 Poster: A snowHead
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Sitting here 2 weeks after breaking my collar bone in VT, and missing the entire week, I'm looking at next season. Physio happy with it so far, so looks like a good few months of rehab and all will be well.
The group is likely to expand quite a bit, and will include beginners and one or 2 who will not ski too much - maybe a couple of hours a day.
Ste Foy looks to tick quite a few boxes, certainly for beginner/early intermediate, but also looks great for some off piste options.
Queues appear to be low (planning for last week in March), and although there is a very limited number of lifts, that doesn't concern me. I quite like lapping the same runs and finding alternative ways to ski them. Also like the fact that pretty much everything returns to the village, so pretty hard for the less experienced ones to get lost!
Can anyone help me with options for restaurants for lunch on the mountain, and also for the evenings? Any lift served places on the mountain that non skiers could come and meet the rest of us?
Anything much to do for the guys who won't ski much? We'll be likely to have a car, so anything that is maybe within an hour or so that could be worth a visit?
Accommodation wise, I've seen a few with pool/spa, so that would be useful.
Am i mad to think Ste Foy could work? Any better solutions out there?
Cheers all.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@TheMikeSki, brilliant place. The only thing - stay close to the main lift (ie not in the new hamlet) and you will be OK. Mountain restaurants - two of them - are great.
Dinner options - English run 1580 is superb. Traditional La Maison a colonnes, L’ a Coer, Sainte Germain are all very nice
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Non skiers can reach both mountain restos -the first one is just at the top of the bottom lift. Could also be reached by foot along the green run of walk path through the forest. The second would require gentle incline walk of circa 30 min from the top of the bottom lift.
For skiers and non-skiers husky sledge or a walk to Monal. Drive to the nearby Miroir for epic dinner (meat is served the correct, Fsrencj, way!).
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Sainte Foy does tick all your boxes yes , but last week in March you should be aware that the lower half of the mountain will become slushy in the afternoon .
It is my favourite time in SF but Spring Rules will apply .
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@mooney058, thanks for this, good info. I had thought the same, accommodation wise, so have got Fermes de Sainte-Foy CGH on my list. I'll be checking Premiere Neige too I think, as they seem to have a number of options.
@Rob Mackley, cheers. Happy with spring rules really, we did Val Cenis early April last year, and found the snow high up to be in remarkable condition. Even back to the village was passable. Slushy, yes, but all good fun.
Main concern is around those who may not ski too much. I don't want them to get bored, so I'll try and find a list of a few places they could visit for a few hours if need be.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@TheMikeSki, Fermes will work and there are several good operators of apartments in the station . If you want access to a pool you will have to stay within one those buildings non resident access is not an option .
There is plenty to see and do in the station for those who don’t ski much if you put your mind to it if you have your own transport there’s loads of options in the valley .
Re beginner early intermediate it really does the job .
The piste prep is superb , every run is pisted overnight .
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@TheMikeSki, we have stayed in the MGM apartments at Etoiles des Cimes, four times now and found the location very convenient. We have had various sized apartments and quality depending on how many of us there have been. There is a pool which our grandchildren and their parents used every evening when they stayed December 2019, and that time we had a large duplex four bed apart which was very much the best one we have had. The reception staff have been very quick to react if there have been the odd problem and rapidly sorted.
We were in Ste Foy December 2023, leaving on the 24rd and had great snow and sun for the first three days then it was colder and cloudier but no problem, then we had another week, 16th March this year and sun every day, lunches outside. We tend to only ski till lunch time so the soggy runs home didn’t bother us and the runs up above the top of the first lift were always fine.
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@Pamski, That place is also on my list, thank you.
@Rob Mackley, Cheers, I'll have a look at what is around the valley, and good to know all runs have great prep.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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We've stayed in Etoiles des Cimes a couple of times. Location is great, facilities adequate - there's a combi microwave / grill fitted as standard, so no cooking pizzas unless your apartment has been upgraded. Wifi is free but terrible, we were able to watch TV in low season but at New Year week we barely had enough wifi bandwidth to check emails never mind browse the internet. Some of the Apartment operators do offer places in EdC and FdSF - check out White Room for examples, and I can recommend their services from personal experience, though prices tend to match the "official" apartment operators
piste prep is genuinely fabulous, we were there in March 2022 when there'd been a prolonged snow drought: as well as SF we skiied Les Arcs, La Plagne and Tignes and their pistes were not a patch on those of SF. We did a few walks around the resort oin that trip and enjoyed it, and our friend who broke a bone half way through the trip would walk up to join us for a meal at the top of the first lift, but pedestrians can take the lift I think. Agreed that 1580 is fabulous, I'm a big fan of their Powder Hound beer. Nice pizzas in La Bergerie on the front de neige.
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@Pamski, NB l’etoile des Cimes is MMV not MGM.
We stayed some years back at the CGH residence Les Fermes de Sainte Foy. It has a pool but it was not as good as CGH we have been to in other resorts. If I were going back I’d go to L’Etoile des Cimes.
Sainte Foy is a pretty resort and we enjoyed all the piste skiing there. If you don’t mind repeating runs I expect you will be happy with it.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@snowymum, of course it is - all those Ms, apologies!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@nbt, @snowymum, thanks both. The plan is becoming clearer!
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@TheMikeSki, the above are nice places but you could go on google maps, zoom-in on properties close to a lift and shoot them each an inquiry for your dates. I always stay at the same challet that I discovered this way. They usually deal with regulars only but shooting an inquiry is not difficult
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You know it makes sense.
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@mooney058, Thanks - that's a good shout.
All - when, realistically, is a bit too late in the season? Hard to predict with snow etc, but ideally I'm looking at 15th or 22nd March, though it may need to ping over to 5th April. Depends on one lot of the group being prepared to take kids out of school for one the earlier weeks. We did Val Cenis early April in 2023, and a little slushy lower, but the higher stuff was great. Val Thoren this year (arrived 20th April) was pretty exceptional with snow every day - though as I'd smashed my collar bone, I didn't ski, my mates tell me it was great, though limited viz.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@TheMikeSki, just to confirm , every run will and should be open as we have a very good snow making system just at that late stage anything below the first lift does slush up by lunch in April .
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Poster: A snowHead
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@TheMikeSki, StF is a small place when it comes to accom options. Book in advance otherwise searching for accom options could be frustrating.
It is not too late in the season - if the season is bad it would be same/similar everywhere. Slope orientation etc is favourable for keeping the snow.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Rob Mackley, Thanks. Looks like anything from the top of the first lift is over ca.1700, so in theory, should be decent enough.
Just need to find a decent price 8 bed now!
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