There are significant risks, of course, when surfing wild white-stuff: losing skis is common, breaking a leg can occur, posing an avalanche risk or encountering local wildlife are not out of the question either – hors piste (as the French refer to it) is perilous in fog: on one mountain in a resort which I skied two years back, a child, last season, flew off the cliff to death.

For inexperienced first-timers, or even for seasoned skiers, most wise owls would advise going with a guide: not only does this make it far more likely that you’ll survive to tell the tale – it also makes it much more enjoyable when there is someone who knows the mountain and has hurtled down that route on many previous occasions himself. No only do skiguides point out hidden dangers on the slopes: what “ticks their boxes” best is to point you down a path that will exhilarate and delight, by weaving through tall pines, or even concluding with a jump.

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