HOW VERY BRITISH

29th March 2018 | Jane Peel, Les Arcs

Last modified on January 19th, 2022

The Great British Celebration week was the idea of the Mayor of Les Arcs-Bourg Saint Maurice, Michel Giraudy.

He wanted to show that despite the vote in favour of Brexit, the French still love the Brits.

And this year, he brought along Britain’s Sochi bronze medallist in snowboard slopestyle, Jenny Jones, to join in the festivities.

Les Arcs hardly needs to make the effort.

British skiers and snowboarders come here in their droves but maybe that’s the point.

Les Arcs – photo © PlanetSKI

Les Arcs – photo © PlanetSKI

Its terrain, that’s linked to La Plagne to make up the vast Paradiski area, welcomes more Britons in the winter than any other nationality apart from the French, with 45 per cent of visitors coming from the UK.

It’s not something they want to lose.

So last year the Great British Celebration was born and it has just returned for its second edition, hosted by the Mayor himself.

To be honest, most people would probably have no idea that this is meant to be a special British week.

In two days of skiing around almost the entire Les Arcs area, I saw nothing to promote the celebration on the pistes, apart from a few buildings sporting bunting with Union Jacks and French Tricolours.

Entente cordiale, Les Arcs – photo © PlanetSKI

A few Anglo-French competitions were on the agenda, but the biggest draw seemed to be the Jenny Jones autograph signing, which attracted long queues.

Autograph time, Les Arcs – photo © PlanetSKI

The Crean family from Derbyshire meet Jenny Jones, Les Arcs – photo © PlanetSKI

It came complete with musical accompaniment and a typically British afternoon tea in the main square in Arc 1950.

Afternoon tea, Les Arcs – photo © PlanetSKI

Arguably the luckiest participants in the Great British Celebration were a group of four who had won a week’s holiday in an Erna Low apartment with travel included.

Siblings Amy and Tom Mace and Dan Larkan and his fiancée Daisy Radersky also shared a yoga session and lunch with Jenny Jones.

Lunch with the Mayor & Jenny Jones, Les Arcs – photo © PlanetSKI

Jenny Jones is at least as much of a snowsports celebrity now as she was four years ago after winning GB’s first official Olympic medal on snow.

She’s in demand.

Jenny Jones with Mayor of Les Arcs, Michel Giraud in 2018 at the British Celebration Week – photo © PlanetSKI

PlanetSKI’s Jane Peel with Jenny Jones, Les Arcs – photo © PlanetSKI

But she always finds time to talk to PlanetSKI.

And both of us made the most of the superb fresh snow that had fallen overnight though, funnily enough, not on the same bit of the mountain, and one of us was rather more athletic than the other…..

Yours truly (in the distance) enjoying the fresh snow, Les Arcs – photo © PlanetSKI

Jenny Jones in Les Arcs – photo © Manu Reyboz

We somehow doubt that a British week does anything to bring more Brits to Les Arcs, but at PlanetSKI we need no excuse to keep on returning.

In our view it has some of the best piste and off-piste skiing of any of the mega resorts in the French Alps.

And when the snow conditions are as good as they have been – and continue to be – this season, there is so much to enjoy.

It’s practically a crime that the lifts will stop turning on 28th April.

Fabulous late season snow, Les Arcs – photo © PlanetSKI

PlanetSKI’s fellow skiers enjoying the snow, Les Arcs – photo © PlanetSKI

Just one thing.

Not for the first time we found the Wi-Fi in resort to be utterly unreliable.

We want to come back.

We really do, but please sort out the Wi-Fi, Mr Mayor.

Les Arcs – photo © PlanetSKI

FACT BOX

PlanetSKI stayed in La Source Des Arcs apartments in Arc 2000 with Erna Low. Price from £1,487 for a one-bedroomed apartment for two people arriving on 7th April 2018.

Transfer to and from Geneva airport was organised by Ski-Lifts.

Find out more about Les Arcs.