Work A Ski Season in Crans-Montana

How to Get a Job at Crans Montana?

Job listings for the winter season are available via several online resources:

• www.crans-montana.ch/hiver/en/job (all resort jobs)
• www.mycma.ch (cable car/ski lift jobs)
• www.vs-hotel.ch (hospitality jobs)
• www.jobs.ch (general resource for Swiss jobs)

For ski instructor positions, the below ski schools can be contacted directly via email:

• Swiss Ski School Crans www.cransskischool.ch
• Swiss Ski School Montana www.essmontana.ch
• Swiss Mountain Sports www.sms04.ch

Job listings for the winter season are usually live by September/October, excluding ski and snowboard instructing roles, which are usually listed earlier (by the end of August).

Summer job listings are available in April/May. Other staff usually come from France, Belgium, Portugal and Italy.

See Jobs Available at Mountain Resorts for a list of ski resort jobs and there descriptions.

Other Job Information

You can expect to earn around 3,500 Swiss Francs per month for the lowest paid jobs at the mountain.

Face-to-face interviews are most common, however other options might be available depending on the role.

Ski and snowboard instructor hopefuls are able to attend a two-week instruction course to obtain their ‘basic level’ certificate prior to commencing with ski school.

Being that Crans-Montana is centred in Swiss wine country, some wineries in the area will often seek out seasonal workers in Autumn (September) to assist with the annual harvest.

Summer Camp staff are also required over the warmer months at Camp Montana.

International Applicants

You will need a valid working visa to work at Crans Montana. Switzerland has reasonably tough visa laws, so it is important to check these before applying. See Work a Snow Season in Switzerland for information on work rights in Switzerland and how to get a working visa.

People from the European Union are granted access to the Swiss labour market and are able to apply for jobs at Crans Montana without an additional visa.

Crans Montana will sponsor applicants for a working visa in accordance with Swiss law – i.e. in limited numbers and only if you are ‘well-qualified’, which translates as a specialist role such as a snow groomer, ski instructor or other non-entry level job.

Crans Montana and its associated businesses will also hire people under the Swiss Trainee Agreements with residents of Argentina, Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Philippines, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Ukraine and the USA. Young professionals are required to work (or undertake their ‘traineeship’) in the occupation that they have learned or in their study major.

How is the Terrain at Crans-Montana?

Crans-Montana is home to a 140km network of mostly intermediate runs, including 17 blue (55km), 20 red (70 km) and 4 black (15 km) runs. The longest run on the mountain is a 12km trail from Plaine Morte into the wooded valley of Les Barzettes. Lifts take you up from four valley bases.

While a good resort for beginner-intermediates, some of the more advanced riders out there might find themselves a little bored after a week on the slopes here (having probably spent the majority of their time around the Violettes area, and perhaps a run or two on the men’s downhill course, Piste Nationale), and many look to the region’s other resorts for some extra exploring and more challenging riding. The best moguls section is a short pitch at La Toula.

Luckily, if you purchase a season pass for the Crans-Montana-Aminona ski resort (or given one by your employer), discounts are available at other ski resorts in the area (e.g. 4-Vallées).

If you are a cross-country fanatic, you will be pleased to discover 30km of cross-country trails around the resort. Guides are available to take skiers and boarders off-piste, while the majority of Crans’ tree runs can be found around the lower half of the resort’s 1500m vertical drop.

The resort’s 34 lifts include a funitel, gondolas/cable cars, chair lifts, button lifts and magic carpets for beginners. There are not many pomas or t-bars, luckily for snowboarders.

Night skiing is available on select runs, and flare runs are organised intermittently.

Snow and Weather

On account of Crans-Montana’s south-facing slopes and almost year-round sunny weather – at an average of 300 days of sun per year – there’s plenty of bluebird riding to be had, though snow cover can thin out over the season. Particularly at the lower regions of the mountain, the snow cover can get patchy and you may even experience spring like conditions in January some seasons.

Approximately a third of the terrain is covered by snow guns, topping up the cover on the resort’s most popular runs.

Terrain Park

The terrain park is laid out over an impressive 100,000 square-metre area, home to straight and C-rails, boxes, jumps and various features that vary from season to season. The ‘Adrenaline Zone’ offers a halfpipe, a gentle snowpark for freestyle beginners, and a skier cross/boardercross course. There are 3 lines to hit and several rails – one of the bigger parks in Switzerland.

