste stop. This is your entry. You are looking straight down into the Les Arcs 2000 area, from here you will be skiing the fall line but before you do check your avalanche gear. You will most probably be asked by patrol if you know where you are going as this face has major consequences, it's a no fall zone the whole way down. Its very hard to describe the path to take as it changes regularly, but ski the fall line through small gullies until you reach an opening with a route that will go to your right, take this direction as right now you are above a 20m cliff band....stay high on your traverse. Keep going for around 30m until you can see the snow slope down to your right, go this way and make a kind of hairpin turn, you will now see the cliff band you were just stood above. Ski directly underneath it keeping it close on your left. The rest should now be obvious, the hard part is done and you can enjoy a nice, usually untracked run back to Arc 2000. With good snow this is one of the most satisfying runs in Les Arcs, its a good idea to pick your line from the bottom so you can find reference points and to never do it straight after fresh snow. An avalanche or even sluff here could be bad news Written by Leon Butler