This week we look at how to inprove diversity within the ski industry and ways that under-representation is being addressed.

Iain was joined by Amirra Blackwood and Dan Keeley from Snow Camp, Zahia Shaw from Skimigos and Burhan Ali from the Muslim Ski Club.

SHOW NOTES

Dan was last on the show in Episode 98 (1:20)
Find out about Dan’s epic run to Rome (2:20)
Amirra and Dan were at the AJ Bell Three Valley Challenge in Val Thorens (4:00)
Dave Ryding has announced that he will retire at the end of the 25/26 winter (6:15)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Dave in Episode 199 (8:00)
Find out how Iain’s ’25 in 25 Snow Camp Challenge went (8:30)
You can donate at Iain’s JustGiving page (9:00)
Around 1000 inner city young people join Snow Camp each July (10:45)
Amirra’s journey with Snow Camp started in 2001 (12:00)
Snow Camp are taking on 16 apprentices this year
Amirra’s first placement was with Ellis Brigham
She has just finished working at the Ski Club of Great Britain (14:45)
Skimigos took 100 people to Les 2 Alpes in March (18:00)
Zahia (Zee) Shaw set up Skimigos in 2019 (19:45)
Zee uses the Skimigos Instagram to tackle objections people come up with (22:00)
Addressing “it’s not for people like us” (22:45)
Skimigos apres ski is off the charts… (25:00)
Burhan is the founder of the Muslim Ski Club (27:30) 
This year the club travelled to Erciyes in Turkey (30:00)
“Apres-tea over apres-ski” (30:25)
The club is organising ‘Eid in the Alps’ in Avoriaz in 2026 (32:30)
Snow Camp has been organising indoor taster sessions for young Muslims (34:00)

Feedback
I always enjoy listener feedback. Couple since our last episode.

Ben: "Love the podcast"
Pete: “248 was a great episode...loving the grass roots vibe"

You can contact me with your feedback via our social channels @theskipodcast or by email [email protected] 

There’s so much to catch up with in our back catalog just to theskipodcast.com and have a look around the tags and categories. 

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast. You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

Today we look at a new project to help first-time skiers, find out about the Women’s World Snowsports Summit and learn about plans to reopen of the UK’s most iconic dry ski slopes, Sheffield Ski Village.

Host Iain Martin was joined live by guests Kimberley Kay and James Gambrill and down the line by Tim Justice, Alex Armand and Luca, Zak and Freddy Carrick-Smith.

SHOW NOTES 

Kim was last on the podcast in Episode 229 (0:30)
James Gambrill is COO of the Ski Club of Great Britain
The Mountain Travel Symposium took place at Aspen Snowmass this year (4:00)
Find out more about Iain’s ‘25 in 25 Snow Camp Challenge’ (5:00)
He will be skiing all the UK’s indoor snow centres in a single day to raise funds for Snow Camp
You can sponsor Iain on his JustGiving page (7:45)
Alex Armand from Tip Top Ski Coaching reported from Les 2 Alpes (8:20)
Listen to our Ski Jobs Special Episode to find out more about the ‘Youth Experience Scheme’ (9:30)
The Ski Podcast sponsors ‘Team Carrick Smith’ (10:00)
Iain spoke with Luca, Zak and Freddy on their end of season surfing break (10:30)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Team GB skier Molly Butler (19:15)
Tim Justice is chairman of the Sheffield Sharks Ski Club (22:20)
Sheffield Ski Village closed in 2012 (23:00)
There are plans to redevelop Sheffield Ski Village (25:00)
Find out more about the Revive Sheffield Ski Village campaign (29:00)
Find out more about the new ‘Way2Snow’ initiative (31:00)
Kimberley’s ‘Ski A-Z book’ is a great intro for newcomers to the sport (39:30)
James Gambrill is also organiser of the London Snow Show (40:00)
The show takes place at Olympia in West London in October (41:00)
Iain will be presenting at the show with our equipment expert Al Morgan (43:00)
Find out about apres-ski at the show (44:00)
Kimberley was at the inaugural World Women’s Snowsports Organization (WWS0) Summit (45:30)
It was held at Kitzsteinhornin Austria, near Kaprun in April 2025
54 women from 12 countries attended (47:00)
We covered 'Project Fear' in Episode 229 – looking at the extent to which fear is a factor in snowsport gender imbalance  (50:00)
You can sponsor Iain on the ‘25in25’ on his JustGiving page (58:00)

