Are you struggling with the idea of maybe not being able to ski this year? With COVID-19 lockdowns in full swing around the world, this topic may feel more relatable than ever. If we feel annoyed, angry, depressed or fed up but don't do anything about it, than maybe there is a little too much reliance / dependence on adventure to make us feel content. Can anyone relate?
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sun 22-11-20 4:00; edited 1 time in total
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
"Change is a constant in our lives, learning to embrace change and adapt is a valuable resource for every one of us. Victor Frankl is a holocaust survivor who was in a concentration camp for four years. These words of wisdom stem from a man who endured years of untold suffering, was held captive, and had no certainties in life. If you are looking for a new perspective, this thought provoking quote will provide great reflection:
“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” —Victor Frankl"
It's only skiing FFS! I love a jolly to the mountains as much as the next person but this is a bit much!! First world problems.
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?
Hmm, new user registered 3 days ago, and two posts made so far both of which have links to your commercial website...
Anyone else catching a whiff of preserved pork products?
There's a bit of a giveaway in the FAQs about how many " very reasonably priced" sessions one might require to sort your poo-poo out. Cup of tea and a spam sandwich will do the trick. I am an 8th Dan black belt in tea making so I know about these things......
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
tricky one this,however heres my take on the op post in relation to skiing,
skiing for me is one or two trips a year and has been for 50 odd years but it is still only a part of my life and nowadays is not so much the hurtling down a mountain as enjoying life to the full. The real problem is that at my age im well aware of mortality and even more aware that even though im fortunate to be in relative good health along with my beloved we at best maybe have another 4-5 years of possible active ski holidays . having had last years trip curtailed and yet to be comfortable with making any realistic plans for the upcoming season im getting a feeling of lost opportunities,life passing me by rather than anger or depression this feeling under the present covid rules/regs is not just about skiing .I really have a feeling that parts of my life are being wasted at the moment
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@ski for fun, that resonates too. I guess that we must find ourselves new opportunities in or by which we can value and enjoy our fullest lives, when we can't use our existing ways. Hmmm... Sounds so easy. Or maybe it is. Stop wasting them anyway: that's been my experience of this year; and my lesson.
Not an NLP fan, to be fair; have some time for existential stuff though.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Quote:
we must find ourselves new opportunities in or by which we can value and enjoy our fullest lives,
L&M?
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.
Should have guessed it was NLP psychobabble from the wordiness and up itself nature of the prose on the website before I got to the payoff of watcha selling.
Great if it works for people ( and I know it does help many with mental health), patronising garbage for others.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Tea and a spam sandwich is a great pick me up! The article is probably over waffly, psycho babbly, but no deliberate intention of the prose sounding patronising though. The blog's purpose isn't to get clients, just to gauge interest in a topic.
Over past few years I noticed that climbing, mountaineering & skiing makes me extremely happy, but when I can't do it for a couple of weeks I felt down.
Took some time but I mostly feel content even when I can't adventure now, still get out climbing / skiing loads but the key difference is that when I can't get out I still feel good.
Have a lot of friends where I live who seem to get pretty depressed during inter season, and put a lot of pressure on themselves to always be achieving more in their sport.
Definitely the sort of topic that means something or absolutely nothing to people who read it though!
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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The real problem is that at my age im well aware of mortality and even more aware that even though im fortunate to be in relative good health along with my beloved we at best maybe have another 4-5 years of possible active ski holidays .
Stop wasting time then and find a way to do a season! As someone that has made sacrifices to spend lots of time snowboarding the last few years, I get a bit fed up of people complaining they can't ski enough or telling me about how much they would love to do a season. The truth is most like the idea of skiing, but aren't willing to sacrifice any other areas of their life to do it. That's completely fine, we all have different priorities, but in which case you don't love skiing that much (which is also fine).
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It's only skiing FFS! I love a jolly to the mountains as much as the next person but this is a bit much!! First world problems.
