 Poster: A snowHead
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though I was careful to acclimatise a bit in the the three stage lift station before I started skiing
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I wouldn't call that acclimatisation. However, good for you.
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Skiing is not particularly intense exercise
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Agreed. And then you lose a ski in heavy powder, have to hike up a bit and dig. All rather exhausting.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Avabrunch,
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I wouldn't call that acclimatisation.
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Some is better than none at all. There are signs advising it in the lift station, actually. (I did, however, do several days in Kathmandu before starting to trek in Nepal!)
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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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And then you lose a ski in heavy powder, have to hike up a bit and dig. All rather exhausting.
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That's the main reason I don't ski off piste any more. It's not just digging the ski out, it's digging myself out - inadequate upper body strength doesn't help.  And I grant you that if I were trying to do that at 3,000m plus, I would struggle even more.
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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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Some is better than none at all.
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I think 'some' is the same as none at all. I'm ok up to 3,000m but really notice it at say Aiguille du Midi (3800 ish). 3-5 days is what I understand it takes for the body to get used to lower oxygen levels, yet many skiers go straight from sea level to altitude and start exercising. I used to like going to places like Breckenridge but have decided I'm better lower.
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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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@T Bar, Not sure that your assumption that oxygen reduction is not large at European skiing levels at 2100m the effective oxygen is 16.0% compared with 21% at sea level. That’s about a loss of a quarter
https://www.higherpeak.com/altitudechart.html
1/2 oxygen as it is often termed is at 18 thousand feet or 5400m.
In a previous life oxygen started to flow in small amounts into my mask at 8000 ft cabin altitude. At 25k cabin altitude we were fed 100% oxygen, above that was pressure breathing which was vs a laugh a minute.
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| Avabrunch wrote: |
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Some is better than none at all.
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I think 'some' is the same as none at all. I'm ok up to 3,000m but really notice it at say Aiguille du Midi (3800 ish). 3-5 days is what I understand it takes for the body to get used to lower oxygen levels, yet many skiers go straight from sea level to altitude and start exercising. I used to like going to places like Breckenridge but have decided I'm better lower. |
Agreed, and you don't have to be over 60 to get the Big Headache that pills won't tame.
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@Avabrunch,
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really notice it at say Aiguille du Midi (3800 ish).
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I haven't been up there in a while. That certainly is high and the climb back up to the lift after doing the Vallee Blanche, would, I think, defeat me.
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@Scooter in Seattle,
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you don't have to be over 60 to get the Big Headache that pills won't tame
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Are you talking about altitude sickness? Happily, I don't seem to be prone to that, if my experience in Nepal is anything to go by. Some people half my age and twice my fitness did suffer, its effects seem to be quite random.
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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 think "a little" acclimatisation is better than none. Easiski used to insist on it on the glacier in Tignes, though perhaps that was an excuse for her to have a fag.
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@Hurtle, yes, though no symptoms beyond the headache in my cases. I was a semi-ok distance runner in my mid-20's which I assumed would protect me but the mountains didn't give a damn, pounded me over 11,000'. I do live at sea level which obviously maxes the delta.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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its effects seem to be quite random.
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this is definitely the case. In our case my OH was hit much harder by altitude than I was, walking up Mount Kenya (never planned to summit, it was just a day trek) though we were living at 1800m in Nairobi. On the way up we met a very fit young British Marine, very disappointed, walking down with his Kenyan guide. They had planned to bivvy and summit, but he had been knocked out by altitude and the guide had recognised the symptoms and insisted they come down. He was far fitter, and more used to mountain climbing, than many people who summit Mount Kenya, just susceptible to the altitude.
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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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| chocksaway wrote: |
@T Bar, Not sure that your assumption that oxygen reduction is not large at European skiing levels at 2100m the effective oxygen is 16.0% compared with 21% at sea level. That’s about a loss of a quarter
https://www.higherpeak.com/altitudechart.html
1/2 oxygen as it is often termed is at 18 thousand feet or 5400m.
