Sainte Foy Resort

Sainte Foy not only offers quiet, uncrowded pistes for all levels, but also a vast area of untracked powder slopes for the off-piste enthusiasts. From beginners to experts, from skiers to snowboarders, from piste to powder, there really is something for everyone. The uncrowded ski lift system takes you from 1550m right up to 2620m and due to Sainte Foy’s north-west facing slopes and sheltered location the snow remains in excellent condition. The pistes are beautifully and lovingly prepared and are without the usual crowds common in larger resorts so the snow remains in top condition all day long. Read on to find out why you should experience Sainte Foy.

Beginners:

Never set foot on snow before? Tried skiing once, years ago? Already a skier and want to try snowboarding? Want to bring the whole family? Sainte Foy is the ideal place to learn.

Just metres from the resort centre there are two gentle, wide nursery slopes. Not only are these two slopes free, meaning you only have to buy a lift pass once you feel confident to go a little higher, they are also served by two 'magic carpets' (slow-moving conveyor belts which transport you to the start of the nursery slope). Of course, you can sample all of this and learn the basics while in the safe hands of a fully-qualified ski school instructor.

After two or three days you may well feel confident to get on the chairlift and witness the breathtaking views from a higher vantage point. At the top of the first chairlift is another gentle nursery slope. From here you can ski or snowboard down your first green run which gently leads you back to the nursery slopes. It is a beautiful, constant run with no hidden surprises. Once you have mastered this, you can continue higher to try a blue run!

Intermediates:

Been on a few skiing or snowboarding holidays? A confident skier or snowboarder? Sainte Foy offers some excellent runs with which to start your holiday. Long blue runs are ideal for improving wide carve turns. Steeper, more technical red runs are excellent for practicing tight turns and for controlling speed.

Want to explore further? Why not hire an instructor for the day to help improve your technique? Or perhaps try some fun, challenging routes through the trees with a private guide? There is plenty of snow-covered area on which to practice, improve, have fun and explore!

Advanced & Off-Piste:

You are a confident skier or snowboarder, able to take on challenging red and black runs. You have some off-piste experience as well. Sainte Foy's terrain enables advanced skiers to really push their skills to the limit. The ungroomed black runs of 'Crystal Dark', 'Morion', and 'Crêt Serru du Haut' are steep descents, often with moguls. These runs require off-piste knowledge as well as the necessary safety equipment needed to venture off the beaten track (transceiver, shovel, probe). If in doubt, always hire an off-piste guide.

Freeriders will also enjoy the vast, untouched terrain at Sainte Foy. If you are willing to hike or ski tour from the top lift, there are various off-piste routes offering huge vertical descents. The 'Fogliettaz' drops you into the neighbouring valley and affords a vertical descent of 1700m. Similarly, the off-piste, spectacular run to 'Le Monal', a picturesque protected village, is an incredible journey into the valley between Sainte Foy and Italy. Should you drop below Sainte Foy and the lift system, we are able to pick you up with our Ski Safari service and bring you back to resort so that you can try another breathtaking run!

Sainte Foy is famous for its off-piste; skiers, boarders and telemarkers alike will revel in the powder just metres from the piste or amongst the trees, which lasts for days thanks to its north-west facing slopes.

La Rosière & La Thuile

Although La Rosière's town centre is quite compact, the ski area opens up to cover a large area, ski runs even crossing into Italy. Using a series of lifts it is possible to day trip over the Col du Petit Saint Bernard and down into the Italian ski resort of La Thuile. This large area is known as the Espace San Bernardo. In order to reach the Italian border, there is one very long drag lift so only confident skiers and snowboarders should attempt this.

The resort itself is located 19.5km and around a 25-30 minute drive from Sainte Foy resort. Due to its orientation and position in the local mountain range, La Rosière receives a great deal of sunshine. This means excellent views across the valley in good weather but it can make some of the lower runs quite slushy in the afternoons (depending on the temperature and time of year).

