The Ski Podcast

It was a real pleasure to interview Pat Sharples, Head Coach at Snowsport GB. I've known Pat for 20+ years, but with his globe-trotting lifestyle rarely see him these days. I loved hearing about the rise to the top of freeskiing in the UK and the team of talented athletes that he's leading to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.Sit back and enjoy this 'Chat with Pat'...Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeSave money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.SHOW NOTES Almaty in Kazakhstan hosted the Moguls & Aerials World Championships Tom Gerken Schofield finished 6th in the Dual Moguls He started to ski at Rossendale Ski Slope in Lancashire Pat lived in Courchevel for twelve years, working for Ski Olympic at the Hotel Les Avals in Courchevel 1650 The European Mogul Challenge took place in the 90s in Meribel, Verbier and Val d’Isere Ian ‘Big Mac’ taught Iain how to do a ‘180’ (or ‘heli’ as it was called at the time). He is now Resort Direction for Alpine Action Jim Adlington is the founder of Planks Clothing British Freeski Camps were founded by Warren Smith Iain skied in Saas Fee last summer The Salomon Grom Camps started in 2005 The AIM series was running at the same time Pat’s first Salomon sponsored skier was James ‘Woodsy’ Woods Katie Summerhayes and Tyler Harding made their public debut at The New Breed’ quarter-pipe competition at the Manchester Ski Show The X-Games Europe in Tignes was a key event for the progression of UK freestyle The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi was the first to include ski slopestyle and the British team was funded with lottery money Izzy Atkin won the first ski freestyle medal at the Winter Olympics (look closely at the start of this video and you can see Pat giving Izzy some final words of advice) Izzy and Zoe Atkin are based in Park City, Colorado Kirsty Muir is only 16 but finished 2nd in the Slopestyle World Cup in Aspen this winter Rowan Cheshire came 7th in PyeongChang in the Half Pipe Pat visited Ella Hall in Bournemouth and made her day! If you enjoy the podcast, you can always buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

In Episode 72, there's an exclusive interview with Pat Sharples from GB Snowsport; we learn about the new 'Swisstainable' programme; find out about the acquisition of the Chill Factore indoor snow slope; and talk ski touring and all things Switzerland; plus there's our usual round up of resort reports from around the Alps. In this episode Iain speaks with Alex Herrman from Switzerland Tourism, freelance journalist Katy Dartford, Ian Brown from The Snow Centre and Pat Sharples, Head Coach for GB Snowsports.Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeSave money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.SHOW NOTESThe new traffic light system should be confirmed later this week, before it starts on May 17 We discussed the cost of testing in Episode 71 with Katie from Battleface Steve Angus from Fresh Chalets reported from Val d'Isère Jim Duncombe reported from La Clusaz Ed Mannix from Matterhorn Chalets reported from Zermatt Katy Dartford visited Binntal in Switzerland on a ski touring adventure Katy ski touring in the Binn Valley, Switzerland Iain tested skiing in the ‘new normal’ in Saas Fee in July 2020, reporting for InTheSnow Magazine Larger resorts in Switzerland were more affected than smaller resorts https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1381547175763718144 Iain reported on cross country skiing in Crans Montana in Episode 65 We discussed the number of different activities this winter’s visitors to French ski resorts have tried in Episode 69 https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1364518040247951360 Charlie Rees reported on snow shoeing in Engelberg in Episode 71 There is no quarantine on arrival into Switzerland for British citizens. You can check the latest travel and lockdown status here. Crans Montana has extended its ski season into June Check the latest resort and snow info at the MySwitzerland website You can find out more about the 'Swisstainable' programme here Switzerland is currently 3rd in the World Economic Forum sustainability rankings, and the goal is to make CH 'the world’s most sustainable destination' Train travel to Switzerland is very easy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw38LXhMJL0&list=PLnWt0xPp4oTqPp0n4Ke3ULgU8IAVy8kSv Iain visited the Valsana Hotel in Arosa in March 2020. The hotel prides itself for its sustainability credentials, which Iain tested out for Skier and Snowboarder Magazine. Potato is a new restaurant in Zermatt Ian Brown, MD of The Snow Centre, was on the show in Episode 67 The Chill Factore indoor snow slope is in Manchester Pat Sharples is head coach of GB Snowsports His Salomon ‘Grom Camps’ started in 2005 His first sponsored athlete was James ‘Woodsy’ Woods Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss the full interview coming soon as a Ski Podcast Special ReviewsI'd like to thank all of these guys who've bought me a cuppa since our last episode. If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you can buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcastNicole Clark: "The podcast just keeps getting better and better, thank you for all your hard work"Suzi Jones: “Just listening to the podcasts makes you feel in touch so when we are lucky to go back it won’t feel as alien. Thanks again you’re our lockdown ski saviour.”Jonny Goldsborough: "Thanks for getting us through the winter"Michael Gold: "The podcast is something that I look forward to and I appreciate the work you put into it" Michael: "Great podcast, cannot wait to return to Chamonix someday"Also thanks to Paul Findlay and Michael Greenland for your support.StickersDon't forget if you'd like some TSP stickers for your helmet, skis or phone, then just email [email protected] with your address and we'll post some out to you for free.Free tickets for the National Snow ShowTo get your free tickets for the National Snow Show, use the Discount: SNOWSkiPodcast on their websiteFollow Iain on social media @skipedia and the show @theskipodcast – now on Instagram as well.

In Episode 71, we find out about Les 2 Alpes, snowshoeing in Engelberg, quarantine, testing and the new ‘traffic light’ travel rules, plus we have snow reports from around the Alps and an focus on equipment trends for 2021/22. Iain was joined by Helena Hospital, Press Relations from Les 2 Alpes and Alyn Morgan from SkiKitinfo. Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeSave money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.SHOW NOTES· Alyn last skied in Glenshee· Katie Crowe is Communications Manager for Battleface Travel· You can find out more about the Battleface survey here· A study from Amadeus revealed 91% of travellers would be comfortable with a digital health passporthttps://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1379330549538492417· Alex Irwin from 150 Days of Winter is based in Courchevel· Andy Butterworth from Kaluma Travel is in St Anton, Austria· France is in lockdown just now· The Les 2 Alpes glacier is due to open on 29 May or 05 June· Iain covered the French ski resort protests in December on Skipedia· Helena confirmed that lift pass revenues in Les 2 Alpes are down from €170m to €40m· Les 2 Alpes will open with limited capacity, perhaps only 300 lift passes per day· Look out for the Bradley Wiggins-hosted cycling event in September in Les 2 Alpes· Al Morgan is from SkiKitInfo.com· This is the Elan Voyager foldable ski· Watch this video for a reminder why knowing how your transceiver works is essential https://www.facebook.com/skipedia/posts/3755350864514828 · Roving Swiss reporter Charlie Rees was in Engelberg· Kirsty Muir, silver Slopestyle World Cup· Charlotte Bankes, Bronze Snowboard Cross World Cup Veysonnaz· Billy Major has just been crowned Europa Cup Slalom Champion 2020/21· Listen to our Eddie the Eagle special episode here· Roger Federer is now a global ambassador for Switzerland· Iain has a place in the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc trail running race in AugustBuy Me A Coffee I'd like to thank Wayne, Hubert and also these guys who all bought me a cuppa:Nick D: "Great podcast, keep up the fantastic work" Andrew Thomas: “I've followed you for well over a year and seen the standard increase significantly in the last year. Keep up the good work.”If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you can buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast Reviews Skiintel on Instagram: "Love the podcast. Especially the one about train travel to the Alps. We're booking our first ski train for next year as a result." Inside Morzine on Twitter: 'An excellent listen' The Winner of our competition is 'Les Petit Singe' on Apple Podcasts, who kindly said: "Love this podcast, it is the shining light that gets me through the week, discovering previous episodes and, because if pesky Covid, keeps the fire burning for next season. Informative, educational and extremely interesting. Keep up the brilliant work." If you'd like a set of The Ski Podcast stickers, then email [email protected] Follow Iain on social media @skipedia and the show @theskipodcast - now on Instagram as well. Thanks as always to Switzerland Tourism

Eddie tells us how his life changed after the 'Eddie the Eagle' movie was released, from Taron Edgerton perfecting his accent to Hugh Jackman asking to have a selfie with him.Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeSave money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout. SHOW NOTES Eddie was in Courchevel with Ski Weekends, raising money for Ski for Cancer The idea for a movie first came about in 1999, but 'Eddie the Eagle' wasn't made until 2016 Watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CATCSEoeG_c It was at Calgary 1988 that Eddie first made his name Jonty Learoyd is a talented junior ski jumper who is British by birth, but is competing for France We interviewed Charlotte Bankes about her switch from France to Team GB in Episode 25 You can follow Iain @skipedia and the show @theskipodcast on TwitterIf you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you can buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

In this Special Episode of The Ski Podcast, Iain speaks to James Willcox, founder of Untamed Borders, about skiing in Afghanistan and the Afghan Ski Challenge. Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeSave money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout. This is Untamed Borders’ 11th ski season guiding skiers in Afghanistan They have taken skiers to the Panjshir Valley, Badakhshan in the far North East and the Salang Pass that links Kabul to Mazar e Sharif Bamian remains best place due to good security and awesome scenery You can listen to Iain’s interview with Battleface CEO Sasha Gainullin in Episode 68 Battleface will offer you insurance for trips to countries such as Afghanistan when travel is not recommended Find out about the Afghan Ski Challenge here, which started in 2011 Watch the film 'Where The Light Shines' here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6tgjWtwRQE Watch footage from 2019 Afghan Ladies Ski Challenge and boys’ wooden ski race: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r70jrQ2kl74 You find out more about the Afghan Sports Trust here Find out about the women’s programme in this article in The Guardian BuyMeACoffeeIf you enjoy the podcast you're very welcome to buy me a cuppa at BuyMeACoffee.com/theskipodcastMake sure you subscribe to The Ski Podcast now and never miss an episode...

