 Poster: A snowHead
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I would like to know which Tour Operators are still offering this service in Europe. I know of Neilson, Crystal and Mark Warner but who else ?
Please include any small independents doing this.
Thanks in anticipation ....
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Inghams were, in Obergurgl, this December. Only 2 days in the week, though.
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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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No mention of 'ski hosts' in the crystal brochure/website? :: Neilson appear to only offer 'free guiding' to customers of their 'Mountain Collection" holidays..
Mark Warner offer hosting in Italy
Ski Miquel still offer hosting
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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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It varies in different Countries. It also depends on your interpretation of Ski Hosting/Guiding? Some larger TO's do it through local Ski Schools on certain days of the week.
Why do you ask?
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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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When you're a snowHead, you don't necessarily need ski hosting any more.
Have a look at the snowbuddy, see which resorts have friendly snowHeads in when you want to go and give them a shout 
Of course, don't forget to add your own details to the snowbuddy once you've decided where you're going.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Collett's do in Italy.
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ski hosting/guiding is completely banned in france, as the french want everybody to pay for the service using their own people, so instead of making a stand against this the bigger companies have meekly given in the french demands and stopped ski guiding. i know of some smaller companies that get around this by saying their ski guides are doing it unpaid and in their spare time, but they will not advertise this, italy and austria are now the best places to go for ski guiding, mountain sun do a good service around the kronplatz area, redpoint in the ziller valley. last year in courcheval where i went on my own to a chalet, the 10 people in the chalet wanted to ski together, so everyday someone took the lead and we all skied together, and i thought that worked quite well.
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| admin wrote: |
When you're a snowHead, you don't necessarily need ski hosting any more.
Have a look at the snowbuddy, see which resorts have friendly snowHeads in when you want to go and give them a shout
Of course, don't forget to add your own details to the snowbuddy once you've decided where you're going. |
Snowbuddy? Qu'est-ce que c'est? I can do out of touch.
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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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| ......the bigger companies have meekly given in the french demands and stopped ski guiding...... |
= the bigger companies have not seen a business case for taking on the French authorities.
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Neilson do not offer any ski guiding anywhere as part of their normal holidays (straight from a rep last week). They only offer ski guiding as part of their Mountain Collection holidays and I understand the guide is a qualified ski instructor. Not quite related, but they don't do bar crawls any more either (a concept I never really understood anyway!).
It isn't just down to the French authorities, it was down to their legal team/insurers, although no doubt the French stance made them examine the ski guide service. The risk of someone getting hurt/injured and blaming the rep/TO was too high.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Snowcoach were offering guiding, but they got anyone who wanted it to join their "ski club" (free to join). The guiding was then seen as a ski club activity. Not sure whether they still do this though.
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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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Off to Obergurgl next week with Esprit and they have three days' guiding advertised.
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@achilles, for enlightenment follow the magic linky to the snowbuddy.
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You know it makes sense.
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Don't Ski Total/Inghams/Esprit still offer hosting in Austria & Italy? I know like all other TO's they stopped it in France due to the greed of the ESF wanting to charge everyone something.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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@flangesax, I didn't think that was necessary - as far as I recall, "Oi div, come skiing!" was enough to get you out there 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Quite a few still offer it in Austria, but that does depend on the resort. For example ski hosting is not allowed in St Anton (if tour ops have a contract with a certain ski school, there is a clause forbidding ski hosting/guiding).
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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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Ski Miguel do it here.
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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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@Old Man Of Lech, from what I can gather the company I used to work for, silverski, were one of the first to be taken to court in France some years ago over use of "ski guides", though they never used this term themselves, and in the brochure it was clearly stated we were called "ski companions", unsurprisingly the French (ESF!!!) won the case.
it was stated in the brochure, that the service was not a substitute for ski tuition and was only available o
if you could ski at least red runs competently. even 20 years ago we would still face aggravation from local esf instructors, but this could have also been related to the fact that we used to recommend using the only independent ski school in meribel at the time.
At one point we were stopped from using uniform whilst out with guests to reduce any aggro whilst on the slopes, though it did not stop it altogether if instructors recognised you around town.
to be honest I think this kind of protectionism from the ESF in some resorts have been counter productive, due to the evidence of the amount of independent schools sprouting up all over the place, where I would assume that the old style instructor who could not give a toss about their client would not be welcome.
