UCPA, Chamonix: Skiing on a budget

When I turned up at the UCPA hostel in Chamonix at 10pm on Saturday night to find all five of my roomies asleep, I thought it was going to be a quiet week. I was wrong.

In search of a cheap ski holiday, I booked a week in Chamonix on the French-Italian border through Action Outdoors. £595 for all inclusive accommodation, meals, lift pass, ski rental and four days of lessons was an incredible deal. With 20cm fresh powder each day to start the week and a couple of bluebird days to round it off, the stage was set for a perfect week of skiing. I wasn’t too fussed about the rest, but thanks to a great set-up and a fantastic bunch of people, the UCPA hostel really made the holiday the unforgettable week it was.

As well as comfy rooms and a substantial all-you-can-eat buffet, the hostel has a great location close to everything going on in town and its own bus services to the different ski areas at set times each day. They have the cheapest bar in town (€2.20 for a glass of wine that would cost €3.50 elsewhere) and facilities including a rental shop, locked ski/boot room, drying room, stretching classes and a sauna. Other guests range in age from 15 to 50 (average 25) and everyone is there to have a good time and happy to help each other out and muck in with the tidying up in the dining room and dorms (UCPA keep costs low by asking guests to clear their tables, hoover rooms etc).

In the evenings, the hostel put on nightly entertainment ranging from games nights to dance lessons. I heard good reports, but I chose to head out to the bars in town most nights with a group of fellow Brits. Bar’d Up, Monkey Bar and Le Privilege come highly recommended and Chambre Neuf for après-ski. All memorable, despite unwise double vodka lemonades (“Did you say THIRTEEN Euros?!”). Tip: Steer well clear of mixers if you’re on a budget.

Lessons were the best I’ve ever had and all the groups were similarly impressed with their instructors. Fabien showed us all the best places to ski for our level and struck a great balance between working on technique and just having some fun, whilst being generally hilarious and bringing together a group of very different people. The skiing is varied and it’s true what they say about the brilliant off-piste in Chamonix, if you know where to go… and if you’re better at skiing powder than I am (white skis are very hard to find in a foot of the fluffy stuff).

If you’re thinking of booking a UCPA holiday, stop thinking, just go for it. From that point on, UCPA will take care of the rest.

 

Moving to Whistler: One year on

When I moved to Whistler, I had no real idea of what lay ahead. I could hardly believe it was really happening till I stepped off the coach and looked up at mountains dusted with their first layer of snow. My main reason for going out there was to ski. After years of wanting to learn, I finally got into skiing at uni and loved it. A season in Whistler would give me the chance to work hard at this new skill and an excuse to go back to Canada: a country I fell in love with on a family roadtrip seven years before.

One year on I’m back home in the UK, but my time in Whistler will always stay with me. If I’d never gone to Whistler, I would never have gone on a solo roadtrip in the US; I would never have felt the excitement of the snowline creeping down the mountains in the fall; or rung in the new year surrounded by 300 other seasonnaires following the snow; I would never have ended a busy shift enjoying beers with my workmates as the sun set over distant peaks, before skiing deserted twilit trails back home; I would never have met the incredible people who forced me down black slopes, off piste and through gladed runs and the incredibly brave ones who followed me down them; I would never have had the feeling of waking up in the morning, knowing the mountains were out there waiting for me and thinking “this is my life”.

Moving to Whistler not only taught me how to ski, gave me unforgettable experiences and introduced me to friends from around the world, it allowed me to see all those tiny things I love about home so that I now know, home is exactly where I want to be. I’ve had a taste of what the world has to discover and meeting other travellers has inspired me to add dozens more destinations to my bucket list, but Whistler was my one big adventure; from now on I’ll always be back home before long.

Finding a place to live in Whistler

Housing is probably the only thing you’ll catch a Whistler local stressing about (aside from litter related bear safety concerns of course!). There’s a shortage of affordable housing in Whistler due to the amount of holiday homes and lets, many of which spend large amounts of time unoccupied. Let’s take a look at the options:

1. Hostels. When you first arrive, staying in a hostel might be your only option. There are 3 south of the village and 1 to the north, with Southside Lodge in Creekside being the most well connected and the cheapest (though perhaps the most basic). Also, the diner on the ground floor offers to die for discounted breakfasts for guests (think giant blueberry pancakes and bacon laden breakfast poutine).
2. Staff accommodation. Several employers in Whistler have staff accommodation for first season employees, including Whistler Blackcomb and the Fairmont Chateau. These cheap rentals make up for low wages and also offer a very social and supportive living environment with your fellow first season colleagues. Honestly, it’s a bit like being back at uni.
3. Private rentals. The best way to find private rental accommodation is through personal recommendations or on the Whistler Housing for Locals Facebook page. Use websites like Craigslist or Kijiji with caution, as not all ads are genuine. Start looking early and persevere. You should be able to find a decent single room in a shared house for $700-1000 per month. The closer to the village you want to be, the more you will need to spend. However, the difference could be less significant once you factor in transport costs. The Whistler Winter 16/17 Facebook page is a fantastic place to get friendly advice from locals and heads up on bad landlords or properties.

Wherever you end up living, you won’t be spending much time there. So long as you’ve got somewhere warm to rest your head after a long day working or on the slopes (often both!) you’ll be just fine. Living in Whistler, the mountains will be your sanctuary.

Planning a Ski Season in Whistler

If you’re thinking of spending a winter on the slopes of Whistler Blackcomb’s Olympic resort, start planning now for the 2018 season. These are your top considerations:

• Working Holiday Visa
• Job & Accommodation
• Cost

Planning these aspects takes time, care and patience. The need for a visa prevents you from heading off on a whim, so you may as well take the time to get the rest right. There are tonnes of resources out there to help you, from Facebook support groups to working holiday package providers such as The Working Holiday Club. Getting these major points sorted in advance will set you up for a fantastic season in Whistler. Good Luck!