So welcome to the white out podcast your ultimate guide to skiing and the best ski podcast. I'm Dom Killinger job publisher in the snow and I am lucky enough to be joined by none other than.

Hi there everyone. I'm Rob Stewart, ski journalist and presenter of the white out show, apparently now presenter of the white out podcast -  the best ski podcast.

big thanks to our sponsors today mountain heaven.  mountain heaven are an independent family owned chalet operator with catered and self catered chalets in some of the best resorts in the French and Swiss Alps. Check them out today at Mountainheaven.co.uk. Well, I think we cover pretty much every digital channel possible between us and now our very first podcast pretty exciting times, 

Yeah, it's really great to be launching a podcast at the start of this season. Very exciting season isn't it kind of feels back to normal. But let's just get into what our listeners can expect from us. This coming winter Dawn,

it certainly is great to be back into normality. But every two weeks we plan to release a new podcast that covers where can we ski right now. So all those best places, we're going to make sure that we've got our finger on the pulse as we always have a where the best snow conditions are. And that's  what everybody wants to know, isn't it at the end of the day. What's hot in the news, we  have the nice big stories of things going on in and news in ski resorts. And we're also going to do I didn't know you could ski there, which are those strange destinations that we often don't even think of first time and I know that's a bit of a favourite story of yours, Rob, because you always find yourself in these,  places that I say I didn't even know you ski there.

Yeah, you know, I try and get out once a season if I can to some weird and wonderful places. And actually, they just turned out to be pretty cool places and a nice places to ski as well. So last season, I was in North Macedonia, for example, which was fantastic. Wow. Yeah. And we'll cover some of that I'm sure in future podcast episodes, we also are going to be looking at gear, you know, what's caught our eye recently what sort of  ski gear or snowboard gear is out there. And we also want to look at, you know, trying to find ways to ski without breaking the bank, basically, you know, we all we're all under a bit of pressure this season, even the ski enthusiasts are going to be looking for some bargains out there. I think there's also the other side of it. You know how you can blow your bonus, if you're lucky enough to get one? Generally, there's lots of easy ways to do that.

I had an unbelievable one through today. Rob, I'll tell you why. I can't wait to the next episode to tell you about it. If you want to spend some serious money, this is another level. So

looking at spending serious money this winter. I'm looking forward to hearing about that one. I think we're also going to be looking at sort of amusing things we've found in the last week or two as well. This episode, of course, is a special edition of the podcast. And it's all about what not to miss this season and what dates you should be looking out for your diary.

Yes, indeed. And the first in my diary, I don't know about you. But it's got to be the ski show at the NEC next weekend. That's October, the 15th and 16th. I was there last year, it's a great show. I mean, I stood there talking to a lot of consumers at the show. This year, it's going to be in a bigger hole. It's going into Hall one, there's loads going on there. There's definitely going to be more exhibitors, it just looks like it's going from strength to strength. And of course, it is the only show we've got here in the UK now. I mean, there used to be the London show, but now we have just got the one show in the centre of the country. perfectly located I'd say I mean, you know, I initially I thought the NEC I was a little worried about but actually, connections wise, it's fantastic. Yeah,

it's really easy to get to and people forget that. So it's only an hour's train journey from London it's just over an hour to the NEC I think it's going to be really well attended. And there's some great brands and tour operators and resorts that are there. And some great top speakers as well. I mean, you know, look at the lineup of speakers Jenny Jones, Eddie, the eagle, which is he's always great value, Billy Morgan, but not just the big names. But there's also lots of those sort of more unsung heroes of our industry talking about what they do you know Tony Souter from the Ellie Souter Foundation, Rachel Westbrook from ecoski doing fantastic work, especially with clothing brands on keeping things eco friendly and sustainable. Caroline Elliot,  who's a snow patroller with her rescue dog. And Kimberly Kay who's who's written a book about skiing aimed aimed at beginners, kids and adults and loads and loads of people like that, that have done really interesting things in our industry that you might not have ever heard of before. You may have been, you know, sort of unsung heroes.

We I mean, we actually had people walking up to the stand and asking us who do I go and talk to to book a holiday and I think it's years since they've had people walking in and buying holidays on mass at a ski show like that. So it's, yeah, it's very exciting times

So the next thing is the race calendar. Now I know you're more of an expert on this front than me. Although my daughter she took part in her first school ski race last week, up at the snow centre and hammer home. So I was quite proud of her going into that, but especially with proper professional young skiers, though, what about the race calendar for this year? What can you tell us to look out for?