In a previous life oxygen started to flow in small amounts into my mask at 8000 ft cabin altitude. At 25k cabin altitude we were fed 100% oxygen, above that was pressure breathing which was vs a laugh a minute. |
I didn't say anything about the oxygen reduction that I'm aware of, I said the altitudes are relatively modest. In reference to your point about oxygen reduction, up to a point the body can compensate very well indeed and at around 2100m the actual content of oxygen in the blood will only change by 2-3% at a guess (I don't have the figures on me) which will affect people with most age related heart disease very little. There are other changes related to the decrease in oxygen that could affect a few types of heart disease somewhat more.
I'm not trying to say there is no effect on altitude and no increased risk but with all the other things that are happening to us as we age I suspect going to any European ski resort represents a pretty low change in our overall risk in this world.
EDIT I noticed I did say something about oxygen you are right but I was meaning the amount your blood is carrying rather than the amount in the air.
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Mon 26-02-24 19:06; edited 1 time in total
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@Weathercam, the Geezonaires sound a fantastic group ! We need something like this in La Plagne ….
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You know it makes sense.
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I'm 63. In my opinion, the more you push yourself, the farther into the future you push-off feeling old. The other thing to consider is that the older you get, the lazier your brain gets, so you may want to consider if if that is part of the issue.
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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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| Origen wrote: |
| I think "a little" acclimatisation is better than none. Easiski used to insist on it on the glacier in Tignes, though perhaps that was an excuse for her to have a fag. |
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Poster: A snowHead
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Just turned 62 and try and ski every year. A lifetime of playing football has desensitised me to injuries but I’m aware that a biggie could be around the corner. This is a risk I am well prepared to take for the sheer exhilaration of doing something I love. I’m going to St Anton in just under 3 weeks having booked the holiday nearly a year ago, and the growing sense of anticipation which is now more or less fever pitch has kept me going through some tough times at work.
I don’t play football anymore but walk the dog and swing some kettlebells. Also I’ve found that walking backwards uphill is a thing and quite a good thing for conditioning extra leg muscles and hips. I look like a knob but at my age IDGAF.
I may well pace myself a little slower this time to fit with the mood of the group, but will definitely be encouraging the less confident to get up for the first lift at least a couple of times. Let’s see if my enthusiasm will rub off.. I expect beers aplenty but jaegerbombs and industrial strength schnapps will be limited due to the very considerable after effects. I drink sparingly in real life so this shouldn’t be too hard. The challenge will be to limit lunchtime quantities so I can maximise evening half board feasting. I will probably fail.
My message is enjoy it and ski as hard as you feel happy to. Cliche it may be but the worst day skiing still beats the pants off the best day of nearly anything else.
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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 do the spin teethbrushing on one leg, too (I also hold the brush in my non-dominant hand sometimes). Some days I do wall sits while I brush my teeth. And I ride the stationary bike backwards every other song during cycle classes. Seems like an easy way to use muscles that ordinarily don't get to play. 
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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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@GinaMae, skiing is good for you! I love a bit of confirmation bias.
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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'm heading off this weekend with 6 others.
They are 74 - 79!
2 don't ski, haven't for years but do enjoy a nice walk and getting around the mountains on lifts.
3 others ski gently now, mainly blues and greens with a red sometimes. They generally head out about 10ish, coffee at 11.30ish, a long lunch at 13.00ish and a gentle ski back after.
The other one (who's 75) skis everything and all day. He wears me out and I'm 51! He does enjoy the lunch in the middle though.
Oh, and ski mo-jo. One of the group has it and it was a game changer last year.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Skiing as you get older is about staying fit and having enough technique to do it fairly easily. I am 75 and Mrmogulski is 77. We did 4 weeks in 3V over Xmas/New Year, another 2 weeks late Jan/early Feb (left just before half term) and will be back for 3 weeks late March. We cruise around the whole area, one of our favourite runs is Combe Rosael off the top of Caron into Orelle. Many on here will know we like moguls as we used to judge mogul skiing. We have always been active, both weigh the same as when we met at university, stay fit and intend to continue skiing. We hill walk when not skiing, regularly in Scotland but also all over the world, Nepal being one of our favourite destinations. Being at altitude does not seem to cause us problems.
Do not worry about your age, just keep going.