This week we find out about the booming market for ski holidays for next winter, there's an interview with Olympic downhill racer Martin Bell, news of the Afghan Ski Challenge and we find all about The Inferno - the downhill race in Murren for amateur skiers.Iain was joined by Vanessa Fisher (last on the show in Episode 63) and Nick Morgan, Managing Director and founder of Le Ski Chalet Holidays. Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeSave money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout. The Global Travel Taskforce is due to report on April 12, with the hope that travel may start again from May 17 Cyprus, Greece & Turkey have all confirmed UK citizens will be welcome The EU has announced details of a new 'Digital Green Pass' We discussed the ‘Common Pass’ back in Episode 61 last autumn Andy Butterworth from Kaluma Travel was reporting from St Anton Andy last appeared on the show in Episode 66 Ben from Mabey Ski called in from Whistler, Canada Ed Mannix is the owner of Matterhorn Chalets in Zermatt, Switzerland You can listen to our Joe Ponte interview in this Special Podcast Le Ski have recently reported sales are 'stratospheric' Nick started the company in Kitzbuhel in 1982 Bob Dylan: "If you ain’t got nothing, you’ve got nothing to lose” Charlie Rees was in Murren, Switzerland Vanessa and Nick have competed in The Inferno 26 times You can listen to our Ski Podcast Special Episode published last week Find out more about The Inferno here Martin and Graham appeared on The Wogan Show before the Calgary Winter Olympics Zoe Atkin won Bronze at the World Championship Ski Half Pipe Mia Brookes won Bronze in the Europa Cup Snowboard Slopestyle James Willcox runs Untamed Borders Watch the film 'Where The Light Shines' here You can find out about the Afghan Ski Challenge here Buy Me A Cuppa Thanks to everyone who has bought me a cuppa since the last podcast. Stuart Barber: “Love the podcast" Peter Taylor: “Really enjoying the podcast, only recently discovered it” Andrew Brannan: "Thanks for the podcasts. They brighten up my commute" Plus also thanks to David Wade, Matt and Graeme If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you can buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast If you’d like a set of Ski Podcast stickers, please contact us. Plus you can win goodies from Switzerland Tourism by giving us a review on Facebook or Apple Podcasts before the end of March. Reviews (from Snowheads) Layne: “A couple of very interesting specials. Keep up the good work” Mike Pow: “Getting better each episode” COMING UPWe have a full Podcast Special of our interview with James Willcox about skiing in Afghanistan, Charlie will be reporting on snow shoeing in Engelberg and we'll be talking to Al Morgan from Ski Kit info.

In this Ski Podcast Special, we feature Martin Bell, who raced at downhill for Great Britain in the 1980s and 1990s. His racing career took in 4 Winter Olympics, 160 World Cup races (with 7 top-ten results) and his 8th at Calgary in 1988 remains the best placing by a British male skier at the Olympics.Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeSave money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout. Martin is now based in Vail, Colorado In 1995 Martin took place in the Pro Downhill tour with Steve Lee Previously Martin lived in Big Sky, Montana Martin's daughter Reece is racing slalom for Team GB Martin's younger brother is Graham Bell, who we've interviewed for the podcast several times before, most recently about his appearance in 'Dancing on Ice' (6:00) Martin represented Team GB at the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo 1984, Calgary 1988, Albertville 1992 and Lillehammer 1994 (9:30) Check out Inception to see where Martin and Graham stayed for Calgary Martin and Graham appeared on The Wogan Show with David Vine before the Games You can listen to our chat with Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards in Episodes 29 and 30 Martin learned to ski at Hillend in Edinburgh and at the Karl Fuchs Ski School (15:00) At 14 he moved to Austria to Ski Gymnasium Stams, where he was joined by Emma Carrick-Anderson and Paul Hourmont Martin shadowed Konrad Bartelski when he first joined the Alpine team He regularly trained with Canadians such as Todd Brucker and Rob Reid Martin's 11th in the Super G in Leukerbad in 1988 is the best result by a Brit in the discipline We interviewed Dave Ryding previously on the podcast in Episode 54 and Episode 57 (25:00)

In this Ski Podcast Special, Tom Greenall tells us how he qualified as a pisteur in France, allowing him to become one of the few Brits in the ski patrol.Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeSave money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.· The first qualification required is a Fleche Vermillion, which he passed on his second attempt· Glen Plake has been coming to Chamonix since 1987 (this will be the first winter he's missed since then)· The Test Technique for the ski patrol took Tom four attempts: Puy St Vincent, then Chatel, Serre Chevalier and then finally passing at Puy St Vincent· The Premiere Secours Equipe Niveau 1 & 2 is the standard rescue industry first aid course· Tom’s Pisteur Course cost €3000 and took place in Les Orres· The course included knowledge of middle mountain environment; weather and snow awareness; Rules and Regulations; taking the PSE2 first aid to the ski patrol environment; sled (‘bloodwagon’ practice); avalanche practice· This concluded with exams on the two types of sled; an avalanche beacon search; a simple first aid case and a complex first aid case. · You can listen to our interview with the producers of ‘Ski A&E’ in Val Thorens in Episode 43

This week, Iain is joined by Stephie Dijkman from Tignes. We discuss the challenges of this ‘saison blanche’ and plans for summer glacier skiing.We find out more about the new National Snow Show, Charlie reports from Murren, we learn how to become a pisteur and discuss the impact of Brexit on UK tour operators.Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeSave money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.SHOW NOTES Stephie Dijkman is Sales & Marketing Director at Tignes Buses in Tignes are operating fine, not like in Meribel (listen to Episode 68 for more on this) Walking and snow shoeing have both been very popular with the lifts closed Would you try ice diving in Tignes?! Tignes have seen occupancy around 25%, compared to 95% usually for vacances scholaires - 55% of their clientele to come from outside France Tignes have announced summer skiing on the glacier from 19 June to 01 August Zermatt charges considerably more for race training Research from the Mountain Trade Network suggests that more people are looking for longer two week holidays Workations are becoming more popular, both Courchevel and La Clusaz have had special ‘teletravail’ offers Joe Ponte is CEO at Hotelplan includes Inghams, Flexiski, Esprit and Ski Total SBIT are campaigning to try and help employers of seasonal staff You can listen to the full version of this interview in our Special Episode released last week Friend of the show Katy Dartford was in Les Menuires Catherine Cosby from Mountains 4 All reported in from Gstaad in Switzerland Jim was reporting from Bulgaria Charlie Rees has been in Murren The Bond film ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ was filmed here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrkerh77MYY Tom Greenall has trained to become a pisteur in France. This will be released as a special podcast next week The National Snow Show will take place at the Birmingham NEC from 23-24 October 2021 Ski Sunday prompted a lot of discussion after a feature on diversity in their last episode We interviewed the founders of Mount Noire in Episode 61 Listen to our ski podcast special about Benjamin Alexander FeedbackJanet Barnett: "Thanks again for continuing to keep us informed & entertained on all things skiing" Jonny Goldsborough: "Long term listener, tks for keeping the ski vibe going in challenging times!" Nicky: "You are keeping me going whilst working from home" Pete: "Been a listener since the beginning. Great podcast entertaining and informative. Keep up the good work." I'd like to thank all of these guys, who also bought me a cuppa. If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you can buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast Question: Jonny G asked about our 'least favourite resorts' Coming Up Interview with Martin Bell and we'll have more from Charlie in Murren about the Inferno

Joe Ponte is CEO at Hotelplan UK, the company that own the Inghams, Esprit, Flexiski and Ski Total brands.During our conversation Joe and I talked about a wide range of subjects including: His first experience of the travel industry at Flight Centre in Australia Joe was previously MC at Explore Worldwide Joe joined Hotelplan in November 2020 The challenges of this unusual season Optimism bias The Save Our Summer travel lobbying group 60% of Hoteplan customers carried over their cancelled bookings to next winter Year on year bookings are 100% up Iain went to Crans Montana in December Hotelplan will be offering 32 chalets for winter 2021/22 Find out more about the SBIT campaign here Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeSave money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.

