You are Austrian? The woman shouted in disbelief, “and you come skiing here? Don’t you have enough mountains at home?” Ten men and women from Aberystwyth, Wales – small-talking, drinks-in-hand, around the open fireplace of the cosy Les Marmottes hotel in Saint-Chaffrey stopped their conversation suddenly, and turned to me like the unanimous jury excepting nothing but a plea of guilty. What should I say? That La Grave (and neighbouring Serre Chevalier with its 250km of pistes, 74 lifts, 300 days of sunshine, dry climate and a full load of powder each winter) is the obvious choice for the discerning skier, particularly when it can be reached from Turin Airport in less than 90 minutes? They would have caught me out on that one easily… Continue Reading