Feedback
You can contact me with your feedback via our social channels @theskipodcast or by email [email protected] 

gordymission1035: "Thank you for a great episode (#247). So much great info."

There are now 260 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. If you’re missing your skiing over the summer, then this is the perfect time to go to theskipodcast.com and have a look around our back catalog. 

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast. You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

This episode is an equipment special, tackling essential questions about kit such as the best way to carry skis, the ‘right’ way to do up your ski boots and how to store your gear through the summer? 

We also look at the effect of tariffs on the US retail market and discuss the latest developments in BOA ski boot technology. 

Host Iain Martin was joined by our equipment expert, Al Morgan.

Watch this podcast on video on the Skipedia YouTube channel

This Special Episode of The Ski Podcast has been made possible by them. Ellis Brigham are the winter sports specialists, with 16 shops around the UK where you can find all the kit you need for next winter. Alternatively, simply go to their website at ellis-brigham.com and you can buy online now.

SHOW NOTES

Al was last on the show in Episode 235, reporting from the SIGB Ski Test in La Clusaz (0:50)
This episode is also available on the Skipedia YouTube channel
Al last skied in Tignes (1:10)
Find out more about Iain’s ’25 in 25 Snow Camp Challenge’ (4:30)
Listen to Dan Keeley explaining more about the work that Snow Camp do in Episode 246
Sponsor Iain at Just Giving
How are tariffs going to affect prices in the States & exports from Europe? (7:00)
What are multi-BOA ski boots? (10:00)
How much does BOA affect the cost of a ski boot? (13:30)
[Video] How many BOAs does a skier need? (14:00)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-inNniPEpRQ
How should you do up ski boots? (14:45)
Phaenom suggest putting the liners on first outside the boot (17:30)
How to take out and put back liners (19:45)
Find out about Boot Bib (23:00)
Listen to our Ski Boot Special Episode #161 (24:00)
How to store skis over the summer (26:30)
Wind down your DIN settings (27:30)
How to carry skis (33:00)
How to attach skis to a backpack (37:15)
How to attach skis to an airbag (40:45)
How to avoid the helmet gap? (49:00)
How to clean and re-proof outerwear? (51:30)
Listen to our Arcteryx ReBird episode #218 (53:45)

Feedback
If you’ve found this episode helpful, or you have any feedback on other episodes, please do let me know. You can contact me on social @theskipodcast or by email [email protected] 

LJ@99 (Apple Podcasts): "Just the best ski and snow sports podcast going. Always listen and learn something new from the interviews and reports from all over the world. Plus there's a great back catalog."

Sarah Lewis (LI): “Lots of interesting and valuable information for listeners!”

There are now 260 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. This is the perfect time to go to theskipodcast.com and have a look around. 

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast. You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

We look at how to make your dreams come true and find a ski job, including what jobs are available, what skills you need, when to apply and how the market has changed in the last few years. 

We also consider the ski instructor qualifications available and where they entitle you to work, and we also find out more about the possible new ‘Youth Mobility Scheme’. 

Host Iain Martin was joined by Jenny Greenwood, HR Director at Skiworld, George Gray, co-founder of ski job recruitment specialists SZN and Dave Burrows from SnowPros Ski School in Switzerland. 