In Episode 68, Iain was joined by Jasmin Taylor, Team GB telemark skier, and friend of the show Alex Irwin. We chat about Courchevel, avalanches and foldable skis, plus Iain speaks to newly crowned world snowboard cross champion Charlotte Bankes.We have a report by Charlie Rees from the Jungfrau region in Switzerland and we also find out about how Dan Egan skied off the Berlin Wall!Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeSave money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.SHOW NOTES· Jasmin has over 30 World Cup podiums and you can listen to a more in depth interview in our podcast special recorded last year· Alex is based in Courchevel and runs the YouTube channel 150 Days of Winter· The lifts were meant to start to turning in Italy on 15 February, but this has now been delayed· Since our last episode we’ve seen avalanches in Zermatt, Méribel and Val d'Isère· These dogs barking saved their owners who’d been buried in an avalanche· We've reported before on how the press mispresented the situation in Verbier in Episode 65 and also in Wengen (in Episode 66)· There has been some great reporting by Abi Butcher (who appeared in Episode 65), with a deep dive into the 'super spreader' story about British instructors in Jochburg, Austria· The tourist office in St Anton also confirmed that reports of 96 people arrested and fined was also incorrect· Mike Richards told us about skiing in Wales in Episode 65· Neil Bradshaw reported from Sun Valley ski resort in Idaho· There are pistes open in Courchevel · Meanwhile Meribel stopped running their buses due to the number of people using them to ski · Jasmin has been training and racing in Plaine-Joux in France · Charlotte Bankes won the Snowboard Cross World Champs last week · We interviewed Charlotte in Episode 25 about her switch from the French team · Dave Ryding will be racing in the slalom at Cortina 2021 on 21 February· We featured the new Eiger Express lift in Grindelwald in Episode 61 · You can listen to Iain’s review of his trip to Crans Montana in Episode 65· Sasha Gainullin is CEO at Battleface· Listen to the full interview with Dan Egan in our Ski Podcast Special published last week· It’s not pretty, but we found the Intersport ‘yodel’ videos bizarrely addictive… · Find out more about the foldable award-winning Elan voyager Reviews"Keeping the skiing spirit alive when we need it most" Ged Ainsworth"Thanks for doing the podcasts. I've been listening over the last year and have enjoyed dreaming of being on the slopes at a time when we can't" Nick Taylor"Loving your podcast, although it 'feels me sad' not to be in Chamonix this winter" Sarah Owen Hughes"Keep up the great work with the podcast" Jeffrey Fantl"I love listening to your show all the way over in Australia” Nicole Clark BuyMeACoffee If you enjoy the podcast you're very welcome to buy me a cuppa at BuyMeACoffee.com/theskipodcastThanks to Luke Sipson, Ged Ainsworth, Suzi Jones, Scott Newsom, Christian Bowden, Chris Rose, Christian Cobley and Nicole Clark for supporting the show. Coming Up Watch out for interviews with Martin Bell, Joe Ponte at Hotelplan and a special podcast on how to become a pisteur, all coming up soon. Make sure you subscribe and never miss an episode...

This Ski Podcast Special features Dan Egan - one of the extreme skiing pioneers back in the new world of the 80s when VHS revolutionised demand for ski footage. Apart from leading the MTV generation of skiers, he's a familiar name to anyone who's watched a Warren Miller movie, or visited the Vermont stand at the London Ski Show over the years. Dan was part of the original freeride scene, back when it was better known as 'extreme' skiing. We talked to him about his carerre and new book, Thirty Years in a White Haze, his story of worldwide adventure and the evolution of extreme skiing. Dan is based in Big Sky, Montana Check out Big C couloir Mt Elbrus is the highest mountain in Europe Dan was on a Degre 7 shoot Dan featured in 12 Warren Miller movies Future Retro is available digitally https://youtu.be/prEWB3vfZRA Mark Shapiro, John Faulkner were part of the Verbier posse John Egan first starred for Warren Miller in 1979, with Dan joining in 1985 Both John and Dan started off in Sugarbush "If everybody skied, there'd be no wars" Hannes Schneider Dan skied on the Berlin Wall "Say yes, before you say no!" Warren Miller Dan's steep ski courses are in Big Sky "Skiing from the head down, not the feet up" Dan Egan 'Thirty Years in a White Haze' is out on 20 Feb The book features Nick Lyon's cartoons Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeSave money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.

In Episode 67, we go behind the scenes at 'Ski Sunday', on tour with James Blunt, inside The Snow Centre, discover craft beer in the Alps and reveal the results from our survey.Iain's guests for this episode where BBC Ski Sunday presenter Chemmy Alcott and Ian Brown, Managing Director at The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead. Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeSave money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.SHOW NOTES Chemmy was skiing chest-deep powder in Laax The group denied boarding at Eurostar was on their way to Verbier to do a training course with Peak Leaders They started the time in Europe in Vallorcine where some of the group tested positive Graham Bell is in Dancing on Ice 2021 Chemmy took part in the Inferno in Murren in 2020 Laax uses an app system to control Covid and numbers in resort Iain travelled to Crans Montana in December Chemmy has tried cooking for Ed! Dougie and Chemmy are coaching Giselle Gorringe Graham would probably have been very hot in his outfit Betony Garner appeared in Episode 65 when we discussed cross country skiing Her report was recorded in Les Contamines Charlie Rees took the Mammut backcountry course in Andermatt The avalanche danger is very high in Switzerland We've previously discussed skiing in Wales and in Scotland Ian is MD at the The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead Sadly, the Swindon project will not be going ahead You can listen to the full interview with Peter Hardy here Listen to our podcast special about Erna Low here Peter is the author of ‘Different Country, Same State’ – the inside story of being on tour with James Blunt You can watch Peter’s video of skiing with Graham Bell on old kit here Find out about the Sapaudia brewery here Jan Farrell has retired from his career as a speed skier Reviews Suzi Jones: "Just to say I love the Podcast not being able to ski at the mo is madeeasier by your interviews and discussion thanks!"Chris Filey:"With not much chance of getting on the slopes, the Ski Podcast bringssome relief to us all"Skibum70: "Often copied, never surpassed"Jill Taylor:"Keep it up, it’s very enjoyable"James Hawkins: "Another great listen" Matt Hayes: "Love this pod, keeps me entertained in many a commute, lockdown workout or when I'm simply missing the mountains" Eggfried100 on Snowheads: "I’ve listened to quite a few other podcasts but ‘The Ski Podcast’ is byfar the best for me. Great content, interesting guests, plus it has reallykept us informed through the shall we say an ‘interesting’ last twelvemonths." Please do review us on iTunes as it helps other people find us Tips on Car Hire at Geneva: Hire from the Swiss side and don’t wait for the bus, just walk (it’s only 5 mins) Don’t return the car empty – it’s expensive! Iain recommends booking via Holiday Autos Chemmy suggests renting from Super U on the French side for long-term rentals (but don't take too much meat!) You can read the results of our recent survey hereIf you’d like some The Ski Podcast stickers then please contact us with your address and we'll drop a few in the post to you Thanks to Matt Hayes, Michael Gold, Mark McGarry, Julie Slaughter, Doug Newman, Rachael Westbrook and Joanna Yellowlees-Bound for buying me a cuppa at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast You can follow Iain and the show on Twitter and Facebook @skipedia and @theskipodcast

This Ski Podcast Special features an interview with industry veteran Peter Hardy, co-editor of WeLove2Ski and co-presenter of Action Packed Travel.Peter Hardy, award-winning ski journalist and a man who has been skiing longer than many of us have been alive.SHOW NOTES- Peter started skiing in 1960 in Lech on 2m10cm skis- The Marshall Plan pumped money into Europe after WWII- You can read Iain’s article about Haus Falch and St Anton here- Erna Low organised their own ski train to the Alps in the 60s- You can listen to our special podcast about the life of Miss Erna Low here- Many skiers were fans of Lillywhite’s in London and bought all their ski gear there- Idi Amin was president of Uganda from 1971 to 1979- Peter has visited around 500 ski resorts in his career- The Hardy Ski and Snowboarding Guide segued into WeLove2Ski.com- You can watch Peter’s video of skiing with Graham Bell on old kit here:- Peter is the author of ‘Different Country, Same State’ – the inside story of being on tour with James Blunt- Peter and Felice present the Action Packed Travel PodcastIntersport Ski Hire Discount CodeSave money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.

In Episode 66, Andy joins us direct from St Anton with all the latest news from a very snowy Austria.We’re also joined by journalist Abi Butcher who reveals the truth behind the alleged ‘Escape from Verbier’.There’s an update from Graham Bell on his final preparations for ‘Dancing on Ice’, during which he reveals what music he’ll be dancing to, plus GB Telemarker Jasmin Taylor lets us know how her season preparations are going.Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeSave money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.SHOW NOTES Thanks to all of our new listeners – up almost 20% on this time last year Andy Butterworth is a director at Kaluma Travel and is based in St Anton Polish resorts could open soon This guy tried to travel with Eurostar to go skiing The Brits have been getting a bashing again, this time in Wengen ‘We do not blame the British’, apparently It is far from clear however, if the blame is correct: We interviewed Alex Moore in Wengen while she was quarantining in Episode 65 Ultimately these headlines were classic clickbait and lies Abi wrote this excellent article looking into what actually happened Lifts in St Anton have been open since 24 December, albeit only to ‘locals’ The Austrian lockdown has been extended to 07 Feb, when it will be reviewed again The Jochberg outbreak appears to be concentrated in a group of British instructors Alf Alderson appeared in Episode 64 and reports from Les Arcs Al Judge from AliKats featured in our Electric Vehicle special and reports from Morzine Alex in Courchevel been ski touring again We reported on the fire in Courchevel season worker accommodation in Episode 33 Congratulations to Dave Ryding and Laurie Taylor (guest in Episode 55) Jasmin Taylor has over 30 World Cup podiums – listen to our Ski Podcast Special This is what ski hire in the ‘new normal’ with Intersport will be like: Please complete our survey to let us know what you’d like more of and less of in the podcast. You’ll also stand the chance of winning this bag of swag… So if you do like the show, you can now show your appreciation by buying me a cuppa Graham Bell is taking part in Dancing on Ice 2021 (his first dance is on Sunday 24 January) You can listen to our Ski Podcast Special interview with Graham which was released last week Big snow in St AntonReviews“Love this podcast, keep them coming!” Matt Hayes“"Great work Iain. Keep it up.” Dan King“Love the podcast. It’s great to hear ski talk, especially at this frustrating time when we should all be enjoying the slopes but can’t” Luke Sipson Please do review us on iTunes as it genuinely helps people find us Alpine Cooking by Meredith Erickson received another endorsement from Deborah Stevenson: “It’s a great book: much more than just the recipes. Lots of interesting insight into the regions and history.”Find out more about TTG’s Mental Health Hub here #GetTravelTalking Coming up next timeWe have an interview with industry veteran ski journalist Peter Hardy interview and we’ll be talking to the team at Sapaudi BrewingDon’t forget you can support us by buying me a cuppa at buymeacoffee.com Thanks as always to Switzerland Tourism

