La Grave is a French ski resort in a commune of the Hautes-Alpes department in south-eastern France in the region of PACA (Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur). It is a small piste ski resort in the French part of the Alps, dominated by La Meije.

The area is famously unpisted and although patrolled, has no formal avalanche control. You must be aware of all mountain hazards including rocks, avalanches, crevasses, and be ready for the possibility of drastic weather changes. The area is dangerous to ski unless supported by a guide, including much glacier travel at the very top and more challenging than Les Deux Alpes.

La Grave France

Unsurprisingly, La Grave is a mecca for off-piste and extreme skiers, offering some of the most exciting and challenging aerial tramway-served terrain in the world. The vertical drop totals 2,150 meters, although it is possible to ski below the resort to the road and increase the vertical descent to 2,300 meters.

Website:  La Grave Website

La Meije Piste

In recent years, La Grave has also become a popular location for ice climbing. The steep sided valley receives little sun in winter and many icefalls form on the valley sides. Climbing routes range from under 100 to over 300 metres long and are climbed in a number of pitches. Routes range from easy La Gorge II/3 to very hard Diabolobite II/5+.