We discuss ski touring on Mt Etna in Sicily, the mountains of Catalonia and Borovets in Bulgaria. 

Host Iain Martin was joined by guests Becs Miles and Mike Richards.

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 simply take this link and your discount will automatically be applied. 

SHOW NOTES

Becs was last on the show in Episode 209, when she was telling us about Trysil in Norway (0:45)
Mike Richards was last on the show as a guest in Episode 226 discussing Hokkaido in Japan (1:15)
He has also been on the show discussing Bosnia, Madesimo, Turkey, North Macedonia, Georgia, Montenegro and Wales (1:30)
Mike called in from Erciyes in Turkey (2:00)
Katja Gaskell reported from Japan (3:30)
Alex Armand (Tip Top Ski Coaching) is in Les 2 Alpes (5:40)
Jen Tsang (That’s LaPlagne) is in La Plagne (6:00)
Freddy Carrick-Smith took gold in the GS & Zak Carrick-Smith took bronze in the Slalom at the European Youth Olympic Festival (8:30)
In freestyle Sandra Caune won gold in ski Big air and bronze in slopestyle and Emily Rothney won gold in the Snowboard Big Air
The Ski Podcast sponsors Team Carrick Smith (9:20)
Find out more about Iain’s train travel journey to Sicily, using an Interrail from Rail Europe (12:30)
The trip involved taking the unique rail ferry from the southern tip of Italy to Messina (13:00)
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/1ysMVLaA6Jc
Iain saw an Italian football match at Empoli on his return journey (16:00)
Mirto Monaco is one of three UAIGM guides on Sicily (17:30)
Ski touring was on Etna Nord out of Piano Provenzala - Etna’s ‘ski resort’ (17:45)
https://youtu.be/7bkj_m-5d6Y
Etna was erupting on the south side of the volcano (19:00)
In 2002, both ski resorts were destroyed by eruptions (25:00)
Iain hiked up to the source of the current eruption to view the lava flow (25:30)
Iain went ski touring in Morrocco in 2019 (27:30)
Becs as ‘glamping’ in Catalonia at Forest Days (28:30)
She did ski touring at the resort of Port del Comte (32:00)
You can try cross country sking in Tuixant (32:30)
Other activities included truffle hunting (33:00)
Becs learned how to search for fire kindling (34:00)
Iain recently drove to Courmayeur and Chamonix in an electric car (35:45)
Mike travelled to Borovets in Bulgaria (38:30)
He stayed at the Hotel Lion (42:15)
Take a look at the piste map for Borovets (44:00)

Feedback
Please send your feedback on the show on social @theskipodcast or by email [email protected]

Matt Sylvestre: "Just wanted to say hello from Pleasant Mountain in Maine, USA. I am obsessed with skiing, kit and technique and enjoyed Episode 235 with Stuart Winchester from the Storm Skiing Podcast.” 

Chris Howie: "Loved Episode 235 of the Ski Podcast today as always. It was super to hear more about the Ikon/Epic passes and how the USA model for skiing is completely different from Europe.”

Jane Gotts: “Really enjoy listening to the podcast”

Anon: “Loving the ski podcast in the car from wet and windy Dublin”

Anon: "Great podcast, Iain. I’ve enjoyed it for ages and attended your talks at The Snow Show. Skiing has generally poor coverage on TV, so podcasts like yours help keep ski enthusiasts like me stoked in between ski trips and seasons. Keep it up!"

The winner of our Vallon goggles competition is Dominic Hales: “Loved listening to Episode 237 about the Dolomites. We just got our photos from a trip in Val Gardena and surely can’t be a more photogenic place.”

There are now 251 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with and 185 of those were listened to in the last week.  You can find old episodes in our back catalog at theskipodcast.com where you can find your next podcast to listen to. 

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. 

Team GB freestyle skier Zoe Atkin has won multiple medals at the X-Games, World Cup and World Championships and is a hot prospect for a podium at next year's Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.

