 Poster: A snowHead
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Hey everyone,
This may be just a weird thing to have and to post about but I realised when away skiing for my first time in feb that my fear of heights and dizziness / vertigo extends itself to steep slopes & chair lifts... Now I am not one to give in, I do things that scare me all the time so that the 'fear' doesnt get any worse such as Go Ape (hate it!), have done a bungee jump.. etc but I just wondered does anyone else have this problem and do you have any tips?
Thanks! 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Don't look down on chairs. Just keep looking up at the view.
Don't panic if the chair stops mid-way up the hill (it will occasionally, it's nothing to worry about, they're probably just stopping it to help a disabled person to get on, or because someone has slipped over while getting off at the top).
Focus on the fun you're going to have when you're not on the chair - the chair is just a means to get to the fun.
If you have done a bungee jump then a ski chair is nothing in comparison. That doesn't mean you might not find it a bit scary, just that you have already gone to 11, a chair is about a 3.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Sorry - just re-read. I originally though you'd never been skiing, realise now that you have been once before. But my advice is still the same I think.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I suffer from vertigo - and it makes certain aspects of skiing tricky. I have to avoid 'ledge' type runs like the plague, and chair lifts that have a big drop underneath them (that chair in ADH that goes down then up is a big no no !). Steepness isn't a problm , as long as I work up to it , a steep black early on isn't good, but I just gradually ramp up the thr steepness.
Stick to bubbles and gondolas, don't look down, avoid ledges and work up to the steep slopes.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I can handle chair lifts (I still get a bit freaked by the bar going up just before you get off and hate it if someone raises it a little early!) and cable cars by focusing on the views and chatting. I can`t handle skiing with a big drop right by my side nor standing close to an edge. I plan my routes and resorts with care and enjoy myself most of the time. I have had to accept that occasionally I will be absolutely terrified but still need to get down the mountain. When that happens my world becomes very small and I concentrate on one small thing at a time, it really helps if someone else I trust is skiing with me at such times. When I am in panic mode I forget how to do anything except snow plough! My family are very good at talking to me, reminding me what I should really be doing and guiding me through those occasional rough times and away from snow ploughing! Green runs are often the worst and I avoid them at all times unless they are tree lined.
The pleasure and fun I get from most of the skiing and enjoying the scenery is more than enough to outweigh the odd occasion I end up on a run I am terrified on! But I am lucky I don`t get dizzy, just paralysed with fear.
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If you are struggling with the steepness of the piste try and break it down in to sections. Take the bit you are on, then rest at the bottom, only move on when you're ready and if the others don't like it try not to worry about it.
If you take it 1 turn at a time in a wide 'S' shape and you will spend less time looking directly down piste, don't think about technique until you are comfortable on the mountain, think about you and the mountain then work on everything else later, 1 step and a time and all that.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Thanks Insiders.. thats my plan so its good to hear you second that.. I think once I have some confidence on the mountain and getting down it then I will start working on my technique.. think I tried to do too much all at once last trip!
That said I still loved it and cant wait to go back... crazy huh! 
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thoroughly hooked - it's a slippery slope
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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It's a strange feeling for sure, the first few times where everything is new - the clothes, the boots, the skis... everything takes some getting used to... best thing to do is go to the chillers (indoors skiing) if you're near one - it's not a mountain but it'll get you used to the slope at least and you'll have a little practice getting used to the sensations of skiing before going back to the mountains. at least some things will feel slightly more familiar and won't give you so much sensory overload
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You know it makes sense.
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Vertigo is irrational and makes total sense. It keeps us alive but also stops us dead in our tracks if we're not careful. Don't let your OH influence you. Do it your way, not his. If it's any help I'm a rock climber who also gets vertigo. Put me on a 500 ft cliff starting from the bottom, no problem. Walk to the top of a 100 ft cliff and look over the edge, shoot myself.
Bar going up too soon on the chair and I die a little inside 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Outside of lessons on the mountains try to find a run you are ok on and then ski it a lot! Practising getting down the slope using everything you have learnt without the worry of what the run will be like round the next corner or over the next brow is a great way to gain confidence. The element of the unknown, is there a big drop coming up, a sudden steep/narrow bit removed from the equation allows you to relax a bit, and enjoy the skiing. Hemel will be a big help in that respect too.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Sorry if this sounds like nit-picking, but it's doesn't sound like it's vertigo that's going on here; rather, it sounds like some acrophobia (fear of heights) and not being in control as a beginner skier in what feel like perilous places? I have experienced feeling a bit dizzy and nauseous in that position when hiking on my own in the mountains on very narrow ledges. I've never really had a fear of heights but sometimes it just hits you… and looking up and at the view definitely helps! It's great that you are getting some pre-season, pre-mountain lessons, and I do agree that you need to "do it your way, not his" when you get up the mountain because if you don't get "the fear" yourself it can be really hard to understand; if that means another holiday of largely skiing separately and hooking up for lunch etc. then that's probably the way to go until you feel completely comfortable with your skis and surroundings… which you will do eventually!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Em1986, I don't suffer with vertigo but its taken me a long time to get used to chairlifts, I use rescue remedy spray, no idea how or why it works but it does, still carry it in my pocket but rarely use it. Agree with not being bullied into opening the bar too early.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Em1986 wrote: |
'Its just a lot higher than I expected... & the fact its all white disorientates me'. |
I don't know if I'm reading more into this, but if you really mean 'all white' ie the sky too, another piece of advice would be, maybe take a day off if it's snowing/white out conditions.
Not being able to see the dips and edges can be very unnerving for beginner skiers and can turn a very easy blue into a nightmare, and may exacerbate your existing issues.
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FAQ
