We are above the high mountains near the glacier Blanc, always an impressive target to aim for when flying from Sisteron. Just beyond the peak in the foreground lies the valley that leads from Briancon to Grenoble via the col de Lauteret, though the lack of airfields between St Crepin and Grenoble le Versoud rather concentrates the mind to the extent that most pilots (me included, I regret to admit) usually opt for the easy route home.