 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Laura, welcome to 
If you're wanting to work the season, you might want to check out www.natives.co.uk
They also have a forum, but are focussed on season staff.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I have a suspicion that even if there were any season jobs that payed well and gave you time off, they'll have been snapped up long since - we're a chunk into the season already... 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Laura, welcome to snowHeads
PhilG, not necessarily. This is the time of year that homesickness kicks in, people injure themselves, or get sacked. There are still opportunities out there....just not as many as earlier on!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Oh no, this is advanced planning for the comin November!!
And yes, have looked on Natives and need to read more, but thouht i'd ask your opinions too 
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Ah, next winter  .
Didn't you read the thread in 'The Piste' - this site is full of curmudgeonly, middle-aged men; what would they know about seasons... 
Now, the important question regarding waitress and bar work - are you a looker? 
From what I've read, and that alone (having not done a season with a TO), they're all pants to work for. Sort out your own work or find a small company/private chalet to work for.
My advice is quickly find out if BUNAC have any non-student visas left for the current allocation, and head over to Canada. You can naff orf to Europe anytime, but time's running out for a year in Canada doing unskilled/fun(ish) work (30 is the upper limit for a working holiday visa). I am biased though, as that's what I'm doing next season - told my tutor yesterday that I wasn't going to be around next year, now, how to break it to the RNR...
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I'd apply for Jam/Loop bar in Tignes as soon as they start recruiting.
Everyone looks like they have lots of fun there.
Do you speak French? It makes life alot easier.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Quote: |
they're all pants to work for
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B0llocks are they.
Companies with a good reputation amongst staff:
Skiworld
Neilson
SkiPlan/Equity
SkiBound/First Choice (though they've been taken over by TUI, so beware)
Companies with a poor/overly mixed reputation:
TUI
NBV
Total/Esprit
Bigger companies will ask you for a resort preference but won't guarantee anything (mainly because the world and its dog wants to go to Val d'Isere for some reason, and they can't put all their staff there). If you want a particular resort you should apply to local businesses/one-resort companies. Nothing pays 'well' but TO jobs provide the security of pre-arranged accommodation, transport etc. on top of the pocket-money wages - local jobs generally pay more but come without the benefits.
If you're looking for a job rather than bumming about, you will indeed find Natives much more useful.
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Ski Olympic and Silver Ski always seem to have happy and returning staff.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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From what I've seen of season working, try and get a job as a resort rep or especially as bar staff (some of the TOs run big hotels and tend to employ bar staff in these) - that way you can get much more opportunity to ski. Working as a 'chalet girl' can mean long days...
I did a season for Neilson, and they treated me pretty well (and they didn't seem to have any worries about what age their staff were). I've also heard good things about Mark Warner.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Laura, my sons worked for the Mountain Bar Co which is part of Mark Warner, they had a blast, worked in Le Terasse in Chamonix which is probably one of the best bars in the Alps, my eldest son also worked for the American Ski Company as an instructor for 2 seasons and Ski Olympic as a guide for 2 seasons, he hasn't got a bad word to say about Ski Olympic and I'd echo FTS's comments the same staff return year after year. My daughter did a few sesons with Mark Warner which were a bit mixed, I'd ceratinly recommend Ski Olympic but I believe overall smaller companies treat their staff better than the larger operations.
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You know it makes sense.
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I knew a couple who worked for Silver Ski and they hated it! They also said they didn't get much time off to ski (though this was back in the early 90's so maybe things have changed by now)
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I've not done a season, but a friend has worked for Neilson and keeps going back year after year and seems to be happy. She works on their winter and summer programmes and seems to have a ball - never moans about anything.
D
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Poster: A snowHead
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My boyfriend and I have both worked for SilverSki and they are a great company to work for - much more chilled out and relaxed than some other companies (some of them are terrible). Bit of advice though - avoid 'ski guiding' if you like doing powder and blacks as you will have to go at your guests pace all the time!
Otherwise, chalet hosting is not hard at all as long as you are super organised.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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victoriac, Did you not assume that as a "TO ski guide" you would have to work around the customers strengths and weaknesses! Ski guiding is one of the better jobs at least you are not working with your head in a toilet. Beautiful scenery and fresh air certainly beats the office. You will have a day off once a week to do your thing.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Roy Hockley, giving half a dozen toilets a quick clean each day hardly deserves any kind of hardship allowance. The whole "eeeewwww I have to clean a toilet" thing is a bit adolescent.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| victoriac wrote: |
My boyfriend and I have both worked for SilverSki and they are a great company to work for - much more chilled out and relaxed than some other companies (some of them are terrible). Bit of advice though - avoid 'ski guiding' if you like doing powder and blacks as you will have to go at your guests pace all the time!
Otherwise, chalet hosting is not hard at all as long as you are super organised. |
when you say super organised, what exactly do you mean by that.
