Escape to the mountains

Being young is undoubtedly the best time to travel and explore the world we live in. You have no real responsibilities and life is still full of wonder and endless opportunities. However, not all experiences in life come free and arguably, the best ones are those you have to work hard for. Fay Leonard from sleepy Suffolk, found this out when she began her ski season as a General Assistant in Les Menuires in the French Alps, last November.

After working at Camp America last summer, she caught the travel bug and having never skiied before, planned her next adventure to the French Alps. We spoke to the 19 year old to find out exactly what it’s like for a first time skiier.

What inspired you to do a season?

I have always wanted to learn to ski but I have never had the opportunity to, so what better way to learn is there than to do a season?! Whilst travelling with a friend who had done one the year before, I would constantly be hearing stories about his season and what an amazing experience it was which made me want to do one even more. I also love working abroad. Having previously finished a summer season in America it made me realise my passion for travelling, discovering new places, learning new skills and meeting new people. Doing a ski season meant I could do all of these things, it couldn't be more perfect for me!

Can you tell us a bit more about Les Menuires and what the working side of your ski season entails?

Les Menuires, the resort I’m based in, is part of the three valleys in the French Alps. It’s is a great resort and is perfect for both beginner and advance skiers. It has stunning views and great off piste and being in the Three Valleys is great because I can venture off to other popular ski resorts such as Val Thorens, Courchevel and Méribel which are all in skiing distance! The down side of Les Menuires is the lack of night life with not many seasonnaires however saying that any night can be a good night if you make it one!

My job role is being a GA (General Assistant) which is basically doing all the front of house stuff such as waitressing in the restaurant and bar work as well as all the housekeeping. I get a half day, a day off and a day starting at 12 each week which basically is two days off a week. I also get a couple of hours off per afternoon on my full days of work so theres always plenty of time to ski.

In terms of money, I get paid around 620 a month but 370 comes out of that to pay for my accommodation. So overall it works out at about 250 a month which isn’t much for a job that is 40-50 hours a week. However, I don’t have to pay for the local lift pass, 3 meals a day or my ski equipment so it works out well!

For everyone that has seen Chalet girl, what is a season really like?

Two words: hard work! Working days are long and it gets very tiring. However I know that if I have a bad or hard shift I can get on the mountain after for a ski which always instantly improves my mood, even if it’s just for half an hour! It’s also very important to be able to get a balance between the three main aspects of a season which are work, ski time and your social life. It can be easy to get wrapped up in your social life with too much drinking and bad hangovers which means you can’t do your job properly which of course is the most important thing. There is a huge element of team work in a season. My team are my work colleges, my friends and my family for the 5 months. It’s an intense environment so of course it has its highs and lows but very quickly you become a close and connected group.

What did you expect and was it like what you expected?

Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect. It was nothing like I have ever done before. I had never done half the things I need to do as part of my job such as waitressing and working behind a bar so it was all new to me. I was keen to learn a new set of skills and of course I had never skied, so that in itself was a completely new challenge. I knew it was going to be fun, but had no idea how overall challenging it was going to be, both mentally and physically. I didn’t expect to become such a close team, or to make the good friendships that have come from this experience. However I am very glad that is how its worked out!

What’s it like doing a season when you had never skiied before?

The first time I ever skied was both exciting and scary. I never really had a proper lesson. My manager just took me out and taught me from scratch which did involve going to the top of one of the fairly easy slopes and having to get myself down it without falling over too much or injuring myself! After getting down the first slope I felt a massive sense of achievement, and just wanted to keep getting better.

What’s your best moment from doing a season?

The best moments will always be reaching the top of the mountain and just taking it in and realising this beautiful place is where I live! The sights you see are breath-taking and it’s something you never ever get bored of.

What advice would you give to people thinking about doing one?

Be prepared to work hard, have a good time and learn a lot. It’s a challenging environment to be in. One where you have to be able to think on your feet and get the job done. You’ve got to be able to work well as a team and be prepared to help out each other. If you like to spend time by yourself or can’t live without privacy it’s probably not the best thing for you. I live in a room of 5 girls and often joined by many others so it’s a very social environment! Don’t do the job for the money, you do a ski season for the experience. I get around 250 a month for a job that 40-50 hours a week and sometimes more. So if you want to in have a great experience, make lots of new friends, do a lot of skiing and don’t mind having any money by the end of 5 months because you spent it all on beer then a ski season is perfect for you!

Would you recommend it and why?

100%! Its a great life experience and also provides you with a different set of life skills which can be used when I get back to the UK. It has also provided me with independence and responsibility which are two key skills that’ll be used throughout life in the adult world.

#skiing #escape #travel #france