The season is here again and hundreds of faces new and old have poured back into resort for what promises to be yet another great season in our little bubble on the mountain. All of the bars and businesses have now opened for the season and the lifts are up and running; gone are those mid November days of wondering like zombies through town looking for somewhere to eat at lunch time, only to end up strolling into a bar at four and giving in to your first pint. Things are now feeling like normal and the first bunch of our glorious punters in the form of the NUCO massive have strolled into town and made even the impressive yellow army of YSE look small; so what have we learnt so far about living in this little town?
Confidence is key, and failing that a Jaeger bomb will do:
With all these knew people to get to know it can be daunting to some, however you will swiftly realize that everyone is here for the same reasons and making new friends is easier than you think. There are plenty of places you will bump into people between cafés, bars and restaurants so rest assured you will become familiar with most of the resort staff fairly quickly. Of course a lot of friendships will be made in the bars of Val whether it be over a quiet Russian pint, a joss shot or two or an overly heated game of beer pong, long term bonds will be formed so don’t fret too much over the short term memory loss.
Penny for a beggar:
As most will know, not many of us come to the mountains to make money. It may seem strange to those who reside in the normal world that we would chose to live in a place where a beer is more expensive that London and serious survival choices have to be made between what brand of tinned beans you buy, all of which on a salary that would make a banker gag; these however are the sacrifices we make for that sweet, sweet neige. There are however some ways to help yourself financially, the first of which is getting a Vie Val D’is card. Most of you will already know about this but for those those new to Val will have probably heard of this mysterious ticket to discount and honestly, in the long term it is worth its weight in gold. You can pick one of these babies up from the Maison De Val and all you need is proof you work here and twenty-one of your finest Euros. Once obtained you will be able to get discount on anything from clothing to drinks to you weekly shop from the supermarket. On the supermarket note, if you can get access to car, big shopping trips down to Bourg could save you an arm and a leg on filling up your fridge.
By the power of pow:
Those who were slightly disheartened upon arrival in resort at a lack of the white stuff were shown just in time for the opening of the lifts that Val has snow to spare. Now hitting the slopes is the main reason that most of us have ventured up to these chilly heights but I’m sure more than a few will have the age old dilemma of one more beer or catching first lifts! The one exception of course is that bluebird powder day! It may be tempting on a day out on the mountain to venture out onto the untouched stuff but if you are to do so, make sure you have the necessary gear and knowledge. The Espace Killy ski area tends to slide a lot so don’t underestimate it! There are mountain safety courses available throughout the season and if you are already living of tinned cassoulet and can’t afford to buy the necessary safety equipment, most of the ski shops will rent them out for a day! Remember it’s not just your life you could be putting in danger!
I think we can squeeze another in:
Some of you will be new to seasons and therefore new to the wonderful world of seasonaire accommodation; Now, accommodations come in all shapes and sizes from little dens of debauchery to slightly larger dens of debauchery. The concept of sharing a windowless space the size of Daddy’s utility room with another five of your colleagues, bunked one above the other may seem alien, but it is kind of how it goes I’m afraid. Many will swap kitchens for hot plates, double beds for triple bunks and living rooms for corridors but remember that when you look across that space that will be your home for the next five months, there is probably someone in resort who has it worse; and if you really can’t stand where you are living, you can always sleep in a friends bath. Also you really shouldn’t look at communal living as a curse; ok so privacy will be an issue and you may have to be imaginative in certain facets of resort life but this small group of individuals will probably become your closest friends in resort so keep that in mind.
So whether it is your first season or one of the many, we are nearly there! The final openings will be happening over the next week and a bit and then we are all in full swing; so buckle up and clip in, it’s going to be a good’n!
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