This season the 21-year-old has three World Cup podiums in five competitions, including a win and two second place finishes in her last three events. She will next be in action at next month’s Freestyle World Championships in St Moritz.

Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code
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 interview with BBC Ski Sunday presenter Chemmy Alcott, GB Snowsport CEO Vicky Gosling and former Erna Low MD Joanna Yellowlees-Bound
Zoe did her autumn training in Kitzsteinhorn, Austria (3:30)
Why half-pipe? (5:30)
Training with your competitors (10:00)
Strategy in competition (11:30)
Bringing new tricks into competition (13:00)
Strength and conditioning training (15:30)
Zoe won the half-pipe at the X-Games in 2023 (16:30)
Listen to Iain’s interview with refer Kirsty Muir (18:00)
Zoe recorded back-to-back X-Games podiums with silver in 2024
Listen to Iain’s interview with Vicky Gosling, CEO of GB Snowsport (19:00)
Zoe finished 9th in the half pipe at Beijing 2022 (19:00)
The challenges of testing during the Games (21:00)
Zoe’s sister is Izzy Atkin, who was Britain’s first skier to win a medal at the Olympics (22:30)
Travels after the Winter Olympics (24:15)
Zoe was brought up in Maine and skied from the age of two (25:00)
Her base in now Park City, Utah (26:00)
Zoe is now studying at Stanford University (27:30)
Zoe finished on the podium for six consecutive events after Beijing (29:30)
The plan for winter 24/25 (33:00)

SELECTED RESULTS: FIS WORLD CUP

2025 Women's Freeski Halfpipe, Calgary – 2nd
2025 Women's Freeski Halfpipe, Aspen – 1st
2024 Women's Freeski Halfpipe, Copper Mountain - 3rd
2023 World Championships Women's Ski Superpipe - 2nd
2021 World Championships Women's Ski Superpipe - 3rd
2019 Women's Freeski Halfpipe, Copper Mountain - 1st (16 years old) 

SELECTED RESULTS: X-GAMES
 
2024 Women's Ski Superpipe – 4th 
2024 Women's Ski Superpipe - 2nd
2023 Women's Ski Superpipe - 1st
2020 Women's Ski Superpipe - 5th

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 250 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with and 190 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. 

We find out about 3 Zinnen in the Italian Dolomites, plus we have a train travel focus: looking at the European Sleeper to Italy and trains to Serre Chevalier.

We also have our regular snow reports, gold medal news for Team GB and your ski Valentines stories, plus the chance to win some super-cool Vallon goggles.

Host Iain Martin was joined by Babsi Lapwood from the Mountain Trade Network and Dom Winter from Protect Our Winters UK.

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. 

That applies to any ski hire booked in their massive network across France, Austria and Switzerland – that’s hundreds of resorts. You’ll get a guaranteed additional discount, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied. 

SHOW NOTES

Babsi recently skied in Risoul (1:45)
 Lou Newton from Iglu Ski reported from Bansko in Bulgaria (4:00)
Mike Richards reported from Uludag and Dorukkaya in Turkey (5:15)
Andy Butterworth from Kaluma Ski reported from St Anton (6:30)
Win Vallon Ski Goggles worth £137 – just leave us a comment on Spotify or a review on Apple Podcasts (8:15)
Freddy Carrick-Smith took gold in the Giant Slalom (9:15)
The Ski Podcast supports Team Carrick-Smith
Mia Bookes retained the Big Air Crystal Globe (9:40)
Listen to my interview with Ski Sunday’s Ed Leigh (10:00)
Babsi has been to 3 Zinnen six times already (11:00)
Iain and Babsi both stayed in Innichen San Candido (12:30)
Piste map of the ski area in 3 Zinnen (14:30)
Try night skiing in Innichen (17:00)
Iain tried snow shoeing for the first time in 3 Zinnen (18:00)
The heating in Innichen is powered by woodchip and sawdust (20:45)
Atto and Botanic are two great family owned restaurants in Innichen (21:30)
Iain stayed at the Hotel Tyrol in Innichen (21:45)
Dom was last on the show in our London Ski Show special (23:00)
Find out about the WSF/POW video challenge on eco ways to get to the slopes (24:00)
There is also information on Instagram
Dom travelled by train to Serre Chevalier (25:00)
Serre Chevalier has a great record on sustainability (28:00)
Iain travelled to 3 Zinnen on the European Sleeper service from Belgium (30:00)
Iain interviewed Chris Engelsman from European Sleeper back in Episode 221 (30:30)
Read Iain’s review of the journey on Ski Flight Free (33:30)
Find out more about the European Sleeper here (36:30)
Thanks to Ed, Sasha, Ian and Mike for their Ski Valentine’s stories 

