Level 1 ski instructor course in Grimentz, Switzerland
Take your first step towards becoming a ski instructor with our Level 1 ski instructor course in Grimentz, Switzerland. Set in the heart of Val d’Anniviers, Grimentz gives you the perfect alpine base to improve your skiing, develop your teaching skills, and experience a winter season surrounded by the Swiss mountains.
This course is designed for motivated skiers who want more than a holiday. You will train towards your first ski instructor qualification, become familiar with the professional ski school environment, and experience what everyday life as an instructor in Switzerland can look like.
The ski instructor course and season in Grimentz
A ski instructor course in Grimentz is your opportunity to combine focused training with a real winter season in the Swiss Alps.
From the beginning of the course, your focus will be on improving your skiing, understanding teaching methods, and preparing for the Level 1 exam. You will work on your technical skills on snow, learn how to communicate clearly with guests, and develop the professional attitude needed to take your first steps as an instructor.
The goal is not only to pass your exam, but to prepare you for the reality of working with guests on snow. That means learning how to take responsibility, support beginner and early intermediate skiers, and bring the right energy to ski school life.
Grimentz is a destination with a strong sense of place. The village has traditional wooden chalets, narrow alpine streets, and direct access to the Grimentz-Zinal ski area. It is smaller and more personal than some of Switzerland’s larger resorts, which makes it a good setting for a winter where training, friendships, and mountain life quickly become part of your everyday routine.
Life as a ski instructor in Grimentz
Joining a Level 1 course in Grimentz is about more than training. It is a winter experience where skiing, shared accommodation, new friendships, and daily mountain routines become part of your life.
At the beginning of the season, your main focus will be training and settling into life in Grimentz. You will get to know the ski area, the village, your fellow Snowminders, and the expectations of the course.
As the season continues, you may have the opportunity to put your training into practice through a local ski school job opportunity, depending on the final product setup. For new instructors, the busiest periods are often around Christmas, New Year, February holidays, and Easter. These are the weeks where motivation, flexibility, and professionalism matter most.
Grimentz offers a more traditional Swiss mountain atmosphere. On your days off, you can explore the Grimentz-Zinal ski area, spend time with your housemates, enjoy the views over Val d’Anniviers, or simply settle into the rhythm of winter life in the Alps
What is included in the level 1 ski instructor course in Grimentz?
- A level 1 ski instructor course in Grimentz with a job opportunity
- Around 5 months of shared season accommodation with the first month included*
- Season lift pass covering +410km of slopes in the 4 Valleys ski resort**
- A total of +160 hours of professional English spoken ski training during the winter
- The English-speaking Swiss Snowsports Level 1 exam, materials, and membership
- A ski instructor job opportunity at the local Swiss ski school, Neige Aventure ***
- Ski school orientation, preparing you for life as a ski instructor
- Snowminds Team leader and social events during the course and season
- Pro-deals at Snowminds Store
- Pre-season fitness program
- Kick-off event before departure (online participation available)
- Pre-departure guidance on packing, insurance, visa, etc., before, during, and after the season
- Invitation to Snowminds Reunion after the winter season
- 24 hour emergency phone during the course and season
- Travel protection with Snowminds Money Back Guarantee
What is not included?
- Transportation to and from Grimentz, Switzerland
- Housing deposit and rent for the seasonal accommodation*
- Insurance, taxes, and potential visa and local registration fees****
- Equipment, meals, and anything else not mentioned above
* Snowminds offers arranged accommodation for the season, allowing you to avoid the hassle of finding it on your own and allowing you to live together with other Snowminders. The first month is included in the course package, and in most cases, you will be asked to pay the rest of the rent one month before the course start. The price for accommodation typically ranges between 800-1200 CHF per month. If you are interested in booking your own accommodation for the entire winter season, please contact us for a discounted course price.
** Employment is subject to successfully passing the recruitment process at the ski school, performance during training & exams, language skills, ongoing professionalism, and work at the snow school.
*** Most work permits in Switzerland require you to also pay for mandatory Swiss health insurance, which must be paid in addition to the registration fee to be eligible to work. This varies depending on the canton, but is typically around 300 CHF a month for a full work permit. Sometimes, there are options to pay a daily rate for days worked instead.
Travel itinerary
Our Swiss Snowsports level 1 ski instructor course in Grimentz is designed for those looking to take a gap year, career break, or change in life, as well as those wanting the opportunity to develop as a ski instructor in the Swiss Alps.
Below is an outline of our ski instructor training program in Grimentz, and how it typically could look:
- 27.11: Arrival in Grimentz
- 28.11.2026: Village walk, lift tickets and welcome dinner
- 29.11 – 4.12: 6 days training with ESS Grimentz-Zinal (French/English)
- 5.12 – 6.12: Days off
- 7.12 – 11.12: 5 days of formation training with ESS Grimentz-Zinal (French)
- 12.12 – 13.12: Days off
- 14.12 – 18.12: 5 days of formation training with ESS Grimentz-Zinal (French)
- 19.12: Day off
- 20.12 – 10.01: Shadowing, work assignments or off days.
- 11.01 – 15.01: 5 days training with ESS Grimentz-Zinal (French/English)
- 16.1. – 17.1: Days off
- 18.01 – 22.01: Swiss level 1 ski instructor exam
- 23.1. – 19.4: Shadowing, work assignments or off days.
- 20.4: Move out of accommodation
The program is approximate and can be subject to changes. The exact planning is made in accordance with the weather conditions during those weeks.
Application requirements
At Snowminds, we take pride in recruiting individuals with the right blend of skills and spirit to join our team of ski and snowboard instructors. The key to joining our ranks is a positive attitude, an outgoing personality, a sense of adventure, and a readiness to put in extra effort. With these qualities, you’re set to create unforgettable memories as a part of the Snowminds family.
