 Poster: A snowHead
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chances are that come the end of October I will be gainfully un-employed but not really needing to get a real job until the following summer and I'm toying with the idea of a 'season' but not sure quite what approach I want to take...
Options
1) Get a job with a TO or similar
2) Look for a job in a bar/restaurant
3) Don't bother working to maximise slope time (I've been putting my pennies in a jam jar and should be able to do this)
4) Dont' stay in one resort but have a base and then do some travelling around
there's obviously strengths and weaknesses in each,
(1) gives you moneyish, accomodatioish, and some kind of instant social life, but most restrictive and billys (us!) can get annoying
(2) more flexibilit but would need to be Italy or similar as I have a real adversion to cigarettes
(3) Like this idea but not sure about how to ensure am being social and finding skiing/riding buddies. I guess that Planet sub zero or similar is a good idea here? Any other companies similar to PS0?
(4) Might be fun to join in on mates 'regular' one week holiday..
Resorts: Not that bothered as long as they are largish, have mainly done les Francais of Les Arcs, La Plagne, 3v, ADH, Avoriaz,
about me: Aged 35, single, reasonably unfit and done about 10 weeks boarding and 2 weeks skiing. 15 years working experience with excellent customer service and IT skills. Average French and German
I'm very familiar with natives but though I might ask on here in case their are other >30 year olds in similar circumstances, or people who have done similar career-breaks.
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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 a word with hels_t, she's looking to do the same this season and has looked into several different options.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Also speak with Alastair who has some experience in this area 
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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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Hi bertie bassett, I am indeed planning something similar. I've been persuaded that bumming it is the way to go! I haven't sorted anything out yet as I am trying to sell my house (yes, still, the buyer I thought was about to exchange contracts pulled out, aaargh!), but even if its not sold I intend doing the season. Quite how I do it does rather depend on the house sale.
AsYoda, says Alastair has been a great source of information for me so far and I'm sure I'll be pestering him some more soon. He went for the bumming it option. You can also try Nadenoodle for info on working.
I don't want to go the job route as I want to spend as much time as possible skiing and should be able to afford to bum it (ish). However I'm not adverse to a bit of work as long as it doesn't encroach on my ski time (OK, so its v unlikely I'll do any work!). My main decision to make is which resort to go for - I want a large ski area and not somewhere too expensive.
The travelling around diffferent resorts could end up v. expensive. If you're in teh same resort at least you can get season long deals on lift passes, accommodation, etc.
As I say I haven't done much organising yet, but would be great to compare notes and plans. Feel free to PM me.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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bertie bassett, Frankly, I'd get that powdery white stuff out and go get a proper liquorice job.
But Seriously...
Why do you want to do a season?
1. Ski?
2. Drink?
3. Do whatever you want to do with whatever gender takes your fancy at the time?
Having a job minimises opportunities for (1.) If you're goal is either (2.) and/or (3.) then good luck, but any season in any ski resort should satisfy!
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bertie bassett, the first thing is that you should sign up for the PSB at the beginning of November. You'll get to meet many other Snowheads (including hels_t, David Murdoch, FenlandSkier, and possibly Wear The Fox Hat, . You'll have finished your job by then and you can chat to lots of people about the season. You can have a look at this area, which should suit you well.
Social life is never a problem in a ski resort whatever your age. this should not even come into your thinking.
Be prepared: if bumming, get an apartment with a view to the Sky sattelite and bring the doings, also all home comforts - you won't want to/be able to afford to go out every night, and the novelty of skiing wears off quite quickly, so you probably won't want to ski on bad days. You'll need to get your accommodation sorted by early November or you'll pay through the nose!
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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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boredsurfin, don't look so shocked. The novelty usually wears off around mid-January, at which point they all start borrowing DVDs from each other, investigating bus timetables and receiving big parcels from Amazon. Not to say that people don't go out skiing, but most of them stop doing it every day in all weathers.
bertie bassett, if you decide to bum it and not stick to one resort, bear in mind the cost of lift passes. As a non-worker, a season pass will cost you about 1000€. Day passes are about 35€. If you ski different resorts all season, you will spend a fortune on lift passes. (Of course, you may be filthy rich, in which case you can ignore this advice.)
If you look for a TO job, ask about the accommodation - at 30+ you don't want to be sharing a shoebox with an 18-year-old. My recommendation would be bum the season but look for casual work - transfer repping, bits of cleaning, bar work etc. Makes it easy to meet people with whom to ski, drink etc, and provides useful weekly pocket money.
Tips: for transfer repping, pick a resort which requires photos for weekly passes - much extra to be made on selling photos. (Mr Lizzard did this one season for Airtours, made enough to buy me dinner quite regularly!) Regarding lift passes, check whether there's a discount for buying early (eg Alpe d'Huez - buy before Dec 15 and it costs about 150€ less). Finally, pick your resort carefully - personally I'd rule out Val d'Isere/3Vs because you'll pay a fortune for everything, starting with accommodation. For good value I'd recommend Alpe d'Huez - accom not too pricey (especially if you consider living in Bourg d'Oisans rather than in resort); good skiing; unlimited access to 2Alpes; free days in Serre Che, Voie Lactee and Puy St Vincent; good chances of casual work; pass includes acces to to swimming, skating, gym, sports hall etc etc; plenty of non-skiing options for variety.
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Lizzard, Bzzzz! Woop!! Woop!! Wrong! The novelty never wears off.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
but most of them stop doing it every day in all weathers.
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Now that I can understand 
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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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A few random jottings -
I don't think the novelty wears off - at least it hasn't for me after bumming two seasons. However, I'm not one for going out on bad weather days and if you're there for a whole season it's easy to look out of the window and think "That doesn't look nice - I'll give it a miss today".
