Winter 23/24 is just around the corner and we are excited!

As we start to gear up for a new ski season, we had a lot to talk about with Lucy Aspden-Kean who joins us for this episode. Lucy is Commissioning Editor for Travel at the Telegraph, with a specialist focus on snow and ski.

Lucy has worked on the travel desk at the Telegraph for 9 years and we loved chatting about her experience there, adventures and bucket list trips that her role has taken her on, discovering the thrill of off-piste, best family ski memories - and where’s next!

Amongst other exciting and adventurous escapades, Lucy took part in an inspiring trek to Everest and has since interviewed some of the rescue team there and written a fantastic article on the increasing dangers of inexperienced climbers taking on Everest (article linked below). ‘Following a deadly season on Everest, the overlooked heroes tasked with saving stranded climbers explain why their job is getting harder.’

We discuss Norway, Patagonia, Japan, navigating travel journalism through the pandemic, skiing with family, the magic of skiing .. and the places it takes you.

Links:

Lucy’s Article on Everest:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/activity-and-adventure/mount-everest-climbers-danger-tourism-rescue-world-records/

‘Everest is a magnet for inexperienced climbers – they are putting their lives at risk’

Following a deadly season on Everest, the overlooked heroes tasked with saving stranded climbers explain why their job is getting harder

Sherpa Tenzing

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenzing_Norgay

Tenzing Norgay Sherpa's interview, in Tibetan, with All India Radio, Kurersong, India.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbTgL6xpQuE

Other articles by Lucy:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/l/lu-lz/lucy-aspden/

Lucy’s Instagram Page:

https://www.instagram.com/lucy_aspden/?hl=en

Article about Lucy’s trip to Everest:

https://www.lancs.live/news/lancashire-news/lancashire-womans-inspiring-trek-everest-24230055

Rauris - Austrian Resort

https://www.raurisertal.at/en/

Chris Bonnington - Climber

His career has included nineteen expeditions to the Himalayas, including four to Mount Everest.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Bonington

Chris Bonington was the first to scale Everest 'the hard way' - by the south-west ridge - and he has taken part in three other expeditions. No other mountaineer, writer or photographer has as much experience of Everest.

https://www.amazon.com/Chris-Boningtons-Everest-Sir-Bonington/dp/0297829270#

Travel with ALS Ski, your luxury ski specialists.
ALS Ski is your go to destination for booking your ski holiday.
Check us out at www.als-ski.com

This episode Bella chats with award winning photographer and film-maker Shannon Corsi and professional big mountain skier plus Queen of Corbetts, Veronica Paulsen. These are two of the inspiring girls behind the film Nexus.
Nexus, a feature-length ski film featuring an all-female cast of skiers will come to London this September. Nexus follows five distinct groups of female skiers, their connection to the mountains and how the sport shaped their relationships.

“For years, top women in the ski industry have heard the same sentiment ‘we already have a girl in this segment, one is enough’,” said Michelle Parker, one of the industry’s most prominent freeskiers and Nexus athlete. “If we want to see change in this industry, we need to be the ones out there moving it forward. Nexus is a milestone this industry was long overdue for.”

On Tuesday 12th September, ALS Ski are so excited to bring the UK premier of the Nexus ski film & Q&A panel with Nexus athletes Caite Zeliff, Veronica Paulsen and Director Shannon Corsi.
All profits will be donated to Protect Our Winters UK and Women of Winter
Date and time: Tuesday, 12 Sep 2023 18:30 - 20:30 BST
Location: The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)1 Kensington Gore London SW7 2AR
Tickets - £35, U25 - £25, with optional additional charity donation to Protect Our Winters UK and Women of Winter

LINKS
*Nexus Tickets*
Nexus Website
Shannon's Instagram
Shannons Website: https://www.shannoncorsi.com/
Veronica's Instagram
Veronica’s Youtube
ALS Ski Insta
ALS Ski: Book Your Ski Holiday Here:www.als-ski.com
Protect Our Winters
Women of Winter
Veronicas double back flip
Corbets Couloir
Jackson Hole
Pretty Faces
Female ski movies to check out
Home away from home with Veronica's friend Max

Travel with ALS Ski, your luxury ski specialists.
ALS Ski is your go to destination for booking your ski holiday.
Check us out at www.als-ski.com

This week we loved chatting with adventurer, mother, writer, broadcaster and designer Alexandra Tolstoy.

As very keen skiers as well as new mums who have just attempted a ski trip with small people - we were keen to discuss her recent family trip over Easter to Meribel and what makes for a fun and easy ski holiday with children.

We also talk about her two inspiring businesses - Alexandra organises bespoke horse riding holidays in Kyrgyzstan (Alexandra Tolstoy Travel) and runs The Tolstoy Edit, which is a curated shop of her favourite interiors discoveries.

Alexandra has had a fascinating life to say the least. She fell in love with travel at an early age and spent twenty years riding horses all over Central Asia, Mongolia and Siberia. She travelled by horse and camel for nine months on the Silk Road across central Asia to China, hosted a BBC TV series, wrote a book about her adventures and spent time rediscovering her family heritage in Moscow - not to mention raising 3 children as a single mother.

She has recently set up The Tostoy Edit - a collection of gorgeous decorative pieces for the home, influenced by her travels and embracing folk traditions and craftsmanship.

Separately Bella and Emma discuss Emma’s recent trip to Deplar Farm in Iceland, hosted by Eleven Experience. We have talked about (and raved about) Eleven Experience before on the podcast - and safe to say the trip lived up to the expectations of being a trip of a lifetime! From heli-skiing above the ocean to snowmobiling to incredible food to viking sauna rituals to horse-riding to sipping cocktails in the swim-up bar in the geothermally heated pool .. to seeing the Northern Lights .. to trying fermented shark! .. The award winning adventure Deplar Farm is remote, action filled, revitalising and unique - it has to be experienced to be believed.

LINKS:
https://www.alexandratolstoy.co.uk/ Alexandra Tolstoy
https://thetolstoyedit.com/ The Tolstoy Edit
https://alexandratolstoytravel.com/ Alexandra Tolstoy Travel
Chalet Du Guide - Meribel Village (Please Enquire with ALS Ski for Availability)
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/alexandratolstoy/
https://www.instagram.com/alexandratolstoytravel/
https://www.instagram.com/thetolstoyedit/

Eleven Experience
https://elevenexperience.com/ Eleven Experience
https://elevenexperience.com/deplar-farm-iceland-winter/ Deplar Farm, Iceland
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/elevenexperience/ Eleven Experience
https://www.instagram.com/elevenskiing/ Eleven Skiing

Travel with ALS Ski, your luxury ski specialists.
ALS Ski is your go to destination for booking your ski holiday.
Check us out at www.als-ski.com