Tend to agree! The average ski holiday is more about finding the best hot chocolate than any real "adventure". Frankly it's a bit embarrassing to even mention a Holocaust survivor in relation to some people being a bit sad they can't ski this season. Definitely first world middle class problems.
I think it's a pretty spammy post. A lot of useless waffle and psycho babble, probably to be expected of someone with a bsc psych degree and a NLP master practitioner (a quick Google suggests it only takes a 12 day training course to become one!). That's not a knock on real psychology researchers and psychiatrists that are much more qualified to actually help people. Nevertheless, I'm sure there is a market of rich gap year kids that will eat this up.
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.
Am I the only one who’s loving the travel restrictions? It makes me ‘explore’ areas near home in depth.
(Well, I must be. For the rest of my post on what I like about where I live just disappeared mysteriously, TWICE!)
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Sun 22-11-20 12:11; edited 1 time in total
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
No.
It is what it is. MTFU
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Looks like the spammy bits have been edited out of the OP. I googled NLP - sounds like baloney. But no, actually, I don't feel depressed, angry or fed up about not being able to go skiing. Mildly regretful from time to time, perhaps, but I wouldn't put it any stronger. Not being able to see friends and family is a lot harder, but I'm in touch with them, thanks to modern communications. How much harder would this have been in the past? And I have surprised myself by my growing ability to be content doing not a lot. I suspect that what many people miss is not skiing in particular, but the ability to make plans, to make decisions, to act, to feel in charge of their lives. We had perhaps become just a little addicted to making plans, especially travel plans, often to escape the realities of right now. When people say "I need something to look forward to" or (often seen on SHs) "I cannot wait to be flying off to resort X next year" you have to wonder about our propensity to wish our lives away.
If an "adventure" is about anything, it's about NOT being in control of what's happening to us.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Yes I agree with a lot of that. The UK is not in a good place right now so going on skiing or other holidays is an escape many of us crave.
I agree with Pam that ski holidays are not ‘adventure’. Adventure is defined as having an uncertain outcome eg. Ski touring, sailing. Climbing, even fell walking. Paying to use ski lifts and prepared runs is great fun and even exciting but the outcomes are pretty certain.
I find climate change far more depressing than COVID. Climate change isn’t going to be fixed by a vaccine.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
ski for fun wrote:
tricky one this,however heres my take on the op post in relation to skiing,
skiing for me is one or two trips a year and has been for 50 odd years but it is still only a part of my life and nowadays is not so much the hurtling down a mountain as enjoying life to the full. The real problem is that at my age im well aware of mortality and even more aware that even though im fortunate to be in relative good health along with my beloved we at best maybe have another 4-5 years of possible active ski holidays . having had last years trip curtailed and yet to be comfortable with making any realistic plans for the upcoming season im getting a feeling of lost opportunities,life passing me by rather than anger or depression this feeling under the present covid rules/regs is not just about skiing .I really have a feeling that parts of my life are being wasted at the moment
That sums up mf feelings as well. As a 74 year old in good health, touch wood, I feel that I am only looking at only a few more years to do the skiing I enjoy the most which is off piste. I know that I should be grateful that I enjoy good health at the moment, but things can change quite quickly with us older folks.
I am also fortunate that I have enough in savings to be able to ski three of four times a year as well as do some other non ski travelling at other times of the year.
Having said that, I was part of a group that had to leave Corvara in a hurry on 10th March this year after just two days of our trip. I think the earliest that skiing will be possible is maybe Christmas which no doubt the resorts are lobbying for, however I would not want to go then in case everything turns bad again very quickly. So by March 2021 I could be looking at a completely wasted year of my supposed golden years.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
pam w wrote:
Looks like the spammy bits have been edited out of the OP. I googled NLP - sounds like baloney. But no, actually, I don't feel depressed, angry or fed up about not being able to go skiing. Mildly regretful from time to time, perhaps, but I wouldn't put it any stronger. Not being able to see friends and family is a lot harder, but I'm in touch with them, thanks to modern communications. How much harder would this have been in the past? And I have surprised myself by my growing ability to be content doing not a lot. I suspect that what many people miss is not skiing in particular, but the ability to make plans, to make decisions, to act, to feel in charge of their lives. We had perhaps become just a little addicted to making plans, especially travel plans, often to escape the realities of right now. When people say "I need something to look forward to" or (often seen on SHs) "I cannot wait to be flying off to resort X next year" you have to wonder about our propensity to wish our lives away.