Graham Bell tells us about 'Dancing on Ice 2021', including - how he rates his chances- who he sees as his main competitors- how his training is going- whether he'll get to ski this season- and of course, whether he'll try the 'Headbanger'!Dancing on Ice 2021 starts on Saturday 16 January on ITV.A shorter version of this interview first appeared in Episode 64 of The Ski Podcast (www.theskipodcast.com)Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeSave money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

In this episode we discuss skiing in Wales, the 'Great Escape' from Verbier, the challenges of cross-country skiing, ski touring in Crans Montana and plenty more.Iain was joined by guests Betony Garner in the Chamonix valley and regular 'friend of the pod' Mike Richards in Wales, as well as down the line by Alex Moore in Wengen and Dom Turner in Morzine.Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeSave money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.SHOW NOTES Dave Ryding finished 10th in Alta Badia Andrew Young took 2nd in the Cross Country at Dresden Mia Brookes took a podium on her debut in Snowboard Slopestyle in the Europa Cup Reece Bell is the daughter of Martin Bell and niece of Graham Bell The Brexit ‘deal’ has been done Passports must be at least six months in date SBIT will let us know the impact on British workers soon Did Brits really escape from Verbier? This article by Abi Butcher looks at the facts Alex Moore has been reporting on quarantine in Switzerland for The Telegraph The French have been stopped from skiing at border Iain visited the ‘Rando Parc’ in Crans Montana Iain travelled to Crans Montana by train Adam Bonvin is the owner and founder of the Alaia Chalet Find out more about the Hotel Pass in Crans Montana Iain tried cross country with his guide Christian on the Plaine Morte glacier in Crans Montana You have two options for cross country: Classic or Skating Betony bought the Haute Savoie Nordic Pass Mike skis in the Brecon Beacons area of Wales Check out some of his recent great pics You can follow Mike on Instagram at @mikethesnow Evidently word has got out already… Iain interviewed Dom Turner from Skiology We noticed his Christmas story in an email from Montagne Verte Les Arcs have been awarded the Flocon Vert label Reviews Janet Barnett “A big thank you for your very informative and entertaining ski podcast which I look forward to every few weeks” Andrew Brannan “Thanks for another great podcast. Red Mountain...top of my list too!” Terry “I was delighted not only to find the podcast. They have a good mix of interviews, friendly banter, background info and general chit chat and ski news. It's been great to get an insight, through the many interviews, of people's backgrounds, their passions for the sport and how they got to where they are.” Please complete our survey here and tell us what you’d like more of and less of in The Ski Podcast and you could win this great prize Matt Hayes recommends ‘Alpine Cooking’ by Meredith Erickson, especially the Herdsman macaroni and tartiflette (“The best I've ever come across”)If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

In this special pre-Christmas mini-podcast, listen to updates from friends of the show around the Alps, including:- Alex Irwin in Courchevel- Steve Angus in Val d'Isère- Mark Seaton in Chamonix- Katy Dartford, reporting from the Jura mountains- Ed Mannix in Zermatt Matterhorn- Charlie Rees, reporting from Andermatt Merry Christmas everyone. We look forward to sharing more ski chat with you you in 2021!If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

In Episode 64, Iain was joined by Jane Peel (Chief Reporter, Planetski.eu) and Alf Alderson (author and freelance journalist).We discuss the latest on resort openings, have snow reports from Courchevel and Engelberg, and we talk favourite ski areas.Graham Bell updates us on his preparations for 'Dancing on Ice', while the Chalet Shop team tell us what it was like working for Richard Branson. Plus we have Xmas pressie recommendations and there's even more in this episode of The Ski Podcast.Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeSave money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.SHOW NOTES Jane last skied in Les Menuires (before injuring her ACL) Alf last skied at Castle Mountain in Alberta It was suggested today that Brits might not be able to travel to the EU The town hall in Chatel has added Swiss flags There have been demonstrations across French ski resorts against the lift closures It's been suggested that the Chamonix border could move slightly to allow lifts to open There are limits on the French going to ski in other countries (but will it be enforceable?) Switzerland is currently open but are there restrictions on the way? Social distancing was not being observed on Verbier's first day Austria skiing will open from 24 Dec, but for locals only Jasna in Slovakia is planning to open Ski Amis ceased trading (adding to VIPSki, overed in Episode 63) Alpine Elements have gone into pre-pack administration You can read Jane's interview with James Hardiman here 'Test & Release' starts on 15 Dec, reducing quarantine on return to UK to 5 days Alex Irwin reported on ski touring in Courchevel Alex previously appeared in Episode 61 Charlie Rees reported from Engelberg in Switzerland Listen to Charlie's previous reports from Andermatt (E61) and Engelberg (E62) Craig Glennie reported from Lake Louise Mark Frary talked about 'Aiming High: The Life of Ski Pioneer Erna Low' in this special episode We talked to Jon Trigell, about his book Cham in Episode 20 Alf has written 'Ultimate Skiing Adventures' - 100 Epic Adventures in the Snow'. There is a 30% discount for podcast listeners with code 'SKIBK' if you buy before 31.3.21 Jane's favourite resort is Tavascan in the Spanish Pyrenees Alf's favourite resort is Red Mountain, BC Star Wars-loving ski younglings will enjoy this Mandolorian onesie from Columbia for Christmas Graham Bell told us about his Housenkamm viral video from Lockdown 1 in Episode 52 Graham is taking part in the new season of 'Dancing on Ice', which will start in January 2021 You can find out more about Chalet Shop on their website Sally and Hannah first job was kitting out Richard Branson's property in Verbier Intersport Ski Hire offer a free Cancellation guarantee on all bookings Podcast listeners can save an extra 10% using the Discount Code 'WINTER2020' (France only) Coming UpOur next episode will be out towards the end of December - in the meantime there are over 80 episodes you can catch up with over the festive season. And please do give us a review on iTunes/Apple Podcasts as it helps people find us.Thanks to Switzerland Tourism and Intersport Ski Hire for their support.If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

In conjunction with Ski Flight Free, this is a Ski Podcast Special all about Electric Vehicles in ski resorts.Find out more about driving to the Alps and in ski resorts from four EV owners in the ski industry.Iain was joined by Richard Sinclair (Sno.co.uk), Rob Forbes (CoolBus.co.uk), Al Judge (AliKats) and down the line by author Jonathan Trigell. - Find out more about the Ski Flight Free campaign - Up to 75% of the greenhouse gas emissions generated from a ski holiday come from your journey to resort- According to the Ski Club of Great Britain 35% of skiers plan to drive to their ski holiday this winter (twice the numbers for last year) - There are now 164,000 EVs in the UK- Registrations for pure-EVs in 2020 to date are up 158% YOY- You can find out more about Tesla vehicles here- AliKats have a Renault Kangoo Z.E.- Jon owns a Renault Twizy (and previously appeared in Episode 20)- This page on the Sno website has some great advice about driving an EV to the Alps- You can see the full Tesla charging map here- Montagne Verte is an excellent community environmental organisation in Morzine- President Macron has pledged green subsidies for France- Excellent options for a family EV are the Hyundai Kona and Kia eNero- Have a look at EV-Pow.com for fitting charging points in France (a great idea for a tour operator looking for a competitive advantage)Enjoy your skiing this winter and if you do want to reduce your emissions, please remember to Ski Flight FreeIf you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee… Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeSave money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.

Iain’s guests for Episode 63 of The Ski Podcast are Vanessa Fisher and Steve Angus. We discuss reduced quarantine and a dramatic week for French ski resorts. When will we get to ski this winter? There are snow reports from Verbier and Crans Montana, plus we talk electric cars and have another suggestion for Ski Book Group.Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeSave money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.SHOW NOTES Vanessa made her debut as a dalek in Episode 7, told us about her downhill racing experiences in Episode 23 Regular listeners will know Steve from Episode 6, 25 & Episode 43 Steve is a Ski instructor at TDC in Val d'Isère You can book lessons in Val d’Isere with Steve at Clareangus.co.uk or by emailing him at [email protected] Quarantine has been reduced to 5 days (with a negative test) Could quarantine even be reduced to zero? Intersport's survey showed that 58% of skiers were more likely to travel now You can read Ski Weekend's survey here Will French/European resorts open after Macron's speech You can read Iain's blog on Skipedia about France's dramatic week here La Clusaz is 'not an amusement park' #jesuisunestation There is a petition with over 20,000 signatures Note that ski touring is NOT banned in France in December Italy want resorts closed over Christmas Zermatt has allegedly seen overcrowding, but Switzerland is still open VIPski has gone out of business Hotelplan have confirmed they will run no chalets this winter You can listen to our review of Bankso in Episode 48 There is going to be a Brexit staffing issue after 31 December Testing has been set up in Courchevel and in Val Thorens Sam from Altitude Ski School reported from Verbier Pierre-Henri Mainetti reported from Crans Montana There will be no World Cup racing in Val d'Isere No dancing on the tables at the Folie Douce this winter Ischgl has scaled down apres ski Vanessa reported on her experiences at the Inferno in in Episode 23 Intersport Ski Hire is offering free and easy cancellation on all bookings 81% of their customers hire so they don't have to haul their skis around 33% are hiring because it's cheaper than ski carriage on flights Podcast listeners can get an additional 10% by using the code 'WINTER2020' Our 'Electric Vehicles in ski resorts' special was recorded last week and will come out as a Podcast Special Episode on 08 December Would you like one of these for Christmas? Iain has some new sunnies from Messy Weekend Listen to our Ski Podcast Special about 'Aiming High': the life of Erna Low We covered 'A Whole Life' in Ski Book Group in Episode 61 Vanessa recommended 'Beneath a Scarlet Sky' Chris Howie suggested getting the sleeper to Scotland...I'm working on it, Chris! Nicola Sturgeon notwithstanding - can you even travel between England & Scotland? You can listen to our Train Travel Special here ReviewsDodshuz (via twitter): Nice to listen to people talking about skiing and managing to stay positive about the up & coming season. Good job well doneSally InghamLove The Ski Podcast and listen to you often while I am working from home Mark Wilson (via Facebook):I listen to the podcasts everywhere, especially in the garden with my headphones on whilst messing about. my skis are ready to go.... just waiting for something to happen, and we’re away!Chris HowieReally excellent to see you continuing to make great podcasts even with COVID descending. Loving your podcasts, keep up the great work! Coming Up If you missed our Facebook Live, our Ski Podcast Special on Electric Vehicles in Ski Resorts will be live on 08 Dec as a podcast.Episode 64 will be out on 15 December. Thanks to Switzerland Tourism and Intersport Ski Hire for supporting the podcast.If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