SHOW NOTES

Alex Armand from Tip Top Ski Coaching reports from Les 2 Alpes (5:45)
Floss Cockle  from the FreeFloFloss YouTube channel is in Tignes (6:45)
Find out more about Snow Camp (8:45)
Iain is trying to raise £2500 in the ‘25 for 25 Snow Camp Challenge’ to give 25 inner-city young people the chance to experience snowsports for the very first time in 2025 (9:00)
Dan Keeley is community and events director for Snow Camp (9:20)
You can sponsor Iain on his JustGiving page here (11:30)
George Gray is co-founder of SZN (12:15)
Iain founded the recruitment website Natives in 1999 (15:30)
What ski jobs are available? (16:00)
Skiworld is the UK’s largest chalet company, recruiting almost 200 staff (18:15)
SBiT’s reseach shows that since Brexit there are 56% fewer chalets & 69% fewer workers
Last winter, Skiworld had 5000 applications
How do you make your application stand out? (21:30)
When do interviews happen? (23:30)
Do you need an EU passport? (25:15)
How does an employer secure a visa for you? (26:00)
Charlie Owen is the MD of SBiT and European Pubs (29:30)
Find out more about developments in the Youth Mobility Scheme
When should people apply for jobs? (36:00)
When do staff go out to resort? (40:00)
Can people still apply during the season? (41:00)
Dave did his instructor qualification via the Warren Smith Ski Academy (44:15)
Are instructor qualifications portable across countries? (46:45)
How to qualify as a French ski instructor (49:15)
Dave hosts the Ski Instructor Podcast (54:45)

Feedback (55:00)
I really enjoy finding out from listeners what you think of the show. I’m always interested to hear from you, so please do contact Iain on social @theskipodcast or by email [email protected] 

Robbie Milne: “Great recent episodes - keeping the stoke well and truly alive! I’m getting married this summer meaning I couldn’t get out for spring skiing but this podcast makes it not so bad”

Steve from York: “Love the variety of topics covered in this podcast. It really gets you revved up for your next trip to the mountains”

Paul1608: “I’ve recently found the podcast and am working my way through the back catalog. I can’t make it to the mountains this year, but the podcast is the next best thing”

Rob Olliff: “I’ve enjoyed listening to The Ski Podcast since lockdown when it helped me keep going during those dark days…I recently found the episode on taking an EV to the Alps particularly useful. We drove to Les Menuires in an EV in Feb and Iain’s advice and tips definitely helped smooth the journey and calmed the nerves about charging in France. Keep up the great work.”

There are now 258 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with and 127 of those were listened to in the last week. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, why not to go theskipodcast.com, have a search around and there is so much in there you’re bound to find something to keep your snow fix going over the summer. 

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast. You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

We find out about this year’s ‘Brits’ – the GB freestyle champs in Mayrhofen, get to know Jibworx and their new community for girls in snowsport, and learn about the Italian ski resort of Passo Tonale. 

We also have our regular snow reports, we announce the winner of our Vallon sunnies competition and Iain reveals a new UK snow challenge for May.

Host Iain Martin was joined by Amelie Cockburn from JibWorx, regular guest Mike ‘The Snow’ Richards and Stu Brass, co-founder and organiser of ‘The Brits’.

Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code
You can help The Ski Podcast and save yourself some money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com. Alternatively, simply take the link in the Show Notes and your discount will automatically be applied. 

SHOW NOTES

Listen to Iain’s deep-dive interview with Stu Brass in Episode 213 (2:30)
Alex Irwin from 150 Days of Winter YouTube channel reported from Courchevel (5:45)
Andy Butterworth from Kaluma Ski is in St Anton (7:30)
Floss Cockle from the FreeFloFloss YT channel reports from Tignes (10:00)
Find out about Iain’s ’25 in 25 Snow Camp Challenge’ (12:30)
Find out more about Snow Camp (13:15)
There was success for Team Carrick Smith at the British Alpine Ski Championships (13:20)
Team Carrick-Smith are sponsored by The Ski Podcast
The Brits 2025 took place in Mayhofen, Austria (19:30)
The last person under 12 to win a Brits title was Mia Brookes (21:00)
Riley Sharp won the Slopestyle and big air titles at just 10 years old (24:00)
Riley won’t be eligible for the Winter Olympics the 2034 Games (24:45)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Lesley McKenna (26:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Ed Leigh (26:30)
What is Jibworx? (29:00)
They put on 30-40 events each winter (29:30)
Amelie’s dissertation was about women in snowsports (33:30)
Find out about The Girls’ Archive (34:00)
Sandra Caune won gold at the European Winter Olympic Festival (37:30)
The Jibworx event vehicle is an adapted American school bus (38:00)
Mike was in Passo Tonale (40:00)
Presena Glacier offers skiing up to 3069m (43:15)
Listen to our ‘Best Ski Boots of 2025’ episode (46:00)
Night skiing is possible in Passo Tonale (47:00)
Vallon’s End of Season Ski Sale is on right now with 25-35% off their ski eyewear range (51:15)

