https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/oct/18/skiing-holiday-austria-hilary-bradt-83 . These folk seem to be even older than most of the folk around here (including me!). The passage about tobogganing reminded me of taking my late father in law on the toboggan run at Söll (much to Mil's disapproval!), he had a great time even if he crashed once.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
That really gave me a giggle, espically the greek statues in the sauna, then one moved. Fair play to them, I love when I meet elderly people on the slopes, but I suppose now there are skiers who consider me ONE of the elderly,
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?
This weekend I saw a guy wearing a T shirt declaring “It’s weird being the same age as old people”.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
After all it is free
After all it is free
I play hockey - competitively.... in a recent match, I walked away from a ball that gone off the defensive backline ...cue the fresher student moaning about me not fetching it for her to set up the hit-out. I'm 62, she's barely 20 - she can fetch her own efffing ball!
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Hilarious!
But not much skiing.
Moreover, I found the article’s underlying presumption that old people shouldn’t do this or that annoying. Sure, they’re “properly old people” at 80+. But even that itself is a bygone concept!
In my 40’s, I was out of work for a short while, in the middle of a nice summer. So I went bike riding with a cycling club. And was properly humbled in a mid-week outing series by a bunch of retirees! Sure, some of those “oldies” were only in their 60’s. But some were in their 70’s and a few 80’s. Every so often, we would have a day that we “rode someone’s age” (65-90 miles), typically the week that someone’s birth date fell on. The way those oldies came down the hill on their bikes were a lot more daring than the alpine slide!
I tend to hang out with people who are adventurous. So, trying something new or rekindling an old hobby isn’t particularly unusual, whatever their age. As long as one’s health allows, there’s no such thing as age-appropriate for oldies.
But yeah, once we accept the age inappropriateness of skiing for the 80+, the article is actually funny.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Ok. Just try listening to this.
From Henry Priestman’s seminal album “The Chronicles Of Modern Life’
If you like this then listo the whole album; especially He ain’t good enough for you’
Enjoy. It’s fantastic
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.
Also, written as a love song to his wife: ‘Grey is the new blonde’
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
@rickboden, yes, listening to that album and enjoying it.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
What a brilliant and heartwarming article!
The moral of the tale is, keep skiing as long as you feel able - like the fella in this 2018 article
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@biddpyat,
Quote:
That really gave me a giggle, espically the greek statues in the sauna, then one moved
I nearly fell off my chair
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I object to "once we accept the age inappropriateness of skiing for the 80+". Mrmogulski will be 80 next birthday and I am the same age as King Charles (about to be 77). Why do people think there is an age when you should stop being active?
We met someone this week who asked if we still skied as we had been discussing ages. I replied "Of course we still ski, why would we stop?" If you can keep doing something there is no reason to stop.
Must get the Tshirt mentioned...
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@mogulski, yesss!
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?
I did an off piste week in Chamonix in January and one of the guys was 84! He was good!
I object to "once we accept the age inappropriateness of skiing for the 80+". Mrmogulski will be 80 next birthday and I am the same age as King Charles (about to be 77). Why do people think there is an age when you should stop being active?
We met someone this week who asked if we still skied as we had been discussing ages. I replied "Of course we still ski, why would we stop?" If you can keep doing something there is no reason to stop.
Must get the Tshirt mentioned...
All this is true but it's not hard to see that as people age they increasingly have physical or health conditions that prevent them doing all the physical pursuits they previously enjoyed.
My mum stopped skiing in her 70s after her second hip replacement. She probably could have carried on but my dad was losing physical stamina by then and not keen. And after a couple of winters away it was just too hard to get back into it. So sometimes it's first person to stop stops both and othertimes it's caring responsibilities.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I am certainly expecting to still ski steep-ish off piste slopes when I'm 80 (3 seasons away), though one of our group (79) has decided to stop skiing slopes over 40º, and perhaps I'll do the same at that point. Who knows. But then, I have been skiing every year for a long time, and I am lucky not to have had any serious infirmity to stop me. But I can see how it would be different for the writer not having done it for age and never having done it much.
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Sat 25-10-25 12:46; edited 2 times in total
It's really pretty simple! Even people for whom skiing is an important part of their life can be stopped by physical constraints. This might be an illness, injury, or frailty (e.g. osteoporosis) which makes skiing unwise because a bad injury would interfere with so much of the rest of their lives. Or more generalised lack of muscle strength or stamina. However many squats and sit ups you do, your body will age. Will power and determination will get you only so far.
Given what "ageing" is, all these buggeration factors become more likely as people get older. Denying this is a route to dissatisfaction.
There's an important mental component too, of course and some people are better than others at accepting the limitations of age. So some will enjoy going with friends for some gentle pottering in good weather and a very good lunch, whereas others would see this as too much of a come-down from their erstwhile prowess. This isn't limited to skiing, obviously. I sail and have a lot of sailing friends. Some will accept that, with age, they need to avoid long trips and/or heavy weather. Some will not - if they can't race competitively, they're really not interested.
It's not a matter of "age". Of course there's no arbitrary age where people should stop skiing. But the accumulation of incapacity (which is a synonym for ageing!) makes it more likely that keen people who decide they must stop will be in their 70s or 80s, not their 30s or 40s. Going on a mountain holiday where you have a short private lesson one day and getting paid to write about it proves nothing!! These "look at me, I walked on the wing of an aircraft at 80" articles annoy me.
