 Poster: A snowHead
|
Hey everyone, I'm taking a mixed group of 20 to Saalbach next march, and I'm struggling to find a instructor to make the week work.
I'm looking to find someone who can do 2 hours with the beginners in the morning, then 2 hours with the intermediates in the afternoon, and maybe a bash off piste for the experts if conditions allow.
However, all I can seem to find is the "official" local ski schools who want to charge upwards of €300/session (5*300*2 = €3000!!!!).
In France I have been able to find freelance instructors who would give me a price for the week, but no such luck. Do they simply not exist in Austria, or am I looking in the wrong places (Google)
Any help and advice would be appreciated!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
You could try looking on maisonsport.com but expect to pay €80 to €150 an hour. Some may offer full days for between €300 and €450 which sounds closer to your needs.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
@thatguycalled, probably because working for yourself in Austria is trickier than other places.
As mentioned, maison sport might be your best bet.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
| tarrantd wrote: |
| You could try looking on maisonsport.com but expect to pay €80 to €150 an hour. Some may offer full days for between €300 and €450 which sounds closer to your needs. |
Thanks for that, I will take a look, still 2000 a week if it's 250 a day
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
@thatguycalled, how much is that per person per session?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
How many in each session? a private lesson with Penhab (http://www.penhab.at ) would be 4 people and half a day is 2 hours €152, an extra person is €20, guiding would be the same price .
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| thatguycalled wrote: |
Thanks for that, I will take a look, still 2000 a week if it's 250 a day |
Don't know how cheap you're expecting it to be? £2000 even between 10 assuming 5 beginners in the morning and 5 intermediates in the afternoon is only £200 each. Around £20 an hour per person.
Not sure how much cheaper you're expecting to get this in at!?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
try skibro.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| swskier wrote: |
Don't know how cheap you're expecting it to be? £2000 even between 10 assuming 5 beginners in the morning and 5 intermediates in the afternoon is only £200 each. Around £20 an hour per person.
Not sure how much cheaper you're expecting to get this in at!? |
For arranged lessons with a ski school, sure, but a €2000 seems a bit steep for what is realistically 20 hours work for one person. That comes out at €800/day, which is top-end London contractor rates.
I appreciate that instructors don't work every day & need to cover their off time and expenses, etc - but that's less of an issue when we book 6 months in advance and hire someone for a whole week, no?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Bob wrote: |
| try skibro.com |
Will take a look, thank you!
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| thatguycalled wrote: |
| swskier wrote: |
Don't know how cheap you're expecting it to be? £2000 even between 10 assuming 5 beginners in the morning and 5 intermediates in the afternoon is only £200 each. Around £20 an hour per person.
Not sure how much cheaper you're expecting to get this in at!? |
For arranged lessons with a ski school, sure, but a €2000 seems a bit steep for what is realistically 20 hours work for one person. That comes out at €800/day, which is top-end London contractor rates.
I appreciate that instructors don't work every day & need to cover their off time and expenses, etc - but that's less of an issue when we book 6 months in advance and hire someone for a whole week, no? |
You're paying them €100 an hour to teach, you're not paying them €800 a day, because they're not teaching 8 hours. They'll most likely do 2 x 2hours per day.
Don't know why paying an individual should be much cheaper than paying a ski school? But it will be less based on the price someone gave already, which for 5 people would cost you c.€230 for a 2 hour private.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
100 a hour for instruction is good.
Even if its a group of 5 that is £40 a day for instruction.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@thatguycalled,
I think your expectations may be slightly unrealistic.
The prices you have been quoted seem pretty reasonable to me and to compare them to 'contractors' rates seems slightly bizarre.
If you have any doubt about how much commitment, and cost of training, a ski instructor invests in their skill set have a read of @swskier's excellent thread on journey to a ski instructor https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=155699.
What you are paying for is a multi-skilled (including advanced language skills, mountain safety, technical understanding, racing abilities, local resort knowledge.....) individual, and I for one have enormous respect for these skills and glad to pay for something that I value very highly - that is ability to teach me to ski better. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
| thatguycalled wrote: |
I appreciate that instructors don't work every day & need to cover their off time and expenses, etc - but that's less of an issue when we book 6 months in advance and hire someone for a whole week, no? |
But you're paying them for 20 hours work, not a full week (unless your expert off piste requests fill the rest of the week - which is dependent on conditions, I.e. a last minute decision). You're leaving the instructor with a couple of 1-2 hour gaps each day which they may ge able to fill, but may not, and certainly they can't take another client for a whole day (or morning/afternoon) that week. So it's perhaps not surprising that you're getting quoted rates for whole days.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
skibro.com just re-directs to the regular ski schools.
maisonsport.com claims to have a few instructors in Saalbach. In the many years that I've been skiing in Saalbach, I've never seen or heard of any of them, and none of them mentions Saalbach in their resume. They appear to be from Czech Rep. and I'm not sure how they can legally instruct in Austria as freelancers, and I wouldn't be keen on going off-piste with anyone without in-depth local knowledge. Almost all instructors in Austria seem to work through ski schools - freelancing in any industry (not just ski instructing) in Austria is extremely costly in terms of the social security contributions, insurances and licenses that are payable and the regulatory hoops that have to be jumped through.
For instruction in Saalbach go to Fürstauer (who have two excellent British instructors in Nick and Johnny) or try Freeride Ski School (they also teach beginners) which is a small school with just 4-5 highly qualified local instructors, so about as close to the "freelancer" model that you might find. Or Penhab in Hinterglemm, who also provide lessons in Saalbach.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
@thatguycalled, you might try asking on the S-H thread. There is a brit, @tatmanstours who lives there and is very knowledgeable in all things S-H related. However €3000 for a week's work for a skilled freelancer seems to me to be on the cheap side, I would assume someone with that level of qualification is going to be charging at least €500 - €600 per day. Social and tax costs are high in Austria, after they have paid tax, social security and health insurance they would be getting around €250 or so per day, not so much.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
I've just looked on the website for the ESI ski school in Les Saisies, in France, and they charge 450 or 520 per day (more in peak weeks) for the "engagement" of an instructor for the day. I wouldn't expect an instructor to be teaching all day, and I would expect to buy them lunch.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
I've only once paid €100/hr for lessons. It was Hintertux last year and our (mine and my son's) worst experience. €200 for 2hrs which ended up to be around 1hr 15-20min because we met mid station and had to go to learning slope with the instructor. In Italy I usually pay €50-60/hr and it also feels like attitude is different. I guess it's just a bad experience but more difficult to swallow when kids are involved and it costs so much.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
In Austria there is a rule that all ski schools in each area are fully registered, insured and have the same prices. It will not be legal to find something cheaper.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
@Mankei, the prices are independent but a few handshakes may go on...
@thatguycalled, Have a look here:
https://www.sbssv.at/de/begleiter
This is a list of independent instructors in Land Salzburg (there are some in Zell am See, so just down the road).
These are instructors that pretty much have the highest qualification (some possibly without the business exam, so they are not 'allowed' to operate a ski school office. Some just don't want to run a ski school but are qualified to). But they can work as freelancers and teach whatever and wherever they like.
There are no price guides or fixing... so you will certainly gain a picture of the pricing (which all seemed pretty legit to me) if you contact a few of them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
