"It is better to go skiing and think of God, than go to church and think of sport."
Fridtjof Nansen
Skiing is not only about swishing down the fabulous icy slopes, it is also as much staying in the chalet. Maintaining a ski chalet requires a lot of effort from the owners to offer the guests the best experience in dining and lodging. A ski chalet is also the most reliable place for skiers to gather information about the best slopes in the vicinity and how to get there and similar such information. Here is how a typical week in the chalet goes by, with all its mundane efforts of running the chalet and serving the guests, offering them the warmth of home amid the cold of the snow.
The week rightfully starts at Saturday, as it’s the transfer day when the guests leave and arrive. The chalet owner has to ensure that the departing guests are bid a hearty farewell and the new guests are welcomed with a neatly arranged chalet. The guests usually start arriving late afternoon and can continue coming late night so the chalet must be ready in the gap between the departing guests and the arriving ones. A busy day of hurry and readiness is Saturday.
Sunday is the day when the guests and the hosts become acquainted with each other and share anecdotes and experiences to get the conversation flowing. Sunday is also especially the day when the host has to stay up to date on the weather condition and on the queries of the new guests who want to know which the best slopes to ski are. Guests and hosts together around one large family table to bond share the dinner over the bread and the other delicacies prepared to welcome the guests.
Monday is the day of vegetable shopping for the chalets and a day of exploration for the guests. The guests would be enjoying the ski slopes and exploring the area for fine restaurants. In the meanwhile, you have to decide the groceries of the week and also what else do you need for the week. This is the day of planning the budget and good organization skills you can effectively run the chalet on budget. If the guests have children, you might also want to cook a special meal for the children. Tuesday is not much different as guests continue with their skiing expeditions on the slopes. Also, the hosts need to clean up the rooms every morning whether it is a Monday or Tuesday or any other day of the week, so that the rooms look as new as the first morning when the guests arrived. Wednesdays and Thursday follows up with new friendships between the guests, great bonding between the hosts and guests, the children running around the chalet and as always, great slopes to ski. Friday is the last day for the guests so a special diner is cooked in their honour. Friday also is a day for remembering what a great week this was and how much happiness all of us had to share between us. Although, rarely there are unruly guests but that can be avoided if one is careful during the booking conversation. One good tip is not to host big groups of men.