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Well - I can give an update ! I found all the responses very heartening and well informed and decided to take the advice . So , I had a summer of diet and gym and got myself back into a zone where the lights were green - this had been good in all areas of life of course, not just skiing ; and this week I've invested in one to one ski lessons after many years without .
Dani from Lime Snow Sports at La Plagne was fantastic and taught me a huge amount in a short period of time in a very entertaining way - it has really revolutionised how I ski and also how I think about skiing . I really do recommend one to one lessons as there's no hiding and a skilled instructor can tailor the whole lesson to what you need. It was worth every penny !
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| boulevardier wrote: |
| weve morphed into people who have a relaxed breakfast and head out at around 11 , |
when I'm paying around 70 euros for a lift pass I take the first lift and then you have to pry my poles out of my cold dead hands.
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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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Still skiing at 67, every year. Still the windsurfing 30 year old in my head but brain and legs somehow don’t seem to cooperate this year. Still happy to go down blacks, trees and bumps only ‘cause I want to push myself slowly in technical control and avoid the racer nutters on greens and blues who want to go fast and usually out of control
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If it wasn't for skiers over 60 (me included) there would be virtually no-one on the slopes in Chatel this week!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I turn 60 in March, I'm still planning on hitting the moguls & offpiste as fast as I can 
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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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This thread both terrifies and inspires me. So much doom and gloom, and worry, about skiing in your 60s. And also so many that are much older and still ripping it up. I am 53, and the mere thought of only have 7-10 years of skiing is very depressing. I always imagined I would have another 20 years all things being equal. And am particularly looking forward to the last of our 4 sprogs finishing school in 3 years time, so we can ski often and long whenever we like (and never at half-term).
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You know it makes sense.
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@snowball, love it.
For video you simply need to upload it somewhere - youtube being the obvious place and stick a link in your post.
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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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I’m 71, and as you can see from my Verbier posts, I was there before Christmas, am there at the moment, and back again in about 10 days.
I’d stress that I’m not any sort of fitness fanatic. Yes, I go to the gym a couple of times a week if I can (but I’d rather do anything else), and I get the odd Personal Trainer session there and visit to the osteopath occasionally. And yes, I don’t ski like I used to, and only do a couple of days in a row before taking a break. My wife and I also do snowshoe walks when the conditions are not optimal for skiing (sunny all day; not too cold; good piste conditions; not Saturdays; not school hols or Wed PM with all the school kids going crazy).
The snowshoeing is great exercise and made us realise how often we used to ski in unrewarding conditions just because we’d bought a period pass. Now we buy for the day, especially if the weather is dodgy.
I’d say we can continue to ski as a side-effect of trying to keep our mobility generally. So my wife is a keen and good swimmer and does that regularly. I tell the osteo and PT that in the summer we do Alpine walks and in the winter ski and snowshoe and they have given me specific exercises to add to the general mobility ones I do.
My main problem with skiing? Just how many people push off from standing without taking a single look up the slope to see who’s coming.
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Thu 16-01-25 16:28; edited 1 time in total
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Poster: A snowHead
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On the general question (I missed this thread previously) my father used to say you can't do at 60 what you did at 50, you can't do at 50 what you did at 40, etc. I got where he was coming from to some extent. But even approaching the 6-O I am pretty much doing what I did at 50 and 40! Especially skiing wise.
I/we are rarely first lifters but it would be any between 9:15 and 10. We are definitely in the @davidof category of skiing until they put the flag on the chair and close the gate!
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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'm 59, 60 in July - go to the gym a few times a week still. Over the last couple of ski trips my brain has been as intent as it ever was to ski from first lift til last with a good lunch, but my body has, quite plainly, told my brain to f**k off for my trip in the next fortnight.
Be interesting to see how it works out.
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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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I would make one adjustment to your schedule: get up on the first lift and enjoy the corduroy for 30-60 mins. Park yourself in a café til the early lunch arrivals start arriving - continue with your normal schedule.
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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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@Layne, Anyone who says they ski as well in their 60's as they did in their 40's must have been a pretty crap skier in their 40's! Taking lessons and using better equipment helps, but you're still loosing 3-8% of muscle every decade (fact). No reason to stop doing it but managing expectations, strength training and eating plenty of protein is key to maintaining performance.