Feedback (49:00)
I really enjoy finding out from listeners what you think of the show. I’m always interested to hear from you, so please do contact me on social @theskipodcast or by email [email protected] 

Skiing Postie: "Episode 243 was very interesting combining my two loves - skiing & train travel. You definitely need to be organised for a trip like that!"

Nigel Winters: "Episode 243 was another great podcast. I loved the story behind this epic trip: train travel, skiing, different out of the way places even a skiing cat!"

Elizabeth Rose: “This is a lifesaver podcast getting me through to my next ski trip. I’m enjoying listening to the back catalog. I love the snow reports, specials, features and the equipment reviews. Thanks also for raising awareness of climate change and the focus on women in snowsport.”

Brae Estate: “I’ve been a follower since the pandemic. It kept my passion for skiing going through the restrictive years and has added to my knowledge ever since. There’s always something new and interesting.”

The winner of the Vallon competition was NorsKSarah on Apple Podcasts: “I have been a listener for the last year or so and love it when a new episode drops. Topics strike a good balance between the most experienced and newcomers to the sport.”

There are now 257 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with and 140 of those were listened to in the last week. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, why not to go theskipodcast.com, look around the tags and categories – there is so much in there you’re bound to find something of interest. 

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:
 
 1) Follow us. Just take a look for that button and press it now
 2) Give us a review or just leave a comment on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
 3) Book your ski hire with Intersport Rent using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ or take this link

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast. You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast. 

In this episode we speak with two British athletes having a breakthrough season in their different disciplines, plus we celebrate a new British world champion.

As well as that we also have our regular snow reports, an update from European Gay Ski Week, competition news and your feedback.

Host Iain Martin was joined in the studio by Team GB slalom ski racer Molly Butler and Skimo athlete Iain Innes and down the line by freestyle skier Zoe Atkin.

Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code
Use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied. 

SHOW NOTES

Molly was in Bormio for the British Championships (0:45)
Iain is based in Chamonix (2:45)
Alex Armand from Tip Top Ski Coaching is in Les 2 Alpes (3:15)
Catherine Murphy reported from Courchevel (4:00)
Robin (Big_Mauntain_Bob) is ski touring in the Lyngen Alps in Norway (5:15)
Win Vallon Watchtower sunglasses by leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts or write a comment on Spotify or Instagram (7:30)
Our next episode - E245 - will go live on 18 April (7:45)
Matt Ware reported from European Gay Ski Week in Val Thorens (8:00)
Zoe Atkin won gold in Ski Halfpipe at the Freestyle World Champ in St Moritz last week (9:45)
Zoe discusses her second run strategy (10:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Zoe in Episode 238 (11:45)
The Carrick-Smith brothers are supported by The Ski Podcast (12:45)
Molly Butler is currently ranked around 150 in the world (13:00)
Molly was selected for the World Championships in Saalbach (14:30)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Martin Bell (17:15)
Molly’s coach is Emma Carrick-Anderson (17:45)
She was brought up in Megeve in France (18:30)
Intervals on the bike is a big part of Molly’s training (21:30)
The challenge of funding (24:00)
Iain Innes previously raced slalom and GS for Team GB (30:00)
Iain took Chemmy Alcott for a Skimo lesson Ski Sunday earlier this winter (29:00)
What is Skimo? (29:15)
Why Skimo? (31:30)
Iain took part in the Courchevel X3 triathlon (cycling/running/ski touring) in 2022 (33:00)
Qualifying for the Olympics (36:30)
Iain races with Claudia Chmielowska in the Mixed Team events (38:00)
Listen to Iain being interviewed on the Storm Skiing podcast (40:00)