If an "adventure" is about anything, it's about NOT being in control of what's happening to us.
I agree with this as well. A lot of the problem for me is not having the choice.
I was talking to a friend yesterday and he was saying how much he missed going to the pub even though he normally goes only a couple of times a week. I agreed with him but thinking more about it, it's not just going to the pub, it's about having the choice to do so.
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?
Quote:
he was saying how much he missed going to the pub even though he normally goes only a couple of times a week.
"only" a couple of times a week? I would have thought that put him quite high in the national ranks of pub-goers.
he was saying how much he missed going to the pub even though he normally goes only a couple of times a week.
"only" a couple of times a week? I would have thought that put him quite high in the national ranks of pub-goers.
If I do something “a couple of times a week“, I would miss it terribly if I can’t any more.
How many ski as much as “a couple times a week”? Perhaps we shouldn’t miss it so much?
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I removed the link as it was spammy and seemed to detract from the question. It doesn't really matter whether skiing, work, drinking, or playing computer games is your main passion, when you don't have the option to do it anymore are you going to be content? I do live in a town where many people go mountaineering / backcountry skiing 3-4 times a week, and people dedicate so much time & resources to the pursuit that other parts of their life will suffer - relationships, work, etc. but they are extremely happy and fulfilled - being a skier / climber is part of their identity. Sometimes, when the option to play in the mountains is taken away it's not the actual act of skiing that is important, it's the missing feeling of (whatever it is that it brings to you - freedom, peace, progression, joy, control, purpose), and sometimes you don't know how to access that in any other way.
Grizzler I completely agree and you said (much better than I did) what I was trying to get at - just a question of how do people do it
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I guess that we must find ourselves new opportunities in or by which we can value and enjoy our fullest lives, when we can't use our existing ways.
@ski for fun, i can relate to that feeling of wasting time and opportunities, but I hope once we accept it isn't happening this year for example it gives us the opportunity to focus on something else.
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We had perhaps become just a little addicted to making plans, especially travel plans, often to escape the realities of right now.
Great point - it isn't the skiing itself, maybe we are all so used to having plans for the future, something to look forward to, because we don't always like where we are in the present.
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Stop wasting time then and find a way to do a season! As someone that has made sacrifices to spend lots of time snowboarding the last few years, I get a bit fed up of people complaining they can't ski enough or telling me about how much they would love to do a season. The truth is most like the idea of skiing, but aren't willing to sacrifice any other areas of their life to do it. That's completely fine, we all have different priorities, but in which case you don't love skiing that much (which is also fine).
What if (like is the reality for many people right now) you don't have the option to go skiing anymore due to injury or lockdown. You sacrificed a lot to be where you are and love skiing a lot and it might be hard to have it taken away from you, if you could handle that well then that's brilliant you are able to adjust so easily
What if (like is the reality for many people right now) you don't have the option to go skiing anymore due to injury or lockdown. You sacrificed a lot to be where you are and love skiing a lot and it might be hard to have it taken away from you, if you could handle that well then that's brilliant you are able to adjust so easily
My comments about they should stop wasting time and do a season was intended as a suggestion going forward, not necessarily this season which I would except is exceptionally difficult.
If you are already in a resort then you are not having it taken away from you. Most resorts look like they will open to some extent. Even if the lifts close buy a touring set up.
