 Poster: A snowHead
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Am taking the whole family inc Grandparents too Chamonix next month there both in there 80's but are mobile and in good health (Grandad is still driving) Would they or are they allowed to ride the Aiguille du Midi at there age ?
Regards Mark
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Topsmoke, a Japanes guy skied the Vallée Blanche on his 99th birthday, so I think it will be OK.
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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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Topsmoke, The obvious answer is ask them to have a check-up with their GP just to make sure everything's tickety-boo and relax. You have to watch out for altitude sickness whatever age you are and be aware of and treatment for the symptoms.
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Topsmoke, My mum (82) has just booked a Swiss mountain holiday in June (coach) and I was surprised to see Aiguille du Midi on her itineraryy. Maybe I'm being over protective? We were there in August and loved the trip although glacier gondola was closed cos of high wind (didn't have a problem with that!)
I will be warning her about altidude (my eldest felt quite rough while we were in the queue to come down) and the cold/wind. She too is mobile and in good health.
edit: altitude!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Masque wrote: |
| Topsmoke, The obvious answer is ask them to have a check-up with their GP just to make sure everything's tickety-boo |
No need to see a GP if they don't have any pre-existing heart or breathing problems.
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Kramer, That does depend on their relationship with their GP. Many of our elder generation 'don't like to bother' their doctor with what they think are minor ills . . . which may well be age-related major ones. It's you guys with the 8+ years of training that are there to diagnose heart or breathing problems . . . if we don't present to you then you can't advise and further yet, retain any credibility.
In this situation your comment is a little off-hand and you may like to reconsider it 
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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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What ever you do take it very easy at the top of the midi. You always end up walking up a lot of steps. I once rushed to get the last lift down and nearly chundered in the cabin.
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Agenterre, Sorry, I'll stand my ground on this one.
I believe it's become recognised and encouraged good practice for older individuals to be proactive in maintaining a health lifestyle and that requires a positive and inclusive relationship with their health provider.
As we rot into our dotage, protesting good health and possessing good health are very different animals that require professional assistance to ensure congruence and as much that some doctors spend an inordinate amount of time whinging about "time wasters" they do have a public service role and if they don't like that or meeting people . . . then they're in the wrong career . . . or there for the wrong reasons.
Without no evidence of the real health of an older individual who is contemplating travelling to a stressful and potentially dangerous environment, Kramer made a dismissive and unprofessional statement that also made a mockery of Hippocrates' plea "to help, or at least to do no harm".
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Masque, I'm not going to go there (much) ... your first para - agreed, second para -agreed (ish), third para, think you made a 'leap' on the stated facts.
No more from me .... as we will only get into semantics ..OK? 
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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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Agenterre, May i point out his thread is about high altitude not 'Bad Attitude' , kids eh? 
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SMALLZOOKEEPER, OK I was a bit of a knee jerk  . . . but I'll still stand by my posts as I know from personal and fatal experience that older people do dismiss hints that all is not well as just part of the ageing process. Anyone contemplating a tropical holiday will (should) go and have prescribed an anti-malarial prophylactic. High altitude is no less hazardous and in this scenario where little if any info is given about medical history and the original poster is asking for advice, then I'll state again that brief consultation with their GP to check that all is (as much their GP can determine) well for a trip to the high Alps is both acceptable and peer encouraged practice.
edit: for gratuitous knife twisting
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You know it makes sense.
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With altitude, I think if there are any concerns at all, no matter the age a quick check up with the GP before the trip would be beter safe than sorry. About 18 years ago, a good friend of mine went skiing to a high altitude resort (can't remember where it was now, Europe somewhere), he was 24 years old, played football and rugby and skied quite a few times a season, on the third day of the holiday, he got off the chair lift and collapsed and was taken to hospital and died 3 days later, apparently he had an undiagnosed heart problem which could have been detected in an indepth check up, as he was never ill, I don't think he ever had a check up.
I hope people don't think I am being morbid with negative thoughts, but there must be some concern, hence the post and if there is any concern at all, I feel medical advice should be sought beforehand, after all a trip to the GP is free (unless private) what is the price of life ?