Feedback (41:00)
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] 

Oliver Padgett: “Thanks for all the time and effort you put into making a great podcast. Keep up the great work.”

Will Cursham: “I’ve just started listening to your podcast at the ripe old age of 49. I love it! Lots of interesting stuff about skiing. Being a bit of a geek, I love the behind-the-scenes stuff, I’d love to hear more about how resorts work, maintaining the infrastructure etc. Keep going with the podcast, and I’ll keep listening!”

There are now 249 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. 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. 

This special episode of The Ski Podcast is an exclusive interview with BBC presenter Ed Leigh. 

Ed tells us how the ‘Ski Sunday’ season has gone so far, including why his co-presenter, Chemmy Alcott, was a natural when it came to snowboarding. 

We cover his journey from Turin 2006 to Paris 2024, where he commentated on the BMX and skateboarding, before discussing the ridiculous talent of Mia Brookes, Britain’s 18-year-old world champion snowboarder.

Finally, I asked Ed about the Natural Selection Tour. We talk about the format, how it’s evolved and where you can watch it this winter.

Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code
If you want to help The Ski Podcast and save yourself some money this winter…just use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book your ski hire at intersportrent.com.

That applies to any ski hire booked in their massive network across France, Austria and Switzerland. You’ll get a guaranteed additional discount, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied. 

SHOW NOTES
 
Ed was last on the show in Episode 169 (2:30)
He was last on snow at Zugspitze above Garmisch (3:15)
Working with the Ski Sunday team (5:00)
Was Chemmy really a natural snowboarder? (10:00)
Listen to Warren Smith talking about coaching Louis Smith on ‘The Jump’ (10:30)
Ed on his ski racing lessons (12:00)
Presenting Ski Sunday with a serious injury (13:30)
Ed’s first BBC work was at the 2006 Turin Olympics (15:30)
Starting on Ski Sunday (17:15)
Filming ‘High Altitude’ (17:45)
Commentating on the BMX and Skateboarding in Paris 2024 (22:00)
“Every time I heard you or Tim Warwood’s voice I knew there’d be something fun to watch!” (25:00)
Is skateboarding selling out? (27:00)
Why don’t we see more freestyle snowboarding and skiing on Ski Sunday? (30:00)
Mia Brookes’ amazing season (32:30)
Is she stronger at slopestyle or big air? (33:00)
Charlotte Bankes as another potential medallist at Cortina 2026? (34:45)
Maisie Hill’s prospects (36:45)
Who is Txema Mazet Brown? (38:15)
What is the Natural Selection Tour? (40:30)
‘Designed for athletes, not spectators’ (40:45)
The Natural Selection Tour includes mountain biking, surfing, skiing and snowboarding (43:00)
It was founded by Travis Rice in Jackson Hole (43:45)
What's the format? (47:45)
The snowboarding takes place in Revelstoke from 10-17 March (50:45)
You can watch the Natural Selection Tour on RedBull TV (51:00)
Can you compare the X-Games and Natural Selection Tour (51:00)
Does the X-Games use AI judging? (53:15)

Feedback
 
I enjoy all feedback about the show, so please do contact me on social @theskipodcast or by email [email protected] 

Dave Mills and James Rice very kindly bought me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

Dave: “Iain, love your podcast. It’s essential listening all year round, but never more so than during the ski season. Bravo!”

