(CNN) Its sheer slopes might be a cult off-piste ski destination and a haven for helmeted hardcores, but France's La Grave resort sits at an existential crossroads. "There are a lot of people who have spent many years here, and it means a lot to them because La Grave is a special place." It's another world, of commercialization and big business, but one that threatens to engulf La Grave. "I have had American clients ringing me up saying 'I want to ski La Grave because this is the last year the lift will run'," says Lang. Like much of its skiing, La Grave is on a precipice.

Source: CNN January 13, 2017 10:18 UTC