Feedback (39:30)
I enjoy all feedback about the show, I’m always interested to hear what you think, so please do contact me on social @theskipodcast or by email [email protected]
 
Billy Mohan: “Loved Episode 243: great work!”

Shon Douglas: "Hugely appreciate your work to keep across all the sustainability improvements taking place across Europe"

Andrew Routledge: "Love that the show is so much more than "This is a nice place to ski". Keep on keeping is informed, inspired as well as entertained."

James Rice: "Just wanted to shoot you a quick note and say that I also enjoyed your episode with Stuart on his Storm Skiing podcast"

There are now 256 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with and 130 of those were listened to in the last week. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, why not to go theskipodcast.com, look around the tags and categories – there is so much in there you’re bound to find something of interest. 

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:
 
 1) Follow us. Just take a look for that button and press it now
 2) Give us a review or just leave a comment on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
 3) Book your ski hire with Intersport Rent using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ or take this link

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast. You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

Today we find out about ‘Going East’ – a new ski film from Arc'teryx – which sees a team of four skiers make their way to ski in Italy, Austria, then Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey – all by public transport with not a single flight! 

In total they took 35 trains, 24 buses, 7 metro, 2 trams and spend over 140 hours travelling. They had to deal with language differences, connections and passport checks in the middle of the night. At one point they lost one member of their team completely!

Yet, when you listen to our conversation, you’ll find out why they think "the journey was as important as the skiing itself" and why they’d do it again. 

Host Iain Martin was joined by Silvia Moser and Joi Hoffman, two of the athletes who made the film. 

Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code
Use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied. 

SHOW NOTES

Win a pair of Watchtower sunnies from Vallon – simply leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or write a comment on Spotify or Instagram (1:15)
Vallon’s End of Season Ski Sale is on now with 25-35% off (1:30)
Silvia is based in Cortina, Italy (2:30)
Iain travelled by train back from Selva Val Gardena (3:15)
Joi is based in Innsbruck, Austria (4:30)
Watch 'Going East' – the new film from Arc'teryx (5:00)
The journey involved taking 35 trains, 24 buses, 7 metro, 2 trams and 140 hours of travelling (8:30)
The team used Interrail tickets for their train travel (9:15)
How did you carry so much camera kit? (11:30)
What about backing up? (12:45)
The other two athletes in the film are Loic Isliker and Max Kroneck (14:00)
The first stop was Tarvisio, Italy (14:30)
Next up was Semmering, Austria (15:30)
Find out more about Stary Smokovec in Slovakia (18:15)
The team stopped in Caransebeș, Romania (22:15)
Arriving in Borovets, Bulgaria was a culture shock (24:30)
Travelling on the night train from Sofia to Istanbul (26:45)
Max went missing in Ankara! (29:30)
In Turkey, the team finished their trip on Mt Hasan (32:00)
The editing process (35:45)
Watch the movie on YouTube: 
https://youtu.be/yzHgzoPEJp4

Feedback
I enjoy all feedback about the show, I’m always interested to hear what you think, so please do contact me on social @theskipodcast or by email [email protected] 

There are now 255 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, why not to go theskipodcast.com, look around the tags and categories – there is so much in there you’re bound to find something of interest. 

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:
 
 1) Follow us. Just take a look for that button and press it now
 2) Give us a review or just leave a comment on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
 3) Book your ski hire with Intersport Rent using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ or take this link

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast. You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast. 