I spent the last 4 winters in British Columbia. I usually spend another 2-5 months each abroad travelling and working. Covid has had a big effect on me. This winter I won't ski, lots of my plans have changed, I haven't been out UK since returning from Canada in march, and likely won't be leaving again till next summer. Am I a little disappointed - yes, do I feel angry, depressed, or anything particularly strong? Not really. I don't put it down to some kind of resilience or coping strategy. It's simply not a big deal. Unless you are a pro it's just a hobby you do for fun. 99.9% of the world wish they could have such a comfortable life not being able to ski was their biggest concern in life.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
It's pretty clear for many of us who ski that it serves a major element in happiness in the dark approach to winter as something to look forward to and possibly spend as much time as possible doing. For me it's far bigger than Xmas etc - Xmas is only really an event because I'm skiing etc.
So yeah doing without will be tough but there's always a glimmer of hope.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Dave of the Marmottes, So true, not too fussed about Christmas either, but when it was over signalled countdown to ski trip
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.
Thinking a bit more about this post topic, it occurs to me that the 'luxury' of being usually able to plan ahead enough, to be able to look forward with some certainty, to be able do enough regularly (skiing, any other sport or activity) that you are struggling from missing now it is, in itself, quite a fortunate position. Many people with many types of (variable) chronic health conditions, injuries, disabilities, etc, would love to be able to plan and look ahead like that at all.
Same is true if you once could, and now, due to injury, illness or infirmity, can't.
So, really, count your blessings, as it were. Just sayin'...
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
basecampv wrote:
Great point - it isn't the skiing itself, maybe we are all so used to having plans for the future, something to look forward to, because we don't always like where we are in the present.
Speak for yourself. If you're so unhappy where you are and had been using trips as escape from your unhappy location, you probably should be thinking about how to change it permanently rather than dressing up desperate escapes as "adventures".
I'm quite content with "where I am". Hence I'm not the least bit angry, far from depressed. I'm not even "struggling". I'm having an "adventure" by modifying my "usual habit" and doing things I don't normally do. It just so happens these "things" are being done near home!
The "change of plan" is adventure enough if you embrace it. I'm enjoying that change of routines enough to feel like every weekend is a holiday! Discovering things I can do so close to home is really a revelation in and of itself.
It's all about the state of mind. If you truly are an adventurer, you would embrace change. That change can happen right where you are.
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads on Mon 23-11-20 16:02; edited 1 time in total
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Dave of the Marmottes wrote:
It's pretty clear for many of us who ski that it serves a major element in happiness in the dark approach to winter as something to look forward to and possibly spend as much time as possible doing. For me it's far bigger than Xmas etc - Xmas is only really an event because I'm skiing etc.
So yeah doing without will be tough but there's always a glimmer of hope.
^^This. I wouldn't say I have the full SAD thing, but I definitely have a propensity to be down during the darker months, and skiing as been a good way for me to actually have something positive to look forward to during the winter. My other hobbies are in their off season, so it's sort of 3-4 months ahead where I feel a bit rudderless. This isn't particularly helped by other personal circumstances.
So yes it's a first world problem, but my whole life and frame of reference is shaped by being raised in a first world country, so it still has an effect on my mental wellbeing. I'm sure I'll get over it, but in a season where I likely won't get a ski trip in, I would have liked to spend time exploring parts of the country I haven't been to before...which I can't.
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.
Ive been in Italy climbing for 3 weeks in September, 2 weeks in Greece, Kalymnos sport climbing in November, returning during lockdown, no problems abroad or here. I used Austrian Alpine club insurance which covers Covid. Will be off skiing for a few weeks soon, don't need lifts.....Im careful about social distancing, and couldn't care less about apres ski.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Quote:
Thinking a bit more about this post topic, it occurs to me that the 'luxury' of being usually able to plan ahead enough, to be able to look forward with some certainty, to be able do enough regularly (skiing, any other sport or activity) that you are struggling from missing now it is, in itself, quite a fortunate position.
It’s one season in hopefully plenty to come yet, it’ll pass soon enough, main issue for me will be keeping clear of webcams and babble from resort from expats boasting about empty slopes and no queues on here, there’ll never be so many powder days, just wait and see!