How to Find Accommodation for the Winter Season?

Staff accommodation is usually not offered with jobs at Crans-Montana, meaning employees have to make their own arrangements for the season, which can be tricky.

Accommodation is relatively affordable: you can expect to pay (on average) 500CHF ($696AUD) per month for a standard room in the village, or 700CHF ($975AUD) per month for a studio.

As with all busy ski towns, it’s strongly advised that you secure your accommodation for the season sooner, rather than later.

Try Immo Scout 24 for accommodation listings (http://www.immoscout24.ch/en/), or Anibis for more general classifieds (http://www.anibis.ch/fr/default.aspx).

Alternatively, if you’re looking to source accommodation upon your arrival at Crans-Montana, visit one of the village’s real estate agencies, or drop into the COOP or Migros grocery stores in town, which both house local noticeboards. Real estate agents in town include:

• Agence Ariane Immobilier et Voyages (Agence de voyages)Rue du Grand Place 10 3963 Crans-Montana [email protected] www.ariane-immobilier.ch
• Summit Immobilier SA (Comptabilité, Gestion, Administration) Rue Beau-Soleil 8 3963 Crans-Montana [email protected] www.summitimmobilier.ch
• Agence Archimonie & Immobilier Sàrl Les Galeries du Prado, Rue du Prado 9, N° 6 3963 Crans-Montana [email protected]

Getting There and Around

Bus or Train

Crans-Montana’s nearest town centres are Sion and Sierre. 7,000-year-old Sion, capital of Valais and economic centre of this sunny region, serves as a convenient transport hub. It is home to Switzerland’s biggest bus interchange, servicing 26 destinations in the Valais area.

Sierre, its neighbour, is known as the wine capital of Switzerland; home to countless vineyards and a year-round calendar of wine-related festivals, celebrations and events. It takes just 12 minutes by funicular (cable railway – in this case, the longest in Switzerland) to get to the CFF train station in Sion (Switzerland’s major railway company), which in turn services all the major town centres in the region such as Basel, Bern and Lausanne, as well as Geneva, Zurich and Milan airports.

Buses to Crans-Montana run from both Sion and Sierre train stations (a 45-minute or 35-minute journey, respectively – see www.carpostal.ch and www.cie-smc.ch for more information). A taxi to the ski fields from Sion will set you back 90CHF while a taxi from Sierra will cost around 70CHF.

Flying In

If coming internationally, Sion International Airport (Régional de Sion Valais Switzerland) is a short 30 km (or twenty-five-minute) ride away by funicular, or one hour’s drive in good conditions. Genève-Cointrin Airport is 185km to the west or around a 2 1/4 hour drive, while Zürich-Kloten airport is 300km to the north (3 hour drive).

Crans-Montana sits 15km away from the nearest main motorway, which will get you to and from Geneva, Zurich or Italy via the Simplon Tunnel.

Shops, Events and Nightlife

The town plays host to a calendar of approximately 400 events per year, and is home to an estimated 180 shops and boutiques, making Crans-Montana quite the shopping mecca. Shops include everything from top-of-the-line designer clothing and jewellery, attracting the wealthier local and international crowds, to supermarkets, a post office and all the basic services. There are also over 70 restaurants.

As far as pubs, bars and parties go, there’s plenty of choice: for Jagerbombs, dress-up nights and live music, head to Bar Amedeus at Hotel Olympic; for beers and bowling, head to Bar Bowling; for a sneaky cocktail or post-ski wine tasting, head to L’42 meetlifebar; or for a party ‘til the wee hours, head to Le Pub Georges & Dragon.

Other after-dark hotspots include nightclubs Pacha Club and Sky Club, which put on regular parties and theme nights, and showcasing local and international DJs throughout the year.

The Caprices Festival, a pop/electro gathering, plays out in April each year, with the 2015 edition featuring well-known acts including Deep Dish, Digitalism and Luciano.

Other notable events include sporting showdowns such as the Alpine Skiing World Cup in March and the prestigious Crans-Montana Jumping International, equestrian event, while the Nuit des Neiges charity gala draws Europe’s well-known and well-to-do each year.

Outside of winter, the Omega European Masters of Golf is the most symbolic event. Every year in September, it unites the best players in the world at the Severiano Ballesteros 18 hole course.