We find out more about Selva Val Gardena in the Italian Dolomites, Saint Gervais in the Haute Savoie region of France and the world’s steepest cable car in Murren, Switzerland. 

Host Iain Martin was joined by freelance journalist Katja Gaskell and Alan Ramsey, sales manager for Schilthorn Cableway - the Murren lift company.

Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code
Don’t forget that if you want to help The Ski Podcast and save yourself some money this winter…all you need to do is to use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book your ski hire at intersportrent.com. 

So simply use that code ‘SKIPODCAST’ or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied. 

SHOW NOTES

Katja was last on the show in Episode 207 (1:00)
Alan was last on the show in Episode 70 discussing the Inferno ski race (1:30)
Andy Butterworth (Kaluma Ski) is in St Anton, Austria (6:00)
Alex Irwin (150 Days of Winter) reported from Courchevel, France (7:30)
Ben Nyberg (Ski Scandinavia) reported from Trysil, Norway (8:30)
Moncler hosted a fashion show in Courchevel last week (9:45)
Luca Carrick-Smith took gold in the GS at the recent World Jr Champs (10:30)
 The Ski Podcast is giving Team Carrick Smith financial support this winter (11:15)
Billy Major recorded his first ever World Cup Top 10, with 9th at Hajfell in Norway (11:15)
Jasmin Taylor currently leads in the Overall, Sprint, and Classic Telemark standings (11:30)
Mia Brookes (Big Air & Slopestyle), Charlotte Bankes (SnowboardX) and Zoe Atkin (Half Pipe) have already won the Crystal Globes in their disciplines (11:45)
Kirsty Muir take her first World Cup victory in Ski Slopestyle last week in Tignes (12:00)
Betony Garner spoke with Kirsty in Tignes (12:30)
Sandra Caune won two medals at the European Youth Olympics (16:45)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Kirsty recorded in April 2023 (18:00)
Find out more about the European Sleeper in Episode 237 (18:30)
Iain was in Selva Val Gardena in the Italian Dolomites (20:45)
Local guide Gunter Costa showed Iain around the ‘Legendary 8’ runs around Val Gardena (21:00)
Katja visited Val Gardena with 80-year-old father (22:00)
Iain skied the famous ‘Sella Ronda’, travelling via Arabba, Val di Fassa and Alta Badia (22:30)
Christina Demetz works at the Val Gardena Tourist Office (25:15)
Find out about the GSTC accreditation that Val Gardena has been awarded (26:30)
The Italian Dolomites are included in the Ikon Pass (28:30)
Katja travelled to St Gervais Le Fayet by train (31:00)
Find out about the new ‘Le Valléen’ lift (32:30)
St Gervais is on the Domain Evasion Mont Blanc lift pass (35:15)
Iain was at the Kandahar Slalom race in Les Houches in Episode 200 (36:30)
There is a thermal spa in St Gervais (39:30)
Find out more about the water-powered Thermes lift (39:45)
Read Katja’s article for Sunday Post
Listen to our Inferno Special Episode (40:30)
Sir Arnold Lunn invented alpine ski racing in Murren (42:30)
Murren has opened the 'world's steepest cable car' (44:00)
It goes from Stechelberg 866m to Murren 1,640m in 4 mins (44:30)
It's the first part of a CHF130m project (45:00)
Mürren (1640m) to Birg (2670m) opened in December 2024 (46:00)
The second track will open in a year’s time (46:30)
Birg to the Schilthorn at 2970m opened in March 2025 (47:00)
‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ was filmed at the Schilthorn in 1969 (50:00)
The view from Murren to the Eiger, Munch and Jungfrau is incredible (51:00)

Feedback (52:30)
I enjoy all feedback about the show, I’m always interested to hear what you think, so please do contact me on social @theskipodcast or by email [email protected] 

Wells Jones: "Listening to your latest episode, I was fascinated by your ski touring adventure on Mount Etna. Your vivid descriptions transported me right there, amidst the eruptions. It’s intriguing how you combined skiing with a unique rail ferry trip in Italy."

