In March 1988, Patty was out on the slopes with the Prince of Wales’s party when disaster struck. The most famous avalanche in recent history claimed the life of Major Hugh Lindsay, the royal equerry, and almost killed Prince Charles. Patty’s injuries ensured that Palmer-Tomkinson now always skis with an avalanche bleeper.

Sad memories, surely, every time she takes to the slopes? “No, the memories are not even bittersweet,” she insists. “I have skied that same mountain every day. It’s like getting a parking ticket. You park and park — then, one day, you get a ticket. The weather can change. I have absolutely no doubts about the place — I wouldn’t ski anywhere else. For me, Klosters will always be a home from home.”

Yet the star of 2002’s I’m a Celebrity . . . has other reasons for her loyalty to the resort. “The off-piste skiing is fantastic, she says. “There are lots of trees, with good snow at 4pm. Courchevel and Verbier can be quite intimidating, with such a huge influx of people, but Klosters is just beautiful. It’s residential and charming — and there are no package holidays.”

In the past, she has described St Moritz, a winding drive 50 miles to the south, as “naff as hell”, and she loves the exclusivity of the royally patronised resort (where the Rothschilds also have a place).

“It was easy for me to buy, as my grandmother was Swiss,” she explains, referring to the strict laws that cover property purchases by overseas buyers. “But — although I probably shouldn’t say this — anyone can buy in Switzerland. All you need is s***loads of money and the right connections.” The reality is slightly more complicated.

Palmer-Tomkinson, who says she can earn up to £1.3m a year through her tele- vision work and endorsements, famously has a penchant for taking helicopters and jets. “It only takes an hour to get here,” she says. “Private travel makes it so easy.”

Yet she does admit to a little après-ski action, recommending the nightclub Casa Antica and the restaurant of the Wynegg spa hotel. Lleafing through pictures of her posing in a tiny red bikini on the snow-clad balcony of her penthouse, it seems this is one party girl who’s not quite ready to exchange her Louboutins for furry slippers.

Fancy being Tara's neighbour?

Buying property in Switzerland as a nonresident can be complicated, and the rules vary from canton to canton. Each year, about 1,400 permits enabling nonresidents to buy holiday homes are issued for the whole country. The eastern canton of Graubünden (also known as Grisons), in which Klosters and the resorts of Davos and St Moritz all lie, is allocated a certain number, which changes each year. Nonresidents are limited to one property each, with a maximum 200 square metres of living space; chalets cannot be set in more than 1,000 square metres of land.

Due to high demand, “availability of properties for non-Swiss is to become extremely limited over the next three or four years”, says Martyn Bell, a partner at Swiss Property Sales. The permit costs 2.3% of the total sales price and includes notary and land-registry fees. On top of this, 1% of the price must be paid in tax per annum.

As resale properties are often sold by word of mouth, it makes sense to employ a “tracking agent” in the country to keep an eye on the market.

Head for the hills

Three fabulous flats near the slopes in the Graubünden canton

Klosters £699,000

At Résidence Klosters Platz, in Prince Charles’s favourite ski resort, a two-bedroom, 110-square-metre flat, built over two floors and near the main Gotschna-Bahn area. Zurich airport is a 90-minute drive away. The development is due to be completed in 2011. Swiss Property Sales; 0114 236 3655, www.swissproperty.co.uk

Davos £599,000

In a peaceful setting in the centre of the town that plays host to the annual meetings of the World Economic Forum, the Residenz Bellania development has 23 flats and offers easy access to the area’s 320km of ski pistes, served by 55 lifts. A three-bedroom flat is available. Swiss Property Sales; 0114 236 3655, www.swissproperty.co.uk

Laax from £302,000

In Switzerland’s freestyling mecca, the ski-in, ski-out Rocksresort has 160 flats and a range of shops, bars and restaurants. The two- and four-bedroom flats have open-plan living and steam rooms. Owners can use their property for only three weeks in winter, however, as they must place it in the rental programme for most of the season. Pure International; 020 3031 2860, www.pureintl.com

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