In this special podcast, Iain interviews Mark Frary, author of 'Aiming High', the biography of ski pioneer Erna Low and Joanna Yellowlees-Bound, former CEO of Erna Low. We discuss the background and history of the eponymous founder of Erna Low Holidays, who advertised her first ski holiday as early as 1932. Joanna Yellowlees-Bound explains why she commissioned Mark to write the book and we look at how he made his way through the reams of archive material available. We learn how back in the early days all skiers travelled by train and had to go ski touring (as there were no lifts); how Miss Low overcame early challenges and how she helped introduce French ski resorts to the British public. If you enjoyed listening to this podcast, please do share it on social and tag us at @theskipodcast www.facebook.com/theskipodcastwww.twitter.com/theskipodcastwww.theskipodcast.comIf you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee… Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeSave money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.

In Episode 62, Iain is joined by guests Ed Drake (Olympian and presenter of Ski Racing Podcast) and Katy Dartford (Freelance ski journalist based in Lyons).We discuss ski touring in Chamonix, how the World Cup is going to look in the 'new normal' and skiing in Scotland. Plus we have snow reports from Andermatt and Tignes.Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeSave money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout. Thank all of our listeners as we have just passed 100,000 total listens If this is your first, we have 88 great episodes to catch up with in lockdown! Ed last went skiing in Bormio Cervinia shut down on 24 November just after opening The French lockdown is scheduled to end in early-November Currently you can still ski now in Switzerland (and there's no quarantine on arrival) The UK's 'Global Travel Task Force' are still to report There is progress on testing in resort? Charlie Rees reported on the skiing in Andermatt Alex Irwin from 150 Days of Winter reported from Tignes The World Cup in Lech has been postponed for two weeks All World Cup races will be behind closed doors Resorts in France are hoping 'confinement' will end before their World Cup races in December We interviewed Dave Ryding in Saas Fee in Episode 57 and also in Episode 54 Mark Seaton is a UIAGM Mountain Guide in Chamonix You can book ski touring with Mark via Ski Weekend for this winter Steve Wells, Ellis Brigham Ski Hardware Buyer, confirmed that ski touring equipment sales have increased in the last few years Trafford Wilson is CEO of Snowsport Scotland Capacity has been limited in resorts in North America The Lecht will be doing temperature checks on their gondola Thanks to Lucy Edwards for her review of 'A Whole Life' You can support the crowdfunder for Fjord Mountain Mission here Caroline and Fjord previously featured in Episode 47 Reviews Thanks for Mike Pow from Snowheads: "Another great listen"And to Andrew Brannan: "Really enjoyed most recent podcast" Don't forget to subscribe, share and contact us on Twitter or Facebook You can follow Iain at @skipedia on Twitter or Facebook Watch out for Episode 63 arriving in early-December If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

In this Ski Podcast Special, Iain interviews Florian Palluel, Sustainability and Transparency Manager at Picture Organic Clothing.Sustainability in the clothing industry has never been more important, with research showing it is responsible for up to 10% of greenhouse gas emissions and 20% of all global wastewater. During this interview we discuss many topics including: · the history of the company· their supply chain and how they source their materials· why they choose to manufacture in Turkey & China and not France· what steps they are taking to reduce packaging· how they are making their new offices as sustainable as possible· whether in the future a zero-emission ski jacket might be possibleWe also mention this survey by consultancy McKinsey about consumer views on sustainable fashion. If you’d like to find out more, you may find these two links useful: https://www.picture-organic-clothing.com/en/taking-a-step-back/ https://www.picture-organic-clothing.com/sustainability/index-en.html If you enjoyed listening to this podcast, please do share it on social and tag us at @theskipodcast www.facebook.com/theskipodcastwww.twitter.com/theskipodcastIf you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

In Episode 61 Iain is joined by Krystelle Kubicki (Head of Marketing, Sno.co.uk) and Alex Irwin (Founder, 150 Days of Winter)We discuss the latest on quarantine and #Test4Travel, what's new in Courchevel. We have a snow report from Engelberg and updates on the Eiger Express in Grindelwald. Iain finds out more about sustainable skiwear from Picture Organic Clothing and diversity in skiing from Mount Noire. Plus we have much more...Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeSave money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.SHOW NOTES Krystelle last appeared way back in Episode 9 Both Tignes and Les 2 Alpes have opened on 17 October Learn how to pronounce Gstaad in Episode 44 The latest from the government 'Task Force' Find out about the Common Pass Project Charlie Rees: "Really enjoying listening to the show. Skiing is my passion, the pod has inspired me!" Robin reported from Montafon in Episode 60 Remo Kaeser is from Jungfrau Railways and was discussing the Eiger Express Iain raced the Inferno in Murren The new downhill run in Courchevel is called the 'Eclipse' There is a new building in the Courchevel stade Tour de France came to Meribel in 2020 Find out more about the MTN survey here The full Picture Organic interview is available to watch here It is coming soon as a Podcast Special Episode Rachael from Ecoski featured in Episode 57 Iain interviewed Alex from Cahaya Straits in Episode 59 Find out more about One Tree At a Time Read more about MTN's research on quarantine here Mount Noire is a Tour operator specialising in trips for black British skiers Listen to our Benjamin Alexander Podcast Special episode Get yourself free tickets to the 2021 National Snow Show Ski Book Group: A Whole Life - Robert Seethaler Coming up: Aiming High one off Podcast special next month Thanks for Alex Soden, Stephen Morgan and Stewart Johnson for your reviews Coming up next time Ed Drake will be a guest, talking about the oncoming World Cup season. We'll be discussing skiing in Scotland and ski touring in Chamonix.Thanks to Switzerland Tourism for their continued supportIf you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

Iain is joined this week by Dave Burrows (Director, SnowPros Ski School) & Lucy Aspen (Online Ski Editor, Telegraph).We discuss quarantine and the #Test4Travel campaign and ski technology predictions from 1988. Iain interviews Team GB telemarker Jasmin Taylor and Robin reports from Montafon in Austria.Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeSave money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout. Show Notes Dave skied in Diablerets last week, which opened early Lucy skied in Scotland in February Mike covered skiing in Scotland last winter in Episode 58 A negative test result is now required for entry to Italy Brits have to quarantine for 10 days to enter Switzerland Tignes & Les 2 Alpes are both opening on 17 October Some skiers will definitely travel Find out more about the Telegraph #Test4Travel Campaign Government Task Force will report early-November Find out more about the Common Pass Project There may be no apres-ski (more on this in Episode 58) More info here on what it's going to be like in France and in the USA You can listen in Episode 56 about how Australia dealt with Thanks to Robin from Sport Harry in Silvretta Montafon for his report Both LISTEX & WLSS cancelled (ref Episode 58) Mike has more positive views about the new Bham Show You can listen to our Ski Podcast Special on Jasmin Taylor here Or watch it as a Facebook Live Other Ski Podcast Specials include Benjamin Alexander, Graham Bell, Avalanche Safety and Train Travel We have another Podcast Special with Picture Organic coming up Thanks to Andrew Brannan for sending us these features from Ski Survey magazine 1988 David Goldsmith was the author of this article - thanks for your time in talking to us David Current ski tech options include Skitracks, Carv, Peakfinder and Strava If you'd like to hear more about ski touring, then listen to Iain's previous reports from Morocco and Andermatt Dave presents the Ski Instructor Podcast This includes an amusing Eurotest meme Find out more about the Ski Club of Great Britain survey Reviews: Amy Moore: I absolutely love your ski podcast...it really cheers you up especially during the pandemic to hear all the ski chats! Wish you had more podcasts more often! Thunderer on Snowheads - Just discovered your Podcast, really enjoying itBennyboy on Snowheads: Good podcast. I haven’t listened before. Thanks!@theovalball1 on Twitter: Really good listen! Coming up in Episode 61 Our guests will be Krystelle from Sno.co.uk and Alex from 150 Days of Winter Mount Noire on diversity in skiing Remo Kaeser from the Jungfrau region Ski Book Group: A Whole Life If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

In this Ski Podcast Special, Iain interviewed Jasmin Taylor, telemark skier and Britain's most successful Alpine skier of all time. We discuss how Jasmin discovered telemark skiing, while on a British Ski Academy training camp and her first ever turns on skis in Ipswich. She explains what telemarking is, how racing works and her hopes that the sport might be included in the Olympics at some future point. Jasmin was one of the most modest people we have interviewed for the podcast and we're sure you're going to enjoy listening to her and finding out more about this part of our sport that often passes under the radar. Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeSave money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

