 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I wouldn't. It doesn't matter how good *you* are - it only takes one other idiot......
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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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Personally I wouldn't risk it having heard horror stories about people coming in from a run down the mountain to find their child dead in the papoose
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If you really want to introduce some sliding - have a look here and get him on skis!
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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 too will be taking my sprog-let to the alps for the first time in jan. He will be about the same age. It never occurred to me to ski with him in a backpack tho. Even ignoring the possible dangers won't he get cold in the (admittedly slow) slipstream? It is not as if it will be late march or april, when it will be warmer. I think he will have plenty of fun in the snow without needing to do that.
No doubt others will have a go at you for risking your child - but I will say that you see plenty of toddlers on the back of bicycles in traffic. Is that any less risky? Probably not.
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yeah the other idot scenario is the bit i am most concerned about which was why we had thought about small resorts which most people apart from locals would overlook.
@nbt: any more info on that please, what was the reason? cold?
@Okanagan: yeah we are tempted to try him on some plastic skis as he is immensly strong in the leg dept and he was walking at 9-10months
Appreciate the feedback 
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skinutter, I think the important thing to bear in mind is windchill if you ski in -5 at a slow speed of 20MPH that's the equivalent of about -11, you can't see your babys face etc if they're behind you so you can't tell if they're getting cold, in addition you may be a very good skier but not everyone else is and getting hit in the rear by someone at 30 or 40MPH is not going to be good for a baby in a backpack 
Take them onto the snow by all means, even take them on a sled but don't put them in a backpack
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I've seen it done, I'm a dad too but I wouldn't do it.
Skiing with a weight on your back is more difficult and tiring.
Unless you wrap him up really well the little one will freeze. As NBT says the cold temps and wind effect without any exercise for him could give him frostbite or maybe deadth. How cold would you get if you sat on the chairlift allday? he will get even colder (as you would be moving quicker than a chair lift).
You only need to catch an edge or somebody hit you from behind and he may never want to (or be able to) go in that rucksack again.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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skinutter, nbt is correct. It's not rumour but fact. Children have died of exposure while being carried around mountains in winter.
Sure, have loads of fun in the snow - the child will be active and warm and you'll be able to observe everything. But I think carrying an immobile child around ski slopes in January is a real no-no. Temperatures are way too low. It's particularly dangerous when the child is on your back, because you're unable to observe anything - the child could be asleep .... or dead. Even a well-wrapped kid will have exposed skin in this situation, and it won't be fun.
Tobogganning is the best fun for kids under 3-4. At 3-4 they can start skiing - maybe for just an hour or two per day. Snow is just one activity in the day. For all but an hour or two they should be in a warm environment, with other kids.
Hope that's of help. I've taken two kids to the snow.
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yep agreed - thanks everyone! I think we'll keep him firmly on the ground in the form of a sled. I should point out just so you don't think i'm some kid of maniac that I was thinking 1 or 2 runs off a beginners drag lift rather than riding chairs or doing 20mph but I completely understand the concern...
He has a proper water and windproof columbia snowsuit (even for him to play in the snow) as there is nothing worse that being cold and wet 
Thanks
David
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Not at all. Thanks for raising the question. I had no idea how dangerous it was until a few years ago. The question comes up from time to time, and it's an incredibly important one. The deaths which have occurred have been a disaster, and probably some kids have suffered frostbite too.
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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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skinutter, Friend of ours did it with an 8 month old for a couple of days. He got one polite but firm lecture from an instruvctor as to why he shouldnt do it. Kids of that age struggle to regulate their own body heat, and I too have heard a horror story from a good scource along the lines described bynbt.
I also think the child gets nothing from it as they generally cant see where they are going. If you are a good skier then you will get nothing from cuising up and down a green.
EDIT: sorry for the delay, had to do a bit work mid post.
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People generally keep warm while ski-ing from the muscular exercise, so don't realise how cold a baby gets from windchill, static in a backpack. It's rather like sitting on a windy chairlift - not fun. I, too, have heard of frostbite leading to amputations in these circumstances, so not at all a good idea.
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You know it makes sense.
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I agree with general thoughts here. There would probably be no problem if it was a gentle beginner slope & nobody else around, you would then be in control of situation, however, could you live with yourself if something went wrong?
It's the other people that are the danger, I have seen a father carrying toddler in arms down a green get wiped out by boarder, I stopped & helped sort them out!
Why not try a ski kindergarten if there is one at your resort, they seem to get tiny kids sliding down little slopes in safety?
Last thought: Wish I had been introduced to the sport at that age.
Have fun.
