 Poster: A snowHead
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Has anyone on here been a ski guide for ski alpine? considering applying but the job but the description is a bit vague and it looks as if you could spend all your time doing crappy non ski related work for them with very little actual skiing. Any experiences really welcome. Also has anyone used a ski alpine guide and if so what was it like?
Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I think you're asking the question on the wrong site - there's not that many people on here that work for English TO's and therefore you're likely to get a better response on Natives.co.uk - however the bottom of the Ski Alpine homepage says "Ski Alpine Ltd is a member of the TUI Travel PLC Group of Companies." which as many peeps might say on natives is 'nuff said. Actually I've just clicked on a link on their website and seen this page - http://www.ski-alpine.co.uk/social.aspx which would be enough to put me off the job/company altogether..
I think it's wrong of Ski Alpine to use the term guide - it's unlikely that the person doing the 'tour leading' will be expected to be a high-mountain guide but it's more taking punters in groups round the mountain showing where the better restaurants, nice blue runs etc. Whilst a number of English TO's offer this service they do vary a bit in terms of amount of skiing you're supposed to do, and no doubt you'll be doing a bit of 'let's go and pick up the rental kit' and possible airport transfers and nights out etc. You'll be expected to go out in any conditions (provided the lifts are running / punters want it) and you'll ski the same dull blue run incessantly every 1st day of the week just so 'everyone can get their legs back in'
I think provided you're good at chatting to randoms and answering the same inane questions week in /out and not stressing that on the powder days you're lapping the numpty zone then you'll be fine. In a slightly sadistic way if I do a season again, it's actually the job I'd quite like to do.
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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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bertie bassett, that link is incredible. It reads like a spoof. I agree with your conclusion...... 
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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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Had to laugh at that website. That's what put me off joining a university ski club - I wanted to ski/race and then drink, they wanted to drink, drink a bit more, and possibly ski a little bit...
The one on the left's not too bad though...
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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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Seems OK but about 20 year too late. Reads like an 18-30 advert from mid 80's. And they were REALLY naff (I "know").
 from an ex rep (of course long before I became sensible)
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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skisimon, what uni ski club was that? In my experience there is that element to the clubs, but also a small element of hard corse skiers. I met some of my best skiing buddies in our uni ski club.
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beanie1, it was my first stint at Plymouth (doing a second from October  ).
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skisimon, maybe it varies between clubs.
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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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Our uni ski club is exactly like that, probably why we orignally went with ski alpine
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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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| rambotion wrote: |
Has anyone on here been a ski guide for ski alpine? considering applying but the job but the description is a bit vague and it looks as if you could spend all your time doing crappy non ski related work for them with very little actual skiing. Any experiences really welcome. Also has anyone used a ski alpine guide and if so what was it like?
Thanks |
Rambotion,
First up, any TO should know better than describe their ski hosts as ski guides (almost a lynching offence in French resort) - a bad sign about Ski Alpine.
Ski Hosts generally do the airport transfers (trying to sell passes, lessons, ski hire etc). Then sort out guests passes in resort, get them to ski hire shop (and back at the end of the week). During week take guests around resort, skiing to their ability (lots of blues, no off-piste), getting them to the designated lunch spot & back to resort at the end of the day. The only time you'll get to enjoy the resort are your days off, or if you get a bunch of excellent skiiers for the week (unlikely!).
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Hi,
just a quick word of warning before you go skiing around the mountains calling yourself a guide.
It takes years to become a guide and you have to e a member of (UIAGM) Union Internationale des Association de Guides de Montagne. People have been fined and even put in prison for calling themselfs guides when they are not.
So be carefull of what this company is calling the job.
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You know it makes sense.
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rambotion, I think bertie bassett, hits it on the head...the 'social' stuff looks just like any other TO fare to tempt cash out of punters pockets. You'll be a rep, and if that is what you would like to do, go for it.
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I think provided you're good at chatting to randoms and answering the same inane questions week in /out
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Nice one.
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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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rambotion, I did three seasons of it - albeit with a generally more mature clientele. Loved it.
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Poster: A snowHead
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You will find that Ski Alpine's main clientele are large groups (typically uni snowsport clubs) and the emphasis is very much on enjoying the 5 to 9 as much as the 9 to 5!
As MarjMJ says, you will be treated as a 'rep' rather than a host/guide and will not be expected to guide (in the true sense of the word) your clients around the slopes. There will be little (if any) selling to them in resort since they will have pre-paid virtually everything at home. Chances are they will be get a coach from the UK out to resort, so you may be required to travel one or both ways with them. It's equally likely at the end of a week in resort you will either stay put and start again with another group, or switch resorts.
You should get plenty of time to ski - things don't tend to get busy until your clients are coming down for the day from 4pm onwards. You will end up answering some frankly astonishing questions / seeing some exceptional things. My favourite (I repped for a similar company) was a client walking through Val d'Isere with the velcro straps from her boots still firmly stuck together as they had been when she was given them in the hire shop!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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What are they paying? Ive seen other offers with less work.
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