Well, I'm looking forward to seeing your daughter one day racing in some of these competitions. Don, there is a fantastic season coming up. As always, where are we kicking on Solden on October the 22nd, and 23rd. It's the traditional start of the season on the Solden Glazier, and hopefully we're gonna be there to watch that which will be really exciting. There is some really exciting news though. New downhill race, which is quite rare, and this one is really special. It's a joint race between Zermatt and cervinia Zermatt on the Swiss side of India on the Italian side, and I'm really looking forward to seeing that, you know, no watch Avengers like there's big wide open slopes goes up that go on for miles and miles. I think it's going to be a really long road.

Those racers staying over in Zermatt. They've got some pretty nice hotel choices over there.

Well, where would you stay if you had the choice? I mean, both ski resorts have got their own attributes. Some of these Zermatt, cervinia very, very different places. I

think I'd be in Surma I do love the Omnia there I don't know whether you've ever stayed at the mirror them mon Shavon palace or, or matter on focus. Have any hearts le or mon Shavon

youth hostel and it's a really good youth hostel by the way. It's a fantastic place always very, very interesting mountaineers hanging out there. The Omnia i don't know I'm unfortunately but I'm sure it's very, very nice. Well,

I know for a fact you've been there. Oh, yeah. Yeah, I do. Really? Okay. Yeah,

we did a fashion beads a lot of but I do forget a lot of places that have been, we did a fashion

shoot and you you you were involved with that fashion shoot right outside the doors of the Omnia, so it's a long time ago. I

think I'd stay in Zermatt before the race, you know, check into a luxury hotel, probably not the youth hostel, maybe a five star job. Because I'm a ski racer, you know, and I'm a you've got to have plenty of cash right, those five star hotel before the race, just relax, rest and get ready for it. But afterwards, I'm going to check into any old hotel and Ravinia and just party and enjoy the the Italian food, the Italian wine. Forget about the ski race. It's all done and dusted. And and enjoy that Italian hospitality. So I think a bit of both, but back to the racing the tour moves to North America for a while. And before coming back to Valders air in mid December. Well, we'll get to see Dave riding for the first time, which is becoming quite a set thing on the calendar now, isn't it that slalom racing in Val, brilliant car, you know, they're very well so you get the chance to go and see that race.

I do you know what I think I probably will obviously massive Dave riding supporter and I would love to see him racing. It would be the best. I'd just love to do that.

That would be great. That's a great atmosphere. And you know that slalom format with the two runs and the top 30 reversing the order. At the end. I think it's the most exciting format to watch. I know people might say Well hang on surely the downhills more exciting, and of course the downhills amazing, but that's slalom, and the way it builds. And it's just and you can see the whole run if you're standing there you don't have to you know to see everything as a spectator personally, I think the slalom is absolutely the best racing format to follow. You can't really miss the classic downhills like the lava horn and Kitts Bohol. And for the women from Montana. Those nights slaloms in places like Schladming and Madonna di Campiglio. They're they're great fun to watch in an evening. During the winter, whether you're there or even at home, in front of the TV, then the whole World Cup finals this year, end up in Seoul do in Andorra in the middle of March where the men and women get together again, erase all those disciplines. What do you think done? Should we go there?

How am I going to get away with saying I'm going to vote as one minute and then off to sell do next? I mean, it's just I've got to be at home at some point.

You do run a ski magazine.

That's a good excuse. I'll let you I'll let you tell my family about this.

Thanks for that. Yeah. Well, you know, I know your family and they're keen skier, bring them all bring them brings Spring Family skiing holiday in the middle of this whole amazing season. There's the Alpine Skiing World Championships in Maribel and CO Chevelle between February the sixth and the 19th biannual event of course, alpine skiing men and women again getting together and racing all of the all the Alpine disciplines. So looking forward to that one. And I'd like to mention the Freestyle World Championships are also taking place this winter in the resort of Bakuriani in Georgia in February and early March. And I think that's going to be great to see he's very excited ride well taught has just been announced as well as I literally got an email about that it's quite a standard calendar this year starts off at kicking Kicking Horse At the beginning of the season and ends in Verbier at the end of the winter, and in between, you've got Fieberbrunn in Austria. You've got Arcalis in Andorra fantastic ski resort. By the way, not many people have heard of Arcalis, but it's amazing freeride terrain up there

