Episode 23: Sting’s Lift Pass, Courchevel & Val d’Isère updates & Tour de France rumours

This episode Jim reveals he’s moving to the Alps for the winter and Iain doesn’t take it personally. We have guest reports from Alex in Courchevel and Steve in Val d’Isère and a spoiler for next year’s Tour de France.

Iain swaps jokes with comedian Phil Nichol and Jim asks Vanessa Fisher about her Super Drei challenge (and not the ‘Superdry Challenge’!)

There’s also special discount code (it’s ‘SKIPOD10’) for Chill Factore in Manchester.

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Show Notes:

• Your lift pass discount code to use at Chill Factore is ‘SKIPOD10’
• You can check out the TOBE (‘to be’ or ‘toby’???) hi-spec onesies here (01:30)
• Jim will be spending this winter in La Clusaz in the same chalet that Sting and Seal have previously stayed in (listen to Episode 10 for the full celebrity story) – (03:00)

Sting’s lift pass

• If you’d like to visit Jim, then check out his listing on Airbnb
• Iain is hoping to test out the new freeride ski area in La Rosiere that we covered in Episode 18 as well as visiting the new Club Med in Les Arcs (04:00)

The new Club Med in Les Arcs

• Alex Irwin is behind the YouTube channel ‘150 Days of Winter’ (07:30)
• Courchevel has been ‘snow farming’ over the summer (09:00)
• Thanks to ‘Ski Morillon’ for the review (10:30)

• It’s a badly kept secret that the 2019 Tour de France will have a stage finishing in Val Thorens. It’s possible that it will be the penultimate stage and will also go over the newly paved road on Col de La Loze between Courchevel and Méribel (11:30)

A possible stage of the 2019 Tour de France

• Is 60 the new 50? This is the article in The Sunday Times about over-60s learning to ski for the first time (14:00)
• Adam Buxton’s podcast about Morzine is worth a listen, particularly if you’re thinking about going skiing for the first time. As Mr Buxton says: ‘There are frequent magic moments when you’re skiiing’ (16:30)
• Steve Angus is an instructor in Val d’Isère and was previously on the podcast back in Episode 6. We covered the new lift in La Daille back in Episode 19 (17:30)

Smart new gondolas for La Daille

• 30 Days of Snowsport runs until 30 October at indoor ski centres, dry slopes, snowsports clubs and roller ski venues (24:30)
• Vanessa Fisher took part in the Super Drei (The Inferno in Murren, Allalin Rennen in Saas Fee and Belalp Hexe in Belalp). She was a guest on the show back in Episode 5, when she first explained about this unique challenge (26:00)
• The Inferno takes place in Murren in January 2019. Visit the James Bond museum at the Schilthorn (33:00)
• Phil Nichol is currently on tour travelling around the UK. He will be performing in the Alps this winter. Check all the dates at Taking the Piste (36:00)

Phil Nichol

• Take a look at Superfly (now known as ‘The Feeling‘) performing at one of the classic Natives ski show parties:

• Canada have legalised cannabis
• Our next ‘Ski Book Group’ book is ‘A Wall of White’ by Jennifer Woodlief – we’ll probably discuss this in either Episode 24 or Episode 25 (51:00)
• The London Ski and Snowboard Festival takes place from 25-28 October (52:00)

Watch out for our next episode arriving into your podcast app on or around 07 November.