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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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Blimey I think even i'd have a problem with an 8month old in a carrier, at least at getting on for 2 mine can intimate he's not happy quite easily but I guess at 8 months that isn't going to be the case.
i think the last point is much easier to answer - just to be on snow and take in the views is enough for me....long gone are the days of cranking through gates etc. As i mentioned in the first post the idea was a very gentle introduction to it, not scare him witless with me and his mum
Great feedback guys btw - at least your opinions are measured, i was half expecting to be called an idot, irresponsible and other less pleasant words
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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David Goldsmith,
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some kids have suffered frostbite too
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Yep, sadly there was the one in France a few years back where the poor kiddie needed both legs amputating! That was a backpack skiing situation. It means you've got to be similarly wary about just walking around the village with kid in pack.
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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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ah i feel suitably offended and put in my place now - cheers Frosty 
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skinutter, I'd hope no-one here would flame you for asking a perfectly reasonable question. Likewise I'd hope no-one would condone the idea!
My understanding is that if a kid's strong enough to walk around, they're strong enough to at least play around on skis. The best kid I ever skied with had her first shot on skis at 9 months (actually the week before she walked) and at 9years old was technically very competent. That's maybe not so impressive if you live in the alps, but she was doing it on 1 week a year.
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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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On to the Olympics 2026 !
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David Murdoch, we had ours on skis before he could walk! The period in between being able to stand solidly holding onto something (which in this case just happened to be moving) and being able to walk (at which point imparting the understanding that while moving on skis they shouldn't actually be trying to walk becomes difficult) is actually a really good time to start introducing sliding. By the time he was the age skinutter's boy will be he was able to ski easy slopes on his own.
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i think we'll seek out some plastic skis as like i said he has masses of leg strength and running and changing direction at speed without any problems, stuff thinking about carrying him, we'll see if he fancies the idea of a slide by himself from mum to dad  ...any recommendations???
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wouldn't try it,not worth the risk
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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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Okanagan, cool! Impressed!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Okanagan, ours is due in Jan 06,food for thought 
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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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Okanagan, did he enjoy it much? Our daughter will be 2 next month and we thought we'd leave it for at least another season. I'd assumed it wouldn't be too much fun for a little 'un but maybe we should give it a go.
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alan empty, I agree with you. Ours was 2 at the beginning of the month and we had originally been thinking it would be another season until she skiied. Good thread by the way - cheers skinutter,
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You know it makes sense.
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I think if you can go somewhere that has a ski kindergarten where little kids can have a go at skiing on an almost flat surface whilst at the same time having somewhere warm to go to when they get cold that would be an ideal situation
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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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alan empty, he loved it - in short bursts obviously, and with plenty of chocolate breaks! He was obviosuly hooked early, because "ski" was one of his first words - he learned that before he could say "mummy"!
The downside of starting them young is that they get too good, too quickly, for a lot of ski schools to be willing to take them on - last year Okanagan junior got thrown out of one ski school after the first day because he could already ski at 3 ("he's very good but we're not keeping him"). He understandably wasn't too happy about being asked to walk around on a carpet because that's all they would allow at that age (despite advertising that they catered for "all abilities" - grrr) when on our previous trip he'd been happily tackling bumps.
OK, I can't exactly condone him turning round, skiing off, and getting himself onto the nearest drag lift, but I'd love to have seen their faces when he did it!
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Poster: A snowHead
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turning round, skiing off, and getting himself onto the nearest drag lift, but I'd love to have seen their faces when he did it!
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Great story. Priceless
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Okanagan, excellent!!
Presumably he started with those plastic skis that just strap around normal shoes/boots?
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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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alan empty, yes plastic strap on skis and stiffish snowboots - the type with a seperate thick felt liner - to start with (pic at about 10 months). But real skis (all 70cm of them) and boots as soon as his feet were big enough for the smallest real ski boots we could find (at about 18 months).
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Thanks Okanagan. That first pic is wonderful! I may have to rethink what we do this season.
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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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Don't forget always make sure your child wears sunglasses, They feel the glare from the snow as much as an adult.
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Okanagan, really interesting to hear a different approach to the one we took, great photos.
Do I see some sort of "leash" in the older photo so that you could hold him back if necessary?
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Nick L, not so much to hold him back (although it could have done if necessary) as to encourage him to turn. It's fixed at the front to a climbing style harness (i.e. fits around waist/hips) so that increasing the pressure on one side a bit actually encourages turning. A lot of the ski "leashes" you see for sale as a speed control mechanism fix around the chest, and can be disruptive to the child learning to balance properly while moving.
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isnt this all getting a bit bonkers, just wait untill they are 3 or 4 .. next it will be people trying to teach there kids french in the womb... 
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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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I would be interested to hear the source of the child freezing to death story. I've heard it said many times, but noone has ever been able to tell me exactly when and where it happened, which smacks a little bit of urban myth to me. I'm prepared to be persuaded when someone can actually tell me when and where it happened, and who to, preferably with references.
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Okanagan, won't he be a little embarassed when he grows up and finds out you started him on blades?
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