You Have to be Young To Do Chalet Hosting???

We were passing the winter weeks in the UK, spreading ourselves between family and catching up, when an email binged up in response to our application to the British Ski Club for Chalet Host jobs for next year, asking if we would be interested in starting this season –well, now really. We paused for all of 5 minutes, then emailed back that we would be interested- how hard can the job be given that the youngsters do it?, you get free food and board and time in-between to snowboard down the mountains- sounds perfect!. Within a matter of days all was sorted, and we flew out to Grenoble on Sat 1st February to begin our new careers as chalet hosts.

It was a 4.30am departure from Bristol to make the 7.20am flight- thanks to Chris and Anja for the lift to the airport as there were no buses or trains running at that time of the morning. We could not possibly fit anything else in our luggage, and only just managed to carry it all to the drop off point with our boards and boots dug out from our storage room. In France we were met by our  very nice Rep, and then began the  long van drive, collecting shopping (done by other chalet hosts we picked up and dropped off), delivering hosts to other chalets and we finally arriving in “La Clautre” chalet in Mont Genevre at 5.30pm, to inevitably be thrown straight into the deep end, having to take off coats and get straight in that kitchen!. We had a support host with us for the week, but it became apparent that we were to start running and that  guidance rather than elbow grease was on offer.Our guests were a lovely lively crowd of 12 Chinese and one Korean Lady, and although it was hard work they were very supportive and appreciative al our efforts- which kept us going. It was lovely to hear them laughing and joking around the dinner table and we did get invited to join them at the table and share a decent bottle of wine with them.

We can only compare our first week to the Bay of Biscay crossing- it was that bad- a pure feat of endurance.

  

Noah having just finished the breakfast run, and sunset on our return to cook supper.

Things did not improve all week and we were full of respect for these youngsters who rush around trying to keep things together when they have full chalets. We would finish around 10.30/11pm, get back to our chalet (nice actually, with a balcony, heating and lots of free hot water if we ever got time to use it) too tired to move, a poor night sleep in our bunk beds and then up again at 6am to cook breakfast. In between we would cook, clean and chase around taking guests to ski lessons, baking cakes and doing the megga shop. With coming from sea level to 1850m we both had headaches and found it difficult sleeping. To make matters worst, our one day off this first week fell on the company half year meeting, and we were once again up at 7am to travel to Alp Du Huez and sit in on a meeting that finished at 2pm, and only got the all clear to get onto the slopes at 3.30pm for 2 lovely hours boarding. We went with the group straight to the top and our first run down was a red, and thankfully we made it safely to the bottom.

  

 

By Friday Nelly was ready to quit, only Noah remained optimistic that this was a difficult full on week and that things would improve. Nelly narrowly managed to hold on in there, and we exchanged emails with a few of our lovely guests as they prepared to leave on Saturday. We worked out that on the hours we had worked we would have to both work for a week to be able to afford to buy Nelly a new pair of boots, as she slipped around in her Totnes boots, threatening to break something en-route to work! We were rewarded by a huge tip from the guests- which made it possible to think about buying those boots after all- oh and maybe a pair of goggles!- and then began the big turnaround for the new guests. Noah was on the transfer duty as our resort manager had broken her wrist trying to snowboard the week before we arrived. The Col de Lauteret is a stretch lying between the two mountain ranges, and conditions were horrendous when he tried to cross- following another Zenith van with guests to return to a coach pick up to get to the airport. Someone had broken down on the Col in heavy snow, and for 40 minutes  they sat on the Col hoping to get through. As we crept along the worst stetches you cold only just see a few metres ahead and sometimes not see the road at all.The guests missed their coach connection, and had to be driven all the way to the airport- where thankfully they made their flight connections. The Col was shut when Noah returned with the new guests, meaning the return journey was much further through the “Frejus” tunnel. The snow looks so pretty when you come for a snowboarding holiday, but the practicalities of getting about and shopping in these conditions hit us this week, as we had to trek through thigh high snow to deliver two trollies worth of food from a parked van to the chalet door- a new concept of food shopping from the usual Tesco run!

  

 

We are now into our second week, and have only 7 guests. This has been much easier, and we have been able to appreciate our surroundings, actually got time for a coffee on our balcony and got onto the slopes 3 times this week- smiles all around. We have also noticed it has been great for weight loss (something required after all the Xmas food) and Nelly is happy that we have a washing machine at our disposal in the Chalet- she is in her element washing all the uniform and ski gear out, although it does not look as nice on the chairs as it did on the boat!!!

 

Sat brings another 13 guests, so we will see how we cope now we are more familiar with the routine and will keep you posted.Here we go !!!!!!!!