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SAINTE FOY  - Rated as No. 1 by the Sunday Times 24th September 2006!

1550m-2620m

"The biggest little ski resort in the world" - and only just up the road (two hairpins and about two minutes to be exact!).

The Ste Foy ski station may look small, but here’s what the experts say about it:

"Size doesn't matter - and Ste Foy Tarentaise is a case in point.  A tiny, four lift resort, it has long been the preserve of  off-piste guides, who bring their clients when the powder in nearby Val d'Isere has been ground to crud.  Now however thanks to some sensitively handled redevelopment, the place has been reborn - as a cute and luxuriously for families (or anyone tired of the mega-resorts).  Yes, the skiing is limited, but at all levels the quality is superb and when you've had your fill, the larger lift systems at Les Arcs, Val d'Isere, Tignes, and La Rosiere are all within easy day-tripping distance"  Sean Newson, Sunday Times, September 24th 2006

For beginners and intermediates Ste Foy offers superb on-piste skiing in an un-crowded, relaxed resort, and for the more adventurous, the phrase ‘off-piste paradise’ is often used to describe the wonderful opportunities offered by this ‘hidden gem of a resort’. Why else would the instructors from the big resorts come here on their day off? Fresh snow can still be found days after a fall, and when the weather closes in at the higher, more exposed resorts around us, we can usually continue to enjoy good skiing at Ste Foy thanks to its geography and the trees that protect it. And all at a fraction of the cost of our big, neighbouring resorts.

Sainte Foy in the press - more!

The Financial Times ‘Snail Tart on the Slopes of Sainte Foy’

If you are crazy about offpiste skiing, have a young family and are set on staying in a chalet in one of the prettiest modern ski villages in France then Sainte Foy is the place for you. Nestled among the trees at 1,550m in a sunny bowl above the Isère valley in the mountainous old kingdom of Savoie it lies just a short car ride from a host of better-known ski resorts such as Val D’Isère, Tignes, La Thuile, La Rosière and Villaroger and has stunning views of Mont Blanc (4,807m), western Europe’s highest mountain. But once there you may find it hard to leave this jewel of the Tarentaise, close to the Vanoise national park. For small family ski resorts are coming back into fashion and Sainte Foy has almost everything you might need: the right skiing mix for experts and learners; good facilities for children; fine food and a high standard of accommodation.You can even buy your own apartment or chalet. For small children Sainte Foy is ideal: it is friendly, has a kids club, a ski school and its nursery runs are conveniently close to the middle of the village.

Daily mail Ski and Snowboard Magazine Jan 2007 ‘Earn Em Jibber’ 5 page article on Sainte Foy backcountry.
‘Sluff ripping behind me as I dropped off the ridge line. I’d never skied so much untouched powder. The hour and a half long decent included narrow couloirs, straight lines, open faces for powder carving, spins for short turns and cliffs to drop off. All this against a stunning unspoilt back drop with no sign of civilisation’

About Sainte Foy. ‘The small, traditional ski station of Sainte Foy is emerging Phoenix-like from a six-year period of development. This seasons highlight is the Marquise six seater chairlift, rising up to 2425m on the sunny south facing bowl, serving two new runs and making some off piste runs more accessible. In the resort the emphasis has been on high construction standards for new chalets and apartment using traditional materials and finishes- 1700 new beds have been created since 2001. The stated aim is to develop a luxurious boutique resort while retaining the villages unspoilt character.’

The Washington Post Sunday, December 10, 2006
‘The reward in skiing at Sainte-Foy Station in the Tarentaise Valley comes in the form of shorter lift lines and longer-lasting powder -- not to mention the small-town vibe and Mont Blanc views. A newcomer to the Alps, the resort opened in 1990 a few miles uphill from the original village of Sainte-Foy Tarentaise. But there's no poured concrete here: The mountainside chalets are built from local timber, stone and slate, and much of the development has taken an enviro-friendly slant.’

‘BEST FOR . . . powder hounds with an aversion to mega-resorts and families looking for luxurious lodgings and easy access to great ski terrain in a quiet, rural environment.’

The Telegraph ‘Fun Powder Plots’ 27/11/2006  
‘It has only four lifts — one of them new this season — but don't be put off. The chairs give access to an extraordinary array of off-piste descents as well as demanding black and red runs. The resort has undergone massive development in recent years, but this is still where you will find Val/Tignes ski instructors on their days off. On misty mornings when the big Tarentaise resorts remain largely closed after a big snowfall, sheltered Sainte-Foy is always the first to open its slopes. Favourite playgrounds The 1,700m descent of the north face of Fogliettaz and a long powder run down to the farming village of Le Monal.’

Sunday Times Style ‘Going Up’
SKIING SMALL Val d’Isère, Courchevel and Zermatt are, like, overrrr. Go boutique in Ste-Foy Tarentaise, Grimentz and Vaujany. Yah?

Sunday Times 'Straight to the Top' article September 2006 hailing Sainte Foy as the No1 resort on the planet

Don’t put up with second-rate skiing — go for the best. Launching this season’s coverage, Sean Newsom picks the 10 spots to get your winter high

1. STE-FOY TARENTAISE, France

Size doesn’t always matter — and Ste-Foy Tarentaise is a case in point. A tiny, four-lift resort, it has long been the preserve of off-piste guides, who bring their clients over when the powder in nearby Val d’Isère has been ground to crud. Now, however, thanks to some sensitively handled redevelopment, the place has been reborn — as a cute and quietly luxurious retreat for families (or anyone else who’s tired of the mega-resorts). Yes, the skiing is limited, but at all levels the quality is superb, and when you’ve had your fill, the larger lift systems at Les Arcs, Val d’Isère, Tignes and La Rosière are all within easy day-tripping distance.

 'Little Spots That Rocks' October 2006. Document snowboard magazine and Fall Line Ski magazine.
'The beauty of Ste Foy is that there are few lifts and fewer queues, while the north-western mountain retains snow a little bit longer to make finding those powder lines more achievable. Locals whisper about Ste Foy about the 1,700m decent of the north facing Fogliettaz, about the wide open powder fields that make up the Col del'Aiguille and how they stay fresh for days after a dump. If uncrowned freeride experience is what you are after, join the minority and head for Sainte Foy.

Daily mail Ski and Snowboard Magazine October 2006 'More for Less'
'Off piste addicts have known about Sainte Foy for years- you'll find powder there days after it has been skied out in nearby Val'd' Isere as well as some serious steeps. Now families are warming to it's manageable size and easy going atmosphere. It is perfect to take refuge during the half term hubbub-when almost every resort in France is jam packed.'

Cooler Magazine November 2006 'Backcountry Bliss'
'Sainte Foy is small but full of incredibly fun terrain. Even inside the main ski area you can find plenty of freeriding to keep you busy. If you are feeling adventurous and fully versed in backcountry safety techniques, try the 45- minute hike from the Col de L' Aiguille to le Fogliettaz. It is north facing so the snow stays good, and it's a 1,700m decent that leads to the village of La Mazure.'

Time Out Magazine Ski and Snowboard Europe 2006/2007
'Sainte Foy is growing handsomely, retaining and intimate village feel. And for now at least the lift pass is still half the price of it's concrete cousin up the road. With 1000m of vertical decent and a mere smattering of piste, the north west facing slope still feels like something of a secret, so go now before the rest of the pack turn left at La Thuile as well.'

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