For this Ski Podcast special Iain has his Ski Flight Free hat on and is joined by Daniel Elkan from Snowcarbon and Anna Hughes from Flight Free UK to discuss train travel to the Alps. Great options for checking your carbon footprint include the WWF Footprint Calculator and Ecopassenger Find out more about the Save The Ski Train campaign on Facebook You can sign the petition here Changing stations in Paris is not difficult. This video shows Iain’s journey to Courchevel last winter Train travel in the ‘new normal’ is very different Iain referred to this study about the chances of catching Covid on a train You can hear more about Iain’s trip to Zermass and Saas Fee by train in Episode 57 of The Ski Podcast Iain likes to book direct with Eurostar and SNCF Anna has travelled to Scotland on the Caledonian Sleeper on multiple occasions It’s possible to travel overnight to Austria with the Alpen Express service Iain has previously written for Ski2 about taking the train to Champoluc Sam Haddad travelled on the ski train to Les Arcs Daniel recommends the Railmap of Europe Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeSave money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

[Some listeners may have downloaded an unedited version of Episode 59 - please listen to this version instead]Iain was joined in Episode 59 by Megan Hughes, Digital Content Manager at InTheSnow.com and Olympian Emily Sarsfield.We discuss the current quarantine situation, the impact on ski holidays for this winter, and Crystal’s decision to stop offering chalet holidays.Emily tells us about her experiences at PyeongChang 2018, while Benjamin Alexander suggests a title for movie as he aims to represent Jamaica at Beijing 2022.Plus we have interviews with new skiwear brand Cahaya Straits and Snowcarbon founder Daniel Elkan on the campaign to ‘Save The Ski Train’.Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeSave money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.Show Notes You can find out more about the new Eiger Express in Grindelwald here We covered Emily’s Meribel Ski Yoga weeks in Episode 41 Does skiing on the Zermatt glacier from Cervinia require a quarantine? Let us know what you think on Facebook or Twitter Is this the season to try skiing in Poland? Megan skied in Garmisch in Germany Les 3 Vallees have confirmed that masks will not have to be worn while skiing this winter There will be no chalets at Crystal Ski this season Mt Buller is letting season pass holders choose their refund amount You can listen to our interview with Miss SnowItAll (Rachael Oakes-Ash) in Episode 56 Listen out our Ski Podcast special interview with Benjamin Alexander, who is hoping to be the first Jamaican Olympic Skier (or you can watch it on Facebook) Emily Sarsfield competed in Skier Cross at PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics You can listen to our PyeongChang specials here Cahaya Straits are a new company producing sustainable skiwear We interviewed Rachael Westbrook from Eco Ski in Episode 57 We love Patagonia! You can find out more about the Save The Ski Train campaign here Don’t forget to sign the petition Watch our Train Travel as a Facebook Live, broadcast by Ski Flight Free It will be released in an edited version as a Ski Podcast Special on 29 September Find out more about Protect Our Winters Thanks to ‘Whacker London’ for their 5-star review Also to Chris Howie: "Great episode! Keep up the good work." We will be reviewing ‘A Whole Life’ by Robert Seethaler for Ski Book Group in Episode 60 Coming up in Episode 60 Iain will be joined by Dave Burrows, who’ll be looking at the impact of Brexit Lucy Aspden, ski correspondent for The Telegraph, will be joining us Interview with Team GB telemarker Jasmin Taylor New and old ski tech discussion with David Goldsmith If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

Iain was joined in Episode 59 by Megan Hughes, Digital Content Manager at InTheSnow.com and Olympian Emily Sarsfield.We discuss the current quarantine situation, the impact on ski holidays for this winter, and Crystal’s decision to stop offering chalet holidays.Emily tells us about her experiences at PyeongChang 2018, while Benjamin Alexander suggests a title for movie as he aims to represent Jamaica at Beijing 2022.Plus we have interviews with new skiwear brand Cahaya Straits and Snowcarbon founder Daniel Elkan on the campaign to ‘Save The Ski Train’. Show Notes You can find out more about the new Eiger Express in Grindelwald here We covered Emily’s Meribel Ski Yoga weeks in Episode 41 Does skiing on the Zermatt glacier from Cervinia require a quarantine? Let us know what you think on Facebook or Twitter Is this the season to try skiing in Poland? Megan skied in Garmisch in Germany Les 3 Vallees have confirmed that masks will not have to be worn while skiing this winter There will be no chalets at Crystal Ski this season Mt Buller is letting season pass holders choose their refund amount You can listen to our interview with Miss SnowItAll (Rachael Oakes-Ash) in Episode 56 Listen out our Ski Podcast special interview with Benjamin Alexander, who is hoping to be the first Jamaican Olympic Skier (or you can watch it on Facebook) Emily Sarsfield competed in Skier Cross at PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics You can listen to our PyeongChang specials here Cahaya Straits are a new company producing sustainable skiwear We interviewed Rachael Westbrook from Eco Ski in Episode 57 We love Patagonia! You can find out more about the Save The Ski Train campaign here Don’t forget to sign the petition Watch our Train Travel as a Facebook Live, broadcast by Ski Flight Free It will be released in an edited version as a Ski Podcast Special on 29 September Find out more about Protect Our Winters Thanks to ‘Whacker London’ for their 5-star review Also to Chris Howie: "Great episode! Keep up the good work." We will be reviewing ‘A Whole Life’ by Robert Seethaler for Ski Book Group in Episode 60 Coming up in Episode 60 Iain will be joined by Dave Burrows, who’ll be looking at the impact of Brexit Lucy Aspden, ski correspondent for The Telegraph, will be joining us Interview with Team GB telemarker Jasmin Taylor New and old ski tech discussion with David Goldsmith

In this special episode of The Ski Podcast, we interview Benjamin Alexander. 'Benji' is aiming to be the first alpine skier to represent Jamaica at the Winter Olympics.Benjamin tells us how he segued from DJ-ing around the world to skiing and then on to racing, as he seems to bring his FIS points to Olympic qualification levels. He has the full support of the Jamaican Olympic Committee, is extremely fit and very determined, so why not listen now to hear about 'Cool Runnings 2020'.Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeSave money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

In Episode 58, Iain is joined by the super-experienced Mike Richards.We discuss skiing in Scotland and Norway, plus the latest news on how apres ski might look this winter in the Alps after both Ischgl and Mayrhofen announce plans to scale back partying.There’s ski show chat, both virtual and physical, and an interview about LISTEX 2020 and we wonder if a drone could ever tow a skier?Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeSave money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.SHOW NOTES Mike Richards has previously featured on the pod, talking about his experiences in Georgia (Episode 37), Montenegro (Episode 39) and Japan (Episode 41) Mike was skiing in Scotland in March at Glencoe and the Nevis Range Do you have memories of skiing in Switzerland back in the day? Switzerland Tourism want to hear about them… You can find out more about the Telegraph’s ‘Test4Travel’ campaign here – we strongly encourage you to follow and share as much as you can Mayrhofen have announced that ski boots will be banned after 8pm and apres-ski will be scaled down Ischgl are also scaling down their apres-ski for this winter (understandably) Amazon have applied for a patent for a Drone Ski Tow The ‘World’s Largest Ski Show’ – a new virtual ski show – has shifted its dates from October to November There is a new ski show scheduled for October 2021 for the NEC in Birmingham LISTEX will be taking place at the Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead in October Mike Smith asked why we’ve had no coverage of skiing in Norway?Mike visited Narvik and Stranda in Norway Thanks to Mike Smith for his review: “I am very much enjoying the podcast. Keep at it!” Also to Loobzy and Bramski Please do give us a review on iTunes, or contact us via Twitter or FacebookComing up Watch out for our Train Travel special in conjunction with Ski Flight Free coming up soon In Episode 59 we’ll be discussing new technology including predictions from the 1980s If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

Just a short episode as we are mid-holidays and/or quarantine time, but we have news of our next episode, plus we say goodbye and thanks to Jim.

In Episode 57, Iain reports on skiing in the ‘new normal’ on his trip to Saas Fee and Zermatt in Switzerland - including an exclusive interview with Dave Ryding.Jim and Iain interview Rachael Westbrook from new sustainable ski clothing retailer EcoSki Jim reveals the challenges set for him by Dave Burrows and we wonder if anything has changed in the world of ski since 1988.Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeSave money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout. SHOW NOTES Jim says goodbye as he moves on from The Ski Podcast. Thanks Jim - it won't be the same without you! Jonny Goldsbrough is "gutted" Ged Ainsworth wonders "What will happen to this essential listening for all snowsports enthusiasts?" (The good news Ged, is that it's going to keep going!) Jim reported on summer skiing in the 'new normal' in Les 2 Alpes in Episode 56 Iain travelled by train to Saas Fee where he reported on skiing in the new normal for In The Snow Magazine He also went to Zermatt, where he went ski touring up Breithorn Resorts in Victoria are closed, but other Australian resorts are open New Zealand resorts are open for kiwis only and have been very busy Rachael Westbrook is the founder of new sustainable ski clothing business EcoSki Jim was set three challenges by friend of the show Dave Burrows Iain met Dave Ryding in Saas Fee where he is training on the glacier. We previously interviewed Dave in Episode 54 Thanks to everyone who has reviewed us on iTunes Ged Ainsworth said: "Just to hear the title music puts me in eager anticipation of sliding on snow again! " Andrew Brennan was looking at an 1988 ski magazine and realised that much is the same as the podcast now, with Graham Bell, Eddie the Eagle, climate change and people travelling by train all featuring! Amy Moore told us she's never heard of the Magic Pass and asked if we know of any other Alps season passes? We discussed both Snow Pass and the Magic Pass in Episode 35 You can find out more about 'Ski A La Carte' here: www.skialacarte.fr Other big area passes include the Ikon Pass and the Epic Pass Coming upWe're going to have a short break through August, with Episode 58 going live on or around 08 September.Have a great summer and you can hear from us again then! The Ski Podcast would like to thank Switzerland Tourism for their continued support.