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Do what you can , while you can......no one gets out alive
After all it is free
After all it is free
My father referred disappointedly to his parents as moving into their bungalow in their 60s saying “yes we’re preparing for the next stage”. He’s not doing much chainsawing in his 8 acres after 85, and walks carefully up and down his stairs now he’s 90, but it’s a mental attitude as well as physical.
What saddens me is that despite 40 years of skiing on and off, my technique is still crap so I am relying more on muscles and balance to get around the difficult bits. They will be the first to go, so my skiing may well be limited to blues later. Good technique needs less of them and could prolong more varied terrain. Maybe when I retire (now 57) I can afford enough time to get over the hurdle of being stuck at Level 7, as one week a year isn’t enough.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
@prometheus,
Quote:
Do what you can , while you can
Thanks. Commendably brief and 100% to the point. An example to us all.
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Ski the Net with snowHeads
We are 76 and 80 and are looking forward to a couple of trips this winter. We have a week ahead of skiing with the grand daughters at Christmas so we can get the legs going. The second trip is with old friends, must be 79 and 81. We do take it quite easy and gently and fingers crossed we end up without any injuries. Quiet places, fairly empty slopes, and a bit of sun..
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
I had a customer in Hokkaido who's father returned to skiing at 85.
I skied with him for 5 Winters.
A very special experience to ski with three generations of the same family.
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.
“How old are you? 80? I don’t think this is a good idea. You’ll fall and break something.”
Tell that to the 80 year olds who go on cruise ships! There’re numerous stairs, not to mention the cobblestone lanes in Lisbon or God forbid, London!
Perhaps that’s the general perception of the Guardian’s readership. But for the vast population who live in colder climate, walking out to the mailbox is far more dangerous than the 2 hour snow plough lesson!
Origen wrote:
These "look at me, I walked on the wing of an aircraft at 80" articles annoy me.
But as much as I found the article annoying with regard to the danger of skiing, I think it’s brilliant in capturing the real essence of the mental youthfulness of the “gang of oldies”:
”Having never had a sauna before, I thought I ought to give it a go. It was all very strange and a bit alarming, with mixed-sex naked saunas the order of the day.”
“soon realised I was wearing a broad grin: it was exhilarating”
“On our last day, after plenty of adrenaline-fuelled experiences, we finally began behaving like sensible pensioners, opting for a carriage ride, wrapped in rugs behind two enormous grey horses that clip-clopped through the still snow-covered landscape. “
It isn’t so much about the physical exertion, or the perceived danger, it’s the unknown that too many old people fear, which the “gang of oldies” embraced instead.
If some 80 year old got paid to write about walking on the wing of an airplane, I’d say bravo!
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Sun 26-10-25 4:54; edited 2 times 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
I am 79 and have been skiing for 60 years on and off ...driving to Paradiski for 2 weeks in January with my mate who is 3 month younger than me ..I find 3 weeks a bit too much now ...
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
The main blocker is once over 70 the cost of travel insurance jumps.
As a small group of over sixty's we still ski most of the day but much gentler than we used to.(lunch is still for wimps mostly though ).
We lost one member this spring that had just booked for January then events took over.
Plan to ski as long as we can as long as we enjoy it..
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Quote:
the cost of travel insurance jumps
if you have an annual policy then the more trips you do, the cheaper the insurance gets
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I'm with First Direct and for £19.99 a month an my account I get medical including 3 weeks skiing, car recovery home and abroad, mobile phone ad some other stuff ..it s with Aviva and I don't think it stops at 80
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I'm with First Direct and for £19.99 a month an my account I get medical including 3 weeks skiing, car recovery home and abroad, mobile phone ad some other stuff ..it s with Aviva and I don't think it stops at 80
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?
@DaveD, that's OK until you have any "previous" and take prescription meds. Then things get more difficult.
@Origen, I do take some prescription meds ..last year they charged me £50 extra for blood pressure pills ...its still cheap
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
yes - I take far more prescription meds, but the cost to me (it's Nationwide, but now also Aviva) is still a lot less than a standalone travel insurance policy. And I've used the breakdown insurance twice - once in the UK (not in my car) and once in France.
@Origen, I had to use it in France in jan 24 ,,flat battery ..i had left the fog lights on all night ...my excuse was that it was peeing it down lol,,,the breakdown came in 1/2 and hour
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
It is a couple of years off yet, but does anyone insure over 80s to ski off piste without a guide? My ski Club of GB insurance seems to end at 80.
After all it is free
After all it is free
@snowball, depends what sort of insurance you want, I think the Alpenverein (Austrian Alpine Club) insurance has no upper age limit. Though that only really covers the getting you off the mountain bit. Some folk are happy with just a GHIC to cover medical costs others worry about repatriation and other costs.
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@snowball, Saga do holiday insurance with no upper age limit....but does require a guide when going Off Piste (so probably no good for you).
I took my Dad last season for a week in Mayrhofen as his last ski trip 2 months before his 80th Birthday.
We skied everyday, he skied everything as it came. We chose Mayrhofen as St Anton the previous year was a bit to hard going for him in the afternoon as the slopes cut up.
We are just about to book another 'final' ski trip.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