All the mediaa talk about Christmas is actually really annoying me, people here in UK are pretty pathetic if they can’t see this out over Christmas....it’s just one day, and an overrated one at that imv. Sadly it appears it’ll be a welcome boost for the virus, and we’ll likely be plunged back into lockdown 3 in January all because families want a party. MTFU is my view and see it out, we’ve worked too hard to throw it away, and any possibility of a late season ski I fear may be lost to lockdown 3....hope I’m wrong btw and the vaccine gets rolled out sooner to allow a normal 2021....whatever that means in a Brexit UK.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
It looks it might be possible to go to Switzerland before Xmas now, depending on snow of course, but the high resorts there are reliable.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Quote:
All the mediaa talk about Christmas is actually really annoying me
Me too
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@pam w, me three
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?
@nevis1003, I've been wondering about what will happen with AAC insurance next year, I've not had any communication yet from them?
Whilst there is no snow in our area of the Alps FOMO is not an occurrence, even if there was snow then in France you're still under 1km confinement so again no real FOMO apart from some guides I know posting pics on Social Media which was the case last weekend from Switzerland.
As people have already said, for a fit active person I don't see skiing as an adventure anyway.
In the UK currently, I'm just getting on with various stuff (wonders of Strava challenges) and that's been keeping us busy, OH and I yesterday ran 24km over the South Downs and that's good training for ski touring should we ever get to do it?
And the running is something that I've managed to get back into as I suffer from so many muscular-skeletal issues when it comes to running whilst the OH (all 67yrs of her) gets out of bed this morning sans issues whilst I'm hobbling down the stairs
There's loads of stuff to do if you really want to and learning a past time is always an adventure, though the weather could start to be a factor but that didn't stop three groups of women yesterday swimming in the sea in front of us yesterday!
Many a road cyclist migrates to a home trainer for the winter months as the training software is now so good and now non-cyclists are flocking to join Peloton which is booming in these times and that's a huge adventure for many as they are intoxicated by it in much the same way as normal cyclists are hooked to Zwift with some I know who prefer to cycle indoors rather than on the roads.
I cant choose which I like best, riding a MTB or Skiing.
If I cant ski i'll get to ride my MTB more.
I get the same sensations when I'm riding flow trails as I would carving fast on piste and the same sensations and heart pumpy nervousness when Im riding steep rocky rooty tech/sketchy feature as I would when skiing steep(for me) off piste.
I do want to ski my usual 5/6 weeks but if I don't there will be no hollow gap
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Quote:
Speak for yourself. If you're so unhappy where you are and had been using trips as escape from your unhappy location, you probably should be thinking about how to change it permanently rather than dressing up desperate escapes as "adventures".
A lot of truth in this. Like I said it tends to be the 1 or 2 week a year skiers making the most noise. If you loved skiing to the point going without it gives you depression/anxiety you should have moved to somewhere skiing is on your doorstep a long time ago. The guys who regularly ski/snowboard and have done multiple seasons seem the most accepting of "well it's just one season I can go without".
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Hence I'm not the least bit angry, far from depressed. I'm not even "struggling". I'm having an "adventure" by modifying my "usual habit" and doing things I don't normally do.
Agree. Not doing a ski season this winter has given me a lot of free time to fill with all those things I've been putting off. Right now I am taking a free online course at Stanford university in an area I am interested in. As much as I enjoy snowboarding, I am looking forward to all the other things i will have the time to do this winter.
People prefer to complain than actually fix problems though. I have lots of friends that always wanted to learn a language, train for a marathon, play an instrument etc., but didn't have the time. What happened when we had the first lockdown and they were on the furlough scheme? Of course none of them used the time productively to work on those things.
But yes it's worth taking a step back and realising if your biggest issue in life is not having a ski holiday, you probably have little to be depressed about in the grand scheme of things. Others have real struggles right now.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
Stop wasting them anyway: that's been my experience of this year; and my lesson.
I would have thought that put him quite high in the national ranks of pub-goers.
