For some of us skiing is more than an activity; it’s an overwhelming, full-on passion which can be life-changing. Why? Because it’s an ability which once acquired changes forever the way you feel about yourself, and your place in this world. And it’s as close as we’'ll get to learning to fly...

So where do the ski experts take flight? We asked some key personalities one simple question: where is your all-time favourite French ski-run?

Their answers will inspire you.

“The Face de Bellevarde in Val d’Isere — just for sheer leg-sapping, thigh-burning hell. The new Olympic gondola speeds you to the top, so the number of runs you can manage is down to you...”  Graham Bell

 Find out more: www.valdisere.com

“Couloir Croix des Verdons, Courchevel: Left of the Grand Couloir, and accessed via a 50 metre or so hike from the Saulire cable-car, it’s fairly steep, without straying into “fall and you die” territory. It’s also fairly narrow - just enough for a bit of a thrill without being massively dangerous, except when conditions are icy. The fact that you have to hike to get into it keeps some of the crowds away, and so the snow is usually a little better than in the Grand Couloir...”  Martin Bell

 Find out more: www.courchevel.com

“Mont Vallon, Combe, Méribel:  I’ve always felt this run would be a fantastic slope for a Super G race. Even at full speed it always takes me at least 6 to 7min to ski it non-stop, top to bottom. After a rather steep start you can link regular large radius turns and it’s not long before you can feel your thighs burning! Excellent for intermediate skiers wanting to increase their speed and feel they’re going as fast as Franz Klammer. At the end of the Méribel Valley and starting at almost 3000m altitude it gives a great feeling of exclusivity and high mountain atmosphere, with stunning views of the Gebrollaz Glacier...”  Bénédicte Lapeyrere

 Find out more: www.meribel.net

“Cascade, le Grand Massif: The ultimate pisted scenic cruise, this epic journey begins at Les Grandes Platières (2580m) above Flaine and ends up 14km later in the village of Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval (700m).  Along the way there’s a perfect lunch opportunity at the remote Chalet du Lac de Gers. You'll need crisp conditions and the confidence to go flat-out at a couple of points to avoid poling, plus good edge control to cope with the final icy descent beside a frozen waterfall — Cascade’s sting in the tail for the unwary...” Roger Moss

 Find out more: www.grand-massif.com

“It would have to be the Vallée Blanche or the slightly more technical Vallée Noire  - purely from a scenery point of view. I don’t think you get a better sense of the mountains anywhere else in Europe. It’s also very easily accessible to all (with a guide). I’ve enjoyed sailing from a very early age and to me the Vallée Blanche reminds me of sailing into a big storm. You just feel overwhelmed by the elements..”  Xavier Schouller

 Find out more: www.chamonix.com

“The Jerusalem run from the Saint Martin de Belleville side of Méribel is a joy - an undulating, modestly steep  roller-coaster which seems to go for ever and has the tempting attraction that eventually you will reach the village of Saint Martin de Belleville. It’s the only traditional and most picturesque village in the Three Valleys (sadly easily missed by motorway skiers eager to get round the region as quickly as possible) and the ideal spot for lunch. It’s also special to me because my good friend Mike Browne, founder of Snow+Rock, tried his luck on this run in a ‘sit-ski’ here in 1994 after recovering from a devastating skiing accident which left him partly paralysed. He sailed down Jerusalem with such verve that I could scarcely keep up with him - which remains the case when I ski with him all these years later!”  Arnie Wilson

 Find out more: www.st-martin-belleville.com