chalet girl

Ski chalet host , a day in the life (part 1)

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A day in the life of a chalet host

What is it really like to be a ski chalet host in the alps?

6:30am and the alarm’s going off , turn that racket off ! Then the phone alarm starts going ( always good to  have two alarms , especially after last nights antics ) .A quick view of myself in the mirror versus time left for a shower means it’s on with the company beanie ,get dressed and run round to the chalet .

YES it’s snowing big pizza flakes , which is a double edged sword as I am going to have to dig my way into the chaletchalet host digging snow  . So 10 minutes later and with a little help from the baker as he delivered the morning baguettes and I am into my chalet.I discover the guests had a little party last night , clearly wine & cheese was on “their” menu . Anyhow , get on with it and it’s:

  • Porridge on the hob
  • Eggs boiling ( 6 minutes for a soft egg at this altitude)
  • Cereals / jam & bread out
  • Coffee on (thank god)
  • Started baking the afternoon tea ,today it’s going to be lemon drizzle cake

And it’s only 7:45am ! If it all goes smoothly I be out by 10:30.The mountains are calling me .

The next 60 minutes are all about getting the guests fed , and out of the ski chalet. It’s all about making sure the breakfast fills them up , they find all the lost goggles/gloves/children and piste maps. Do they know where they are meeting the ski guide ?  have a great day guys and see you in the bar for après ski !

Finally you have the chalet to yourself

So with the chalet empty , turn up the dodgy French radio and get cleaning bogs & beds , clean breakfast , lay the table for afternoon tea , order more wine from the chalet manager for tonight ( naughty guests !) ,sweep , mop , clear more snow !

10:40am and I am outta here , text my mates , ski gear on sharpish , sandwich made and stuffed in my ski jacket . If you can accomplish all that and make it on the hill by 11am , that’s a winner.

Time to hit the slopes

You now get to spend the day with your buddies  riding the slopes and face-planting in powderface-plant in the snow .Digging myself out of tree holes , eating a squashed sandwich on a freezing chairlift , a quick vin chaud , more  laps of our fav tree run then a little cheeky après ski for an hour ( really wish I had peeled all the veg for tonight !)

To be continued in part 2