Val d’Isère Podcast : Doodles in the Snow : Skiing, Daily Fun, Facts and Arty Tales.

1. Weather 21st December 2025
2. Conny wins cheese and a calf.
3. French brothers in Italian downhill.
4. GBs Jaz Taylor Sprints to Telemark Gold.
5. Go Golden Zoe !
6. Eddie the Eagle Panto Star.
7. Book next season's holiday at this season's price.
8. Tignes Talent Art Competition.
9. Check out the Calendar page for Christmas events.
10. Avalanche Pup.
11. Remembering Dr Pétri.

Link to the website.

Calendar

Special Offers I have Spied....

Val piste and lift live info.

Tignes piste and lift live info.

Val Webcams

Tignes Webcams

Lindsey Vonn added a bronze to this season’s silver and gold, in yesterday’s Downhill here in Val.The winner, Austria’s Cornelia Huetter won a large Beaufort cheese, a gold medal and a live calf. Today is the Super G.

Marco Odermatt continued his medal haul by coming 2nd in Italy’s downhill, while Sam and Nils Alphand, brothers from Serre Chevalier got respectable places.

GB Golds for both Telemarker Jaz Taylor and Freeskier Zoe Atkin.

Eddie the Eagle….. of Olympic ski jumping infamy…now in Panto in Rickmansworth.

If you like to plan ahead

Way ahead

VIP Chalets have a good offer

That might tempt you.

If you have an artistic streak, and live or work in Tignes,Enter Tignes Talent.

Don’t forget to look regularly at the Calendar page.

Fat Biking this evening

Christmas events in Val

Mullit are busy playing

Here, St Foy and Les Arcs

And

There are some good

Films at the conference centre

On the 29th

I have put a link to a short

Clip of one such Pisteur pup

Ears flopping in the wind

On his first day at work

America honours

Anne Frank .

Did you hear about Val’s

Dr Pétri,

Who sheltered

A Jewish teenage girl

during the War.

The book

Two Sisters : Betrayal, love and resistance in Wartime France

Shares this story.

1. Weather 20th December 2025
2. Ladies World Cup Downhill on Bellevarde's OK.
3. Last day for the men in Val Gardena.
4. British skier dies in Les Arcs.
5. Olympic Jurassic Park.
6. Sleeping on the Slopes.
7. Noisy student weeks.
8. GB’s snowboard star out for the season.
9. Global Go Caroling Day.

Link to the website.

Calendar

Special Offers I have Spied....

Val piste and lift live info.

Tignes piste and lift live info.

Val Webcams

Tignes Webcams

More World Cup racing today in Val….. Ladies Downhill…. Will Lindsey Vonn win again ? Or Tignes speedy Laura ?

The men have their last day of racing in Val Gardena. Marco Odermatt has a first and a second under his bib and now has 50 World Cup wins, putting him joint 4th of all time winners.

Mikaela Shiffrin, of course, has more wins than any of the legendary men…

Sadly a 24-year-old British skier died in Les Arcs after falling 300 metres down a steep couloir.

Dolomite news continues…. Dinosaur tracks have been found…. 210 million years after the long necked beasts stomped across the land.

Sölden is struggling to cope with

Drunk tourists.

This time, a car was parked in the middle of a ski slope.

La Plagne is threatening the tour operators that bring 17,000 students that they must stop the nighttime noise and damage, or they will be banned.

Even in Val, after 22.00 if you want music and dancing, without meeting the Police or Gendarmes, go to a nightclub.

Emily Rothney, Team GBs snowboard star will miss the Olympics while recovering from a ACL tear.

Global Go Caroling : today is the day to sing carols.

1. Weather 18th December 2025
2. Chaos in the Dolomites.
3. The World’s Speediest Ladies are in Town.
4. World Cup men’s downhill in Val Gardena today.
5. Farmers blocking roads today.
6. Fly to short steep Courchevel airport.
7. Man found dead in car boot.
8. Heliskiing deal if you have a snowy job.
9. UN Migrants day.

Link to the website.

Calendar

Special Offers I have Spied....

Val piste and lift live info.

Tignes piste and lift live info.

Val Webcams

Tignes Webcams

Mixed weather. Inconsistent forecasts.

La Face is still very solid after the races, and now the OK is being used for training today and tomorrow before the weekends World Cup ladies downhill and Super G.

The men are racing in Val Gardena today. 8 Frenchmen, but no Brits.

If you are travelling today….be aware that the farmers are protesting so could disrupt your journey.