James: “I’m a huge fan of The Storm Skiing Podcast, so it was great to have him on your show. As an American, one of the things I really enjoy about your podcast is that it offers me a glimpse into a completely different ski and travel culture. I often listen to The Ski Podcast and inevitably add a resort or experience to my dream list of ski holidays.” 

There are now 248 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with and 152 of those were listened to in the last week. 

If you enjoyed this episode, then go to theskipodcast.com where you’ll find plenty of other interviews, destinations, experiences and adventures to entertain you on your commute, run, gym workout or wherever you listen to your podcasts. 
 
 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.

We find out about Big Sky Resort in Montana and look into the multipass options in the States, including the Epic, Ikon, Indy and Mountain Collective passes.

We also have our regular snow reports, your feedback, Team GB news and equipment expert Al Morgan reports from the SIGB Ski Test in La Clusaz. 

Host Iain Martin was joined by Nancy Shiel, Head of Ski Patrol at Big Sky Resort in Montana, and Stuart Winchester, host of the Storm Skiing Podcast.

Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code
If you want to help The Ski Podcast and save yourself some money this winter…just use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book your ski hire at intersportrent.com. 

That applies to any ski hire booked in their massive network across France, Austria and Switzerland. You’ll get a guaranteed additional discount, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied. 

SHOW NOTES

Tim Hudson from Inspired Italy is in the Dolomites (5:45)
Alex Armand from Tip Top Ski Coaching is in Les 2 Alpes (7:00)
Alex Irwin from 150 Days of Winter is in Courchevel (7:30)
Mia Brookes finished 3rd at the X Games Slopestyle in Aspen (9:15)
Jasmin Taylor now has three wins this season in the Telemark World Cup (9:30)
Laurie Taylor tied with Dave Ryding for 15th at Kitzbuhel (9:40)
Freddy and Zak Carrick Smith will be taking part in the European Youth Olympics (9:45)
Ski kit expert Al Morgan was out at the SIGB Ski Test in La Clusaz (10:20)
Listen to our equipment episodes or watch them on YouTube (12:45)
Nancy has been working on the ski patrol at Big Sky for over 20 years (13:15)
Watch the Big Sky Ski Patrol in action (15:00)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f896Bsukqi0
“Big Sky is titanic, sprawling, impossible” (16:15)
Big Sky is in south-west Montana (16:45)
You can visit Yellowstone National Park in winter from Big Sky (17:30)
The resort has 5850 acres of skiable terrain and has 400 inches annual of snowfall (18:45)
The Lone Peak Tram is a standout lift (20:00)
Peter Landsman in Episode 181 described it one of the lifts you must ride (20:15)
Stuart is host of the Storm Skiing Podcast (24:00)
“Everyone’s searching for skiing’s soul. I’m trying to find its brains” (24:15)
The Epic Pass started in 2008 (28:00)
The issue of overcrowding in US ski resorts (32:00)
The Ikon Pass has introduced ‘reservations’ to limit overcrowding (33:00)
The Indy Pass is “the coolest thing going” (34:15)
Glencoe and The Snow Centre in the UK are both on the Indy Pass (37:30)
Will there be mergers between the multipasses? (37:45)
Find out about the Mountain Collective Pass (38:30)
Epic Pass sales were down 2% for the 24/25 winter (39:00)
Vail Resorts had to deal with a ski patrol strike in Park City in December (39:15)
Vail Resorts have acquired Andermatt and Crans Montana in Europe (41:00)
If you visit Big Sky, you need to try Uncle Dan’s Cookies (41:30)
You can follow The Ski Podcast on WhatsApp (44:00)

Feedback (42:00)
 
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] 

Charlie Owen: "I enjoyed your interview with Mark Smith – the Man in Seat61"

Charlie Henry Mack: "Episode 232 was great"

Marcus: "I just wanted to drop you a note to say that I have started listening to the podcast on my drive into work and it’s great! Brilliant to have such a good UK-based ski podcast."

