 Poster: A snowHead
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As most of you will know, next year I'm planning on doing a season.
I've decided not to apply for a job as a doctor, as at the moment I just don't think that my french is up to it, and I' don't think that it is realistic to get it into shape for next winter.
So that leaves me a couple of options-
Ski Hosting for a TO.
Ski bumming for a season.
Or doing an instructors course.
What do people think of these GAP type 10 - 12 weeks instructors courses, are they worth doing, or just a waste of time?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Have you thought of becoming a snowHeads Rep?
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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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Kramer, I did something similar a couple of years ago and chose to be a ski bum. I did the trainee instructor course at the end of November in Tignes and the instructor course right at the end of the season. In between, I notched up the time shadowing ski school with a British ski school in the resort I chose to stay in. This also left me free to take weeks away and go touring in various bits of Europe.
I do think those gap courses are very expensive and they don't even fill a whole season. However, they are probably a good plan if you want to go to a "name" resort and have everything organised for you. If you can afford not to work as a ski rep, I wouldn't. I looked into this also and it doesn't offer much flexibility at all. I just thought that skiing the pistes with a bunch of intermediates on a powder day would be too depressing.
If you are thinking of doing a gap course, I'd recommend searching around on the Natives.co.uk forum - there are quite a lot of threads discussing the relative merits of the operators
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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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Depends how your skiing (including the basic elements) is, if you're confident (but I'd get assessed by an instructor/trainer from whichever ski association youre planning on taking) you can package the whole thing cheaper and get by with a some instruction near the exam dates or work in resort and trade for lessons. Personally I wasn't that confident and quite enjoyed it, I wanted to get the qualification. Yes it's a bit pricey but not when you factor in instruction for 12 weeks 9-4 every weekday, depends if you want the qualification at the end of it or are more there to improve your skiing learn the techniques and have a good time. Some courses can be a bit full of kids being paid for by parents who frankly would rather just be bumming a season or off doing Warren Smith Freeride academy's style than becoming instructors but it's easier to lever the money out of the parents if there's a qual at the end of it. Having said which on my course there were also a number (30%) of older "career changers" like myself and some of the younger people wanted the qualification too, there were some idiots and some really good people like anything in life, I ended up making 2 really good friends through it.
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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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I agree with snoflake on this. If you're going to be looking for lots of really good instruction then go for a gap course - the instruction is v good vfm when compared with private lessons. If you're confident enough on your skiing do the trainee course at the start of the season, bit of shadowing and lots of skiing in the middle and the instructor course towards the end.
When looking at the Gap courses shop around - there are huge variation in prices, and some are more aimed at 18 year olds on year out before uni than others, whereas other courses will have a higher percentage of older people taking a year out / having a career change.
Of the course I did, about 25% are now working as full time instructors, and about 50% were over the age of 22 (obviously that's still v young, but noticeable difference in attitude between those who'd done work/uni alrady and those who'd just left school). And about 15% were over 30.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Kramer, why not apply directly to a ski school for an apprentiship? Check with the ESF or the ESI, it may be easier tha you think and you could be pid instead of paying them.
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Kramer, another place to look at the employment opportunities is Interski, which is a major employer of British instructors in the Val d'Aosta.
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Kramer, Chat to the Guys at Prosneige whilst your in Val Thorens in the past I think they have had English trainee instructors.
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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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Not forgetting that Interski situation has changed slightly, they will only be able to offer max 28 days work a year (and this afte taking a test for a special permit to enable you to teach in the Aosta Valley) otherwise it is 1 week. Unless you hold an ISTD. (BASI 1).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Kramer wrote: |
As most of you will know, next year I'm planning on doing a season.
I've decided not to apply for a job as a doctor, as at the moment I just don't think that my french is up to it, and I' don't think that it is realistic to get it into shape for next winter.
So that leaves me a couple of options-
Ski Hosting for a TO.
Ski bumming for a season.
Or doing an instructors course.
What do people think of these GAP type 10 - 12 weeks instructors courses, are they worth doing, or just a waste of time? |
Kramer - why not think about doing that season somewhere you CAN work as doctor?
Whistler?
Vail?
New Zealand?
Australia?
thats a few possibles....
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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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... or with the British Antarctic Survey. Plenty of off-piste opportunities, but perhaps not much scope for après ski. 
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little tiger, North America and to a certain extent Canada are a closed shop to UK doctors.
laundryman, a bit lonely as well.
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You know it makes sense.
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Kramer, hosting, bumming, course sound good, but do you think you'd enjoy working as a gopher for a ski school? Or are the hours potentially very limited so tolerable? 
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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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Kramer, don't know how good your skiing is, but given that you're considering ski instructing, have you considered working for a ski patrol? I'm sure your qualification as a doctor would hold a lot of weight in that field and could be a way of getting the best of both worlds in somewhere like Canada?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Kramer, New Generation has a good reputation for Gap courses based in either C1650 or Meribel with the benefit of the whole of the 3V to train in. New Gen also run assessment days at Xscape Castleford for likely punters.