In general, the ski runs at La Rosière are gentler than in Sainte Foy; this is ideal for beginners but can sometimes be hard work for snowboarders in particular, who may have to walk some flatter sections.

This resort is great for beginners and intermediates but may not offer enough of a challenge for advanced skiers or snowboarders. However, the trip to Italy is well worth it as lunch in La Thuile on the other side of the border is a unique experience.

Les Arcs

Les Arcs comprises three main centres; Arc 1600, Arc 1850 and Arc 2000. Combining with Peisey-Vallandry and La Plagne, Les Arcs is part of the Paradiski ski system. The resort can be reached from Sainte Foy via two chairlifts from Villaroger or via the funicular from Bourg Saint Maurice. Villaroger is not only closer (15 minutes' drive) to Sainte Foy than Bourg Saint Maurice but here you are also able to redeem a discounted pass if you hold a six day Sainte Foy lift pass. What's more, there are rarely queues at all at Villaroger and the chairlifts drop you into a spectacular valley at Arc 2000.

Les Arcs has glacier skiing and from the top lift, the Aiguille Rouge (Red Needle) at 3226m, there are spectacular panoramic views including the impressive Mont Blanc. If you are not confident to ski or snowboard down the red run from the top, you may use the lift as a pedestrian.

Elsewhere on the slopes of Les Arcs, there are some fantastic blue and red runs. It is a varied resort covering a huge area of mixed terrain; from large, open bowls of pistes to picturesque tree-lined runs at the lower levels.

Tignes

Tignes is a sizeable ski resort located 19.5km and around 25 minutes' drive from Sainte Foy. There are three main parts to Tignes; Les Brevieres, Le Lac and Val Claret. It is from Tignes Les Brevieres that holders of a six day Sainte Foy lift pass are able to redeem a heavily discounted day lift pass to the Espace Killy (Tignes and Val d'Isère). This is also the closest part of Tignes to Sainte Foy. The journey is shorter at 15 minutes, the road is less winding, plus it only takes one gondola ride, one chairlift and a blue or red run down to reach Tignes Le Lac. What's more, the lifts are often less busy at this part of Tignes.

Once at Tignes Le Lac, there are various routes from which to choose. Gondolas, chairlifts, and drag lifts surround the town so whether you are a beginner, intermediate, or expert, there are options for everyone. If you wish to take advantage of the Espace Killy pass, you can day trip over the Toviere peak into Val d'Isère. Buses run between the two resorts and are included in the Espace Killy lift pass.

At the far end of Tignes lies Val Claret. This end hosts the glacier skiing on La Grande Motte, a mountain which boasts a lift system up to an altitude of 3456m. At the very top the ski runs are more challenging, mainly consisting of reds and blacks. The penultimate lift gives more access to blue runs, some of which lead all the way from the height of 3000m all the way down to Val Claret at 2100m.

Val d'Isère

Val d'Isère is a large ski resort located 20km and around 25 minutes' drive from Sainte Foy. There are three main parts to the resort; La Daille, Val d'Isère 1850, and Le Fornet. La Daille, which is the closest part of the resort to Sainte Foy, enables holders of a six day Sainte Foy lift pass to redeem a heavily discounted day pass to the entire Espace Killy (Val d'Isère and Tignes). The 'Funival', an inclined railway, takes you up to the higher ski runs at this end of the valley and is quick and easy to use. La Daille has some tree runs, a snow park, and allows access over to Tignes for those wishing to explore further afield.

The main part of the resort, Val d'Isère 1850, is very close to the town and most amenities. From here you can take the 'Solaise' chairlift or gondola up to over 2500m and continue across to the next bowl. This is an area with primarily blue and red runs.

At the far end of the valley Le Fornet hosts glacier skiing at over 3300m. The runs here are generally more challenging and snowboarders may have to tackle a drag lift or two to reach the highest lifted point. However, the views back down the valley towards Sainte Foy are spectacular.