Across the other side of the valley from Combloux lies a commune called Passy. It’s all south-facing so is the first place to lose its snow. However, there is a hidden gem of a tiny ski area called Plaine Joux which has, in total, just five drag lifts. The snow this year has been so abundant that Plaine Joux is still fully open even this late in the season. You’d expect it normally to be struggling even at the beginning of March.

So we decided to go and explore, and how glad we were that we did. We know it has stunning views back across to Combloux and to Mont Blanc but the skiing was superb too. People come here to watch paragliders take off, toboggan, walk and just sit and enjoy it all. Not many come to ski, so it was even more idyllic. It’s a fantastic area to walk in during summer too with huge dramatic peaks soaring up behind you and vast meadows of flowers.

The first photo shows the liking people have for skiing off roofs…