The La Grave cablecar is an icon of big-mountain freeskiing, a unique lift that accesses some of the most classic unmarked and unpatrolled steep-skiing descents in the Alps. As La Grave faces historic challenges—its main road closed by rockfall and the continued operation of the cablecar in doubt—we take an insider's view of “Le Telepherique” and what’s at stake in the uncertain future of this backcountry mecca.