Val d’Isère Podcast : Doodles in the Snow : Skiing, Daily Fun, Facts and Arty Tales.
Daily fun, facts and arty tales from Val d’Isère. The World's Best Ski Resort ? Laura M’s art is inspired by Val d’Isère. The podcast shares her 35 years of local knowledge with Val d’Isère’s legions of English speaking fans. COVID saw her drawing, painting and doodling the square kilometre around her home. Laura has exhibited here, notably “Toutes les Vies se Val", charcoal portraits of “avalins” and pastel portraits of local dogs. Including, of course, her 2 demonstrative labradoodles. Interviews with her were published in 2025 in both Val Mag and le Dauphiné. 2 winters of presenting English n...
Ep 18 Chair lift tragedy in Russia, Building work, Strikes, Mont Blanc Thefts, hunting, Robert Redford and Jean Claude Killy
A terrible chair lift accident in Russia.
This episode tentatively airs the problem of building more buildings faced by the ski resorts.
Tourism vs eco considerations.
Tourist accommodation Vs sufficient good quality workers accommodation.
Remember … more strikes tomorrow….if you can wait, don't try to travel.
Return to last week’s thefts from huts on Mont Blanc. Arrests have been made.
Don’t forget that the hunting season started on Sunday and continues until the beginning of March.
We were impressed that Robert Redford share our admir...
Ep17 Robert Redford, ski movies, strikes, library events, mountain biking, another tragedy, paragliding, free flow tolls, Folie Douce, Snow show
Laura explores a range of topics starting with a tribute to Robert Redford. Renowned for his contributions to film and his love for skiing, Redford leaves a legacy at the Sundance resort.
She also applauded people staying active on the mountain well into their 80’s and 90’s.
2 climbers died near Grenoble.
Laura mentions the perils of paragliding, highlighting its high risks, and advise listeners to seek professional tandem flights for safety.
Don’t forget the Northern Snow Show in October.
If you fancy a car…. What about a Bentley Val d’Isè...
Ep 16 Benoit Vidal, La Grave, doctors training, prize money, Italian skier died while training in Chile, SIGB Ski test, London Snow Show, rugby, mushrooms.
Laura will be navigating road closures en route to cooking mushrooms with Benoit Vidal this morning.
She reminds you of the untamed challenges of La Grave, the world's largest lift-assisted off-piste area.
Meanwhile, unevenly distributed prize money across different high level sports prompts reflection.
An Italian skier died after a serious head injury when training in Chile.
Champolouc in Italy will be hosting the SIGB Ski Test Event in January.
The London Snow Show at Olympia is 18-19th October.
Ep15 Roller ski Races, Vintage Ski Fun, Happy rescue news from Australia, Ski touring safety thought
In this episode, you are taken on a journey through the world of roller and vintage skiing.
Laura starts with a roller ski race in Austria, then invites you to join Sweden's longest 90 km classic event.
She looks back in time to vintage skiing.
L’Alpine Classique are starting a ski school.
They have a date for your diary – 13-15th March 2026,
Think leather boots, wooden skis and cable bindings.
Vintage slalom, swing dances, and classic motor cars.
This episode ends with essential ski touring safe...
Ep 14 Tragedy in Chamonix, Paragliding death, Snowboarder improving, Alpine Fashion fun, Eco efforts, British skiing, Olympic updates, Eurostar
This episode begins with a somber news from Chamonix where a mountain guide tragically fell to his death in front of his companions, and in a separate incident, a paraglider died when his wing caught fire.
Moving to more positive news, the snowboarder who fell into a crevasse in Colorado has been discharged from the hospital.
This is the link to a video shot during his rescue.
https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/09/12/snowboarder-fell-off-glacier-rescue-colorado-video/86118411007/
Fashion designer Amit Aggarwal has launched a collection inspired by the French Alps.
Eco...
Ep13 Travels with Skis, Jannik Sinner, Lindsey Vonn, Ros Canter, Speeding, Thieves, VIP competition, Doodling
In this episode, Laura reminds us of the trials of travelling with skis.
She also talks about Jannik Sinner – his early life as a ski racer and why he changed to tennis. His friend Lindsey Vonn was there to watch him win $5 million dollars at the US Open, but Lindsey and Laura both question why some sports are paid so much better than others. The 3-day eventer Ros Canter was included in this discussion.
Returning to Mont Blanc, theft !
Travel tips include new unmarked cars that can capture your speed, and the suggestion to...
Ep12 Tom Evans wins the Mont Blanc Ultra Trail, New to Tignes, Border changes, Lucky Snowboarder, Unlucky biathlon champ, Gypaete flight paths
In this episode, we cover a range of fascinating topics, including British ultrarunner Tom Evans' remarkable win at the Mont Blanc Ultra Trail. His adventure in challenging weather conditions demonstrates the spirit of sport and endurance.
One of the women’s races was overshadowed by a disqualification for doping.
We also discuss the upgrades in Tignes, promising an exciting winter for skiers. Additionally, listeners are reminded of the impending biometric border procedures post-Brexit, potential delays, and some information about the bearded vultures in Val.
EP11 New Prime Minister, World cup skiers, injuries, GB Glory for Gigi Gorringe. Tragedy as climber dies on Mont Blanc, 3 types of golf
In this episode from Val d'Isère, we hear more about life in the quiet interseason. France has appointed a new prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu - known for his loyalty to President Macron.
As ski teams continue their training worldwide, French athletes in Argentina face injuries, while British and American skiers prepare in Austria and Chile.
We are very excited by Welsh Gigi Gorringe’s form !
Tragic news - a 61-year-old climber fell to his death on Mont Blanc.
Meanwhile, FIS officials have visited, checking Val d'Isère is ready to ho...