If you are going to the Three Valleys, why not fly to Courchevel. The high, short, steep runway can make nervous fliers panic, but it doesn’t have to be expensive.

We are lucky with our current snow cover – in the Dolomites they are suffering, so slopes are closed, crowds are growing and lift queues insufferable.

There was a bad accident near Chambery – five young adults in the car were injured and one was found dead, in the boot.

If you work in any capacity in the snow industry you could apply for a SPECIAL price with SEABA and enjoy a week’s heliskiing in Alaska.

UN International Migrants Day…. There is a big migrant community of ski addicts in Val.

1. Weather 17th December 2025.
2. Freddy Carrick-Smith wins Europa Cup Giant Slalom.
3. Mikaela Shiffrin won the Night Slalom.
4. Cyprien Sarrazin is back on skis.
5. Mariah Carey singing at the Winter Olympics.
6. Olympic accommodation.
7. Take your helmet to La Rosière.
8. Check your bindings.
9. Frost bitten climbers.
10. 19-year-old lady found dead on a blue run.
11. Know your Mushrooms.
12. Visiting Firemen.
13. L’Officiel Riviera special Val edition.
14. Pamper your phone.

Link to the website.

Calendar

Special Offers I have Spied....

Val piste and lift live info.

Tignes piste and lift live info.

Val Webcams

Tignes Webcams

Freddy Carrick-Smith wins Europa Cup Giant Slalom and Mikaela Shiffrin Courchavel's World Cup night Slalom.

France's Cyprien Sarrazin is finally back on skis after his near fatal accident a year ago.

Mariah Carey is performing in the Opening Ceremony in Milan.

Olympic Athletes in Cortina will be housed in posh and cosy mobile homes.

If you are going skiing in La Rosière, and are planning to nip to La Thuile, maybe for a pasta lunch, remember that you need to have a helmet to ski in Italy, or risk a fine.

A halfpipe skier had an interesting binding moment.... came off at both heels when landed in World Cup event.

Another complicated night rescue of inexperienced, ill equipped and badly dressed climbers., this time near Grenoble.

In Vars, a 19-year- old French lady was found dead on a blue run, after the pistes had closed. Her autopsy is awaited and an investigation has been opened.

Don't confuse your True and False Morels........ several people in a small village have feasted on the false ones and now have a serious neurological disease.

If firemen arrive at your door....buy a calendar.... all in a good cause...

There is a special Val edition of L’Officiel Riviera.

Device appreciation day.... pamper your phone.... or ski to lunch at the Panoramic......

1. Weather 16th December 2025.
2. Crampons for walking safely in town.
3. Episode 90 !! New live piste, lift and webcam links added.
4. Italian Helicopters are moving snow.
5. Snow garments from fishing nets.
6. Tree2Forest
7. Polar Tales at the Barmes de L'Ours.
8. Team GB’s Victoria Palla in tonight’s slalom.
9. Speed Riding and Parapenting accidents in Val.
10. Czech teacher dies after hitting a tree.
11. Pick up the poo.
12. Gendarmes unimpressed by public pee-er.
13. Chocolate coated skiing.

Link to the website.

Calendar

Special Offers I have Spied....

Val piste and lift live info.

Tignes piste and lift live info.

Val Webcams

Tignes Webcams

Be very careful on our pavements – crampons are highly recommended.

Ones with small studs.

Ones with metal coils.

OC system

Environmentalists angered by moving snow with helicopters.

More ecofriendly is The Vuori Snow line.

Or Tree2Forest.

Barmes de L’Ours

Has an annual art exhibition.

Free to go to.

This year is ‘Polar Tales’.

Team GB’s Victoria Palla is racing in tonight’s World Cup Slalom in Courchavel.

A speedrider crashed in the Manchet Valley but was whisked to hospital in a helicopter.

A few days earlier a parapenter had landed, uninjured, in a tree.

In Austria last week, a 64-year-old Czech teacher, on a school trip, died after hitting a tree.

When out with a dog… always pick up their poo. Fines for those that don’t.

US National Chocolate covered anything……

1. Weather 15th December 2025.
2. Winter Weekend Traffic.
3. Val's World Cup Men's Slalom.
4. Super G winner saddened by Bondi Beach slaughter.
5. Mikaela Shiffrin missed gate but French Romane came second.
6. Gold for Team GBs Charlotte Banks and Huw Nightingale
7. Zoe’s Chinese Silver.
8. Failed midnight search by Mountain Gendarmes
9. Don't ski down or walk-up closed pistes.
10. Funds raised for Val's Club des Sports.
11. Win a Trip to the Olympics.
12. Petit Danois Birthday party.
13. Hanukkah.

