 Poster: A snowHead
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@rickboden, likewise - looking forward to skiing again with the Spring off-Piste Bash crew in March.
Currently, though, as mentioned on another thread, I'm trying to recover from spraining an MCL the same day as that clip. (About to join the cross-country trail after Face du Charvet, I hit a broken-off iron fence post under the snow at low speed, falling onto my twisted-around leg - the ski only releasing a second or so too late.) I'm hoping to ski the second week in February. My consultant and physio both feel it is touch and go, but I'm getting more hopeful.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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The effect of a broken-off iron fence post on p-tex
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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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Ligaments take approximately 6 weeks to heal. So March should be safe.
But you need to keep from losing leg muscle strength during the recovery period while without hindering the healing of the ligament.
February is more a concern if you might re-injury the ligament while it’s in a weaken state.
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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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@abc, yes, it is now a balancing act between allowing full healing and retaining muscle (obviously there was quite a lot of muscle loss in the first 3 weeks). The consultant said 6-8 weeks, but more the latter because of my age (note here an attempt to keep on-topic). 7 weeks and 4 days from accident till February ski.
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Sun 19-01-25 16:23; 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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| snowball wrote: |
| @abc, yes, it is now a balancing act between allowing full healing and retaining muscle (obviously there was quite a lot of muscle loss in the first 3 weeks). The consultant said 6-8 weeks, but more the latter because of my age. 7 weeks and 4 days from accident till February ski. |
At 7+ weeks, I’d plan on doing the trip. (Depending on the intensity and complexity of the skiing involve)
May consider getting a knee brace to increase the safety margin
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Sun 19-01-25 16:24; edited 1 time in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Yes to both. The skiing will be as in the film clip at the top of the last page. Steep and deep. Hoping there won't be breakable crust.
On another thread a couple of months ago, I mentioned that our guide in February, Zeb Roche, was climbing K2 with Liv Sansoz (without Oxygen) and were going to Para-glide off the top. They did, in fact, do so, but did not mention the successful flight till they got home, since it was breaking local law.
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Sun 19-01-25 16:34; edited 1 time in total
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Reposted. "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!".
I've trawled back through the pages and read the comments. It doesn't seem anyone contradicted this statement. Almost all of the comments concur and agree that better coaching and gear are key.
"Indeed. I'm not sure I'd even started then and if I did certainly didn't have race coaching every week on the dry slope."
"I'd go the other way on that. If you're no better now than 20 years ago despite the massive improvements in equipment, you're doing something seriously wrong.
If 20 years practice didn't make you better, what were you doing with the time?
My buddy just hit 60 and has ridden every day since he retired; it's day 53 this season. That's a lot of practice.
=> Anyone who doesn't ski better in their 60s was likely not skiing very well in the first place" Not sure that's the "other way" @phil_w, I think you said what I said.
"I wasn't a skier at 40. First trip at 43. At 50 I was downright dangerous. Lots of lessons since then and I'm not too bad at 62. Every season, I'm better than the one before."
"I'm 70 next year and definitely skiing better than 30 years ago (started 40 years ago) both on and off-piste, for me it's all about skiing smart, ie without tons of effort which meant adapting my technique to use less effort!"
Sort of proves my point. Never too old for lessons and think Ski NOT Me to help our ageing bodies get through the day.
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If you ride somewhere like Whistler during the week, the locals' trade routes are full of retirees. Every cabin will have old folk in it, and many of them know each other. They can afford to live there, the lift pass is a snip, and they don't have to work so may as well ride/ski every day. I'd rather wait for god riding the Blackcomb gondola. And old people who ski/ride don't seem to whine or be racist, so I think it keeps people... healthy.
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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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And what a lot of this discussion suggests to me is that people are no more likely to resemble each other at 60 than they did at 20, 30 or 40. There is a tendency when one is young to believe that the quality of being "old" is so overwhelming as to eradicate any other differences.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| snowball wrote: |
Yes to both. The skiing will be as in the film clip at the top of the last page. Steep and deep. Hoping there won't be breakable crust.
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Due to some undiagnosed anatomical issues, I had strained my MCL multiple times in the early days of my skiing. I’ve gotten to know my MCL’s quite well. 
Apart from the first strain, which I visited an orthopedics specialist, I’ve since learned to “listen” to what my MCL tells me after each injury…
- first 2-3 weeks: inflammation/swelling/tenderness. Rest and wait. Light activities as daily living dictates. Protection of the injury site.
- next 3-4 weeks: once the swelling comes down, increase activity as tolerated, judged by pain and/or swelling (mild).
- beyond 6 weeks: strength training to regain any lost muscle/strength.
7+ weeks is borderline. It all depends on how well you feel right up to the last minute.
I would have some hesitation Venturing into “uncontrolled” environments.
