Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
29 Apr 2025
Reply rate
78.6 %
Usually responds within 17 days
Feedback
27
Facebook verified
Email verified
Badges (4)
Details
Description
Hi, here is Maël,
I work by my own as a climbing and canyoning instructor. I have been hosting workawayers for about ten years now.
I live in an old hotel building of 360m2, and some outbuildings, that I started to renovate with the help of friends and volunteers in 2016, with respect of the ancien style, and with cheap and ecological meanings.
My favorite moments are dedicated to (except renovating this magnifiscent ancien hotel): music, climbing, visit friends and welcome people from other cultures...
Things to do:
Various types of works!
Renovating the building: Plastering, electricity, painting, sanding...
...And Cleaning/ordering the house and the outbuildings, cooking, Cause we live in he place in which we are working.more
However, during Summertime, I'm over busy with my canyoning and climbing activities, so I need help in maintaining the house, cooking, and a little help at my canyoning base. Of course, renovation process is slowed down but if your'e okay to work on it independently, it's very welcome. It may also happen that you join me during the activities...
Accommodation:
The renovation is now complete at more than 80%,
1st floor: nice to be shared kitchen and living room, plus heating and technical systems room,
We have 8 rooms/spaces upstairs. Most of them are renovated.
2 rooms and one of the 2 shared bathrooms are 'to be renovated,
So we welcome our guests in a proper room, and provide food.
Both roommates and workawayers shares the kitchen, we usually cook and/or eat together... Different countries specialties are welcome in the kitchen...
The hotel is on the main place of the nice village of Saurat, and we enjoy everyday its friendly atmosphere and the visit of friends, climbers, musicians and so
Located in a really nice valley in the heart of 'Pyrénées ariégeoises' natural park, the place offers a lot of possibilities for outdoor and mountain activities (hiking, climbing etc...)
Living together
We are now 5 room-mates living here all year-round, plus friends and kids sometimes, so the house can be busy.We all need to be careful about the balance between intimacy and community life.
I'm concerned with the behavior of the people I live with, and prefer active and smiling people, careful with others and ready to participate in maintaining the house in a nice state.
If anything becomes uncomfortable, for anyone, it's important to talk, and possibly, the collaboration can stop peacefully if needed.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
- Exchanging about building and renovating technics, convictions about ancient houses, respect of its story, choices of low environment impact, alternative materials, how to use various tools...
- There are a lots of outdoor and mountain activities to do, and people living here are open to share it. Most of my friends are climbers.
- Playing music ...
- Cooking together, your specialties or ours...
- living in our place in the charming valley of Saurat. Many hiking paths around the house.
- Sharing about life, knowledge and cultures of the world!
Help
I look for help to renovate an 360m2 old hotel building :. electricity, and plumbery networks, plasters, painting, wood work, gardening (a bit), etc...
I try to be with you during working time, but skilled people ready to achieve a task by themselves are specially wanted...
During summer, the renovation process is slowered, we concentrate on house maintenance, and help with activities.
To help efficiently with the renovation, skilled people are needed easy with the idea to deal with a lot of various details. It happens to me that to teach or explain takes more time that to do the job myself... So I'm looking for these rare people who are patient, and happy with different types of challenges... Last but not least is your motivation.
I like when organization is decided together...
You're invited to help me to organise time and reflexion about working and daily tasks, regarding to your expectations and skills... and with my available time. 25 hrs a week of work: depending on our willing, it can be or a few hours a day, or, on the contrary, do all the work in 3 days, then save free time...
Mostly, the things to do are dusty and dirty, so I try to provide clothes for work, but it's often nice for you if you have your favorite ones...
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
French: Fluent
Accommodation
I can welcome 1 or 2 people at a time, in a proper room,
shared bathroom and toilet on the landing.
We usually share all the house tasks and help is required sometimes to prepare meals for everybody in the house.
We're usually 3 or 4 persons at lunch time and often around 8 people for dinner.
What else ...
Once you've scheduled to come:
Let us know when you've found the transportation meanings,
Thanks also for telling us if you cancel, please, whatever is the reason, then organisation here is fluent...
Ask for the exact address
- reach Tarascon-sur-Ariege, (by train or so), then I'll drive you up to Saurat.