Ep10 Strike day, Marcel Hirscher is back on skis, man walked over a cliff, rock fall, Glencoe chairs, a hug and a stop
Strike day ! Both France and London.
French shop owners prepare by boarding up shops and 7,000 police on standby.
Better news, Marcel Hirscher is back on skis.
Tongue-in-cheek Darwin Awards for the survival of the fittest.
Quirky chairlift tales.
A really big rockfall in Cirque du fer a Cheval.
EP 9 Tunnel Troubles, paragliding accident, World Cup race training, skiing in the UK, chairlift accident, roller skiing
This episode of the podcast delves into the world of winter sports as the racing season approaches. With the American ski team training in Chile and Team GB prepping in Austria, excitement is in the air. However, not all athletes join, as France's Ciprian Sarrazin recovers from a crash and GB's Charlotte Banks heals from surgery. The episode highlights road and traffic alerts around Val d’Isère including night closures and major works in the Ponserand tunnel in Moutiers. Listeners are reminded of alternative training methods like roller skiing, with upcoming courses in Lancaster, a perfect option for cro...
EP8 Joy Digging or bad steering, Display in bus station, le Dauphine, La Foire, and Rain in French and English
So... who has lost a green digger ?
The new bus station is pretty good ! At the moment there is a small display giving information about our bearded vultures.
The daily newspaper, Le Dauphiné is celebrating 80 years since it first hit the streets. We are particularly fond of it as it published an article about Rozenn in June, and about Laura in August.
The Foire Avaline, in August, went very well. The children impressed with their creativity. The tombola raised money for their art classes, and Laura displayed her portraits of people and dogs f...
EP7 Lack of motion, tragedy in Thredbo, Diebold run, weekend in Seez
In this episode, the Laura shares an eventful day in Val d’Isère filled with unexpected setbacks. As she prepares to head to the Col, the highest mountain pass, for an Italian-French celebration with her doodle dogs, technical troubles thwart her plans: the 'Blue Monster' refuses to start, and a laptop shows no signs of life.
However, we need to keep a perspective.
Worse things happen in the mountains.
A recent skiing accident in Thredbo gives us all food for thought.
Lets revise mountain safety rules and check our kit bef...
Ep6 Rumbly Rocks, Art Gallery, biking on Bellevarde and the work the STVI are doing.
There was a rumble and crash of rocks behind Les Richardes yesterday.
Laura continues to enjoy the peace of the interseason, comparing to the chaos of the tube strike next week in London.
She tells a funny but true (except for names) anecdote about biking on Bellevarde.
Laura recommends visiting Galerie Jane Griffiths during the winter.
And gives a mini idea of all the work the STVI are doing this summer.
Midnight Adventures and Eco Streetlight Surprises
In this episode, the host shares a humorous yet challenging experience of walking their dogs at night, caught off guard by the sudden turn-off of streetlights in their eco-conscious neighborhood. The absence of moonlight and snow added to the complete darkness, making it difficult to pick up after the dogs using only a phone torch. The host talks about the need for adjusting their walking schedule until the winter season when streetlights remain on longer. Despite the unexpected trouble, the host maintains a lighthearted tone and hints at returning to painting as a contrasting, calming activity for the remainder of...
Ep 5 Techie troubles improved, a Posse of Porsches, the threat of a rock fall and the potential to be a film star
Laura has solved most of yesterdays technical problems & all the episodes are now on both Apple and Spotify.
She reminds you that the bike tracks are staying open until the end of September, but as the lifts are closed you will have to also cycle to the top !
Unusually there was a traffic jam - a posse of porsche cars queuing for the petrol station !
Work continues on the road to Bourg so there will again be some night closures.
Nothing as bad as the possibility of a rock fall in...
Ep 4 Tackling the Tech & Santa Claus visits le Fornet
Laura encourages you to keep sending your ideas and gives a brief outline for her ideas for future episodes, while dealing with the podcast-associated -tech, which is all a new experience for her but luckily has support from a podcast guru.
She then tells you about meeting her art teacher, Rozenn, and how Santa Claus appeared while they were sketching in Le Fornet.
And adds an anecdote about Christmas puddings ......
Ep 3 The Blue Monster and the Race for the border
In this episode, the Laura reminisces about pre-COVID interseason times spent in bustling London, contrasting them with Val d’Isère's quiet interseason.
She recounts a tense journey during the early days of COVID-19, racing against the clock to get two friends to Geneva airport, and the doodles dogs and herself back to Val d’Isère before the borders close.
An unexpected traffic jam wrecked her carefully hatched plan.,,,,
Laura reflects on how confusing those early COVID days were but how the pandemic changed her life and lead her to art.
As a...
Ep2 Covid confusion & Uni Friends United Party Postponed
In this podcast episode, Laura reflects on her experience early in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Initially planning to attend a friend's 60th birthday in North Wales, she cancelled the trip due to fears of quarantine.
Instead, she experienced the shutdown firsthand in Val d’Isère, witnessing bustling businesses close and tourists tumble.
With basic art supplies, the internet and inspiration from her one square kilometre, her 2D creativity was released.
The narrative captures the chaotic early days of the pandemic and how it inadvertently provided her with a unique opportunity to foc...
Ep1 Let's start at the very Beginning... a very good place to start !
Join Laura M. in 'Doodles in the Snow,' a podcast exploring the natural beauty and vibrant community of Val d'Isère.
As an artist inspired by the alpine landscape, Laura shares her insights and discoveries through art, storytelling, and skiing adventures.
From her early days of learning to ski in the late 80s to honing her artistic skills during the pandemic, Laura provides listeners with delightful updates and entertaining anecdotes.
In each episode, expect a mix of factual fun, local news, and creative musings, all topped with a touch of whimsical doodles a...