Link to the website.

Calendar

Special Offers I have Spied....

Yesterday men’s World Cup Slalom on La Face was won by Norweigan Timon Haugan, though Team GB’s Laurie Taylor raced well and finished 12th.

This is the link if you have any spare pennies to sponsor

The Carrick-Smiths brothers. Two were racing in Val this weekend.

Lindsey Vonn finished 4th in the Super G in St Moritz. Mikaela Shiffrin was going well until she missed the last gate. Tignes Laura Gauché came fifth.

It was won by Sydney Born Alice Robinson – her first Super G win, but the day was overshadowed by the slaughter on Bondi Beach.

Team GBs Charlotte Banks and Huw Nightingale

Were busy in Cervinia, winning the Team Snowboard Cross World Cup !

22-year-old Zoe Atkin won silver in the freeski halfpipe World Cup in China.

The Mountain Gendarmes had a fruitless night search for a missing 23-year-old seasonal worker, who turned up for work at 9 am unaware that he had been reported missing.

Don’t ski or walk up a closed piste. A groomer narrowly avoided flattening a ski tourer.

The charity fundraiser at the weekend raised 109,000 euros for Val’s Club des Sports.

FlexBeam are running a competition….A trip to the Olympics.

To enter you need to buy a FlexBeam before the end of December.

Tonight is the 30th Birthday Party for Le Petit Danois

1. Weather 14 December 2025
2. Val's World Cup Giant Slalom
3. Local Hero Clément Noël racing today in Val's Slalom
4. A proud knee surgeon !
5. Lindsey Vonn and Mikaela Shiffrin racing in the Giant Slalom
6. Don't miss out ! Keep an eye on the Calendar Page.
7. Val's future champions dancing at the Folie.
8. Skiing looks cheaper than football.
9. Check your kit !
10. Revise your piste etiquette
11. Light a candle..... remember.

Link to the website.

Calendar

Special Offers I have Spied....

The Swiss hogged the podium for yesterday's Giant Slalom in Val d’Isère !

Racers in today's slalom include four from Team GB, and 2 from Val d’Isère

Including 28-year-old Reigning Olympic slalom Champion Clément Noël.

Over in St Moritz Lindsey Vonn added a 2nd place in yesterday's downhill.

Whoever replaced her knee must be a proud surgeon !

She will be racing in the slalom today, with speedy skier Mikaela Shiffrin.

A good race to watch !

Do keep an eye on the Calendar page. I add anything that may interest you.

For instance

Today there is a toy sale in Tignes….

Mullit are doing an après ski gig in St Foy

Or you could have an intro to Fat Biking for free, here in Val.

Val's young ski champions were dancing

at the Folie last night.

Is skiing cheaper than following your favourite football team ?

On basic maths, it seems that way.....

Do reacquaint yourself with your kit.

If your boots have two modes...

only ski when they are in ski mode....

Revise your piste etiquette...

look before you start from the side of a slope.

Don't wait over a roll.

Light a candle at 19.00 today

and remember friends and family that left too soon.

1. Weather for The 70th Critérium de la Première Neige.
2. Men's World Cup Giant Slalom on The Face de Bellevarde today.
3. Lindsey Vonn won in St Moritz.
4. 3 Swiss Olympic Champions are injured.
5. Double gold for Australian Mogul skiers.
6. Tik Tok isn’t recommended off piste training.
7. Vie Val d'Is party.
8. Storm Bram messing with Scottish Snow.
9. Skiing into a 60-foot hole.
10. 2 views same lunch.
11. Check when hiring a car.
12. FFS skiers dancing at the Folie.

Link to the website.

Calendar

Special Offers I have Spied....

World Cup racing on Bellevarde’s legendary Face… Men’s Giant Slalom today, slalom tomorrow.Marco Odermatt clearly one to watch for but we will be cheering for Team GB’s Freddy Carrick-Smith in his 2nd World Cup race.

Lindsey Vonnn continues to astonish… won the first race of her season, the St Moritz downhill.Another chance for gold today. Tigne’s Laura Gauché is in the same race.

Michelle Gisin is the 3rd Swiss reigning Olympic Champion to be injured in training recently…. She had her neck operated on yesterday. Lara Gut Behrami is off for months recovering from an ACL tear, while Corinne Suter has fingers crossed that she will be fit to defend her downhill title.

