Hello,
I'm a Canadian looking for some advice on where I might want to spend a ski season working/skiing in the Alps for the 07/08 season. I've done three seasons in Western Canada (one in Fernie, two in Rossland/Red Resort). Now, the tricky part is, and I can't stress this enough, is that I don't want to work at some giant European Resort. I like smaller towns with a quaint, local feel where the people there are there because they are into skiing/snowboarding rather than package tourists crammed into endless condos and tourist shops or hostels full of backpackers more interested in partying than skiing. As far as the mountain goes, I like lots of challenging terrain (steeps, bowls, cliffs, trees, ect) on mountain with plenty of backcountry nearby. And for lifts, I don't mind slower, older lifts but I hate long lift lines. I also don't mind working to get to the best descents and best snow.
I know that my request is somewhat impossible to fulfill - looking for that 'hidden gem' that has the best skiing with nobody knowing about it. At least that's what myself and all my friends from Eastern Canada who move to BC are looking for. First (about a dozen years ago) it was Fernie that was exposed as a hidden gem. Then Kicking Horse. Then Red Mountain. Then ...? But even when these unknown mountains become known or bought out, I would still much rather live there than in Banff or Whistler. So what are the relatively 'unknown' gems of Europe? I found info on Ste Foy in France or Alagna in Italy but both sound like they have been heavily built up in the last couple years. Are any of the smaller resorts in Germany worth spending a season at for an advanced skier? What about in Austria? Or other ones in France or Italy?
The other issue is that I can only get working holiday visas in France, Germany and UK (I mention UK because I've heard of people getting jobs elsewhere in Europe by going through an English job agency with their UK visa) and I only speak English and French (although I would enjoy living somewhere where I can learn a new language as long as I'm still able to find work). Are there any Canadians (or non-EU members) that have managed to get sponsored in Italy or Austria to work at ski resorts (doing something other than instructing)?
By the way, I've written off Switzerland as a place to live and work because I've heard it's so expensive, so built up and is very hard to get a work visa for.
Cheers,
James
I'm a Canadian looking for some advice on where I might want to spend a ski season working/skiing in the Alps for the 07/08 season. I've done three seasons in Western Canada (one in Fernie, two in Rossland/Red Resort). Now, the tricky part is, and I can't stress this enough, is that I don't want to work at some giant European Resort. I like smaller towns with a quaint, local feel where the people there are there because they are into skiing/snowboarding rather than package tourists crammed into endless condos and tourist shops or hostels full of backpackers more interested in partying than skiing. As far as the mountain goes, I like lots of challenging terrain (steeps, bowls, cliffs, trees, ect) on mountain with plenty of backcountry nearby. And for lifts, I don't mind slower, older lifts but I hate long lift lines. I also don't mind working to get to the best descents and best snow.
I know that my request is somewhat impossible to fulfill - looking for that 'hidden gem' that has the best skiing with nobody knowing about it. At least that's what myself and all my friends from Eastern Canada who move to BC are looking for. First (about a dozen years ago) it was Fernie that was exposed as a hidden gem. Then Kicking Horse. Then Red Mountain. Then ...? But even when these unknown mountains become known or bought out, I would still much rather live there than in Banff or Whistler. So what are the relatively 'unknown' gems of Europe? I found info on Ste Foy in France or Alagna in Italy but both sound like they have been heavily built up in the last couple years. Are any of the smaller resorts in Germany worth spending a season at for an advanced skier? What about in Austria? Or other ones in France or Italy?
The other issue is that I can only get working holiday visas in France, Germany and UK (I mention UK because I've heard of people getting jobs elsewhere in Europe by going through an English job agency with their UK visa) and I only speak English and French (although I would enjoy living somewhere where I can learn a new language as long as I'm still able to find work). Are there any Canadians (or non-EU members) that have managed to get sponsored in Italy or Austria to work at ski resorts (doing something other than instructing)?
By the way, I've written off Switzerland as a place to live and work because I've heard it's so expensive, so built up and is very hard to get a work visa for.
Cheers,
James