some exciting calendar isn't a lot going on there. So there's plenty for people to be keeping a look out there. So the other thing that we're going to look at is some of the early results that have opened because I know it's been a bit of a tricky summer for some of the glazier resorts in the out. But the good news is temperatures have been dropping, and there's definitely some snow on the hills. Now I've seen a bunch of the webcams that I've been probably monitoring a little too closely. But there is there is a bunch of snow that's dropping, and things are starting to, I should say cool down or heat up whichever way you want to look at it. But yeah, things are looking a bit better. There's got courses running up into video and zoom. It was obviously those glaciers that closed during the summertime, but they look like they're all up and running. Again, courses sold. And she's already open as well as Hintertux to do by Pitztal glaciers, so plenty in Austria for people to do and heard that the ski races are already training up in salt Bay as well not far from there. So there is plenty going on at the minute I think Tina holding off until later in November this year from what I can see. And I think that is probably going to be weather dependent. And then of course VALTRA and opens in November. So there's definitely plenty of people to get their teeth into if they want to get out and get some early season skiing. Isn't that it

sounds like it's really happening, which is great considering the summer issues with glaciers closing down and the temperatures have changed, haven't they? Everything's cooled down a lot. Tom, shouldn't we be arranging an early season in the snow whiteout kind of trip. I mean, have you been thinking about this? Because we're clearly not doing a very good job at the moment of actually going out there.

I have been thinking about that. Rob, you just want to be out there all the time. You're worse than I am. There is a couple of places that I've been thinking of getting out to quite early. So maybe one of the whiteout programmes that we do on YouTube could well be on the cards, we need to pick one of those early season resorts and get out there on June if you're gonna be out at that race next week. You're gonna get one of those very early views of the snowfall on Yeah. Oh, yeah,

I'd forgotten about that. Yeah, that's true. I know the sod in place. Yeah. I I've been up there before, a few times in, in the autumn. And it's pretty good. But I don't know if I don't really know any of the other ones in Austria. Maybe you do.

Yeah. Well, I we did Hintertux a few years ago for a work trip actually where we took our staff out there and yeah, it was, it was great. It was a middle of the summer, but I mean, it was heading on and it was it was fantastic.

I was checking out the webcam on the Zermatt. iglesia yesterday. And I think the conditions looked incredible. And I think a lot of people that haven't experienced glaciers skiing in the autumn in might think that there'll be skiing on sheet ice, where it's actually very, very far from the truth.

Absolutely. We had a fantastic time there. Anyway, it was far from being sheet ice at all. And of course, in our regular podcasts that we do every couple of weeks, we will be covering where to ski now, as we mentioned earlier, and I think that's got to be the most popular search term in Google, isn't it? Where can I ski now or Where's good snowfall now we're going to make sure that we scour the resorts worldwide to find out where's best to go. If you've got the chance to go out skiing right now.

There's also a bunch of other events going on in resorts around the world and around Europe. I think we're back in business, aren't we?

It's amazing, isn't it? I mean, we've gone from zero to hero. It's looking pretty exciting. All those music festivals and comedy festivals all coming back to the Alps. And it's looking great, isn't it? What have we got to look forward to what is there now because

I wouldn't mind going out to the new comedy festival and there's yet between the 14th and 21st of January. That sounds kind of fun. And it's a six day festival. Three days of that festival will be in French and three days will be an English three days of the French one. We could just go skiing and have nice meals in the evening. For the three days of the English language, we could just hang out in bars and nightclubs all night listening to comedy, if you fancy that

sounds ideal. Well, I love a bit of comedy and I think combining that with being in the mountains and skiing doesn't get any better. Right. Well

that's the deal though. We're doing that one right. Kick in the season off. We've got an electronic music festival in Verbier, which is between November the 18th and 27th. I don't think it runs every single day. I think that's kind of like spread over a bit of time then

there's rock the piece important Sunday isn't that's probably a bit more or less than you think.

I think so. Rock the piece. So it sounds good. I've never managed to get to that. What else

we've got Tomorrowland outbreak back into March is now it's a little bit further on.