When going off piste, it’s more variable. As you don’t have control of what may awaits you. “Hoping” there won’t be breakable crust isn’t the same as no breakable crust. And if you encounter breakable crust on the way down, you still have to ski it. Question is can you? Safely? Without straining yourself and potentially doing damage to your less than perfect condition MCL/leg muscle?
If the chance of any such nasty condition is low, I might chance it. But I would be more conservative with the expectation to avoid any surprises. It’s better to stay healthy to ski another time later.
I would happily ski on piste, or venture off-piste on days when condition is expected to be good. But I would skip it if there’s doubt about the snow condition.
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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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Well of course, one has to ski what is there (the best of what is there if you have a good guide). If I was with my group once I set out I would have to ski what they ski, which often includes breakable crust. The only way to opt out would be if at the top of a run the guide thought snow conditions were doubtful. If I ski it will need to be on that sort of basis. But yes, staying healthy to ski the March bash is important.
It wasn't till 3 weeks after the accident that I felt there was any improvement. Now the improvement seems quite fast but I won't know till a few days before the holiday if I'll risk it or not.
We are booking at the last moment wherever seems to have the best snow at not too huge a drive from Geneva.
Sorry, I seem to have taken the thread away from the primary subject.
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| snowball wrote: |
It wasn't till 3 weeks after the accident that I felt there was any improvement. Now the improvement seems quite fast but I won't know till a few days before the holiday if I'll risk it or not. |
You’re in the part of recovery that you no longer felt you’re “injured”, but not quite fully “healthy”.
That’s because you have lost some of the functions (strength, flexibility, sensation feedback), which you need to build back. Some of it you can do now. Others you may have to wait for a bit more. Or you may only gain back when you’re back on skis. So if it’s at all possible, a day or two of light duty skiing on piste would really help in building back both your physical ability and your confidence in your body.
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Sorry, I seem to have taken the thread away from the primary subject. |
This thread had been taken to quite a few different directions at this point. (Just ask the golfers) 
Frankly, it should now be obvious 60 isn’t a magic number on which anyone should be hanging up their skis. So the thread had already run its full course on its original subject.
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You know it makes sense.
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I definitely ski better now at 66 than I did 25 years ago though not as fit so cant keep going as long with a few more aches and pains the next morning. I think the primary reason is kit. When I started (mid 80s) the standard ski was a narrow plank 195cm long which was actually quite difficult to come to terms with. When carving skis appeared it made a huge difference, suddenly I (and lots of others I suspect) could actually ski reasonably well. I remember getting a pair of Salomon Crossmax skis and noticing a huge difference. These days an all mountain ski around 165cm - 170cm. Looking around in a lift queue these sort of lengths seem pretty universal now. One element that has not "improved" is the ability to give it large with the apres and still ski the next morning! These days a couple of beers and early to bed!
Looking around at St Anton over the weekend the over 60 club was very well represented, might even be the primary market. This may well be money related as some older folk have more disposable income than say those with families (how folk can afford to take the family skiing in the Arlberg no idea). Being over 65 does have one benefit, I have an Arlberg season pass for €550 which feels a bit like back to the 90s!
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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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| Je suis un Skieur wrote: |
| You shouldn't feel bad about that... |
Thanks! It's reassuring to get a second opinion as by default, the rest of the family assume anything that happens to me is due to my incpmetence, which to be fair, is a good starting assumption!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Just turned 60 and also just back from the first ski trip this season. Unfortunately despite many physio appointments my left knee wasn't really up to trying to ski properly so in the end just sort of skied on one leg when it came to turns and managed the pain as best I could. Still an absolutely fabulous week and can't wait to get back out there even with my current physical restrictions.
Would love to try a snowheads bash next season although I'm skiing much slower these days and wouldn't want to hold anyone back. That said I'm always happy making my own way down so shouldn't be a problem.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@abc, I should have said thank you for your previous post. In your new one the suggestion of a couple of days on piste sounds like a good one. We usually ski 2 days before the guide arrives anyway, when we are usually making our own judgement on what off-piste is safe to ski (and probably not finding the best snow). I could split from the group for those days. Then we have 6 days with the guide.
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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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@snowball, you’re welcome.
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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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As many have said here - do what is right for you.
Me - I'm 77yrs and have been slowing down over the last couple of years. I grew up on snow and ice in Canada in the 50's and now living in the UK, I have an emotional attachment to snow. I have developed osteopenia (a milder version of osteoporosis) so have to take it a bit easier. Mind you, my bone scan was marginal, but the Doc still put me on medication and deemed me to have the diagnosis. I don't think she fully realised how hard my crashes were that caused the couple of broken bones that led me to her. I was knocking up 60MPH on my GPS. Of course I'm not travelling that fast now.
The problem is that it has put an extra £100 on my insurance. However, where I have been skiing over the past few years, Les Arcs, they charge someone over 75yrs only 10 Euros for 15 days ski lift. It doesn't stretch to La Plagne but Les Arcs is enough for us.
I'm off at half term with two of my granddaughters and of course champing at the bit!
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FAQ
