 Poster: A snowHead
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Can I take my 11 week old baby on a ski lift? We are thinking of going skiing in a few weeks (French Alps) and have my mum coming with us to look after our little one whilst my wife and I ski. Would she be able to get on a ski lift with the little one (she'll be a pedestrian)?
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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've seen children in pushchairs on gondolas and cable cars.
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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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Some, but by no means all, chairlift's take pedestrians. If its not too high (high altitude not good for small babes) or cold, she could take the baby but would need a secure front carrying sling, two hands free and snow crampons on her boots to be sure of not slipping.
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On a chairlift you might need to be careful not to hit the baby when bringing the safety bar down - some of them are quite tight.
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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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Why is altitude not good for small babies?
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Can't give you the scientific explanation, @under a new name, but I don't think its a controversial point. No European babies suvived the early days of the Spanish settlements on the altiplano of Peru.
as for the safety bar, a baby in a decent sling would be OK on most chairlifts which allow pedestrians but perhaps best if grandma is not too fat. 
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| under a new name wrote: |
| Why is altitude not good for small babies? |
Oxygen levels?
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@pam w, yeah, my sister in law was told the same by her midwife with no explanation at all. I searched the literature and found nothing.
So presumably you shouldn't take small babies up in airliners (cabin equivalent altitude ~2,400m).
Which would sometimes be an enormous blessing.
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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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Forget about the baby on a chairlift, I didn't think they were usually too keen on pedestrains on chairlifts. Or am I wrong? I assumed the OP meant a telecabine - which should be no problem at all.
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@foxtrotzulu, some chairs take pedestrians, some don't. The distinction is usually quite clear.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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They`re not too fond of backpacks - not too sure how fond they`d be of babies in slings.... There is no way I would do it.
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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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I find it pretty difficult to see why babies should not go to the altitudes of most European ski areas
When our first born was a few weeks we flew him back to the UK and went Munro bashing carrying him without obvious ill effects. I wouldn't use a lift not designed for pedestrians though.
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Isn't it something to do with the fontanelles and pressure?
We did gondolas in a buggy with ours at this age.
We braved the chairlifts once they could be put in a backpack.
We took the backpack off and sat it on the chair next to us.
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You know it makes sense.
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Poma's best avoided.
With or without baby.
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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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We've encountered no problems with a baby in a sling. In our area there would be no question of going in a "non pedestrian" lift. It's absolutely forbidden to the public. A small baby in a sling is probably safer in a chairlift than a tiny 5 year old in a ski school class and both are safer than kids in the back of a car being driven on a foggy motorway. Or possibly than small kids on a busy home run at the end of the day.
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Poster: A snowHead
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How do you get off a chairlift with no skis?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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put your feet on the ground and walk away
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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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@Filthyphil30k, ever wondered why they go slow now and then
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| Filthyphil30k wrote: |
| How do you get off a chairlift with no skis? |
Run quickly like some of the snowboarders I saw in January. I wouldn't recommend it for a grandmother with a young baby to look after
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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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No really? I thought that was people falling off . I had no idea pedestrians used them, in 15 years I have never seen it.
A dog once, but never non skiers.
Live and learn.
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 like Hells Bells says - stand up and walk away. Lifts which take pedestrians are properly set up and have lifties to help. It just isn't a problem.
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| Rabbie wrote: |
| Filthyphil30k wrote: |
| How do you get off a chairlift with no skis? |
Run quickly like some of the snowboarders I saw in January. I wouldn't recommend it for a grandmother with a young baby to look after |
???? Why did they not just slide off?
Maybe she needs blades.
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I don't even feel comfortable holding my rucksack on a chairlift, I'd be petrified of holiding a child! I presume OP is referring to a gondola, in which case I'd have thought you'd be okay (putting to one side the health debate).
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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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In a few weeks you will need to go high anyway.
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| Filthyphil30k wrote: |
| Rabbie wrote: |
| Filthyphil30k wrote: |
| How do you get off a chairlift with no skis? |
Run quickly like some of the snowboarders I saw in January. I wouldn't recommend it for a grandmother with a young baby to look after |
???? Why did they not just slide off?
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Because for some reason they were carrying their boards. Don't ask me why
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Hells Bells wrote: |
| put your feet on the ground and walk away |
sit on the seat on the outside of the turn, you'll clear the chair with no issue, I've done it in skiboots and carrying skis loads of times
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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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| Rabbie wrote: |
| Filthyphil30k wrote: |
| How do you get off a chairlift with no skis? |
Run quickly like some of the snowboarders I saw in January. I wouldn't recommend it for a grandmother with a young baby to look after |
It was quite fun getting my fairly heavily pregnant friend on and off one a few years ago 
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Can't you just put the baby in a backpack while you ski like Weathercam did with his dog 
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You know it makes sense.