To apply for this program, you should:
- Feel comfortable skiing parallel on minimum red slopes
- Speak fluent English and speak basic French*
- Be positive, responsible, and professional
- Enjoy teaching and working with kids
- Be 18 years or above
- Be eligible to work in Switzerland from the end of November until the end of April
To secure your spot in our ski instructor course in Grimentz, please contact us or submit your application promptly. Subsequently, we will give you a call and schedule an interview to assess your suitability for the course, providing an opportunity for us to further cover the details about the Grimentz course and life as a ski instructor in Switzerland. Post-interview, we’ll communicate whether you’ve secured a position on our esteemed team.
Given the popularity of our ski instructor course in Grimentz, we adopt a “first come, first serve” approach with periodic application deadlines each month. Hence, the sooner you apply, the higher your odds of joining our team and marking Grimentz as your dream destination.
*To improve your French language skills before the course we highly recommend our online, tailor-made French course, which prepares you step-by-step for a season as a ski instructor in the Swiss Alps no matter which level you are currently at.
Key Details About the Course
JOB EXPECTATIONS
As your prospective employer, the ski school, not Snowminds, independently sets your work schedule, compensation, and other employment conditions. Consequently, your employment relationship is direct with the ski school, and we can’t guarantee specific conditions such as a minimum number of work hours. However, should you have any queries or concerns, we are always available to provide assistance.
As a fresh ski instructor, your primary responsibilities will involve supervising large groups of children, at times up to ten. This role can be challenging, requiring specific skills that you will acquire during your training. Working in this setting equips you with unique skills, such as class and time management as well as problem-solving.
The ski school recommends that you arrive with a basic understanding of French, as it can be a great advantage both at the ski school and in daily life in Grimentz. Therefore, we highly recommend our Snowminds online French course prior to departure.
WORKING HOURS
As a newly-educated instructor, one is typically on the “bottom of the food chain” regarding work. In other words, the more experienced instructors get first preference, but the more you show your passion and desire to work hard, the better. We highly recommend making the most of the busier peak periods in the ski school by showing your supervisors you are motivated to teach as many lessons as you can.
The busiest periods during the peak season are Christmas & New Year, February, and in some resorts Easter. It is common that you are booked for hours according to your language skills, social skills, and people skills. There are always opportunities to shadow lessons before teaching your first which can be a great way to show your enthusiasm and motivation to your ski school.
LANGUAGES
The more you practice the language spoken in your destination country before departure the better. This will help your integration and in general provide you with a better experience. We recommend using Duolingo to practice and ideally, we recommend taking a language course.
Our team has jointly done more than 100 seasons across the world and we know better than anyone what it is like to start working with a new language for the first time. Whilst it may seem confusing at first, we know that it is more than possible to pick up with a bit of practice. Other than normal language courses, the Snowlingo courses specifically focus on what you actually need when working as a ski or snowboard instructor. On our website, you can read more about it. Snowminds French language course
SALARY
In terms of financial expectations, let’s be clear: You do not get rich as a ski instructor, but the salary doesn’t get much better than in Switzerland!
Your wage depends on several factors, including your certification level, language skills, performance, and the type of lessons you are assigned. As a newly certified instructor, you can typically expect to earn between 10-25 CHF per hour. In addition, there may be opportunities to increase your earnings through tips, private lessons, or returning guests who request you directly after a positive lesson experience.
As the volume of work can fluctuate, we advise having at least 2000 CHF in reserve to fully enjoy your season. The earnings and expenditures of our instructors differ significantly due to their diverse spending habits and personal budgets.
Additionally, there are occasional chances to augment your work hours within the resort during the winter season. These opportunities may arise in various mountain departments, such as ski equipment shops, recreational activities, and guest services.
ACCOMMODATION
In Grimentz, we have organized season housing, where you will live with others from the ski instructor course. Be aware that we have included the first month of accommodation in the package price and that you should expect to pay the rest of the season accommodation in full 1 month before departure. In Grimentz the accommodation typically ranges from 800-1200 CHF per month + a deposit.
Many ski schools in Switzerland do not include accommodation in the work contracts as they often work with a lot of local staff. Therefore, we work together with local accommodation partners to arrange good and fitting season housing for you. You’ll be in shared accommodation with (mostly) other Snowminds Instructors.
Before departure, you will be presented with the location of the season housing and a contract, which we will like you to read and sign. Please also be aware that a deposit should be paid to cover potential damages, missing items, cleaning, washing of bed linens, towels, and/or anything else that the landlord will have claims to after the lease. The remaining amount will be transferred back to you electronically after the season by Snowminds.
Working permit
To stay and work in Switzerland for the winter season you need to be an EU or EFTA citizen. (EFTA which consists of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland). Although Switzerland is not a member of the EU, it is part of the EFTA and thus grants freedom of movement to those from EU/EFTA countries.
Nevertheless, you have to get a work permit while in Switzerland, before you start working at a ski school. Your ski school and your team leader will help you and advise you on the most suitable permit, which varies depending on the amount of work per month.
Your ski school will help you with paying the relevant fees to the registration office.
Mandatory Swiss Health insurance / Tourist tax
Most work permits in Switzerland require you to also pay for mandatory Swiss health insurance which must be paid in addition to the registration fee to be eligible to work.
If you are not on a work permit, and not working, then Switzerland requires you to pay a daily tourist tax instead. This is typically around 2.50-4.50 CHF a day, depending on your accommodation setup.
If you are interested in reading more about work in Switzerland as a foreigner, we refer to the official Swiss government website.
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