Their metro is the cable car of the Aiguille du Midi. Their factory, the Mont Blanc mountain range. Their workshop, the refuge du Requin, at 2.500 m high, in the middle of the Vallee Blanche. The most beautiful descent of the Alps. These particular season workers must be strong skiers and love the mountains. At the end of April, when their contracts are finished, depending on the weather, they will have skied not far from 50 "Vallees Blanche" or 130,000 m vertical descent! The record of Yannick Pareau, the guardian’s son, is not close to being beaten; 85 descents! Season worker, Thomas Vorstermans, teacher of hip-hop, is from the Cevennes where the highest mountain is the Aigoual mount. He convinced his Cevennes compatriot, Yoann Robain, to join him. At 19 and 20, these tow ski enthusiasts jumped on this chance as soon as they saw the job advertisement. It's much better than dishwashing down in the Valley. The third element of the team, Nuru Sherpa, is Nepalese. He has climbed Everest on two occasions and is a tough one. Each morning, they descend the Aiguille du Midi ridge, crampons on the feet, guided by Gilbert Pareau, the guard of the hut, and a mountain guide with the Company de Guides of Chamonix. The ridge was pretty impressive on the first descent but they have now become used to the climb. “It certainly does wake you up when you take the 8 a.m. telecabine” says Thomas. This Monday morning, the thermometer showed -22ºC on the outside of the cable car. Much more comfortable compared with the -35ºC of last week. And yet, they would not exchange their place for a beach in Martinique. For Gilbert and his wife Annick, hosts of the hut, finding people to work is not always easy. At the employment centre, it is highlighted in the criteria: "Knowledge of skiing imperative!!!” All is relative. Gilbert knows it: “Some of them tell you that they made black runs in Courchevel. But it's not the same. How many times, after two turns, was I obliged to go up and take them back to the cabin to take help them back to Chamonix.” And the story is always the same... to find another season worker that knows how to ski in crusty snow, powder and all imaginable conditions... Le Dauphine
