European Gay Ski Week 2022
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European Gay Ski Week (EGSW) is the largest LGBT+ skiing and snowboarding event in Europe, with more guests and bigger parties than any other. EGSW is the only ski week that moves to different resorts, so that skiers and boarders can explore different resorts, pistes and nightlife across the whole of the French Alps.
EGSW will take place at Les Arcs 1950 / 2000 from Saturday 19 March to Saturday 26 March 2022.
Les Arcs is part of Paradiski (Les Arcs, Peisey-Vallandry, La Plagne), the second largest linked ski area in the world, with 425km of pistes over 14,390 hectares
You can ski with your ODL friends or join an EGSW hosted ski or snowboard group to meet new people too.
Book your place at EGSW and you’ll get an exclusive €50 discount per person off the Event Pass and €30 per person off shared accommodation, plus OutdoorLads will get a £10 donation from EGSW (Full details and exclusions below).
A great thing about EGSW is that you can arrange everything - accommodation, ski / boarding equipment, lift pass, après-ski / party event pass, mountain lunch - through the EGSW website as a package. It's cheaper and easier that way, and the total can be paid in instalments between now and January, for those who may not want to pay the total upfront.
ODL at EGSW
Attending EGSW is an excellent way to meet new people while you learn to ski or board or just have fun on the slopes. EGSW organises all of the classes, hosted groups and après-ski/parties.
Given the Saturday arrival day can often be quite chaotic, an ODL dinner will be arranged for the Sunday evening so we can all meet and get to know one another. This will give ODL members at EGSW the chance to see what everyone else is up to and perhaps make plans for skiing or meeting during the week.
Each afternoon at the après-ski venue beginning at 16:00 (it gets busy from 16:30), the ODL contingent will get together for a bevvie and a chat about that day's fun or to plan that evening. An "ODL at EGSW 2022" WhatsApp group will be available for ODL members to use to plan catch-ups throughout the week, including drinks or dinner.
Discount for ODL Members
ODL Full Members can receive a €50 discount off the price of the EGSW Event Pass and €30 per person discount for shared accommodation. To claim this discount, you must:
- Be an ODL Member (i.e.: not PAYG) at the time of booking and during EGSW 2022 (19-26 March 2022).
- Book accommodation on the EGSW website.
- Book an EGSW Event Pass (note: an event pass is required to attend EGSW après-ski).
- Book a 6 or more days Paradiski Lift Pass on the EGSW website.
The process for claiming this discount is set out i the Detailed Location section below.
EGSW supports OutdoorLads
EGSW will make a £10 donation to ODL for each ODL Full Member who has registered on the ODL website as attending this ODL Event and made an EGSW booking that includes accommodation + EGSW Event Pass + 6 or more days Paradiski Lift Pass.
For more info:
Detailed information on accommodation options at EGSW, getting to Les Arcs and other practical issues is provided below.
PLEASE NOTE: There are two European gay ski events this coming winter in France: this one (European Gay Ski Week - EGSW) and European Snow Pride, which takes place the week before EGSW. Make sure you're signing-up to the one you wish to attend, especially if your friends are booked onto one already. This event page is for European Gay Ski Week EGSW (Of course you can do both if you like!)
What to bring
Equipment Hire
You can hire your ski / board equipment through the EGSW website at very competitive rates. Your EGSW welcome pack will then include a voucher that you exchange for equipment in almost any of the hire shops in Les Arcs 1950 / 2000.
If you don't already have your own ski / board clothing, you can hire this through the EGSW website for the week. The clothes for hire are okay, but if possible, I'd recommend instead that you borrow clothing off mates / family / ODL members, so that you know it fits before you arrive. You don't need to worry about whether or not your ski / board gear is in fashion. There will be some people at EGSW wearing this year's gear, but most won't be. The best skiers / boarders are usually wearing stuff from a few seasons ago that's held together with duct tape.
Les Arcs 1950 / 2000 is a ski-in / ski-out resort. Hopefully, the streets will be covered in snow, so we'll be wearing walking boots when out of ski gear, not trainers.
A great thing about EGSW is that you can arrange everything - accommodation, ski / boarding equipment, lift pass, party / apres-ski event pass, dinner options etc. - through the EGSW website as a package - it's cheaper and easier that way, and the total can be paid in monthly instalments between now and January, 2022 for those who may not want to pay the total upfront.
Food & drink
Food and Catering at EGSW
You have the option of half-board accommodation that includes breakfast and dinner, or self-catering apartments.
There are mini-supermarkets scattered around Les Arcs 1950 / 2000 that have a reasonable variety of stock, but if you have any specific delicacies you need, then bring them from home . . . and bring a bag-for-life too. Note that some self-catering places don't provide some basics like toilet paper, so a quick trip to the supermarket on day 1 is essential.
Alternatively, you can stay in self-catering accommodation, but book a breakfast or breakfast & dinner package through the EGSW website, to save yourself the trouble of cooking.
When you're out on the pistes, you should carry a few snacks, plus some water.
There are lots of mountain-side restaurants for lunch. These will range in price from ~ €15 for self-service to much more for a sit-down meal that includes wine. You can get a 10% discount off your food bill by using EGSW tokens (see below) in partner restaurants around the Paradiski domain. There won't be many places where you can sit down to eat a packed lunch, especially if the weather is poor.
If you're self-catering and want a night off from cooking, then you could go to an EGSW raclette or fondue night. It's is good value and a great way to meet others over a pot of burnt cheese.
As with lunch, you can get a 10% discount off your dinner food bill by using EGSW tokens at EGSW partner restaurants around Les Arcs 1950 / 2000. It's best to book in advance because everyone tries to get a table at the same time.
EGSW has its own currency in the form of coloured plastic tokens. Using these helps to speed up the service for drinks at bars and entitles guests to a discount off their food bill in partner restaurants. The tokens are fiddly to use, but are worth the hassle for the savings you can make during the week. You buy your tokens at the EGSW check-in or at any other EGSW event. If you pay for them by credit card, your transaction will be processed by your credit card issuer as a normal purchase, not a cash withdrawal. You then use your tokens to pay for drinks at EGSW venues, or food at partner restaurants displaying an EGSW sign. The drinks at EGSW venues cost 1, 2 or 3 small tokens (= €3, €6 or €9 in real money), whilst your food bill will be discounted by 10% in partner restaurants.