Let’s be honest – you’re never going to live a happier existence than when you’re a seasonnaire. You get to live in the mountains with a guaranteed group of friends, never-ending party scene and endless shredding. The only downside? The jobs. From cleaning floors to peeling potatoes, generally the work is, well, pretty shit. However, there are some lucky souls who land themselves dream seasonal jobs. This season we’re featuring some of the raddest jobs the mountains have to offer…..

MEET GARETH LOGAN – Presenter at Radio Val D’Isere

JOB TITLE: Presenter at Radio Val D’Isere
HOURS: 30 hours over six days
PAY: £1,400 approx. (French minimum wage)
PERKS: Free lift pass and accommodation, plus always getting to skip the lift queue
DOWNSIDE: Only getting one lie-in a week

Ten-year veteran seasonnaire Gareth Logan has worked pretty much everywhere you can work in a resort. From cleaning rooms to walking husky dogs, you might call him a man of many talents. It wasn’t until two years ago that the Sheffield native hit the jackpot, working as an English presenter on Radio Val D’Isere.

How did you manage to get such an awesome job?
I’d been working in Val D’Isere for a couple of seasons and got to know the locals pretty well. One of Radio Val’s most popular presenters was leaving and a job opening came up. I used to know a French girl that worked at the radio station, she helped get me an interview and I got the job!

Had you worked in radio at all before?
Not at all. I used to do snow reports for French resort site Skinets, but I’d never worked in radio before. My job involved putting together local news stories, ski report and weather report. I was actually terrible on radio in my first two weeks. They were about to get rid of me when suddenly I got the confidence and did it a lot better.

Take us through your average day at Radio Val D’Isere.
I’d usually wake up at 7am and get to the studio for 7.45am. First thing, I’d translate the reports for the day from French to English. We got a seriously accurate snow report every morning from the local ski patrol. If there’s anything wrong up the hill, these guys will know about it first. I’d do three five-minute broadcasts twice an hour until 10.30am. Then my boss would send me up the mountain with a camera to take photos of people riding for the website or interviewing at local events – like Snow Polo or the Ice Trail. I’d get the whole afternoon off before starting again at 6pm. We’d do lots of video podcasts at big mountain competitions and snow festivals, so I’d edit for a few hours or shoot a bit more before finishing around 8pm. Sometimes I’d be free from 6pm and have the whole evening off.

Did you have filming and editing skills before you got the job?
Nope, I didn’t have a clue! My first few times I came back with footage that was completely useless – but I just learnt on the job. I’d set up the camera, film myself, edit it on Adobe Premiere and upload it to the website.

What was the best part of your job?
I got paid to drink a LOT of tea and translate a bit of French, which I loved. It forced me to get up early and see these amazing views first thing when no-one else was up. Plus there was always the added bonus of free accommodation, lift pass and getting to skip the lift queue!

And the worst part?
I actually can’t think of one! Probably only getting a lie-in once a week.

Why did you eventually leave?
I have a bigger dream of becoming a musician, so I left to concentrate all my efforts on my band. I was really lucky though. I’d have done that job for five years if I didn’t have other plans. It’s pretty much the best job for a young seasonnaire.

What advice would you give to someone looking for a similar job?
Learn French. It will open so many more doors. You’ll get to know 50 per cent more of the town’s population and it’ll give you that edge on everyone else who isn’t learning French.

Have you managed to nab yourself a sick seasonnaire job? Or know someone who does something a bit out of the ordinary to live in the mountains? Let us know by emailing [email protected] and you could be featured in our next post!