08 May Where Are They Now?
Find out what our past seasonnaires are doing now, and how Kaluma helped them to get there.
Rachel O’Reilly
St Anton Chalet Host at Chalet Montfort 2007 – 2008
1. Why did you decide to complete your ski season?
I decided to do a ski season after university following a family ski holiday to Italy. I knew my long term career plan but I wanted a few years of having fun first! I worked for a large tour operator for the first year (2006/07) and then we found Kaluma through a friend for the 07/08 season.
2. What do you remember most about your ski season?
ALL the fun! The best memories with a small team all of which I would still call friends (even if we haven’t seen some of them in a long time). Ski days with the Kaluma team. Chalet day off. Afternoons in the Krazy Kanguruh and Taps. Just all genuinely fond memories. Oh and Drew, Tom and Andy making Jo and I semi decent skiers! (They will probably disagree!)
3. What did you enjoy most about the job?
I really enjoyed working in a small team. Having worked for a big company previously made working for Kaluma such a pleasure. Being a chalet host is a hard job, especially working for a high-end company. Standards are high but getting to work in a beautiful chalet, and meeting new groups each week was really enjoyable.
4. Did you meet any important/significant people whilst on your season?
I met so many great people in St Anton. I had met Joanna (fellow chalet host) the year before whilst working for another company. We applied for Kaluma jobs together. Working and living together solidified our friendship. We went on to live together in London and are still the best of friends a decade later!
5. What do you do now? And how did you get there?
I am now a Detective in the Metropolitan Police.
Following my season with Kaluma I went on to work for Alpine Answers (online ski travel agent) for a year before joining the Police. This was always my long-term plan but I am so pleased I decided to go and do some different jobs before I did it. It gave me some life experience and skills that I still use today.
6. Describe your job…
I investigate serious and complex crimes in London. I take cases from the reporting stage all the way to court. I deal with victims and suspects of crime and everything in-between. (Unfortunately, I can’t go into much more detail than that!)
7. Did Kaluma have any influence at all on your career choice? Or did working for Kaluma aid you in any way towards your current position?
I always planned to join the Police from a young age. The plan was to do one ski season. This turned into a winter and summer season as a rep finishing off with a final season working for Kaluma. Whilst working for Kaluma didn’t change my career plan, I am so happy I gave myself a few years to live abroad, work hard and have some fun! The preconception of doing a ski season can be that it is just skiing, partying and a little bit of work. This is NOT the reality. It is definitely skiing and partying but on top of that, there are early mornings getting up to serve breakfast to your guests, cleaning rooms every day, serving dinner and generally just some really hard graft. Working for a luxury ski company brings high standards, which still have to be met even when you have a hangover! Having said that I believe the hard work is balanced out with the way you are treated as a member of the team rather than just another chalet host.
8. How would you look back and re-evaluate your time with Kaluma?
I look back with really lovely memories. We worked in Chalet Montfort in its first year of being built which was Kaluma’s first chalet in Austria. It was nice to be part of the team that got that off the ground and working things out as we went along. From that, I am so impressed by what Kaluma has become. Our team of Tom, Joanna, Drew and Andy was a great team to be part of and to watch Kaluma grow into what it is today is great to see!
Chalet Montfort then…
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