I am sure if all the T/O's had got together and made a good case that "companions/hosts" were only offering a social platform for guests to ski together and get maximum use out of the area pass without having to consult lift maps, it would still be widely available today.
I would go as far as saying that apart from the social side, although we had no formal training, the company used to give a start of season familiarisation of the slopes and also we were instructed about slope etiquette with regards to where is best to stop and wait on the slopes so as your guests were safe, something I still use to this day!!!.
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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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MGS Ski still do I think. You're split into groups based on ability/what you fancy doing and guiding is offered every afternoon, led by ESF with an MGS representative joining each group too.
I found it really useful - our ESF guide was giving our group (of around 6 I think) a lot of technique tips and it really helped me make the most of the area.
It's only in Val Cenis which was actually a really nice place to ski, with very quiet pistes and a nice variety.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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In Austrian resorts it is not uncommon to find that the larger hotels have in-house ski hosts who are employed to ski with the guests. For example, the Alpenhotel and Hotel Sonne in Saalbach both offer this free service.
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@milzibkit, I assume it's not free? If not, how much does it cost?
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@micky, Skivo 2 operate in Courchevel doing chalet holidays and INCLUDE 2 hours instruction per day by top BASI coaches.
I think other posters on this site do similar in other resorts. Not quite ski guiding but they do get you around the resort.
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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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The MGS 'group ski' is just part of the overall holiday price and not to the extent you would notice. When the Clamp down happened 3 or 4 years back mid way through the season there was a few/20? Euros top up in resort but now it is just part of the holiday. The ability of the groups mean some are fully kitted up and off into the backcountry. The ESF instructors are all known to the company personally as this is a small village and we have had some brilliant afternoons in powder well after the last fall in the last few years. A very sociable couple of hours at the end of the afternoon and would highly recommend MGS in general. If you don't know Val Cenis check out Ed Leigh's YouTube video from a few weeks back which shows the off piste in the middle of the ski area
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| admin wrote: |
| @achilles, for enlightenment follow the magic linky to the snowbuddy. |
Ooo. Neat.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Inghams still offer Hosting in Zermatt. Consists of resort staff showing guests around on Blue and Red slopes (not Black pistes/offpiste)
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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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Neilson 'guiding' is led by ski school instructor and supported by a Neilson rep . . .more akin to a group ski school lesson than gui
ding in my experience . . .good if your solo / new to resort / family ski at differing levels etc
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VIP do in Austria and Switzerland. Three days guiding on all levels of slopes (dependent on ability). It looks like a great job to have for a Seasonnaire.
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You know it makes sense.
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Just back from Serre chevalier with Crystal and at the 'welcome meeting' there was an ESF instructor along with the Crystal reps. Among other things it was mentioned that there was a '2hr guided tour', run by ESF, the next morning. We never went on it as we were meeting our daughter after ski school. Not sure of it was for Crystal clients only and/or was local to just that resort.
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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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Snowcoach in the French Alps do ski guiding and I am expecting them to do it again this year. They guide Mon to Friday, having a rest or doing other jobs on Wed. I have always found the guides enthusiastic skiers and good fun.
It is the fundamental reason I go with Snowcoach. At the moment my circumstances are that I am a solo skier and guiding offers the best way to meet others in the resort. I have thought about something like Skibuddy to meet up with others but how do you know you will get along? With the guided parties you at least have a choice of who you want to socialise with.
Over 25 years of skiing I have only ever come across guiding by Snowcoach and I have always been surprised that other companies don't offer the service. From my point of view it would appear to have a strong business case but I take on board the comments here of the insurance worries.
On our first encounter with Snowcoach back in the early 90's, the lad taking us was paranoid about being picked up by the piste police and would not let us line up in a line when we stopped, or all face him as though he were giving us instructions. If the piste police (and they seemed to be more numerous then) passed us he would ski off a bit and hide his face. We had to laugh! I think things have changed over the years and like us cycling on the pavement in the UK, I don't think the French piste police are too bothered nowadays, but I don't know for sure.
Just to add that, although rather young, the Snowcoach guides I have met have all been excellent skiers capable of giving a few hints and tips on skiing technique, although they are probably not meant to. Also we do the complete range of the pistes if that is what us punters want, with easier routes for the less adventurous to take if they want. I can't fault it.
The only downside for me is that Snowcoach only operate in two resorts now and I am going back to Valmeinier again this year. Greatly looking forward to it in a couple of weeks time, though, but I have to get back to Les Trois Vallees one more time before I hang up my skis!
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