 Poster: A snowHead
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So I am planning a gap year in revelstoke or whistler in Canada, for next season. Has anyone had any experience of this and how much roughly it would cost?
Also how hard is it to acquire a job (e.g becoming a ski instructor) and accomodation costs??
Anyone have any other good resorts to spend some of my gap year?
Thank you
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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jeremyfitter, Hi, welcome to the board. Our favorite thing to do during the winter is all the research for you, so you don't have to. 
There are loads of good threads with loads of information have a search around, try the search button, it will keep you busy for weeks.
You mention GAP year, are you already a ski instructor? It's quite an achievement to actually teach during your gap year, most gappies take an instructors course during the winter - some even come back for a year or two to actually teach...  These courses in themselves are very expensive.
Personally, I always recommend working for a big tour operator, get a job with them so they give you accommodation, lift pass, insurance, gear hire, and beer money. I did my first season 13 years ago as a chalet boy, god knows how I managed to trick them in to letting me cook, but I had an awesome season. Later when my cooking improved I would come home from a season with £3 - 5,000 (yes, thousand) from saving my tips, having skied some 80-100 days and drunk enough beer to make destroy my liver several times over.
Good luck.
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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.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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jeremyfitter, worth looking at "ski le gap" in mont tremblant , quebec
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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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A mate did ski le gap last season, said it was ace. Not sure how much powder you get out that way. I did a Peak Leaders four week course to get qualified last season in Austria, linking straight into a job. They have similar courses for Whistler (and lots of other places - Japan for one), could be worth a look?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Why would you ever consider doing a course like that? It costs upwards of £5k, you get stuck on bunny hills all day *if* you pass & get a job, while all your mates ski powder... I just don't get it.
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Im currently doing a season as a chalet host in France. Highly recommended. Skiing in the 3V 6 days a week.... Certainly can't complain 
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jeremyfitter, agree with parlor and Twitchy87, unless you really want to teach people how to ski, get a job for a TO. Chalet host seemed like hard work to me. See if you can get a job as a rep. You get travel, accommodation, food, lift pass, basic pay and commission for basically working the weekend and organising some apres ski during the week which usually entailed free food and booze! It was the best 6 months of my life although I relate to Parlor's concern for the state of his liver by the end of it.
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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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bobinch, reps have too much stuff to sort out during the day, unless they are very organised. They can make OK money IF the TO lets them keep commissions from rental shops etc. Chalet Boys who can cook 6 meals that look OK and taste good will make $$$ in tips, if organised you can be finished by 0930 and don't need to be in the chalet until 1800, giving you a good ski day. The only day you can't ski is changeover day and maybe not a full ski day on your shop day.
If you really can't learn to cook there are loads of jobs that TOs offer in there bigger resorts, pot washers, night porters etc etc that give loads more FREESKI time than become a faginstructor.
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| parlor wrote: |
bobinch, reps have too much stuff to sort out during the day, unless they are very organised. They can make OK money IF the TO lets them keep commissions from rental shops etc. Chalet Boys who can cook 6 meals that look OK and taste good will make $$$ in tips, if organised you can be finished by 0930 and don't need to be in the chalet until 1800, giving you a good ski day. The only day you can't ski is changeover day and maybe not a full ski day on your shop day.
If you really can't learn to cook there are loads of jobs that TOs offer in there bigger resorts, pot washers, night porters etc etc that give loads more FREESKI time than become a faginstructor. |
What exactly? Accommodation, lift passes, gear hire and lessons sorted out on Saturday/Sunday morning. Welcome meeting and paperwork done on Sunday evening. Apres ski activities most evenings - which I actually enjoyed and inevitably meant free food and booze. Skiing 6 days a week. Salary was £90 a week and average commissions were another £100-£150. To get that we worked hard from early on Saturday until Sunday morning to sell lift passes, gear hire and lessons to all of our guests coming into resort. Chalet staff were on £50 a week, had to be in the chalet by 7am to cook and clean and worked every evening except one. The tips were usually modest and some weeks they got nothing. This was 12 years ago. Maybe it's changed.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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bobinch, 9 winters working in the chalet business: host, rep, manager and finally owner and I would still be a chalet boy over any other job in the alps if I wanted to ski as much as possible and not be out of pocket.
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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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parlor, the best job in the alps for skiing must have been to be the Erna Low rep for 3 Valleys. All your guests self drive, none want to buy anything off you, none want to be visited and all want to sort their problems out themselves as they are "independent". My brother did that job and I was jealous. I think they've canned the job now as they realised they didn't actually need a rep.
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| parlor wrote: |
| Why would you ever consider doing a course like that? It costs upwards of £5k, you get stuck on bunny hills all day *if* you pass & get a job, while all your mates ski powder... I just don't get it. |
Mine cost half that, and lead into a job paid 2 or 3 times more than any chalet worker I met (that was in St Anton), plus now I'm at uni I can bug off to the mountains for all my holidays relatively cost neutrally. I've never been stuck on a nursury slope for more than 1.5/2 days of a week either. The work is a shitload more enjoyable than cleaning and cooking other people's food - especially during apres ski time. You can ski for at least an hour before and after lessons start - which means you can always get first tracks on a powder day, no waiting for guests to finish breakfast. Get to eat great lunches without having to pay. Guests often buy you apres drinks after work.Plus the course and training improved my skiing massively. Oh, and you get a sexy uniform!
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You know it makes sense.
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clarky999, whatever dude. You're a ski instructor, the rest of us laugh at you.
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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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parlor, this season I've skied with kids that want to find bigger hucks than I dare drop. Quite like my job, laugh all you like I also spend 100% of my time on snow, not cleaning toilets...
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Poster: A snowHead
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I'm with clarky999 and DaveC.
I've been a chalet boy, resort rep, and most recently ski instructor in Europe, N America and Japan.
Loved all three and spent significant time on snow doing all three jobs.
If it really is a gap year or two then chalet boy or resort rep all the way. If you're considering a career in the winter sports industry then ski instructor. Look at the cost of training as an investment in yourself.
As an instructor I:
spend more time on snow and in the snow both with and without clients
spend significantly less on equipment, food & beverages
earn significantly more than in the other two professions
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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DaveC, I have staff to clean my toilets. Or rather had. I'm semi-retired and skiing in Nelson BC these days...
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