During free time:
Lots of possibilities to enjoy outings, mountain, visit sight seeing places...
I can lent you climbing, canyoning gear or so if you go by your own on activities.
I'll try to help you find informations about your hobbies if there are possibilities to do it around.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
This host has indicated that they love having digital nomads stay.
Space for parking camper vans
This host can provide space for campervans.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Feedback (20)
His house is very nice and he has several roommates who are very friendly and we often have dinner together and communicate!
During the time we worked on the… read more
I think the reason is I won't be able to express the gratitude I feel about her.
Yes, she's definitely the person you want to welcome to your home, careful about all your demands, very smart, and doing the things as perfectly as with the right intention...
Beyond all that, Maddi has… read more
If you want to better your climbing, this is the place. There are many many good spots in the area, and the house full of good teachers.
The work at the hotel is super varied. We did some electricity and carpentry work,… read more
First of all, he's been doing a lot of things in the house during his stay: wood work, painting, sanding, ...
he became the master of plaster in a few hours.
Hard worker, he's done efforts everyday to fit with all the conditions and details asked for all the projects he achieve for us.
Always in a good mood,… read more
I start from the fact that I had to stay in Maël's project for 3 weeks and in the end I was there for almost 2 months.
Maël, Teo and Patrick are wonderful people and I got on extremely well with them, they made me feel part of the family.
Maël is a very witty person who likes to joke a lot but he is also direct in… read more
Photos
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Accuracy of profile:
(4.6)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)
His house is very nice and he has several roommates who are very friendly and we often have dinner together and communicate!
During the time we worked on the… read more
I think the reason is I won't be able to express the gratitude I feel about her.
Yes, she's definitely the person you want to welcome to your home, careful about all your demands, very smart, and doing the things as perfectly as with the right intention...
Beyond all that, Maddi has… read more
If you want to better your climbing, this is the place. There are many many good spots in the area, and the house full of good teachers.
The work at the hotel is super varied. We did some electricity and carpentry work,… read more
First of all, he's been doing a lot of things in the house during his stay: wood work, painting, sanding, ...
he became the master of plaster in a few hours.
Hard worker, he's done efforts everyday to fit with all the conditions and details asked for all the projects he achieve for us.
Always in a good mood,… read more
I start from the fact that I had to stay in Maël's project for 3 weeks and in the end I was there for almost 2 months.
Maël, Teo and Patrick are wonderful people and I got on extremely well with them, they made me feel part of the family.
Maël is a very witty person who likes to joke a lot but he is also direct in… read more
and it was a pleasure to be a part of it.
Perfect opportunities for climbing, outdoors, sports. Good food, music and People I recomment this workaway to everyone.
Maël is a good hosts! Great Guy.
It was my first workaway experience but it was amazing. I thank you and the whole family for the great memories.
If you play music and or your climing, you like to dance and nature and you are self-sufficient, this is paradise for you. If you know about construction,… read more
Easygoing, with a very nice sense of humour, this man is the best when you need someone autonomous. He's been able to build, fix, and solve lots of tasks not so easy to achieve. Definitely experienced and skilled with all type of work, tools, with a lot of adaptation… read more
Maël is incredibly generous, patient and encouraging with climbing opportunities and teaching you how to climb (he is an amazing climber and instructor!!)… read more
I've been everyday happy about the job done, and I enjoyed a lot your super nice cookings.
you also proposed often to work on cleaning and decorating the house, and did it quickly and perfectly, so the house has been nice and full of life during your stay. That has been appreciate from all of us. You've… read more
You've been a hard working man, and I also enjoy a lot your way of thinking. It's been a pleasure to talk about culture and language with you, the specialist of catalan culture, and open minded person.
I really think about visiting you in Tivisa, and you're welcome again anytime, my friend.
Wish you the… read more
The work was never too difficult and they were generally happy to schedule it around you if you wanted to do something out… read more
The house is located in the middle of the mountains, so everyday you'll be the opportunity to wake up with… read more
Firstly, the work was easy (a little bit harder when it was 30 degrees outside :) ) and quite satisfying. Surely, we weren’t overworked – about 4h a day.
And now more… read more