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| sugarmoma666 wrote: |
| Can't you just put the baby in a backpack while you ski like Weathercam did with his dog |
At last, sensible advice, all this stopping chairlifts and taking up seats with babies will cause bottlenecks.
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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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Just a quick point, with young children under the age of 1, it is the change in pressure that will be encountered by moving quickly (such as a telecabine or chairlift) to a higher altitude, rather than the altitude itself. If you were to walk a thousand metres higher the baby would be gradually acclimatising itself as it ascended, however the speed of the lift would not allow the baby to do this. Therefore, I didn't, and wouldn't recommend until over 2 years old.
On a side note, got many a questioning look when I had my son (2 1/2 at the time) in a backpack baby carrier thing on the slopes with me! Quite sure that in some resorts they would not allow it, so be aware and never ask first
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Poster: A snowHead
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[b]@Pumba[/b you may well be a skier who never catches an unfortunate edge and falls over, but there are a lot of numpties out there who could have crashed into you and your baby, that's probably why you got questioning looks.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Filthyphil30k wrote: |
No really? I thought that was people falling off . I had no idea pedestrians used them, in 15 years I have never seen it.
A dog once, but never non skiers.
Live and learn. |
I 'broke' a ski in the mountains on the BB and persuaded the liftie to let me ride down on the lift to enable me to get roadside for a taxi - the liftie at the top and bottom slowed the lift to enable me to get on and off on foot.
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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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We are in kaltenbach this week and the creche is up the mountain 1000m above the village. We bring our 7 month old up every morning without any problems. I have also noticed lots of other parents with young children up in buggies up the mountain. In resorts such as serfaus they have a system so that the lifties know that there is a parent with a buggy in the gondola, so they are ready to give them a helping hand unloading from the lift.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I've ridden a non pedestrian lift with a broken ski too, with liftie cooperation but that's not the same as a lift set up for pedestrians. There are four, to my certain knowledge, in my area and probably more.
I would never carry a baby in a backpack on a ski slope but a securely held baby with a competent adult on a chairlift with pedestrian facilities just isn't an issue.
Of course in summer pedestrians use chairlifts all over the place, and stick bikes on too.
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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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Errrr, NO. Taking a 11 week old to a high altitude ski resort is a very bad idea, taking them up a ski lift is trying to kill them - if you don't believe me go ask any doctor who understand altitude.
This is a constant problem for the lift staff in Chamonix, sight seeing tourists are told they can't take their infant (under 5) up the lift, buy the tickets anyway and then get upset when they are refused entry.
On the old Helbronner I saw infants turning blue in the cafe - parents (yes they were british) got very upset with me and then the lift staff when they were told they had to go down immediately or their child would be going without them - I heard at a later date form the staff that the child had suffered permanent inner ear damage and possibly more.
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@Idris, why is that? Is it the quick pressure change, or the reduced oxygen, or something else?
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The highest chairlift in Les Saisies is 2000m. Infants survive but I wouldn't take them up high. There's altitude and altitude...
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| Quote: |
Errrr, NO. Taking a 11 week old to a high altitude ski resort is a very bad idea, taking them up a ski lift is trying to kill them - if you don't believe me go ask any doctor who understand altitude.
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To be honest this sounds like uninformed nonsense.
As stated I took my baby in a plane whose equivalent altitude is higher than many ski resorts at younger than 11 weeks .
Aviation medicine would not allow babies to travel on planes if it was dangerous.
I have also taken older babies to ski resorts 1500-1800m been on lifts with them (Trains and cable cars) and had no one tell me off or had any ill effects whatsoever.
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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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The effect of altitude cannot be the same in a plane as up a mountain. Presumably due to the plane being pressurised.
A friend who is asthmatic cannot ski at 3000 m but is fine in a plane. I think mountain altitude can effect babies ears and so I would choose to stay in a lower resort with a baby and not take them too high on a lift.
I would only recommend using a gondola or cable car with a young child. I took my daughter on a chairlift age 2 and it was terrifying...I clung on to her to prevent her sliding under the bar.
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I would imagine, like anyone, altitude sickness will effect them in various ways and different altitudes, turning blue is pretty bad, the lack of oxygen might not just be altitude, but could be blocked airways - may have a cold for instance reducing the oxygen intake already, then combining with the reduced oxygen at altitude making things worse.
Gradual increase in altitude is probably sensible.
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