Arinsal Andorra

We have just finished the first week of the season. Sadly the guests did not have good weather. It snowed over the weekend that they arrived but it turned wet and when the sun shone it was windy.  My group of beginners said that they had enjoyed their week and would all be skiing next year (a good result). I met a lovely lady in the Palarine, who said that she regularly reads this report. This cheered me up as I often wondered if their was anyone out there.

After my request in my last report; someone wanted to know how their daughter can become a ski instructor and is it a good job. They also mentioned meeting a solicitor who worked as an instructor in winter.  Firstly, one must obtain a qualification by an internationally recognised ski association. I chose the British Association of Snowsport Instructors (BASI). I am also qualified under the Canadian Ski Instructors Alliance (CSIA).  If you google either of those names you will find details of location dates and times of the courses.  Both have a level one qualification, which allows you to work in an enclosed environment.  After this there is a level two qualification, which if you pass the assessment, you may teach on the mountain.  You must check the local rules of the country where you wish to work. For example, Andorra insists on an extra four days on snow training before being allowed to teach in Andorra.  The French want you to pass a racing speed test.  A word of warning: BASI have far more qualified instructors than they have actually working.  It is easier to find work if you are bilingual or polyglot.  If you can speak Russian, Hebrew or Dutch, you would be able to jump the queue to work in Arinsal.

Anyone becoming a ski instructor must consider what they are going to do in the summer. If they have a proper job and their employer is willing to give them four months leave each winter, which would be great. However most instructors have to be a bit more imaginative. Here is a list of fields where instructors have found work in the past: Garden Centres, Campsites, Building sites, Pop concerts, Holiday airlines (some of them moth ball some of their fleet in Winter) Bars in Spain, teaching water sports or skiing in southern hemisphere and many more that I am sure you can think of.

Is instructing a good job?  I love the holiday atmosphere in the resort. There is great job satisfaction; if you have a class of a dozen absolute beginners on a Monday and at the end of the week, they all tell you that they are all booking ski holiday next year. (Like this week’s group) or when you have a private lesson with an unhappy person, whose friend or family have tried to teach them to ski and have just terrified them, by going too high, too fast, too soon, then at the end of the lesson they are happy and now love skiing.

If you think instructing is for you go for it!

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Arinsal ski station opened at 9am on Saturday 17th December. It had snowed overnight so I was up there early to enjoy the fresh snow. It was still snowing gently; this meant that the visibility was not good. I enjoyed a pleasant day skiing. I used the word pleasant rather than great, as my tired old eyes definitely prefer good visibility. Our season has now started and we are looking forward to greeting our first British groups on Monday. (ED - Actually this week it's Tuesday!)

Whilst waiting for my bus; an unfortunate Spanish guy, on foot, asked me, “Where could he buy snow chains?” He must have been one of those doubting people who declared that we would not have a snow fall before the start of the season.

I have been writing these reports for about three years and find that I am now repeating myself. So if there is any one reading them, could he or she please suggest a ski based subject, which I could write about.

ED - To suggest topics for the Whispering Jock please use our contact page

There is not much to report this week, as the resort has not yet opened. I have enjoyed several good mountain walks with my friends, Corinne, Mark and Nick. It really was ideal weather for walking. The sun was shining but it was not too hot for the uphill sections. The views were magnificent and the company was good.

Obviously, you do not want to read about my mountain walks but about skiing: all three of the Vallnord resorts, Arinsal Arcalis and Pal have a good cover of snow on the top runs. But sadly for us Arinsal does not have easy access up to and down from these runs. However at Arcalis things are different; the green run from the Coma restaurant and ski area, is a road in the summer, so at present it is very easy for cars and busses to drive to the Coma restaurant and enjoy the Coma ski area. I have had reports of good skiing there. I have also been told that it got very crowded in the afternoons due to the limited area and the fact that last week the Spanish had two Bank Holidays. (It sometimes pays to live in a catholic country.)

 We are all hoping that the cold spell that Britain recently had, will drift down to us soon, so that my next report will be about me enjoying great skiing.

 I have just arrived in Arinsal; The resort is not open yet. The weather is very nice and only a few of the bars are open but there are several friendly old faces about. The changes that I have noticed are: the Quo Vadis has had the interior revamped and looks very nice. El Moli has been taken over by an English couple, who are very experience in catering and hope to turn it into the best restaurant in Arinsal. I will report back after I have eaten there. The Coma Pedrosa has opened as a popular locals' bar. Access to the ski school has been improved and it looks a lot safer for people on foot. The Palarine is going to operate a mini bus service for people want to eat there, this should make it more accessible.

       I answer to the inevitable question 'what did you do in the summer?' I had a relaxing time in the sunny south of England. I did make one tip to Benidorm to meet up with Graham and celebrate his birthday with other people fom Arinsal. My wife and I thought Benidorm was an experience. Our hotel seemed to be full of old people. I do not mind old people but this lot behaved old; queuing up for dinner at half past six. Hordes of them in the bar playing Bingo every night at 8-30. We have become used to younger and more active holidaymakers in Arinsal. There were loads of people on those electric scooters charging about the pavements. Many were not disabled but just so fat, that they did not want to walk anywhere. The fatter the person the less they seemed to cover up. It almost put me of my beer, but not quite.

We were in a bar about 10-30, when a lady in her sixties came on the stage, took off the only two pieces of clothing that she was wearing, then proceeded to remove several items from a very private part of her body; a ball, yards and yards for coloured string, a bunch of flowers (artificial not fresh) six razor blades on a string. She performed several other tricks, which I am sure you do not want to hear about. Her final act, which impressed my wife, was to put a bottle of San Miguel between her legs and take the top off. I am going to give the lady the benefit of doubt and suggest that this was a magic show with specially prepared props and great sleight of hand, creating the illusion of performing these acts. Rather like, Jorge, the magician at the Palarine. His act was much more entertaining and enjoyable than the lady’s rather bizarre performance. Later in the week we saw several adverts for her act in different bars. We reckoned that she did 7 or 8 performances a night. She was obviously working full time. I pointed out to my wife that in the current economic recession, having a full time job provided one with dignity and self respect.

I am looking forward to returning to Arinsal, our clients, and live performers will appear very upmarket compared to Benidorm. I hope to meet many of you this season and hope that we have lots of fresh snow.