Australian mogul skiers Jakara Anthony and Matt Graham

BOTH won gold medals at the FIS World Cup in Ruka, Finland

Watching Tik Tok videos

Is not great off piste training.

Vermont Rescue Services

Are a bit sick of rescuing

Inexperienced and ill equipped

Skiers and boarders

Who watched a ‘great’ video…

The Vie Val d’Is …. Val’s club for people who live and work here

Had their welcome party

In the Doudoune club….

Shame there were so few of the

English speaking seasonal workers….

Storm Bram is hitting the Highlands, potentially playing havoc with the Scottish early season snow.

Watch Parkin Costain

Skiing and recording for his

Next film

When he fell through

A sixty foot hidden

Chimney in the snow…

2 very different views from same lunchtime in same restaurant.

Recollections may vary…

Check for additional costs when renting a car, and also check if it has snow tyres or chains.

UN

Universal Health Cover Day

UN’s campaign

Don’t ski without insurance…

You can buy basic insurance with your lift pass.

For just 3 euros 50 per person per day.

Skiers from

the

French Ski Federation

Are dancing at

the Folie this evening….

1. Weather 9th December 2025.
2. 19-year-old German climber killed by an avalanche.
3. Train as a ski instructor in Scotland.
4. Utah 2034 logo.
5. Racing to finish cable car and ice hockey rink.
6. Insurance tips.
7. Housing problems in Val and Chamonix.
8. Festive Pastry.

Link to Website

Calendar

Special Offers I have Spied....

Sunny skiing on soft snow.

A smallish slab avalanche pushed a young German climber to his death when doing a via ferrata on the German Austrian border.

Fancy yourself as a ski instructor ? Why not give it a go in Glencoe in January – details are on the Calendar page.

Olympic prep is not for the faint hearted. While they are rushing to finish a cable car and ice hockey rink in Italy, with 3000 days to go, the Salt Lake City Olympics were rebranded Utah 2034 and the logo has caused controversy.

Before you ski, toboggan or even snow shoe, check your insurance. Any doubts contact your insurer and get their answer in writing. You can buy a good value insurance with your lift pass. Have a sheet of paper in your ski suit pocket with all your medical, contact and insurance details. Do you need a GHIC card ? The insurers often require this….with the requirement in tiny print somewhere on the policy.

Most ski resorts are facing a housing crisis – affordable homes for workers.

Today is US Pastry Day – Laura is off to cook a festive feast with Benoit Vidal…. Sure it must involve pastry !

1. Weather 8th December 2025.
2. Market Day – remember UK import rules.
3. Val's Black Sheep.
4. Seccotine's Martine has died.
5. No smoking on the pistes.
6. Manslaughter charges.
7. Hiking in trainers and joggers.
8. Jessie Diggins' 30th Win.
9. Macuga sisters are one down.
10. Alice and Mikaela in Canada.
11. Aleksander Aamodt Kilde spotted in Val's Gym.
12. Comeback Queen Lindsey Vonn.
13. Congrats to Lando Norris.
14. 4th World Cup win for GBs Mia Brookes.
15. UK celebrating postal workers.

Link to the website.

Calendar

Special Offers I have Spied....

Warm and sunny day.

Market Day ! Crafts, toys, clothes and food……..but if you are thinking of bringing food back to the UK for Xmas presents. Think carefully….. meat and dairy prohibitions including cheese and chocolate….. you can still bring plenty of beer and wine, though less than pre-Brexit.

We have a new bar in town..The Black Sheep.

Seccotines Martine died, and her funeral is in Val on Wednesday.

Smoking is now banned in most outdoor areas including the pistes, lifts and lift queues.

When climbing, hiking or off piste, the most experienced person is deemed responsible when things go badly wrong.

The racing is in full swing. Jessie Diggins got her 30th Victory, in her retirement season. Alice Robinson is on a roll for New Zealand. Mikaela was lucky to get away with a heavy hit on a gate, while her fiancée is here in Val… preparing for this weekend’s World Cup races.

Lindsey Vonn is looking forward to her World Cup de-retirement in St Moritz this weekend.

Our Brits Abroad have been doing well…. Lando Norris is Formula one Champion and Mia Brookes has won her 4th World Cup event.

Today the UK appreciates and thanks our postal workers. Deliveries got a lot easier for the posties in Val when they named the roads and numbered the buildings…. So modern !