Today is World Glacier Day, and this week Les Arcs has been host to Agir pour les Glaciers festival, focusing on the preservation of glacial and post-glacial ecosystems. On a trip there earlier this season, Katy Dartford found out more about the resort’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and how it is shaping the future of sustainable tourism.

The sun barely crested the ridgeline as I clicked into my skis at the top of the Aiguille Rouge. At 3,226 metres, it’s the highest point in Les Arcs, and on a clear day, the view stretches beyond Mont Blanc and deep into Italy.

But I wasn’t just here for the panorama. I was about to follow Brice Lamon, a Les Arcs local, ski guide and Freeride World Tour judge, down a route he’d traced with a pink line on the map earlier that morning – a descent that would take us through deep gullies, past natural rock corridors, and into one of the resort’s most protected areas.

Brice and I had reached the top of the Aiguille Rouge lift, where we stopped to observe the route ahead. “You see this ridge? That’s Rocher de Genepi,” he said. “It looks intimidating, but once you’re over the lip, it’s actually pretty smooth skiing.” My nerves weren’t entirely convinced, but as I followed him, I soon discovered that, as promised, the gradient eased after the initial drop.

We started by traversing on skis for a few kilometres, before reaching the Rocher de Genepi ridge, where we had to boot pack over rock and snow for a few minutes before clicking back into our skis. “From here, we drop 2,000m down to Villaroger,” he told me. The descent was exciting – long, wild, with still good conditions, despite a lack of recent snowfall. But it wasn’t just the skiing that made an impression.

Skiing Through Conservation Zones

Les Arcs isn’t just about big vertical drops and sweeping pistes; it’s also home to carefully preserved natural areas where human impact is strictly controlled. Brice explained as we set off that certain zones above 2,200 metres are off-limits to protect wildlife – especially the endangered black grouse. “If you ski in these areas without authorisation, you can be fined 135 euros,” he told me. The gardes forestiers, a kind of environmental patrol, keep a close eye on the terrain to ensure these agreements with nature are respected.

Further down, we passed what was once the Olympic piste, a relic of a bygone era when skiing took priority over reforestation. “You used to be able to ski all the way to Bourg-Saint-Maurice from here,” Brice said, gesturing at the trees now reclaiming the old run. “But they’re not allowed to cut the forest anymore, so it’s overgrown.” Instead, we took a pinball black run, a fast, winding descent through a natural gully with playful drops and tight turns to reach Villaroger.

Eco-Friendly Innovations on the Mountain

Skiing at Les Arcs means immersing yourself in a resort that’s actively working towards carbon neutrality. With a B Corp certification – making it the first mountain destination in Europe to achieve this status – Les Arcs has reduced its carbon footprint from 10,000 tonnes to 3,000 tonnes over the past five years. The ski lifts are powered by hydroelectric energy, while snow groomers run on HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil) fuel, significantly cutting emissions. The resort’s new hydroelectric project even repurposes summer snowmaking infrastructure to generate clean energy.

I later met with Laura Cumin ADS’ (Les Arcs Domaine Skiable) about the resort’s sustainability strategy, who explained how Les Arcs promotes train travel over flying. “A quarter of our visitors arrive by train, compared to a national average of just 10%,” she told me. “We offer free funicular tickets for anyone arriving by rail, so there’s really no need for a car.”

This commitment to sustainability extends beyond transportation. At my hotel, La Cachette, the management has taken significant steps to reduce waste and energy consumption. General manager, Yann Margetyal explained over Apres ski drinks that they removed minibars from rooms to cut unnecessary energy use, replacing them with a shared fridge in the lobby. “It saves power and lets guests store their food without waste,” he said.

The Architectural Vision of Les Arcs

Les Arcs isn’t just progressive in its environmental strategy – it’s also one of the most architecturally significant ski resorts in the world.

The resort was designed in the 1960s by a collective of visionary architects, including Charlotte Perriand, a trailblazing modernist who reshaped ski resort design. At Arc 1600 and Arc 1800 she introduced prefabricated buildings, designed apartments to maximise sunlight, and even incorporated open-plan kitchens long before they became mainstream.

“She tilted the buildings at 30 degrees to ensure every balcony got sun,” explained our architecture guide, Jean-Marie Chevronnt. “That kind of thinking was revolutionary at the time.”

Skiing past these structures, I noticed how seamlessly they blended into the mountains. Unlike the faux-Alpine chalets of many modern resorts, Les Arcs’ buildings were designed to work with the landscape, not against it. The original architects even planted trees at higher altitudes to reforest pastures, a practice that continues today as part of the resort’s sustainability efforts.

A New Model for Alpine Skiing

Over the past decade, Les Arcs has been evolving from a traditional ski resort into a year-round mountain destination. Climate change is forcing many ski areas to rethink their reliance on winter tourism, and Les Arcs is ahead of the curve. The resort’s summer revenue has grown from €300,000 to €1.7 million in ten years, thanks to activities like hiking, cycling, and educational nature trails.

One initiative taking place this March is the “Agir pour les Glaciers” festival, which raises awareness about the Varet Glacier, expected to disappear within a decade. The event ties in with 2025 being declared the International Year of the Glacier, with the 21 March becoming World Glacier Day.

A new mineral gallery and a light show at the Varet gondola showcase the Aiguille Rouge’s geology, while educational trails and information panels highlight the impact of climate change on the mountain. Meanwhile, conservationists are working to protect the fragile ecosystems emerging as the ice retreats.

By my final day of skiing, as I carved down the last run, I’d realised that Les Arcs offers more than just great skiing; it’s a resort that’s actively shaping the future of sustainable tourism. From pioneering eco-friendly technology to preserving biodiversity, it’s proving that ski resorts can adapt to a changing world without sacrificing the thrill of the sport.

For information about Les Arcs, visit lesarcs.com

TRAVEL FACTS

Inghams offer 7 nights half board at La Cachette, Les Arcs. Departing 4 April 2026 from London St Pancras from £1,689 per person. Based on 2 adults sharing. All trains and transfers included. inghams.co.uk / 01483 938047

Categories: France, Holiday News & Special Offers, News, Resort News & Reports

Tags: Agir pour les Glaciers festival, Les Arcs