In this untouched winter wonderland, the peace was broken only by the faint rattle of an empty chair lift as it climbed the mountain overhead, and the whisper of the snow-dusted pine trees as they shivered in the breeze. 

“We must be millionaires!” joked my guide, as she zig-zagged down the mountain ahead of me, her skis making fresh tracks and kicking up a cloud of powder as light as icing sugar.

She was right; the mountain was ours alone – a world away from the tricky, churned up, overcrowded pistes and lift queues I was used to contending with on previous ski holidays.

For this reason, sleepy Sainte Foy – sandwiched between the larger, world-renowned resorts of Les Arcs, Val d’Isère, La Rosière and Tignes, in the Tarentaise Valley – is starting to hit snowsport lovers’ radars.

Yes, it might not have the buzzing bars and restaurants of its glitzier neighbours, and a rather modest 24 slopes and four chair lifts, but it more than makes up for it with wide, quiet, tree-lined runs, high quality powder snow and spectacular mountain scenery.

In the chocolate-box quaint village, comprising a cluster of low-rise, authentically Alpine chalets, there is also a range of upscale accommodation options. 

We were staying in Chalet Merlo, the most luxurious property on the books of high-end Sainte Foy chalet company, Première Neige. Located in the neighbouring village of Le Miroir, it’s perfect for groups and families, and offers breathtaking panoramic views down the valley. 

The final stretch of Sainte Foy’s famous Foglietta off-piste run is close by (the off-piste skiing for intermediates and experts is brilliant here), though to get to the slopes it’s a 10-minute drive – something that was never a hassle, thanks to Première Neige’s chauffeur-driven minivan service.

My group were shuttled over on request each morning by friendly driver, Andy, and he was happy to take us further afield to the larger resorts (all less than 20 minutes away) if we fancied a change of scene. 

The challenge was motivating ourselves to leave the chalet in the first place.

A traditional Savoyard property, its open-plan dining/living room on the topmost of its three floors boasts beamed ceilings, leather and heavy wood furniture, and a roaring log fire.

There are beautiful works of art dotted around (thanks to the chalet’s art dealer owner), while floor-to-ceiling picture windows make the most of the stunning mountain setting. For cosy evenings in, there are also stacks of board games, books and DVDs. 

Each of the six bedrooms, complete with L’Occitane toiletries and Egyptian cotton bed linen, offers Alpine views too, and my room conveniently opened right out onto the ground-floor terrace and its bubbling, eight-seat hot tub.

After putting away our equipment in the chalet’s heated boot room each afternoon, this was the perfect spot for my group to unwind. The pièce de résistance? Drinks could be lowered down in a rustic, old wooden bucket from the deck area above, allowing us to indulge in a glass of bubbly.

The chalet has its own two-storey fitness centre, if you’re still feeling energetic after a day on the slopes, though I skipped another workout in favour of a long stint in the cedar-wood sauna and a massage, courtesy of Massage Me.

The roving therapists come to you, giving massages and acials in a small separate hut – just one of the treats that can be organised via the Première Neige concierge service.

During our stay, we were looked after by a four-strong in-house team, which included two hosts and two incredible chefs, George and Rory. Skiing was a necessity to burn off the cooked breakfasts, homemade cakes and gourmet evening meals, which always began with champagne and canapés. 

We were spoilt outside of the chalet, too, with one of the area’s best restaurants, Chez Mérie, just a five-minute walk away – a cosy, wood-beamed chalet adorned with sheepskin throws and cow hides, serving hearty fare such as spiced chestnut soup. 

Food, wine and pampering treatments left me motivated to head back to the slopes before my departure, and once again I found myself swishing down gloriously empty slopes through the freshest powder snow I’d ever skied.

Sainte Foy, I realised, is still one of the Alps’ best-kept secrets. So go now, before word gets out.

Way to go

Première Neige (premiere-neige.com) offers Chalet Merlo from £10,000 per week, based on 12 sharing, including chalet staff/chef on a half-board basis.

Ski and snowshoe rental is available from SkiSet in Sainte Foy (skiset.com), ski instruction by Snocool (snocool.com) and massages/treatments by Massage Me (massage-me.com).

EasyJet offers return flights from London Gatwick to Geneva from £40 and to Lyon from £45 (both 2½ hours from Sainte Foy).

Pre-flight stays at Hilton London Gatwick Airport (hilton.com, 01293 518080) start from £89 per night, based on two adults sharing. 

Top 10 things to do in Sainte Foy

1 Sail down long, wide, empty ski runs to hone your technique.

2 Already a competent skier? Try off-pisting. Book a lesson with Snocool ski school and explore the area’s untouched routes.

3 Venture to one of the nearby resorts (Les Arcs, Val d’Isère, La Rosière and Tignes), or book a ‘ski safari’, hopping from one to the next. 

4 Unwind from a day on the slopes in Chalet Merlo’s hot tub overlooking the magnificent mountains.

5 Make use of the Première Neige concierge service to book restaurants, excursions, in-chalet massages and more. 

6 Rent snowshoes and walk one of the mountain paths through the pine forests (maps available at the tourist office).

7 Go heli-skiing. From France, the activity is illegal, but in Sainte Foy the choppers land just over the border in Italy, accessing long descents down the Ruitor Glacier.

8 Sample some of the Alps’ best cheese, at the Haute Tarentaise Dairy Cooperative in nearby Bourg Saint Maurice.

9 Appreciate the mountain landscape from a different perspective on a tandem paragliding flight. 

10 Dine at the area’s finest restaurant, Chez Mérie, a cosy wood-beamed chalet where you can watch your lunch cook over a roaring log fire.