In Episode 56 Iain interviews Rachael Oakes-Ash, founder of the Australian website, Snowsbest.com.Jim reports on skiing in the 'new normal' from Les 2 Alpes and we wonder if bears do that thing in the Arosa woods. There’s news on a new virtual Ski Show and Iain looks forward to a visit to Saas Fee.Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeSave money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.SHOW NOTES Jim was summer skiing in Les 2 Alpes Why not visit the bears in Arosa? Iain is going to visit Saas Fee and Zermatt to test out skiing in the 'new normal' in Switzerland The 'World's Largest Ski Show' will be taking place virtually in October There may be some similarity between the WLLS logo and the Chamonix logo You can sign the petition to restore the ski train here Rachael Oakes-Ash is better known as MissSnowItAll and runs the website Snowsbest.com, focusing on the Australian and NZ markets Thredbo and Perisher had huge problems trying to pre-sell lift passes when their websites crashed Mt Hutt opened last month with no social distancing restrictions Coronet Peak experienced one of their busiest night ski sessions ever, despite the current lack of a 'Trans Tasman bubble' You can watch the brilliant 'Iso' videos from MissSnowItAll on her Facebook page Yes, it's true. Jim is leaving the podcast. Episode 57 will be his final episode!

In this one off special, Jim and Iain were joined by BBC Ski Sunday presenter Graham Bell. Questions were sent in advance or submitted live by our community and included:- Have you ever snowboarded? (Keith Webb) - Is there any country you see joining traditional powerhouses on the World Cup circuit in the future? (Steve Whitaker) - Will we ever see a Chinese skier on a downhill podium? (Iain)- Who is the best skier you have ever skied with or raced against? (Keith Webb) - I would love to know how you filmed opening titles for Ski Sunday - it never ceases to amaze me (Helena Taylor)- Will Ski Sunday include more mogul skiing next season, as the GB mogul team was very successful last year? (Kay Bates)You can watch the Q&A on our Facebook page here.Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeSave money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.

In Episode 55 Jim and Iain chat to UK slalom skier Laurie Taylor and ski journalist Megan Hughes about how to get into the industry.There’s an update from Andermatt, news on the end of lockdown in Zermatt and we find out more about this autumn’s possible London ski show.We finish off with Dave (Burrows) and Jim debating what makes the perfect ski run – have a listen and let us know if you agree.Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeSave money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.Show Notes Jim has been mountain biking and hiking in La Clusaz Lars updates us from Andermatt, where he works at the Radisson Blu hotel Iain interviewed Lars about the history of Andermatt in Episode 52 This photo shows how Zermatt looks almost ‘normal The Portes du Soleil offered a limited number of season passes at half-price The website for this autumn’s London Ski Show is now live and is scheduled for The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead in late-Sep Megan Hughes is Social & Digital Content Manager at InTheSnow.com Laurie Taylor scored his first World Cup points at Kitzbuhel You can view Laurie’s YouTube channel here. ‘What makes the perfect ski run?’ – let us know what you think Jim and Dave recorded this in Anzere, previously featured in Episode 49 and also the location for our Avalanche Special Thanks to Ster, Mike Pow and Primrose&Blue for your reviews on Snowheads Coming UpKeep tuned to our Facebook page for details of our oncoming Live Q&A with Graham Bell.

We would like to thank Switzerland Tourism for their continued support Find out more about the Escape to Valais challenge here The recent industry survey by Skipedia had some worrying results On a more positive note Chamonix is preparing to open lifts from May 16 And there is already skiing in Austria Iain interviewed Steve Cross, responsible for creating the super-viral 'garden chairlift' Thanks to Pablo Rodriguez and Leon Rossi for their reviews via our Facebook page and Mike for his via Snowheads Pedro Davidenko didn't agree, but 93% of our iTunes reviews are 4* or 5* - why not have your say and give us a review or send us some feedback Thanks Andrew for your question about gay ski weeks. We'll put this on the list for next season Dave Ryding is the UK's top Alpine skier with two World Cup podium finishes and four Olympics under his belt already

This week Jim and Iain go searching for good news in our post-COVID world find out about Aspen's cocaine problem and how Timberline is on the up.There's interviews with Alex from Courchevel and Mark from Disability Snowsport UK and we discover yet another Ski Club of Great Britain CEO has resigned. Show Notes In Alpe d’Huez, they are using ESF uniforms to make facemasks for frontline staff More face masks has being made in ski as businesses pivot their production Find out more about the Goggles for Docs project Mt Baldy opened for skiing last week, with social distancing in place Just in case you haven’t seen the homemade ski lift in a garden yet Zermatt has been projecting onto the Matterhorn to show their solidarity Zermatt has also been in the news for other reasons The CEO of the Ski Club CEO has resigned. Listen to our look at their travils in Episode 44 Jason Auslander tells us about the cocaine problem in Aspen You can listen to our interview with Jason about ski thief Derek Johnson in Episode 52 We first covered the problems in Timberline in Episode 38 Our competition winner is GJ Harvey Pablo Rodriguez asked about Scotland, where Iain hopes to ski next winter and Spain (we mentioned Baqueira in Episode 49) Jim interviewed Mark from Disability Snowsport UK Iain interviewed Alex Irwin about his ‘150 days of Winter’ project Thanks for all the reviews from Daniel King, Paul Gilpin and Leon, as well as ‘wsirhc’ on Snowheads with the rest of the world In the meantime, Dick Yates Smith has a different Covid message: An exclusive interview with Dave Ryding – we’ll be finding out about life behind the scenes and how his barrista training is going!

Jim, Iain and group of ski and podcast fans gathered on Friday 10 April to record a live episode of The Ski Podcast online. Topics ranged from what do Jim and Iain actually do to what are the Alps like in the summer? Throughout the podcast, listeners post questions to the duo via the Facebook stream or joined them live in the virtual studio. You can watch the full Facebook Live video on our Facebook page:www.facebook.com/theskipodcast

On Friday the 10th of April at 11 am BST we are going to be live on our Facebook page answering your questions in an ask Jim or Iain anything Q&A session. If you would like to put a question to Jim &/or Iain, you can email [email protected] before the show, or you can ask us in the live stream comments or request to put your question to us live by joining us in the virtual studio. Join the FB event for a reminder https://www.facebook.com/events/2996209590457404/

This week Jim and Iain interview Graham Bell about what inspired him to take on the famous 'Hausenkamm' ski run.Iain finds out about the world's most prolific ski thief in Aspen, as well as the rise and fall and rise of Andermatt. There's our ski book group chat about 'Aiming High' and travel advice from Dave Froome about that pesky thing called COVID-19.The Ski Podcast would like to thank Switzerland Tourism for their support.Show Notes Ski Sunday presenter Graham Bell recently filmed his ‘Hausenkamm’ demo run…in his own house! Would you buy this Lego snowgroomer? You might get the chance soon. We first covered this in Episode 40. Many thanks to Jason Auslander from The Aspen Times for sharing his time to tell us about notorious ski thief Derek Johnson Jim and Iain wish to confirm that we have never been involved in any ‘dodgy dealing’ during seasons in ski resorts. Thanks to Doug and Christian for their kind words Thanks also to everyone for our new reviews on iTunes… Don’t forget if you leave a review before 15 April then we will put you in the draw to win all this stash Iain interviewed Lars Werner from the Radisson Blu in Andermatt about the history of the Swiss resort Jim and Iain have been reading ‘Aiming High: The Life of Ski and Travel Pioneer Erna Low’ by Mark Frary You can listen to our interview with Mark in Episode 51 Dave Froome from specialist agent ifyouski.com gives his advice about claiming for refunds on cancelled holidays easyJet might not be flying now, but you can book your 2020/21 flights now Friend of the show Alex Irwin is based in Courchevel 1850 Ed Mannix runs Matterhorn Chalets in Zermatt

This Ski Podcast Special episode covers avalanche safety in detail as we look into all you need to know to make us safer on the mountain. Dave Burrows from SnowPros Ski School talks about snow layers; teaches Jim how to use a transceiver properly; and looks at the different types of avalanches you could encounter.Caroline Elliot, an experienced snow patroller talks about working with her Search and Rescue dog, Fjord, who is trained to find people buried in an avalanche.

