The Rochebrune slopes

The Rochebrune cable car was the first in Megève and one of the first in France, and it still does the same job: eight minutes from the edge of the village to open ground with the whole massif in view. On the far side of the valley Mont Blanc, the Dômes de Miage and the Aiguille de Bionnassay fill the horizon.

The slopes give the wide frame that the village cannot. In winter it is groomed snow, ski traffic and hard light off the surface; in summer the same ground is cropped pasture with wildflowers and a footpath, and far quieter. Either way, position yourself so the massif sits behind rather than beside your subjects.

Evening is the moment. The massif stands east of Megève, so it holds warm light long after the valley has gone blue-grey; the last twenty minutes are the ones worth waiting for. Lift opening dates and hours are seasonal and set by the operator, so check them, and take a layer — it is several degrees colder at the top.