We didn't think St Hilaire, our nearest ski area, would reopen after a flood swept away one of the ski runs but they repaired things and it snowed a bit so things were go but really just for this week

Honestly it seems like yonks since we alpine skied here. The area is not that interesting but it was quiet and close to home for an hour... then an hour and a half's skiing.

Return to St Hilaire for the first time alpine skiing for 3 season, I think. There was no-one here, maybe 10 people skiing in total. A bit sad for the resort but it was Christmas morning.

Tot was keen to do a morning at St Hilaire. The snow conditions are still really good and we tried to arrive in good time to ski for a couple of hours.

The col de Marcieu is a small family oriented ski resort located in the French Chartreuse mountains on the Petites Roches plateau between Grenoble and Chambery. There is a restaurant and ski hire.

St Hilaire du Touvet is situated on the Plateau des Petites Roches in the French Chartreuse Mountains between Grenoble and Chambery. It has 10km of ski runs and 350 meters of vertical.

A little afternoon tour at St Hilaire seemed reasonable before the next storm. All the runs are open now but the resort had only pisted one side which seemed like a good idea for the free-riders.