“Hell is other people,” wrote philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre. Nowhere is this more true that in a mountain resort. When the snow is pristine and the weather is perfect, pretty much the only thing ballsing up a resort is the crowds. They clog up the parks, track the best snow, block the bars at après. Only in the mountains would you put up with half-hour long queues, screaming children and overpriced instant coffee.

Which is why we’re curating a list of lesser-known ski resorts. That’s not to say these resorts are perfect (instant coffee is instant coffee, wherever you go). But they are definitely less crowded than the likes of Whistler or Courcheval. While local riders have been tracking their pistes for years, as Brits, we need a little more educating on those foreign spots that are a little off the trodden path.

So instead of heading to your usual French home-from-home, why not try one of these resorts?