End to ski hosting in France

Brooksy, the first morning of the Bonjour ski hosting WAS a total disaster - I would completely agree with you on that!

As far as I remember, at the beginning we were in one large group and the 2 ski hosts shot off pretty fast and then waited for everyone to catch up with them, and then asked who had found that too fast for them. And I think only 3 people admitted to finding it too fast, and they went off with one ski host, leaving something like 11 of us with the other ski host - which was far too large a group.

And then, for quite a while, people kept getting lost and left behind, and I was busy texting them to tell them where we were (it was a good thing I had put people's mobile numbers on my phone!).

And by lunch time quite a few people had had enough of ski-ing with our Bonjour host in the fast group, for various reasons (like they wanted to ski more slowly so they could take photos and admire the view), and the afternoon ski hosting (with a much smaller group size) was great :)


This is why I said that I agreed with limiting group numbers, not just with the free ski hosting, but with group ski lessons as well. I have been in an ESF group lesson where people kept getting lost all over the resort, until I reached the conclusion that the ESF instructor was deliberately losing those people that couldn't keep up so that he would have a smaller class to teach! He was the instructor to whom I agreed to pay 50 euros for his lunch (my idea, not his) if he would promise not to lose me when he took us on a whole day tour of the 3 valleys!).

I've forgotten who suggested a maximum class size of 8 earlier in this thread, maybe it was Dorset Boy, but I would totally agree with this. I noticed on the ESF Tignes website that during school holidays they allow class sizes of up to 12 pupils!

I think myself that the legislation surrounding ski-ing is having a hard time keeping up with the latest developments in the recreational sport, and that what is needed is a new legal definition of a 'ski host', together with a framework so that they can be legally licensed to work at this activity. I hope this will be the eventual outcome of the Appeal and any possible case that may be taken further up to a EU court.

I am quite sure myself that a ski host is NOT a ski instructor and that therefore ski hosts should NOT need the same amount of training as a fully qualified ski instructor in France, and that therefore the job needs a new legal description together with simpler and shorter training requirements, and licensing etc.

For me ski hosting is a way of meeting others to ski with and if its not what we want we bail out after a few hours. have used hosting many times and have often spent the rest of the week skiing with a few from the hosted group. The main ingredient to the success of the hosting is the host - last year in les arc we spent several days with the host/rep and he was excellent, we spent all day sking and he was not interested in taking us for lunch so he could be fed for free - it was an advanced group of skiiers s this probably helped as well. he just wanted to be on the mountains and went into the office to do his paperwork later in the evening. Every time we have used a host it has always been made clear there will be no instruction provided by the host - having said that once in Obergurgl the host did also bring along an instructor from the ski school who also made it clear he was not there to instruct but to guide!!
either way if it has ended in france i personally feel it is a negative for the holiday experience, i would like to have the choice to join the group- or bail out.

Well that's the whole point isn't it, hosts are not instructors or guides.

I don't see why a host needs any qualifications as they just ski with you on piste & show you round the area, does that mean if you have your own independent group no one person can lead.

No money is required to be paid to a host so they are not working on the Black & putting others out of work.

It does however look as if the ESF are creating a type of job description that will have to be paid for & appears to be hosting by another name.

Agree Ally the hosting on the first day was a shambles & not a good introduction to hosting, after lunch I came up from the loo & still had to pay for lunch & everybody had gone.I caught up with 2 of the group luckily as I didn't know where we were resort wise, even more luck that one of the 2 was knowledgeable about the whole area & I was fortunate to ski with him & a small group for the rest of the week.

brooksy wrote:

It does however look as if the ESF are creating a type of job description that will have to be paid for & appears to be hosting by another name.

Indeed they are, they are confusing ski guides with ski hosts.......DELIBERATELY as they provide legal 'paid for' guides.

Make ur own judgement as to why.

They should have a qualification of some sort because they are leading a group they (their TO) has brought together, and are offering a service. They therefore have a responsibility to their clients. In the event of an accident they would be expected to take charge until the ski patrol arrive etc, etc.

Sure they don't need a full instructor's or guide's qualification, but I'm surprised people can see the difference between their role, and that of a group of friends skiing together, and therefore the responsibilities they have.

It's illegal to employ some one as a Ski Host. so the big companies who employ someone to show you round the mountains are breaking French law. on the other hand, small companies, like mine, we do everything our selves even the Ski Hosting, We own and run our chalet business but because we aren't being paid to host we aren't breaking the law :D

So word to the wise... small independent companies, like mine, can still offer Ski Hosting

Dorset Boy wrote:They should have a qualification of some sort because they are leading a group they (their TO) has brought together, and are offering a service. They therefore have a responsibility to their clients. In the event of an accident they would be expected to take charge until the ski patrol arrive etc, etc.

Sure they don't need a full instructor's or guide's qualification, but I'm surprised people can see the difference between their role, and that of a group of friends skiing together, and therefore the responsibilities they have.

Do you think there's any chance of the law being changed so that the French (and the rest of the EU) would accept BASI level 1 as an adequate qualificaton for a ski host?

I know it's only meant to qualify you for teaching on a dry slope, or a snow dome, and not for teaching on the mountain, but ski hosts don't actually teach. And I think it is an internationally recognized ski qualification that isn't too difficult (or expensive) to achieve.

It looks as though you can do a 5 day course on it in several snow domes etc. in the U.K. for about £520. And after you pass it you then have to do a further 35 hours to gain experience in a snowsports school, and you have to do a first aid course.

I think you can do it for so many hours a week at the weekends as well.

My younger daughter was thinking of doing this, and then working as a ski host/chalet girl/whatever job she could find in a ski resort, if she hadn't got into uni. And I think it's a very good way of gaining valuable experience and useful life skills whilst also getting the opportunity to ski for a season. It would be a shame for the youngsters if they no longer had a chance to become ski hosts :(

http://www.basi.org.uk/content/alpine-level-1-course.aspx

Mountain Addiction wrote: We own and run our chalet business but because we aren't being paid to host we aren't breaking the law :D

Are you quite sure about that?