Ian Simpson: “We are currently touring in our motorhome and inspired by your podcast to visit Val Cenis. Well worth it and managed a day in Bonneval Sur Arc which is very different and amazing especially for those that like off piste. Keep up the great work.”

There are now 254 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with and 128 of those were listened to in the last week. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, why not to go theskipodcast.com, look around the tags and categories – there is so much in there you’re bound to find something of interest. 

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:
 
 1) Follow us. Just take a look for that button and press it now
 2) Give us a review or just leave a comment on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
 3) Book your ski hire with Intersport Rent using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ or take this link

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast. You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast. 

Iain is joined by adventurer Elise Wortley. In the last 7 years, Elise has taken on some hugely challenging projects to highlight some of the original – and largely forgotten - female mountaineers and explorers. 

What makes her ‘Woman With Altitude’ project unique is that she has climbed and trekked in places such as the Himalayas, the Alps and the Cairngorms using the same equipment and clothing that was available to her female predecessors at the time.

We discuss what it’s like trying to summit Mt Blanc in hobnail boots, how you source a wooden-framed backpack and the challenges of hiking in woollen knickerbockers. 

Elise also featured in the Channel 4 programme ‘Alone’ where she spend over a month in the Canadian wilderness completely alone. 

Discount Code for Intersport Ski Hire
If you are heading to the snow then don’t forget that you can save money when you book your ski hire at intersportrent.com and use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ 

You’ll get a guaranteed discount for ski hire in France, Austria and Switzerland and to make it even simpler you don’t even need to use the code, just take this link and your basket will automatically be reduced. 

SHOW NOTES

Listen to Iain’s previous interviews with:

·       BBC Ski Sunday presenter Chemmy Alcott
·       GB Snowsport CEO, Vicky Gosling 
·       Former Erna Low MD Joanna Yellowlees-Bound
·       Team GB freestyle skier, Zoe Atkin

Inghams are celebrating their 90th anniversary this winter (2:45)
Take a look at Elise’s website ‘Woman With Altitude’ (3:30)
Elise was inspired by Alexandra David-Neel’s book ‘My Journey to Lhasa’ (4:00)
Nan Sheperd wrote ‘The Living Mountain’ after hiking in the Cairngorms (11:30)
Find out more about Iain’s ski touring trip to Ben Lawers in Scotland (15:15)
Find out more about Elise’s Scottish adventure (15:30)
Jane Inglis-Clarke founded the Ladies' Scottish Climbing Club in 1908 (17:00)
Henriette d'Angeville was the first woman to climb Mont Blanc solo (17:30)
Look out for Henriette on the mural in the centre of Chamonix (18:15)
Elise’s hobnail boots were supplied by shoe specialists Trickers (20:15)
Dorothy Pilley wrote the book ‘Climbing Days’ and was the co-founder of the Pinnacle Club (24:00)
Elise travelled from Bastia to Monte Cinto in Corsica in February 2025 (24:30)
Watch the Channel 4 series ‘Alone’ (26:15)
[Spoiler] Elise came second after spending 34 days in the Canadian wilderness (32:00)
Elise will be returning to Chamonix in June 2025 to try and complete her recreation of Henriette d'Angeville’s historic climb (33:00)
Hotelplan are funding Elise’s 2025 attempt on Mont Blanc (34:15)
Only 2% of mountain guides are women (35:30)

FEEDBACK (37:00)
I enjoy all feedback about the show, I’m always interested to hear what you think, so if you enjoyed this episode, please do let me know on social @theskipodcast or by email [email protected] 

We’ve had a couple of items of feedback since the last podcast: 

Emma Budget: “Fantastic podcast! My husband and I have been listening religiously since before Covid. Now that we’re taking our first holidays as a young family, it’s been so useful picking up tips and tricks from your episodes about skiing with kids! It’s unbelievably rewarding skiing the slopes for the first time with them. Thanks for the podcast, we love it!”

