 Poster: A snowHead
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Anyone got any tips on the best way to take a T-bar with a 4-year-old? I'm 6'3" and I'm taking my daughter to Feldberg in a few weeks. It seems that T-bars can't be avoided there.
She's perfectly capable of taking a button lift on her own, but I think that she would struggle with a T. Equally I'm worried that we'll be more than a bit imbalanced if we go as a pair! Best to try and put her between my legs or what? Don't want to make an back bottom of myself in front of German lifties.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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With difficulty. you end up with the T -bar across the back of your knees. if its not too steep you're OK, if its steep it take a lot of effort to keep your legs straightish. you can twist the bar a bit so that its lower at her side. Ideally you want an older child to send them on with.......
I never tried between my skis on a tbar as mine were a bit older than 4, but that might be a better bet.
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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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@tccambs, When my son was that age we rode T bars together. Just do it the normal way but you will have to bend a fair bit to hold the handle. Put the bar under the child's bottom, you will probably have it resting on your boot, which is remarkably comfortable. I doubt the lifty would let you have the child between your legs.
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@tccambs, Been there, done that... I don't have any tips to offer apart from: enjoy the workout on your legs! As t44tomo says, you will have the T-bar behind your knees. Pay attention to your daughter. If you make a wrong move, she will be unable to adjust or counter, because of the size difference. So watch what she's doing and listen to what she's saying.
Keep still. Avoid the "small adjustments" if you can. They may end up as major screwups.
Don't worry about making a back bottom of yourself. The lifties will have seen quite a bit and know from experience what works and what doesn't.
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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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Feb half term in Austria last year we were messing about on a T bar in the village, ours would have been 7 and 5 and I don't recall it being a massive problem.
You'll just find the bar lower down behind your legs than normal. I took the elder child as I'm a boarder so it was a bit more faffy but not a big deal.
I think getting off was the bigger issue, we had the odd comedy moment where the adult left the lift too early (big mistake) and the resulting tension release led to the spring rapidly pulling launching the child up the slope leaving them wrapped up in the T and wiping out, leading in turn to a premature teeanage huffing and puffing hissy fit at us parents for embarrassing them 
So just make sure you let your kid get off first and help them get clear of the bar before you think about dismounting !
They were also riding it solo or with other kids. Lifties were helpful getting small kids on.
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If you're at all worried about T-bars, please do not take the Silberwiesen lift at Feldberg. It is very steep, bumpy and icy at the bottom, and you only see the "difficult lift" marker once you are ready to board. I am not kidding, last time I went up the bottom section had four or five patches of blood on it 
Just ski round the corner and queue for the Rothaus chairlift instead.
The only T-bar you "have to" take at the main Feldberg area is the Grafenmatt lift, but that is much, much easier (and a good one to practise on).
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I had my son between my legs when he was three, but after that we rode normally and i just suffered with it in the back of my knees. Not pleasant but doable. I wouldn't advise twisting it higher on your side as it will tend to push you to one side. It can start to ride up, so I often ended up holding the bar with one hand and the end of the seat with the other to push it down, while also holding both sets of poles.
Watch your head as the lift comes. You're focusing on them getting in the right position and bending towards them, then the cable and bar are coming down the middle.
If there are minimal queues let her go alone. Once when my son was messing around on his own and fell over, he managed to jump up and grab my lift on the way past 
Now he is eight, the bar is on the back of my thighs so much better.
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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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When taking our son although a little older than 4 at the time i. found that even our difference in height (which would have been less than yours) caused a very uncomfortable ride for both parties.
So as he was ok with buttons I would let him go solo on the T-bar ahead of me (hopefully no queues).
Only thing was I needed to explain that if you come off then dont hang onto the bar to try to get dragged to the top. Which he almost succeeded in doing once with the wind taking my cries of "Let go" away. Luckily he didnt leave a trail of discarded kit strewn down the hill but when he was forced to let go when his strength ran out he didnt get off to the side and took out two young ladies on a subsequent bar. They took it rather well. Me less so.
Other than that he learnt well and coped quickly and these werent short or easy Ts.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Feldberg is a nice place. We loved the Hotel Schlehdorn. The Hochschwarzwald card was specially good (free with the hotel), works as a lift pass/bus pass/train ticket etc etc.
You can avoid T-bars at the main ski area, but it will limit you. On the Graffenmatt side don't use the chair lift unless your girl is happy with reds & blacks.
There are several other small hills locally, some have magic carpets and/or rope tows, but mostly T-bars. Hasenhorn has a chairlift, and a roller coaster as well
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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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@tccambs, small but important tip - I rode Ts with my small son (4 then) with no problems - but note with such unequal heights it is quite easy for the crosswise piece to go up inside the back of the small One's jacket on exit - this is A Very Bad Idea - just be aware of it as an issue - I found jettisoning the Small One with a push forward before letting go myself to be very efficient and smooth.
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| musher wrote: |
On the Graffenmatt side don't use the chair lift unless your girl is happy with reds & blacks.
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The chairlift leads to the same blues as the T-bar (as well as the reds and blacks). Just keep right on the blue from the top of the chairlift and you end up at the top of the Grafenmatt lift blue runs. Admittedly that wasn't so clear on the old piste map.
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