There are now 247 episodes of The Ski Podcast. 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 and 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 or WhatsApp

We finding out about driving to the Alps in an electric vehicle, discuss Courmayeur in Italy, plus we have an entrepreneur focus talking to the founders of two snowsports companies.

We also have our regular snow reports, your feedback, news on more World Cup wins for Team GB plus an update from Dave Ryding ahead of the World Champs in Saalbach.

Iain was joined by Erin Flynn, founder of the clothing company Ruanua and Simon Hooper, founder of Whitestorm, the ski hire company in Courchevel and Meribel. 

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. 

That applies to any ski hire booked in their massive network across France, Austria and Switzerland – that’s hundreds of resorts. You’ll get a guaranteed additional discount, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied. 

SHOW NOTES

Iain was in Les 2 Alpes in April 2024 (1:30)
Catherine Murphy reported on the new Jandri 3S lift in Episode 232 (2:30)
Iain reported on snow conditions in Chamonix last weekend (4:30)
Before that he was skiing in Courmayeur, Italy (5:00)
Mike Richards reported from Erciyes in Turkey (5:30)
Floss Cockle reported from Tignes (6:45)
Mia Brookes won the Slopestyle at the Laax Open (8:00)
Jasmin Taylor took a gold and silver in the Telemark World Cup (8:45)
Dave Ryding was talking about the World Champs coming up in Saalbach (9:00)
Regular listeners may recall I took the Flight Free UK pledge in 2024
Iain is taking the Flight Free Pledge again in 2025 (12:15)
Iain founded Ski Flight Free in 2019 (12:00)
Iain drove a BMW iX M60 electric vehicle to Courmayeur and Chamonix (13:00)
For charging, Iain used the Ionity network all the way (15:00)
For more advice on EVs in the Alps there’s an excellent page on SNO.co.uk website (16:00)
Ruanua is a new resortwear brand (18:00)
Erin worked as a ski instructor in Saalbach (19:30)
Ruanua uses stock fabric which is already made and unused (22:45)
Garments are made PFC-free with RDS certified Down (24:45)
Ruanua launched in autumn 2024 (27:00)
Simon founded Whitestorm in 2012 in Courchevel 1850 (30:00)
He now employs 21 staff (33:00)
The trend to ski rental as baggage fees have increased (34:45)
Iain reported on the new Courchevel Saulire cable car in Episode 229 (36:30)
Watch Iain’s video about the Skyway Monte Bianco lift in Courmayeur (37:00)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V055PF5enZA
Join The Ski Podcast WhatsApp channel (41:00)

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] 

Jack Kelly: "Love the show!"
 
Kosta: "The equipment specials have been very good this year and Al communicates the nuances of design very well. The interviews also have been interesting and have shown the work that happens behind most people’s one week holiday. Keep up the good work"

Helen Keast (Spotify): "Really enjoyed Episode 232 with Mark Smith”

There are now 244 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up. There is so much to listen to in our previous episodes, just go to theskipodcast.com and search 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

Today is a special interview with Mark Smith – the train travel expert also known as ‘The Man in Seat 61’. 

We discuss his background; how he came to set up his website seat61.com; his views on the best routes to the Alps by train; the trend towards night trains; plus whether there will ever be competition for Eurostar on the cross-channel line. 

Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code
If you’re heading to the Alps this winter, then you can save 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

Seat61.com is a multiple award-winning website with more than 1m visitors per month (2:00)
Why is it called ‘Seat 61’? (2:30)
What prompted you to start the site in 2001? (4:15)
Mark has worked full time on Seat61.com since 2007 (7:00)
Iain took the ‘Flight Free Pledge’ to take no flights in 2024 (8:45)
Why should people travel by train? (9:00)
Come for the carbon savings, stay for the joy of travelling by train (9:15)

“We're in danger of creating a world where every single journey is an identical non-experience at 30,000 feet and life's too short not to grab every experience when you get the chance.” (11:30)

Listen to Iain’s report on the Eurostar Snow Train (13:00)
Will Eurostar ever bring back that direct service? (13:30)
Or that they might increase the number of rotations? (15:45)
Will we see competition to Eurostar on the cross-channel HS1 line? (18:00)
Virgin are interested in starting as a competitor to Eurostar (18:30)
When will the line from Paris to Turin open again? (21:00)
Taking the train to Italian ski resorts (23:00)
Taking the train to Austria (24:00)
Taking the train to Norway (25:00)
The Caledonian Sleeper is ‘Best train in the UK’ according to Mark (26:00)
Simon Calder and Mark raced to Edinburgh in a plane v. train race (27:30)
Night trains are becoming more popular (28:30)
OBB’s ‘Nightjet’ service is the biggest operator of night trains in Europe (29:30)
The Nightjet to Innsbruck departs from Amsterdam (31:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Chris Engelsman, co-founder of European Sleeper (31:30)
Mark will be on the inaugural European Sleeper service (32:30)
Boutique operators include Snälltåget and European Sleeper (33:30)
How do you keep the costs of train travel down? (35:00)
When is Interrail better value than point-to-point tickets? (37:00)
Why do you have to wait to three months beforehand until you can book trains? (38:30)
Iain will be travelling to Sicily on the only train ferry left in Europe (40:45)
Is it possible to travel from Portugal to Singapore by train? (42:00)
Take the plunge, you’ll love it! (44:00)

“Collectively we are racing through spectacular landscapes, covering a mile every 40 seconds, using Victorian infrastructure to the full and causing minimal environment harm. The rail traveller is in touch with the world.”

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]
 
 Dan Trapp: "Keep up the great work. And have a great season!"
 Alex Nevill (BMAC): "Love this podcast, always gets me in the mood for the ski season"

There are now 245 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with and a whopping 202 of those were listened to in the last week.

There is so much to listen to in our back catalog, just go to theskipodcast.com and have a look around - you’re bound to find something that sparks your 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

We find out about skiing in Montenegro and Tignes, what it’s like at European Gay Ski Week and we look at the new Jandri 3S lift in Les 2 Alpes.

We also have our regular snow reports, your feedback and news on World Cup wins for Team GB.

Host Iain Martin is joined by freelance journalist Mary Novakovich, Matt Ware from European Gay Ski Week and regular guest, Catherine Murphy. 

Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code
If you’re heading to the Alps this winter, then you can save 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

