One Word

Amazing
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In January of 2023, I found myself in Italy in a winter season that had started out below average and wasn’t looking good. Determined to find a place that would fulfill my hunger for powder without being crazy busy, I searched Powderhounds for hours. Eventually, I came to the conclusion that Santa Caterina sounded like the one, so I booked a few nights and off I went. Despite it being a poor season, I was optimistic that its spot on the ‘secret stash’ list would provide what I was looking for. And boy, did it deliver.

It had been close to a week since any fresh snow had fallen, but apparently people at Santa Cat only ski on-piste, because we effortlessly found deep, dry, untouched snow beside the main gondola, and we had the whole area to ourselves for days. In fact, the whole mountain was so quiet that the only busy day we experienced (a Saturday) we had to wait for 2 gondola cabins to fill before we got on.
We had so much fun on the off piste areas on the face of the mountain that the main gondola runs up we didn’t even get to the free ride terrain on the Valle dell’Alpe side so there’s plenty to keep you going. Not as steep as some free ride areas but lots of fun with some little trees to play around and literal freshies for days. Our 3 night stay became a 6 night stay we were having such a good time.

The town is small, charming and all the locals are really welcoming and friendly. We stayed at Chalet Bucaneve (highly recommend) at the far end of town, so the only downside was a bit of a hike to the main gondola as the old chairlift in town was not in use. There was a bus from the centre of town out to the lift but the timetable seemed to be more of a guideline than strictly followed. We were able to ski back to the main road quite close to the accommodation.

The town is small, with not much nightlife but a couple of fantastic (and very affordable) pizza places, a couple of après bars and a tiny convenience store (you’ll need to stock up on groceries in Bormio). This to me was part of the charm - I loved how quiet it was. The on-mountain restaurants had excellent food which was also really good value and perfect for a midday carb loading.

All in all, the value of the lift ticket for the terrain and powder is top notch. If you like cute alpine villages, no lift lines and un tracked powder then look no further, you’ve found the one! Thanks Powderhounds for putting this one on my radar!
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We have always suspected Santa Caterina as being a probable Powderhounds Gem, but until one samples a ski hill, it is impossible to tell. From the outset, we were bemused to see no one riding the off-piste at Santa Caterina. Ok, temperatures had risen & the snow was more chowder than powder, but hey, it didn’t even look that tracked from the previous cold bluebird powder day. Amazed & pleased, I thought, “From a freeride point of view, this is already better than Livigno” - and that's saying something!

Only a 10 to 15min drive up the valley from Bormio, the journey to Santa Caterina is easy, but typically for all roads ‘beyond Bormio', there are some sections that are a bit of a squeeze. The cobbled ‘main street’ (for want of a better descriptor) through San Antonio being the most fun. If you are a nervous driver or passenger, taking the free bus (free for those with a lift pass anyway) removes any doubts.

Just as one enters the village, parking can be found in the cavernous new multi-level car park at the gondola base. It is not until inside that one notices it requires payment. Whether anyone checks the parking tickets is up for debate. €2 will get you 5hr (Jan 2020 price). Finding your way to the gondola is easier if one parks on level -2. From here it only requires going through 3 corridors, 4 rooms and about 10 doors, as opposed to coming from the other levels which will add stairs to the equation. Brilliant! Felt like I was in the opening credits of a ‘Get Smart’ episode. The car park certainly seems to be have ‘built for growth’ as it was almost entirely empty during our visit. There is more parking at the old double chair base closer to the village centre. It is free, but not undercover.

Almost all of Santa Caterina’s tasty terrain can be skied/ridden from the 2-stage top to bottom gondola on the resort’s frontside. Several full vertical thigh burning advanced runs stream straight down either side of the gondola. Intermediate trails peel around the ridge, entering the frontside a third of the way down. Below the treeline, some wide fast groomers will keep the speed freaks well pleased in even the worst of weather conditions. In the heart of the village, the ancient double chair looks is serviceable, but is crying out for replacement. There is surprisingly little for beginners, with just a few options mid mountain on the frontside accessible via the gondola mid-station or from the top of the double chair. The lack of beginner trails is a bit of a theme in nearby Bormio & Cima Piazzi – San Colombano too. A nest of 3 rifugio style bar-restaurants which soak up the midday sun make the area a great spot for lunch or drinks. The Vallalpe-Sobretta chair on the backside adds another 100m+ of vertical to the resort, but more importantly puts freeriders further up the Monte Sobretta ridge – a good thing for off-piste adventurers looking to ride the couloirs dropping into the frontside! The chair’s inbounds 350m of vertical provides low angle, lacklustre intermediate runs that need spicing up with a fun-slope – so they did. The nearby Sun Valley lodge on the backside is nice if not too busy. Access for pedestrians is via the gondola. A learn-to-ski conveyor lift out the front is as good a place as any for novices on the hill. Eat in the restaurant section to avoid the worst of the great unwashed in the front bar. The lodge provides the best local overnight ski-in ski-out accommodation, plus it has a snowcat….. but it is on the pricier side of the market, particularly for Santa Caterina.

The off-piste at Santa Caterina is easy access & not too hard to scope. It is only lightly tracked mid-week, but with enough adventure to please most of the freeride cohort. The Passo Gavia road (closed in winter) runs along the southern edge of the ski area & performs admirably as an unmistakable return trail to the resort from a host of freeride descents. Easy wide-open alpine meadows head toward Passo Gavia from anywhere below the groomed trails in the Valle dell’Alpe. As one goes further along the ski trail, the freeride runs to skiers right become increasingly more technical (i.e. fun) with drops, trees & some chutes interspersed through the various zones. In amongst the ‘frontside’ runs are many and varied playful off-piste opportunities until one hits the main pine forest line. Serious technical challenges from there! As previously mentioned, the Monte Sobretta main ridgeline provides a festival of steeps on its northern flanks. Some of the best ones are just a few steps up from the top of the Vallalpe-Sobretta chair. Be aware of avalanche conditions & scope out your return options (or just suck it and see like we did and do a little skin back across to the resort). Easy peasy….

If looking for a quiet, snowy & more alpine ski village alternative to Bormio, Santa Caterina will certainly provide. Whilst the village has a slightly dated feel, there are ample hotel & guesthouse options to suit budget & mid-ranged budgets, plus a reasonable number of bars & restaurants. Big spenders can stay at the ski-in ski-out Sun Valley Lodge & perhaps even get a snowcat ride or two as part of the deal.

If in the Alta Valtellina region on a powder day (or the day after) definitely head to Santa Cat. Crowds are light, fresh lines are all but guaranteed & your wallet wont be emptied in the process. Oh yeh, & we are happy to classify it as a Powderhounds Gem.

You can see our thoughts on the pros and cons on the Santa Caterina overview page and also see our Europe ski resort ratings regarding how we score it against other ski areas.

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