Snowsport Scotland normally run 3-4 week long ASSI courses at Xscape Castleford during the spring/summer which would give you a taster for the instructional side of things as well as a brush up on the basic technique. The courses are run by BASI 1 instructors (usually Shona Tate who ex New Gen & who now runs the BASS operation in Chamonix) & a high level pass gives you an exception from the week long BASI Trainee Instructor Course (as the syllabus is the same) which forms part of a Gap course. They'd also give you an excellent assessment of how they think you'd fair.
From what I understand most Gap accomodation is based upon sharing a room so I reckon the 'quality' of your roomie & the other chalet occupants with have a major affect - either positively or negatively.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Kramer wrote: |
little tiger, North America and to a certain extent Canada are a closed shop to UK doctors.
laundryman, a bit lonely as well. |
New Zealand is pretty place...
aussie snow is crap but the people friendly.... beer is cold.... weather nice mostly...
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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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Kramer, I'd suggest PM'ing rockrobin & asking him about the Warren Smith Gap Courses. He's is a student of Warren's & has been out in Verbier all this season. Whilst he's not been doing Warren's Gap course I'm pretty sure that he will have come in contact with the guys'n'gals & would be able to give you a good evaluation. I believe Warren's courses offer a reduced price option without accomodation if you want to rent an apartment for the whole season.
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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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Kramer, The options you listed are all very different. Each one has advantages and disadvantages.
Will you be going alone? Do you want to work? What kind of budget will you be working to? Do you really want to do and instuctors course?
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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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Kramer, Will talk in the week.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Kramer,
My wife did a GAP Year course last season with Nonstopski.com. It was centred in Fernie, BC. Very good reports - she's actually thinking of doing another one. Biggest issues are cost and time - 11 weeks is a long time to be away, and I think she worked out that the whole thing cost her about £10,000.
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Kramer,
Bum it..... or maybe the resorts might like to know they have a Doctor touring around the pistes and will discount your pass if you can give up a few days to be available for them....or something like that... I'd look into that side of it so as not be too tied down. After all you want to be able to do 'stuff' I imagine.
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Kramer, you can clearly afford it or you wouldn't consider it. No question. Bum it. The following is not a general criticism of gap year courses - I think for a lot of people they're an excellent idea. In the absence of other info tho', here's my opinion  .
Back to your query. I reckon all the other options will involve you skiing to someone else's program & timetable. Invariably this will mean you always miss the best snow.
Unless you think you want to work as a ski instructor (or believe you really, really want a useless ((in this context)) qualification - just to qualify that statement, it's pretty useless unless you want to teach, isn't it?) why spend the winter in class when you can be poaching the best lines, watched with frustrated admiration by the gap year students practising "braquage". You may improve your skiing, you may not. IMHO a lot of incremental £££ for limited incremental reward unless you want the qualification (for whatever reason).
If you feel you need to do a gap course, I like the look of nonstopski (they share our services offices). They seem well set up and very professional.
Ski Hosting? I did 3 seasons and had a whale of a time. I was 22-24, partied every night, and could get away with it as the skiing required when with guests I could do on one leg and with my hands tied behind my back. I suspect you are looking for a slightly different cadence.
So, presuming you want to do this to ski a lot, possibly improve your skiing, maybe broaden your horizons with other winter sports you need the flexibility to do what you want when you want. You might be able to supplement your income without compromising this too much by doing transfers, bar work, "freelance" hosting, selling T-shirts, etc.
Also, if you go to France, spend the winter getting your conversational French up to scratch while swotting medical french. Then you can do whatever exams you need these days and go back the season after as a medic.
You might never come back.
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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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Thanks guys.
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telford_mike, that was what it cost me to get my Grade 1! Took a lot longer though!!
Kramer, Sorry - forgot in all the rushabout last week to have a chat, but basically I agree with David Murdoch, & JT, Bum it and do any lessons, courses you fancy along the way. You'll learn more and have lots more fun. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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Right then, I think that's an answer then.
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Kramer, if you're going to bum a season (is that a proper verb?) you could do a lot worse than to base yourself in Bourg St Maurice. Cheaper accommodation/food/drink prices than many high altitude resorts, but easy access to Les Arcs/La Plagne by funicular, and commutable distance by car to Tignes, Val d'Isere, St Foy, La Rosiere, La Thuile, Pralognan, Courchevel, Meribel, Val Thorens and Valmorel. There's also a small but growing snowHeads community in the area, so lots of built-in ski buddies (not that you'd be short of people wanting to visit ).
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You know it makes sense.
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If you're still looking at the medical aspect then this guide might be usefull.
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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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FenlandSkier, brilliant, 1st PCT to have a sense of humour that they're aware of
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FAQ