Ian Simpson: "Great podcast. Gives me so many travelling ideas especially by train. Any chance you could do one exploring by motorhome? Small community type resorts working together for the van people who like exploring the mountains in Europe."
[Try this episode, Ian]

There are now 253 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with and 166 of those were listened to in the last week. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, why not to go theskipodcast.com and take a look around the tags and categories – you’re bound to find something of interest. 

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:
 
 1) Follow us. Just take a look for that button and press it now
 2) Give us a review or just leave a comment on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
 3) Book your ski hire with Intersport Rent using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ or take this link

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast. You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast. 

Today is a sustainability special, looking at train travel to Morzine, the impact of global warming on the Mer de Glace in Chamonix, plus we take a closer look at Patagonia’s decision to become a company for ‘purpose, not profit’.  

We also have our regular snow reports, the latest news from GB Snowsports and your feedback.

Iain Martin was joined Sara Burton from Montagne Verte in Morzine and Matt Barr from the Looking Sideways Podcast. 

Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code
Don’t forget that if you want to help The Ski Podcast and save yourself some money this winter all you need to do is to use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book your ski hire at intersportrent.com or take this link for your discount to be automatically applied. 

SHOW NOTES

Sara was last on the podcast in Episode 74 (0:45)
Listen to Iain’s experience of staying in an unmanned refuge in Meribel (3:00)
Catherine Murphy is in Kaprun, Austria (6:15)
Betony Garner reported from Combloux, France (8:10)
Floss Cockle from FreeFlo Ski reported from Tignes, France (9:15)
Charlotte Bankes is on course for the Snowboard Cross Crystal Globe (10:45)
Jasmin Taylor could win the Crystal Globe in Telemark Spint and Telemark overall (11:00)
Montagne Verte was formed in 2019 (12:00)
They run their own pre-loved shop in Morzine (14:00)
You can buy and sell second-hand ski wear at WhoSki (16:40)
Other initiatives include collection of food waste (17:00)
Find out about Verbier Green in Episode 206 (17:45)
The AlpinExpress Pass offers discounts to those travelling to resort by train (19:30)
Vialattea (the ‘Milky Way’) in Italy offer discounts for travelling by train (21:45)
Montagne Verte have published a very detailed Train Travel guide (22:00)
Matt has been mentioned in my interviews with Ed Leigh, Chris Moran and Stu Brass (27:00)
He is a previous editor of WhiteLines and runs his own agency, All Conditions Media
He is the host of the Looking Sideways Podcast (28:00)
Listen to 'The Announcement' (32:00)
Patagonia’s announced in September 2022 that it was ‘going purpose, not public’ (32:30)
Patagonia’s famous ‘Don't buy this jacket’
Bernie Sanders: “Billionaires in both parties should not be able to buy elections” (37:30)
Watch Iain’s video about the new €23m Mer de Glace gondola (42:45)
Read Iain’s article about Montenvers and the Mer de Glace at welove2ski (42:45)
The Mer de Glace has thinned 160m since 1990 and lost 3km in length since 1820
By 2019, there were 580 steps to make it back to Chamonix (43:30)
Brad Carlson is a mountain guide in Chamonix (43:45)
Check out the Glacorium if you visit Montenvers (53:15)

Feedback
I enjoy all feedback about the show, I’m always interested to hear what you think, so please do contact me on social @theskipodcast or by email [email protected] 

Julian Holland: "Episode 237 was great as always! Keeping my fingers crossed for a few more dumps in Austria before my two weeks in Lech"

Skiingpostie (Spotify): "3 Zinnen sounds great and I will definitely be looking at a train ski trip soon."

Reid Aiton: "Another great episode"

There are now 252 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with and 137 of those were listened to in the last week. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, why not to go theskipodcast.com and take a look around the tags and categories – there is so much in there you’re bound to find something of interest. 

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:
 
 1) Follow us. Just take a look for that button and press it now
 2) Give us a review or just leave a comment on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
 3) Book your ski hire with Intersport Rent using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ or take this link

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast. You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.