I didn't bother with Sky, but I did install broadband in the apartment - easily done, I discovered, and it keeps you in contact - including cheap phone calls in/out using Skype.
A drawback of transfer repping is that transfer day is one of the quietest on the slopes and you don't necessarily want to spend the day on a bus.
To meet people, get there early just as the resort is coming to life - the bars will be relatively empty and you'll get to know people quickly.
I would suggest that you join the Ski Club of Great Britain and go to a resort where they offer their repping service - you'll meet different people every week and it guarantees you other people to ski with.
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David Murdoch, for you, possibly. Having managed up to 80 seasonal staff for most of the past 10 years, I can safely say that it's not the case for the vast majority of them, and it's definitely something to think about when planning a season.
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You know it makes sense.
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| bertie bassett wrote: |
about me: Aged 35, single, reasonably unfit and done about 10 weeks boarding and 2 weeks skiing. 15 years working experience with excellent customer service and IT skills. Average French and German
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brush up on your French and apply for the job this fella is advertising:
www.philingle.com
he'll show you a few interesting spots in Chamonix
if you've got the cash, don't work - that's my tip. not so sure about the novelty wearing off - a significant majority of TO workers are drinkers more than skiers IMO. that said, I did usually try to have one day a week off just to let the muscles recover and sometimes that would coincide with a bad weather day.
other considerations - get yourself a car. lets you go on road trips and make a little unofficial (and mildly illegal I should add) pocket money ferrying people around
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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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| Quote: |
and the novelty of skiing wears off quite quickly, |
 indeed!!
I've managed the last two seasons without the 'novelty' wearing off, including skiing almost every day of last January, and February. I'm a bit nuts so I'll ski in any weather (including monsoon rain the season before last!). This was helped a lot by the fact that most days I was doing courses (Extremely Candian or Dave Muarry camps in Whistler).
I'd highly reccomend the bumming option if you can afford to, quite a few people I know who are working don't really get that much time skiing (relatively!), or can't go out and ski on that metre-over-night powder day because they have to work. Though a bad hangover doesn't seem to stop most people working  , I'd rather be able to stay in bed if I want to or go for an icy blast to clear my head - hangovers did seem to feature quite often I found! 
I wouldn't bother with Sky, but I'd say broadband and a laptop were essential as they let you keep in touch, do your online banking (probably don't want to be doing this in an internet cafe!), check out the weather, avalanche reports, look for work (have to pay for the bumming somehow!), etc, etc.. Oh and check out snowheads of course!!
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Poster: A snowHead
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My longest run when doing a season was about 45 days straight on the slopes, however this is a bit of a cop out as sometimes that day would consist of 2 hours.
It is amazing to see people who swear at the beginning of the season they'll be out on the slopes all the time put in so little time that they don't even break even on their season passes. Perhaps even worse are the snobs who go on powder strike - not bothering to rouse themselves unless there is a few cms of fresh snow.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| fatbob wrote: |
| It is amazing to see people who swear at the beginning of the season they'll be out on the slopes all the time put in so little time that they don't even break even on their season passes. Perhaps even worse are the snobs who go on powder strike - not bothering to rouse themselves unless there is a few cms of fresh snow. |
You should be grateful for these people! Their cash keeps prices down for the rest of us, and they don't clog up the slopes
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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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Guys
thanks for all the feedback. I'm keen to focus on improving my skiing/boarding really, and perhaps maybe look at a longer term change in my lifestyle for a healthier, more outdoorsy one.
some really good tips in all your comments, in particular I note the comments on lift pass costs when travelling around. I had more thought we'll if I'm doing a season in say Les Arcs and my regular ski mates are skiing 3v or so for a week then i might like to go join them and get the best of both worlds...
Hels_t thanks for that I'll drop you a pm, and then we can compare notes off line.
Easiski - the PSB is a great idea, but I'm not quite sure about when I'll be free work wise or not.
Arno - thanks for the headsup about phil, sound like the type of job I could be interested in..I'll drop hime a line but I'm not sure I've got the head for heights he has.
Cheers for the input guys, keep the ideas coming...
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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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We did the bumming around thing last season in Whistler and it's definitely the way to go if you want to concentrate on your skiing. However, we tended to ski for 4 - 5 days out of the week as we were there with our 2 year old and wanted to spend more time with her. Of course we could only afford so much babysitting too 
Just a thought but if someone wanted to earn a few pennies, and yet still be able to ski during the day, couldn't they get evening bar work?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Novelty definately wears off with most workers. If you wake up to a white out you go back to bed!
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easiski, good point and I suppose everyone wants the evening shift.
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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 bloke who runs the Swallow Bar in Vaujany has the perfect answer to this - he doesn't open until he's back from his day's boarding (then wonders why he only just about breaks even every season  )
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Arno,
Sounds like he's cracked it
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I know a couple of bar owners in the UK who work to similar principles, one told me the other day he was thinking of closing at dinner time as they were getting too busy. 
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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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FenlandSkier, May 31st 2007 will sort that out for him 
The day smoking ban is coming into effect
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Is that a definite date now?
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You know it makes sense.
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FenlandSkier, It's the date in the 'consultation document' that the Local Council's EHO's are refering to.
BUT it still has to go through parliament.
Its all here if your really bored
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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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| boredsurfin wrote: |
FenlandSkier, May 31st 2007 will sort that out for him
The day smoking ban is coming into effect |
Is that really true - a smoking ban in France??
And if so is anyone really going to accept it like they have in Italy?
Shame its not 2006 really
g
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FAQ