Catherine on the show in Episode 230 telling us about the WhamWalk in Saas Fee (2:00)
Find out about slope safety in Episode 229 (3:45)
Matt will be at Swiss Gay Ski Week in Arosa (4:45)
Mike Greenland reported from Jahorina, Bosnia (6:00)
Jen Tsang, That’s La Plagne, La Plagne, France (7:20)
Andy Butterworth, Kaluma Ski, St Anton, Austria (10:00)
There has been skiing in England at Weardale and the Lake District (13:00)
https://x.com/skipedia/status/1877261678758318563
Mia Brookes took her 2nd win of the season at Klagenfurt (13:30)
Txema Mazet-Brown came 9th at Klagenfurt and is one to watch out for (14:00)
Dave Ryding was 10th in Madonna di Campiglio (14:45)
The Team GB bobsleigh team won the Winterberg World Cup race (15:00)
The Carrick Smith boys update us on training and recovery from injury (15:20)
Iain used his Carv 2 for the first time in Tignes (19:45)
Iain travelled to Tignes in a luxury splitter van from Vans for Bands (21:45)
There was a lot of snow on the roof! (22:00)
Iain ran across ‘le lac’ in Tignes (23:00)
Catherine tried ice floating in Tignes (23:30)
The ESF ‘Fleche’ race was great fun (24:45)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okczVRVdwtk
Iain spoke with Olivier Duch, deputy mayor of Tignes (26:00)
Find out more about sustainability in Tignes (27:00)
The snow groomers in Tignes all run on HVO rather than diesel (27:30)
The Mountain Shaker takes place from 08-14 March in Tignes (29:15)
Tignes will host the Paralpine World Championships in 2027 (31:30)
Read Mary’s article about skiing in Montenegro (34:00)
Fly into Podgorica and stay in Kolasin (36:00)
European Gay Ski Week takes place in Val Thorens from 22-29 March (42:00)
Find out more about ‘Le Board’ in VT in Episode 165 (44:00)
Packages start from €159 for event pass and accom sharing (46:30)
Sharing options make it very affordable for solo travellers
The Jandri 3S lift opened in December (48:00)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz0hrmQgVGg
Find out about the ‘Last Ride Project’ in Episode 230 (55:30)
We are the lookout for Ski Valentines...did you meet your partner on a ski holiday or doing a ski season, and do you fancy sharing your story? Drop me an email to [email protected]

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] 

Joseph Childs: "Thank you for the podcast, I always look forward to the episodes!" plus book suggestion (Higher Love, Kit Deslauriers)

Katie Waddington: “Enjoyed listening to the John Yates-Smith episode (233)”

Ed Clapham: "I’m really enjoying the ski podcast. It’s got a great mix of guests and for someone who’s been skiing for nearly 40 years, I still find myself learning something new when listening to it."

There are now 244 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. There is so much to listen to in our back catalog, just go to theskipodcast.com and search 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

We focus on ski touring in this equipment special. Iain and Al look at the best skis and ski boots for people wanting an ‘all-rounder’ set up or a dedicated lightweight touring set up, as well as discussing layers and the different bindings available.  

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

SHOW NOTES

What is ski touring? (5:30)
What are ‘skins’? (6:00)
How are the bindings different? (7:30)
Iain went ski touring in Morocco (9:30)
How important is weight? (11:00)
Al’s weight comparison example (11:45)

A 95mm freeride ski will weigh upwards of 1,650g per ski in a 175cm length
An equivalent touring ski would be 200-400g lighter per ski. In this case, we’ll use 300g per ski
A regular freeride binding would be around 1,000g per binding
An equivalent Kingpin is around 300g lighter per binding
A regular Alpine boot is around 2,000g per boot (in a 26.5MP)
An equivalent freeride touring boot can be 500g lighter per boot
 
For skis, binding and boots, a ‘lightweight’ set up could be 2.8kg lighter overall: equivalent to saving 14kg off your backpack

The Best ‘All Round’ Touring Skis – Salomon QST98 - £550 (18:30)
The Best ‘Lightweight’ Touring Skis – Atomic Backland 88 - £500 (20:30)
What is a Split Board? (23:45)
Buy your snowboard kit at The Snowboard Asylum
The Best ‘All Round’ Touring Boots – K2 Mindbender BOA - £625 (26:00)
The Best ‘All Round’ Lightweight’ Touring Boots - Scarpa Gea/Maestrale RS - £670 (29:00)
How important are layers? (32:00)
Listen to our ‘Best Ski Jackets of 2025’ episode (32:30)
Montane have a range of ski touring layers (34:15)
Iain uses Montane for his trail running races (35:00)
Al uses the Rab Mythic G down jacket - £450 (36:00)
How to use poles when ski touring (37:00)
What sort of gloves should you take? (39:30)
Helmets for ski touring (40:00)
Listen to our ‘Best Ski Helmets of 2025’ episode
Iain uses the Oakley Mod BC helmet (£220) 
Eric Button is the founder of the Zoa Portable lift(41:45)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Blair Aitken from British Backcountry Skiing (49:45)
The Wild Ski Weekend is at the Glenmore Lodge in March 2025 (50:30)
Iain used the Carv in Tignes (53:30)
Al recommends Nunchucks as a good option for audio while wearing a helmet (54:30)