This week your hosts Jim and Iain are joined live by Rob Stewart - organiser of the UK's proposed new Ski Show.There's no elephant in the room as we start off with a deep-dive into the devastating impact the Coronavirus has had on the ski industry.Dave Burrows joins us with some avalanche advice, we interview the author of 'Aiming High' and you can win some stuff by giving us a review. The Ski Podcast would like to thank Switzerland Tourism for their support. SHOW NOTES The big news: yes, we are on the 7 Best Ski Podcasts list by Rad Season Did you hear about this thing called the Coronovirus? We discuss its impact on the ski industry, last week, right now and in the future In more cheery news the Telegraph Ski & Snowboard Festival and Magazine have both been cancelled But the positive news is that a new ski show is planned, to be held at The Ski Centre in Hemel Hempstead in September Iain enjoyed his last runs of the season in Arosa and Andermatt in Switzerland Jim goes into a hole with Dave Burrows in our Avalanche Feature Watch out for our one-off Avalanche special coming out soon Thanks to Pat MacInnes for your 5-star review Would you like to win all these goodies? Simply give us a review on iTunes to be included in the draw Jim and Iain are reading ‘Aiming High‘ the biography of Erna Low in Ski Book Group Iain interviewed Mark Frary, author of the book Coming up in Episode 52… The World’s Most Prolific Ski Thief The Rise and Fall and Rise of Andermatt Iain and Jim review ‘Aiming High’

There's a Swiss theme this week as Iain tests Jim on his Swiss summer knowledge, Jim rhapsodises about his trip to Saint Luc and Iain looks forward to his visit to Arosa and Andermatt. We also find out which is the most average ski resort in the world and discover a national park in the French Pyrénées. The Ski Podcast would like to thank Switzerland Tourism for their support. Show Notes Congratulations to us – this is Episode 50 of The Ski Podcast (although thanks to our one-off and Olympic Specials we've actually on no.66) Iain shares his concerns that people are not acknowledging climate change. It’s happening and that’s why he founded Ski Flight Free. Jim put forward an excellent defence of Luchon’s decision to move snow by helicopter just prior to half term The world’s first solar-powered drag lift is in Tenna, Switzerland By the time of the next podcast, Iain will have been to Arosa and Andermatt, travelling by train via Paris and Basel The yodelling championships are taking place this summer in Basel No, you can't do 'Cow Yoga', but you can do 'Goat Yoga' in Switzerland this summer Iain took a trek in the Pont d’Espagne national park during his recent visit to Cauterets in the French Pyrenees Jim continues his report from Bansko with an interview with Gary, representative for Balkan Holidays Would you like to win stuff? Give us a review on iTunes and we’ll include you in our competition to win stuff. Details coming soon in Episode 51 Dido Florian Cloud de Bounevialle O'Malley Armstrong is playing at the Zermatt Unplugged Festival in Zermatt Thanks to Jack Hennessy for his emailed re view: Dave from Ifyouski.com explained why Courmayeur is the most average resort Martina reports on her experiences of living in Courmayeur Iain took part in the City Ski Championships in Courmayeur and was told to take a fall so the City boys could win Iain and Jim are reading ‘Aiming High’ the biography of Erna Low for Ski Book Group Iain interviewed the author Mark Frary and we’ll feature that in Episode 51 If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

In this episode Jim has been busy and reports from Anzère in Switzerland as well as part two of his trip to Bulgaria.Iain is out in Cauterets in the French Pyrénées, we hear about Jamie Barrow's new world record and friend of the pod Dave Burrows joins us live to talk about an exciting new trip for next winter. The Ski Podcast would like to thank Switzerland Tourism for their support. Snow Aid Australia was a superb idea, originated by Rachael Oakes-Ash and which raised over AUD200,000 for bushfire relief/recovery and wildlife rescue/rehabilitation President Macron was in Chamonix viewing the melting Mer de Glace and launching new climate change policies It was also announced that there would be limits on the number of climbers on Mont Blanc (which would stop the rowing machine incident we discussed in Episode 40) Jim visited Anzère in the Swiss Valais region with Dave from Snowpros Iain was recording live from Cauterets in the French Pyrénées, where he also skied in Grand Tourmalet and visited the Pic du Midi It’s not great snow cover, but unlike in Luchon no helicopters were used to ship in snow Why do most skiers turn one direction more easily than another? Dave shared his thoughts Jim gave an insight into the rise of Bansko, where he was a guest of Balkan Holidays Thanks to all our listeners for helping us reach record audience numbers Thanks to Matt Hayes for his kind comments: “One of my favourite episodes yet! Great banter, insight and potential for legal action.” Also to Carolyn as she works on her 'big ski wear project' Thanks also to Craig for his 5-star review and we recommend Craig heads to Baqueira Beret in the Spanish Pyrénées on his short break from Barcelona Jamie Barrow set a new speed record for a snowboarder, towed behind a Tesla 3 EV at 183 kph We previous interviewed Jamie about his trip to North Korea back in Episode 4. Also generating zero emissions are the lifts in Les Arcs, which are all powered by renewable electricity Dave revealed details of The Ski Podcast’s first hosted trip. Join us in Morgins in March 2021. Details coming soon… Don't forget we are reading 'Aiming High' in Ski Book Group. Feel free to read as well and we'll discuss it in Episode 51 or 51 If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

In this episode Jim reports from his travels to Switzerland and Bulgaria and Iain has been to Courchevel by train. We discuss the merits of Ski Sunday and pick a new book for our 'Ski Book Group.The Ski Podcast would like to thank Switzerland Tourism for their support. Show Notes Chamonix has recorded its warmest winter on record so far We discussed how to ski on ice in Episode 46 Jim visited Val d'Hérens in the Valais region of Switzerland Jim is making full use out of his Magic Pass, which we discussed back in Episode 35 The Patrouille des Glaciers race takes place in April Pippa Middleton took part in this race. Iain interviewed her about it way back in Episode 6 Iain travelled out to Courchevel via Eurostar and SNCF, booked direct with each company, as part of his work on the Ski Flight Free campaign https://www.facebook.com/skiflightfree/videos/265879281051218/ Courchevel is hosting the 2023 World Ski Championships in partnership with Meribel The downhill course will start from the Col de la Loze, travel down via a new piste cut from the trees, join Jockeys piste and finish in Le Praz Jim visited Bansko ski resort in Bulgaria as a guest of Balkan Holidays Is Ski Sunday worth watching? You’ve got one episode left if you want to find out They did show us this shocking and gripping accident from the bad old days of the Hahnenkamm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEGIyL_WoBk Ski Sunday did give the World Youth Games in Lausanne excellent coverage And there was an interview with Katie Ormerod, who is having a cracking season and leads the World Cup in Snowboard Slopestyle after a 3rd successive podium Dave Ryding took a 7th in the slalom in Schladming It’s Ski Book Group time again – this time around Jim and Iain will be reading 'Aiming High' - life of Miss Erna Low, founder of…Erna Low Thanks to Stella Coton for her kind words: “It's a really good listen!” If you’d like to give us a review, then please pop along to iTunes and share your thoughts Don’t forget that if you’d like some The Ski Podcast stickers, then please email [email protected] with your address and we’ll get some sent out to you Don’t forget to subscribe to The Ski Podcast wherever you download your podcasts so you never miss another episode If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

In Episode 47, Jim and Iain discuss cancelled flights at Chambéry, descending the legendary Vallée Blanche and we learn how to ski with your dog. There's advice on skiing near Innsbruck, the latest news from Team GB - including the ski jump successors to Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards.The Ski Podcast would like to thank Switzerland Tourism for their support. Fog closed down Chambéry airport (or more specifically TUI flights to the airport) generating a lot of coverage in The Telegraph, The Indie, The Mirror and more We discussed skiing in Hakuba in Japan in Episode 41 Jim visited the Swiss resort of Ovronnaz as he makes the most out of his Magic Pass We discussed the Magic Pass in Episode 35 The Winter Youth Olympics have continued in Lausanne 2020 in Switzerland Mani Cooper and Sam Bolton both represented Team GB in the ski jump Glynn Pedersen represented Team GB at Vancouver in 2002 Iain spoke to Caroline Elliot, owner of Fjord, a Search and Rescue dog about tips for skiing with your dog Jim enjoyed his first descent on the famous Vallee Blanche off-piste run in Chamonix Ben Hollingshead asked for advice about good skiing near Innsbruck – we suggested Kuhtai or Stubai for guaranteed snow, or Nordkette (directly above Innsbruck itself) for more advanced skiers Thanks to Chris Meigh, Daniella and Stella for their 5-star reviews Please do leave your reviews on Apple Podcasts or iTunes as it helps other people find us Thanks to Howard McGee for his cheese feedback! Also thanks to all of our listeners for helping us hit record numbers for The Ski Podcast Dave Ryding finished 7th in Madonna – his best result this season If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

In the first of our special one-off podcasts, Iain interviews UK snowboarding pioneer Chris Moran.Winner of multiple titles at the Brits and cover-star of issue #1 of 'White Lines Magazine', Iain and Chris talk about the progression of snowboarding, the 'bad old days' of snowboarding and Britain's chances for medals at Beijing 2022.

In Episode 46, we learn how to ski on ice, find out more about the Folie Douce in Les Arcs and Jim meets our podcasting friends from the other side of the pond. There's a Team GB update and we find out more about the 'bad old days' of snowboarding from industry veteran Chris Moran. The Ski Podcast would like to thank Switzerland Tourism for their support. Show Notes The Youth Olympic Games are taking place in Lausanne from 09-22 January 2020 Watch out for Kirsty Muir leading the way for Team GB – our hot tip for a medal Club Med have released another bullshit survey Seriously, do you eat 2kg of cheese a day when you’re on ski holiday? Watch out for our stand-alone episode coming soon featuring an interview with snowboarding veteran Chris Moran, in which we discuss how he ended up on the cover of Issue 1 of White Lines Magazine, how pre-snowparks they had to dig their own half-pipes and more tales of the early days of British snowboarding Friend of the Show Dave Burrows is back with advice on ‘How to ski on ice’ You can listen to Dave’s (1 hour, 41 minute) interview with Simon Butler on ‘The Ski Instructor Podcast’ Jim teamed up with our podcasting friends across the Atlantic – the High Falutin SkiBums Iain interviewed Arthur Reversade, manager of the newly opened Folie Douce in Les Arcs Sisters Zoe (1st Half Pipe World Cup, Copper Mountain) and Izzy Atkin (3rd Big Air World Cup, Atlanta) both picked up podiums for Team GB Thomas Gerken-Schofield finished 4th in dual moguls in China – Team GB’s best ever result in this event APNorthfields asked for an episode about avalanche safety, so watch out for this coming up in an episode soon Thanks to Mike Pow on Snowheads for his kind comments Thanks to Switzerland Tourism for supporting The Ski Podcast Go to theskipodcast.com for timing codes