The Aiguille Rouge footbridge at Les Arcs in Savoie has been installed so that everyone can contemplate the exceptional beauty of the Alps. It extends over several dozen metres and overlooks the mountains. Your gaze will be drawn not only to the majestic Alps, but also to the Hauts de Villaroger nature reserve, where protected flora and fauna flourish. When you're on this footbridge, you'll discover a 360-degree panorama: enough to take your breath away! You can combine this visit with the new magical animation created at Les Arcs: Les Fresques Lumineuses de l'Aiguille Rouge, an unusual and above all immersive 3-dimensional experience in the Varet cabin garage to be seen in winter and summer at Les Arcs.
Vue sur les sommets aux Arcs
- © Yolanta / Shutterstock
The Aiguille Rouge is the summit of the Aiguilles Rouges massif in the Northern Alps. They are said to be red because of their colour, which results from the oxidation of iron in gneiss, a metamorphic rock. The Aiguille Rouge is the highest point on this ridge line, standing at an altitude of 3,227 metres in Les Arcs.
Téléphérique de l’Aiguille Rouge
- © Julia Kuznetsova / ShutterstockIt's easy to get to the top of the Aiguille Rouge, whether you're on foot using the Pass Piéton+ or your Pass Classique/Essentiel/Premium.
If you're in Arc 1800, take the Transarc gondola, then ski or snowshoe down to the Varet gondola or the Arcabulle chairlift. Then take the Aiguille Rouge cable car. It's quite fast, so make the most of the view on the way up.
If you're in Arc 1950, take the Cabriolet cable car to Arc 2000, then the Varet gondola and the Aiguille Rouge cable car.
If you're in Arc 2000, this is the quickest way, just take the Varet cable car and the Aiguille Rouge cable car to the summit.
If you're in Bourg-Saint-Maurice, it takes a lot longer but it's also a great way to go. You can take the Les Arcs Express funicular up to Arc 1600 in 7 minutes and then take a shuttle to Arc 2000. You know the rest.
If you're a pedestrian, there are two passes:
The Pedestrian Pass
1 day 21€ or 17€ reduced rate (for 5-12 year olds and 65-74 year olds)
6 days 81€ or 65€ concessions
In addition to the Varet, Aiguille Rouge and Arcabulle lifts, you'll also have access to the Funiculaire, Transarc 1&2, Villards Vallandry and Peisey.
Piéton+ Pass
1 day 23€ or 19€ concessions
6 days 93€ or 75€ reduced rate
You'll have the same access as the Pass Piéton with the addition of the Vanoise Express and above all access to the fast lanes, which can save you a lot of time.
What's more, you'll get discounts on the Tyrolean traverse, the 1800 toboggan, the 2000 toboggan and the Fresques Lumineuses de l'Aiguille Rouge.
For skiers:
Three passes are available:
Classic with access to Les Arcs and Peisey Vallandry areas
1 day €59
6 days €295
Essential with access to the Paradiski area (Les Arcs and Peisey Vallandry + La Plagne), fast lanes and the Aiguille Rouge wire cutter for €4 instead of €8 plus discounts on activities such as the Fresques Lumineuses.
1 day €67
6 days €345
Premium with the same access and benefits, plus one line cut per day for the Aiguille Rouge and included activities such as the Tyrolean traverse and Les Fresque Lumineuses.
1 day €77
6 days 415€
If you can see a lot of clouds from Arcs 1800 or 2000, now is not the time to climb to the summit. It would be a shame not to see anything.
There aren't many resorts in France where you can so easily access a summit at an altitude of over 3,200 metres without being a mountaineer.
When you get off the Aiguille Rouge cable car, which is itself quite vertiginous, you'll be in for a real treat, with a breathtaking panorama.
You can reach the footbridge to observe the beauty of the Alps and its massifs, and you'll feel like you're in a void because it has glass railings. There's also an educational trail where you can find out more about the flora and fauna of the Hauts de Villaroger Nature Reserve.
You'll see, among other things: :
Even in summer, it's quite cold, so bring warm clothes (jacket and fleece) and walking boots. It will easily be 20°C cooler than in Bourg-Saint-Maurice.
If you're afraid of heights, stay in the middle of the cable car and perhaps don't try the footbridge, as you'll also have a great view all around.
Take binoculars with you, as you'll have to wait patiently for your turn to use the free binoculars.
Remember to take your camera or have enough battery power on your smartphone, as selfies are a must on the footbridge.
New since summer 2022: the Fresques lumineuses de l'Aiguille Rouge.
At the top of the Varet gondola, in the 500m2 of the gondola garage, a digital exhibition in the same vein as Les Carrières de Lumières in Les Baux de Provence or L'Atelier des Lumières in Paris, with frescoes that come to life in a space that invites contemplation, wandering and, above all, wonder. A little cultural break during your mountain holiday.
Admission:
Admission is €6
With the Pass Piéton+ and Essentiel: €3
Free for children under 5 and Premium Pass holders.
Les Arcs