Yeah, quite a lot going on in March. Isn't there? I mean, Tomorrowland let's say rock the pieces in March as well. snowfox in Avoriaz is in March and then snowbombing I mean that's always been huge. And you know Zuma unplugged that might be more our seemed on 15th of April you were you actually ended up normally persuading people Oh, that I should play the drums, not me persuading them. And but yeah, that could be a good opportunity for that. I think I think Robert Plant sometimes goes and plays the festival thing is quite serious, isn't it really because you know, it's bringing a different audience to the mountains. And we, as an industry, we're always talking about how to attract people into the mountains. And we did do for years. And then suddenly, like, there's all these festivals popping up, left, right and centre. And surely that's bringing in a whole bunch of people that might not have been skiing,

it's big business now and you can book your entire package with them currently, you can get your hotel ski pass the ticket to the festival itself is just like an all inclusive package. I mean, it must be fantastic must know these things, you know, right in the middle of the mountains, it's gotta be, it's gotta be great.

I think we're doing something wrong done. Because I've never been to one of these festivals on the snow either.

I think it's funny nine, we're too old for it. Another key date for the diary, which our listeners may not know about, because this is more of a trade event is slide which we go to each year based up in the Midlands, and that's our chance to get our hands on all of the 2324 ski gear. And the reason we're telling our listeners today is because that's when we get all the videos out of all the new gear, previewing gear, reviewing gear, getting our hands on things. Let's face it, we are like kids in a candy store when we get there our

way. Those events are great fun, and we've always had a really good time to also learn huge amounts as well. Yeah,

the other great thing about those events is you actually see brand new innovations and inventions coming

out. It is an innovative industry, isn't it and hard for those ski manufacturers to come up with new ideas. And you think where could a ski go from here when a carving ski came out originally, possibly more exciting. Even the middle as well is where we go out to test the kit on snow just after that as well this year looks like it's gonna be in the resort of Louisa in France. It will be the first time apparently the ski test will be held in France, which is quite amazing really, isn't it considering France is quite a major destination for British skiers but the ski test has never been held there before.

Absolutely. And that's I do know that Louisa I've I haven't stayed in there but I have skied that rare that area and I went up there just for a data to meet some friends get a nice little resort lovely place and so easy to get to from Geneva as well for us. So that's that's going to be pretty handy. Because let's face it, we get down there and there are two 300 pairs of skis that are brought down there possibly more and all the retailers and all the press and it is just skip our skis, review it get off go on another pair of skis ski and other pair of skis. And so it goes on and it's it's it's an epic few days, isn't

it? It's so much fun. I mean is the for me, it's the most fun week of the year. It's crazy because we only end up skiing one run all week, right? One run all week. So yeah, looking forward to that. That's going to

be a great week looking forward to that. And one of the things that somebody will want to put in their calendar is a good deal that I've seen out there and we spotted that cracking deal on igloo the other day.

Oh yeah. The igloo one to book summaries in the tarentaise region of the French Alps very, very close to Liz arcs for easy access to Noah's Ark quite close to the plan quite close to a rosier pretty close to that zone teen and simpler and also the three valleys. So you've got lots of skiing in the air originally was including flights and Halfboard was 7398 pounds, but it's discounted on igloo to 2491

pounds. You've got to be kidding. It's an incredible deal, isn't it? Really, if you can get that time you can even swap around with friends, couldn't you? They could come out for two weeks at a time or a week at a time. You could swap it out and move it around. You know, I mean, that's a fantastic opportunity. Never seen anything like that. Actually, I have to say

what's your first skiing trip planned on?

Well, it looks like it's gonna be a Beaver Creek or Breckenridge. So yeah, at the moment. It's looking very North American, which is which is interesting. I haven't been out there skiing for a few years. But how about yourself?

I have gotten North American plan actually late in pretty early January. I'm heading out to Montana. Guy. Wow. Nice. Yeah, I'm gonna check Big Sky out because I've never skied there. So before that I'll be I'll be in the Swiss Alps in December Jungfrau Region and also in from Montana. I might be in team Valders there right at the beginning of December as well. Yeah, no,

I have to do that. So there we go. That's it. We have done our launch episode of The Whiteout, your ultimate guide to skiing. Rob, when are we back?

We're going to be back in just a about a week's time with our full episode. And that's just before we head to the National Snow show in Birmingham.

I think that's got us all pretty excited. Hopefully it has to our listeners as well. It's the first of all, podcast plenty more to come to this season. Make sure if you've enjoyed today's  best ski podcast. that you subscribe and tell your ski pals and interact with us in any way you can. You can take a look on our other channels in the snow.com or in the snow mag on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. And if you really want to see well Rob looks like take a look at the whiteout TV show on YouTube. What do you think Rob? Until next time, yep, until

next time on our first one done and dusted another way

Transcribed by https://otter.ai