ELLIS BRIGHAM’S CHOICE (47:15)
Matt Brown works for Ellis Brigham in Aviemore

FEEDBACK
 
I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email [email protected] 

Episode 231 with John Yates Smith produced a lot of comment: 

Paul Bond: "Of all the topics that could be on the podcast, the choice of pellets for a shot gun wasn’t one I had on my bingo card!"

David Bell: “Hi Iain, I must say I enjoyed your interview with John so much , what a great character with a great life story to tell, and a refreshingly honest outlook. I was laughing along with you.”

Anthony Benson: “John you’re a legend! You taught me a lot about life working for you when I was 19 in Val and Corsica and also working for your brother Dick. They were the best years of my life and I remember the time the Corsicans tried to burn the Valinco down!”

Quin R: “Absolutely loved the podcast with John Yates-Smith.” 
 
David Lindsay: "Only just listened to the ski boot special. What an excellent podcast - Al really knows his stuff."

If you like the podcast, there are thre things you can do to help:
 
1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify – helps listeners find us
2) Subscribe, so you never miss an episode
3) Or you can Buy Me A Coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

We now have 243 episodes to catch up with. There is so much to listen to in our back catalog, just go to theskipodcast.com and search around the tags and categories: you might not end up listening to every episode, but you’re bound to find something of interest to you. 
 
You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

This special episode of The Ski Podcast featuring Val d'Isère legend John Yates-Smith. 

John is just starting his 50th winter in the resort. He started in the 70s in the early years of the British ski industry and went on to run Bladon Lines’ operations in Val d'Isère for a decade. 

In 1991, he co-founded his own chalet company, YSE Ski, which has now been offering ski holidays in VDI for over 30 years. 

SHOW NOTES

Read Iain’s article about Bladon Lines (2:00)
YSE is a Val d'Isère specialist founded in 1991 (2:45)
“YSE is run by hyper-efficient ladies” (3:00)
Fiona Easdale is the ‘E’ of ‘YSE’
“Brexit has been a nightmare for us” (4:00)
John’s first ski season was with John Morgan in 1975/76 (8:00)
“The best skiing in the world and a lot of very pretty chalet girls” (8:15)
Is being a KP the best job in the Alps? (9:00)
John’s brother opened ‘Dick’s Tea Bar’ (12:30)
In 1982, John started working for Bladon Lines (16:00)
The company was founded by Mark Lines and Simon Bladon in 1978 (16:30)
Bladon Lines staff jackets were so colourful they became known as the ‘Parrots’ (18:00)
“I hated my parrot jacket and refused to wear it!” (18:15)
Telex was the typical mode of communication (21:00)
Transfers before the Geneva-Albertville motorway could take up to 13 hours (26:00)
In 1991 John started YSE with Fiona Easdale after Bladon Lines sacked her (33:00)
In 1995, Inghams bought the brand for next to nothing (35:30)
“I was absolutely delighted to see Bladon Lines go” (35:30)
John set up the Bladon Lines summer operation in Corsica (37:00)
The Hotel Valinco was built with sand from the beach (38:00)
John had some attention from the Corsican mafia? (39:15)
“There are no honest people in Corsica!” (39:45)
John’s car was set on fire… (41:00)
“What gun have you got?” (42:30)

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] 

Dave Mills: "Great podcast and adds to the excitement of another ski season"

Adam Fisher: "Good work with the podcast. I really enjoyed the Japan and Joanna Lees episodes.”

Mike Greenland: "Always entertaining!”

There are now 241 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. There is so much to listen to in our previous episode, just go to theskipodcast.com and search 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

Cover Photo courtesy of Felice Hardy, Action Packed Travel