If it sounds like an indulgence – it is. Every year we de-camp to our apartment in Champery to take advantage of emptier pistes (more about that later).

This year, with Trump’s election win and the genocide in Gaza – and now the West Bank – escaping constant news and breathing in the fresh air has been important for my state of mind. It doesn’t mean that I forget about what’s going on in the Middle East, or the unfolding horrors in Goma, Sudan and Ukraine for that matter; indeed I watch film clips every day in despair as our leaders are aiding and abetting events in Gaza the West Bank and turning a blind eye elsewhere too. It appals me that people are too afraid to speak out in case they are accused of being anti-Semitic. As a person of Jewish heritage, who lost most of her family in the Holocaust,  I feel ‘safer’ speaking out and, it appears, those whose voices are loudest against the Israeli government and IDF are the Jews who care. Just look at Micheal Rosen for a British example of a truly principled person, who has been cancelled from various public appearances because of his views. Enough now! This is not meant to be a political lecture but it explains why many of us are severely depressed about our inability to act, and only speak if they feel brave enough.

So arriving here at the end of December was a great relief. The journey was not as planned as our new electric car had not arrived so we had to fly at the last minute – just in time for New Year with family and friends.

Thank you Jean for the hospitality of your wonderful chalet

In early Janaury it rained for a whole week. Torrentially. There is no doubt that global warming is playing havoc with ski resorts. This time of year we should have glorious powder snow, as in the Christmas and New Year we spent here in 2010, Louise’s last holiday in Champery. The knock-on effect of warmer temerpatures is the closure of many lower resorts in the Jura and the funnelling of those day skiers from Lausanne, Geneva, Fribourg etc to Champery and the Portes du Soleil in general, resulting in huge weekend crowds when I feel it is unsafe to ski.

Luckily the temptation to get out there was tempered (I’m afraid I did succumb twice during the first week as it was so fabulous) by the arrival of dear friend Clare, minus husband who had Covid! The plan was to visit Basel and the sumptuous Matisse exhibition at the Beyeler, and also catch the Paula Rego show – much superior to the recent retrospective at the Tate, properly curated, telling a coherent story. Thanks to Christine for the loan of her mini to get us there and back!

The colours! the joy! Enough to brighten a weary soul – and a robin at the Beyeler…strong contrast to Paula Rego’s view on life….

Rego’s take on life much influenced by Jung and fairy tales, and misogyny…a creepy yet brilliant show. Particularly like the studies for The Dance; and her Bacon-esque selfportraits

By the time we got back via Gruyere, a first for all of us – there was new snow and then a tiny sliver of sun allowing us to visit the top of the cable car where we met Ross (out skinning ) for lunch – the snow had come and we could ski with impunity.

No visit to Basel is complete without a trip to Paul Ulrich, whisky specialists. Other pics Gruyere

My first call at the start of the season is to have a lesson, so friend Penny and I met up with Claudine on a gorgeous sunny morning for a 3-hour workout which banished several run phobias for me and improved our technique no end. All washed down with a good lunch!

So the days pass – two weeks of cold weather, good snow, and empty pistes – the joys of midweek January – lunches and companionship. Our favourite restaurant has re-opened, Ancelles, so it is a popular port of call.

The highlight of our month here is a visit to Bettmeralp and the Aletsch glacier, the largest in Europe. It’s covered by our ski pass and, to be honest, I do get a bit bored of doing the same runs over and over again…

We set off with Penny and Bengt in Ross’s new electric Skoda (he had dashed back to pick it up finally.) After a couple of wrong turns we make it to the cable car (in fact it’s only 1hr 40 from here), and speed up over green fields, sunbathers and old farmsteads – very Swiss, all the smallholder farms.

We had a booked a charming Pension garni, The Slalom, and we are whisked away there by a ratracked electric taxi – all the streets are snow-covered as the village is 1800 meters and very pretty. A jolly dinner with an extraordinary digestif!

The next morning we skid down an icy path – scary – to the first T-bar and soon we are up and away. The slopes are perfect corduroy and we have them to ourselves for the first couple of hours. The priority is to go up and see the glacier from the look-out at the Bettmerhorn; later we have another good view from the Moosfluh. You can see all the major peaks in 360 degrees – the Matterhorn, Dents Blanches, the Dome and the Weisshorn looking across the valley; looking the other way we are just out of view of the Eiger, the Jungfrau and the Munch, as the top station at Eggishorn is closed due to high winds. But we look on to lesser peaks and the Concordiaplatz.

We manage to ski all three areas in depth – fast and furious we are – Fiesch, Bettmeralp and Riederalp, have a good lunch and are back in the cable car homeward-bound by 3.45 ish. It was simply wonderful and we will come again.

The final highlight of our stay is a brief crossover with brother Sasha, his partner Mel and son Milo, now 10. We have a jolly evening here and another at the local pizza joint. Sadly the weather played up again and we had thunderstorms and rain and then a blizzard! As I write this the trees are white again and there’s a sailor’s trouser patch of blue – so hopefully those who come after us will have some decent skiing.

We’ll be back in March for the Queens’ ski trip – normally in January, but diaries clashed this year. I hope there’s still snow and sun then! Meanwhile despite my innate gloom, I am looking forward to getting back and seeing Claudie and pottering in the garden planting seeds. Let’s hope that for those who are still suffering there is hope for new life after a dark winter.