What were your roles, when you were a chalet host?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Chalet host = cooking, serving food, cleaning, being nice to people (even offensive people).
Super-organised = doing everything at once to the required standard in order to get out as quickly as possible and maximise tippage.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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It's all about being a ski bum for a season. 
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With chalet hosting, i thought that most chalets employ a chef who is seperate to the chalet hosts who cooks the meals
or
are you reffering to cooking breakfast and cakes.
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In bigger chalets yeah.
In, say, 12 or under occupancy chalets you'll find a couple of staff will do it all.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Christopher, not many chalets employ chefs - mainly big ones/upmarket companies. The rest are run by a) gap-year kiddies who have done cooking courses (a few of whom can even cook) or b) slightly older people who usually can cook and have a few customer service skills as well. Companies have a preference for option B. Some TOs employ chalet seconds or chalet assistants, who are not expected to be able to produce dinner on their own, but are there to help the chalet host. These people generally end up doing rather more than their fair share of cleaning.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Chalet hosting hours = 07:30 to about 10:30 (serve breakfast, make cake, bit of dinner prep, clean rooms and other bits of chalet) then 17:00 to about 22:00 (cook dinner, serve food, clear away and wash up). Which leaves about five hours skiing time per day for five days a week, plus as much as you like on your day off. The only seasonnaire I know who even comes close to making full use of all that time is Mr L, who is gathering a reputation here as being a hardcore nutcase.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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little as possible isnt really going to get you a job in the Alps. Chalet hosting can be great fun, you get plenty of time off as long as you're not completly incompetant but it is BLOODY HARD WORK! Most jobs in ski resorts are. But people go back time and time again - so clearly its not the working hell people might think. Silver Ski - ace to work for.
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You know it makes sense.
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what does your standard of cooking need to be upto to work in a chalet?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Christopher, good dinner party, plus canapes in some chalets. You also need to know what CLEAN is. (And not man-clean either - properly clean. Ask your mother.)
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Poster: A snowHead
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2 years to learn to cook then!
I can cook a mean tartiflette and lamb roast. But that is about the extent. Need some variety!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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A question to the one's that have
If a chalet was empty, as a chalet host, would you be expected to help out in other chalets? or do you have to take unpaid holiday?
Just interested to know?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Christopher, cooking is easy with a bit of practice. As a person of the male persuasion, you need to concentrate on the CLEAN thing. I really can't overstate how inportant this is to the paying guest.
blytht, on the rare occasions that it happens, you would be required to help out elsewhere. Unless you're working for a company with only one chalet.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Worked for Silver Ski myself back in the day - they were, and I believe still are, top notch to work for. You get out what you put in to be honest, so if you work hard and are organised, you will get maximum time on the hill, whichever company you work for.....
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Best all round is definitely chalet hosting. More skiing than most other jobs, but evening still free. You do most of your work when the lifts are closed but before the bars have livened up.
During my season I was a chalet boy for Crystal. Typically day was;
07.00-10.00 Breakfast and prepare evening meal
10.00-17.00 Ski
17.00-21.45 Evening meal and prepare for breakfast
21.45 until bed - apres
One day completely off but no skiing on changeover day...
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| simo1234 wrote: |
Best all round is definitely chalet hosting. More skiing than most other jobs, but evening still free. You do most of your work when the lifts are closed but before the bars have livened up.
During my season I was a chalet boy for Crystal. Typically day was;
07.00-10.00 Breakfast and prepare evening meal
10.00-17.00 Ski
17.00-21.45 Evening meal and prepare for breakfast
21.45 until bed - apres
One day completely off but no skiing on changeover day... |
It is an attractive job. But i think being a KP in the evening or a barman has a lot more skiing time, if you can be bothered to get up.
why was there no skiing on changeover day?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Because you have to do the transfers and sort out the chalet for the next week.
Trust me, 10 to last lift is more than enough skiing. I don't do anywhere near that much and I'm not even working. When you're out there for a whole season skiing every day isn't important.
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| Quote: |
why was there no skiing on changeover day?
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Turfing guests out in the small hours, spring cleaning the whole place, changing all the beds, cooking, welcoming new guests (usually grumpy from travelling all day). Doesn't leave a whole lot of ski time.
Working hours by job:
KP: about 08:00 to 11:00 and 18:00 to 22:00
NP: 00:00 to 08:00
Hotel general staff: about 07:00 to 11:00 and 19:00 to 22:00
Bar: evenings usually 16:00 to 00:00, but depends on where you are - could do day shifts as well
At 18, these are pretty much your options, though you might land chalet host/assistant if you're lucky. Bear in mind that you will be espected to explain in interview what you will bring to the job, why you are suited to it etc etc - getting overexcited about ski time will not impress.
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FAQ
...although the bar work or waitressing is always a strong possibility (have experience in both) if they are more flexible with snow time!
