There really is no other place like La Grave-La Meije in Europe, and that's no exaggeration. One thing for certain is that it's not the place for beginners, intermediates or even someone who can just about manage a black run. It's for experts only - particularly those who feel comfortable on a mountain glacier where there are next to no pistes. It's freeride heaven, in other words, with a vertical drop of about 2,200m. A cable car takes you to the 3,200m peak, and after that you're on your own. No ski patrols, no pistes. Instead there are cliff drops, gullies and other forces of nature that make for an extraordinary ride down from the glacier at the top. It's best to hire one of the resort's guides, all of whom have intimate knowledge of every metre of this majestic mountain.

Every year in late March or early April, La Grave-La Meije gets into the carnival spirit when it hosts the Derby de la Meije. During the three-day festival, more than 1,000 costumed skiers and snowboarders race down 2,150m - the longest vertical drop of any race on the planet - in between the many parties going on in the resort.

www.lagrave-lameije.com