@zikomo, Most of my old(er) ski buddies have switched from first lifters to fair weather skiers. They tend to pop over here Mon-Fri to avoid the weekend chaos and get cheap flights. They'll then buy day passes if the conditions are good and not bother if they aren't. Money saved the means they can come more than once in the season.
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Thu 16-01-25 17:26; edited 1 time in total
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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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63 (going on 64). Minimal fitness and exercise but I enjoy my 1 week a year bimble around the pistes. Can't be bothered with first lift and the associated early start/lift queues and, luckily, neither can my ski buddies even though they're much fitter than me. Very much fair weather skiers and one of the guys won't even tackle the black pistes anymore. Lots of coffee/chocolate stops and the occasional leisurely lunch. Then apres around 4pm. We're all happy with that level of commitment
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| davidof wrote: |
| boulevardier wrote: |
| weve morphed into people who have a relaxed breakfast and head out at around 11 , |
when I'm paying around 70 euros for a lift pass I take the first lift and then you have to pry my poles out of my cold dead hands. |
I'm 'only' pushing 50 and this had always been my approach. But a nasty injury on the last run of a full day last year had me re-thinking it. Turns out all my mates seem to just ski the morning, do lunch and a few leisurely ones in the afternoon. I assumed everyone was charging around all day. I'd say I'm reasonably fit but thinking from now on I might dial the long days back and just do a long morning then take it easy in the afternoon. Accident could have been a total fluke but I suspect it wouldn't have happened in the morning.
Off to Alleghe next Friday to very slowly get my snow legs back. Intending on starting slow and building to full mornings. Away with the fam in April so using this as the re-learning trip. I will say that recovery is substantially longer as you get older. Rebuilding muscle is a real task and you lose more as you're immobilized for longer recovering.
I've no intention on stopping skiing though. Salute to everyone here inspiring me to keep on keeping on. I'm sure you all ski harder and better than me as well.
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| RedandWhiteFlachau wrote: |
@Layne, Anyone who says they ski as well in their 60's as they did in their 40's must have been a pretty crap skier in their 40's!
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That maybe the case. But there’re priorities in life. Some people didn’t take skiing seriously until the kids are grown. Others simply have other interests in their 40’s. Or lack of funds in the mid-life but are now flush with retirement payout…
Let’s be real. Snowheads are largely recreational skiers. How many here are good enough but not doing it professionally? Are you?
So to say they’re crappy skiers in their 40’s speaks basically of ALL snowheads. We’re all crappy skiers, period. In our 40’s or 60’s, or even in our 20’s.
Get over it!
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Anyone who says they ski as well in their 60's as they did in their 40's must have been a pretty crap skier in their 40's!
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That will be me..100%. In fact I ski much better now because I've had lots of lessons in my late 40s/early 50s and the ability to ski many more weeks per season
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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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| RedandWhiteFlachau wrote: |
| you're still loosing 3-8% of muscle every decade (fact). |
I (rightly or wrongly), thought that was the figure if doing little or no resistance training. I thought that a decent weight training program, along with enough protein, considerably reduced that.
Now in my mid 60s, my recovery takes longer and my body can't take the same hammering.
The combination of much easier equipment and great instruction, has meant my skiing is at least as good as it was in my 40s.
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| abc wrote: |
| RedandWhiteFlachau wrote: |
@Layne, Anyone who says they ski as well in their 60's as they did in their 40's must have been a pretty crap skier in their 40's!
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That maybe the case. But there’re priorities in life. Some people didn’t take skiing seriously until the kids are grown. Others simply have other interests in their 40’s. Or lack of funds in the mid-life but are now flush with retirement payout…
Let’s be real. Snowheads are largely recreational skiers. How many here are good enough but not doing it professionally? Are you?
So to say they’re crappy skiers in their 40’s speaks basically of ALL snowheads. We’re all crappy skiers, period. In our 40’s or 60’s, or even in our 20’s.
Get over it! |
Noting your location I'll assume you missed the irony class.
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FAQ
