Who offers ski hosting?

The best way - and I know that in Verbier many chalets employ this method now - would be to have an agreement with one (or a few) of the ski schools in the resort and leave this job to people who are qualified to do it rather than chalet personnel for whom it's one of the few tasks and not necessarily a preferred one (responsibility is never enjoyable). Instructors are in better position to assess skiers level and when faced with endless questions like "Is it icy there?" they will give them valid tips how to get down the icy slope and they will be properly licenced to do it. This should keep everyone happy. I know for sure that if I need my hand held I'll want it to be done by someone trained to do it. Blanket ban of ski hosting unless done by a qualified instructors can be a good idea as it eliminates all grey areas, and precludes quite a few potential problems for all involved - skiers, operators and their personnel.

I disagree with a ban on ski hosting.
Ski hosting is essentially very different from guiding and instruction. It is about companionship and taking advantage of someones knowledge of where the best snow is this week and this time of day and not getting lost or spending ages looking for the correct run.
I am in favour of the general only on the piste rules that seem to be being used now.
But, as an often solo skier, ski hosting is a great way to up my enjoyment of a week on the snow.
In my experience the hosts have been competent skiers, often qualified instructors with BASI and skilled at looking after a group of skiers (not losing too many). I know there will be low quality - unprofessional hosts out there, probably quite a lot, but this doesn't mean all should be banned.
As I said earlier I would love to see some statisitcs on number of accidents per hour of skiing in comparison with ski instructors.
Plenty of dodgy instructors out there - including the one I found at the bottom of the piste chatting to a liftie after I had rescued two of her class of kids who had got totally stuck up the piste and out of sight of the instructor. She hadn't even started to walk back - at least she had noticed some of her group were missing.
I do not think you can blanket...
Ski Host = unprofessional, un qualified
Ski Instructor = professional (presumably they are qualified!!)

Oldandy I agree Ski hosting is a great way of meeting others and finding out about the resort, if it is available I always take advantage of it, usually we go skiing as a group but I'm the token skier with snowboarders, its great just for a couple of hours to just ski without the faffing about with bindings/gloves/wristguards etc at every lift/after every run. -)
Whether Inghams or Neilson the hosts are generally enthusiastic about the area and willing to share tips about bars etc as well as where the sheltered/quiet/prone to ice pistes are.
Shame there's not more hosted sessions.

OldAndy - sorry if this thread of yours got hijacked down a track that you described as "interesting" :oops:

But I think we're all in agreement that the ESF seem to want to be having their cake and eat it!

andyoneil wrote:OldAndy - sorry if this thread of yours got hijacked down a track that you described as "interesting" :oops:

But I think we're all in agreement that the ESF seem to want to be having their cake and eat it!

No probs - been interesting.

And I think ESF want a full 3 courser with choice of wines, coffee and a digestif...
All for 10 euros!!

OldAndy wrote:

andyoneil wrote:OldAndy - sorry if this thread of yours got hijacked down a track that you described as "interesting" :oops:

But I think we're all in agreement that the ESF seem to want to be having their cake and eat it!

No probs - been interesting.

And I think ESF want a full 3 courser with choice of wines, coffee and a digestif...
All for 10 euros!!

:P

And that may be the debate closed ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!

OldAndy wrote:I disagree with a ban on ski hosting.
Ski hosting is essentially very different from guiding and instruction. It is about companionship and taking advantage of someones knowledge of where the best snow is this week and this time of day and not getting lost or spending ages looking for the correct run.
I am in favour of the general only on the piste rules that seem to be being used now.
But, as an often solo skier, ski hosting is a great way to up my enjoyment of a week on the snow.
In my experience the hosts have been competent skiers, often qualified instructors with BASI and skilled at looking after a group of skiers (not losing too many). I know there will be low quality - unprofessional hosts out there, probably quite a lot, but this doesn't mean all should be banned.
As I said earlier I would love to see some statisitcs on number of accidents per hour of skiing in comparison with ski instructors.
Plenty of dodgy instructors out there - including the one I found at the bottom of the piste chatting to a liftie after I had rescued two of her class of kids who had got totally stuck up the piste and out of sight of the instructor. She hadn't even started to walk back - at least she had noticed some of her group were missing.
I do not think you can blanket...
Ski Host = unprofessional, un qualified
Ski Instructor = professional (presumably they are qualified!!)

By "ban" I mean a ban on ski hosting done by unqualified personnel. I don't think you (or any guest) will have objections if your host will be a ski instructor attached to one of the schools rather than a TO's employee and many will probably prefer it that way and some will definitely benefit from it. I am not sure authorities will be satisfied if the host hold BASI diploma, their status should be better defined. Instructors teaching in the resort WILL know where the best snow can be found (actually any liftie/partoller if approached with this question will be happy to advise too), they will also be able to help you to get there. And you can just as well meet others irrespective of who is guiding - your chalet girl/guy or a girl/guy working for ESS/ESF or any other school. Why people prefer everything to be done for them by chalet personnel is beyond me.

OldAndy wrote:

andyoneil wrote:OldAndy - sorry if this thread of yours got hijacked down a track that you described as "interesting" :oops:

But I think we're all in agreement that the ESF seem to want to be having their cake and eat it!

No probs - been interesting.

And I think ESF want a full 3 courser with choice of wines, coffee and a digestif...
All for 10 euros!!

Don't we all? :) It seems that people wanting "everything included" fall in the same category.

This is actually ESF job and they are taught and employed to do it.