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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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Topsmoke, I think it is extremely stupid to place an 80 year old onto the mountain also within town I think you need to be careful of ice on the road. I'm 29 and when I fall on my hip on black ice it brusies and swells for 2 weeks or so but with an 80 year old there is a good chance of fracture. Going to Chamonix to breathe the air and see the cliffs as well as riding to viewing points is 100% fine but just take care with walking. In Switzerland we saw alot of the older generation with shoes which had spikes in the soles which could be flipped into the sole when arriving at your destination!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Well, when I'm 80 I will do anything I damn well like, and people faffing around me and saying 'ooh I don't think that's a good thing at your age dear, why don't you just put your feet up with a cup of Ovaltine' will get a poke in the eye.
Of course, this attitude may well kill me, but never mind.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Lizzard wrote: |
Well, when I'm 80 I will do anything I damn well like, and people faffing around me and saying 'ooh I don't think that's a good thing at your age dear, why don't you just put your feet up with a cup of Ovaltine' will get a poke in the eye.
Of course, this attitude may well kill me, but never mind. |
I wouldnt mind dying at the top of the Aiguille di Midi.
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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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Christopher, retrieving the body would make your nearest and dearest work for their inheritance as well!
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Topsmoke, I would much prefer to take them to the mountains during the summer.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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plectrum, why, is Chamonix lower in the summer?
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You can walk to places that in winter are inaccessible except to skiers. There are unlikely to be blizzards. There are nice flowers. And there is a gondola from the Aiguille du Midi to the top of the Italian side (which is closed in winter). It is also less likely that they will fall on icy streets.
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Lizzard, I know the thread is about altitude initially and if the OAP is healthy and doesn't have breathing difficulties then this should be OK, I would be much more worried about slipping over and crashing down on ice. This doesn't happen so much in the summer!
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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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| plectrum wrote: |
| This doesn't happen so much in the summer! |
Unless you go on holiday with my parents  This was end of May in Wengen!! They also had snow in July on their Swiss Mountains holiday.
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| Elizabeth B wrote: |
| plectrum wrote: |
| This doesn't happen so much in the summer! |
Unless you go on holiday with my parents This was end of May in Wengen!! They also had snow in July on their Swiss Mountains holiday. |
Are they some kind of lucky charms to bring snow? Can you post me a lock of hair preserved in a block of amber!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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My concern at the top of the Aiguille de Midi would be the cold, which can be extreme. Need to choose your day to go up there. And take warm clothes. There are certainly a lot of steps - we went up with one of the party on crutches after a ligament damaging fall. He is young, strong and fit, but was knackered at the end. But I agree that by far the biggest danger is ice on the streets. I have a pair of the shoes with crampons you can hinge in and out - they're great. And waterproof. And I usually use ski poles if the ice is bad; I am infinitely more scared of falling on the pavement than of falling on the piste, which bothers me not at all. Just as well given my snowboarding skills. Presumably, anyone over 80 is going to be given a good grilling by their health insurer before travelling overseas? Idoubt if cold and high altitude is any more dangerous to health than the tropical temperatures people visit on cruises. And the scenery is better.
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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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pam w, What are these hinge crampon shoes called please?
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My DH is 50 and not overly fit and very overweight. He has knee problems and doesn't ski. Last year the car park was like an ice rink and he went down very hard a couple of times. This year I have bought the cat tracks (though someone has mentioned to still take care) and like pam w, suggests I have also got a spare pair of ski poles which I thought would also help him - I'm pleased to see that someone else uses these to help as until then it was just another of my half baked ideas.
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You know it makes sense.
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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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The Aiguille du Midi is the ony place that I have ever suffered altitude sickness, albeit mildly.
Last year my skiing oppo persuaded me to go to Breckenridge (town 9,600' / 2,926m), top of resort 12,998' / 3,963m before we read up on the region and I had reservations about living at these altitudes but suffered no ill effects.
This January I was in Zermatt and skied several times from the Klein Matterhorn (a gnats whisker off 4,000m) again with no ill effects.
But then I'm only a young 66.
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Poster: A snowHead
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In the last 2 years, my father, who is 82 years old, has had the privilege of going up to the Aiguille du Midi, the Kleine Matterhorn and the Jungfraujoch with seemingly no ill effetcs. Mind you he's a sprightly old whippet 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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My dad's 72 and still skiing 
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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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Boris, keep him going, when he's 75 he'll get a free lift pass in La Rosiere.
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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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David@traxvax, How long have you had yours? 
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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 trekked the Inca Trail with a guy who was 72. He managed just fine, including the steep climb to the sun gate.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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high altitude will have no worse effect on the elderly than anyone else. in fact, the teenagers are often more seriously effected than any other age group.
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plectrum, I bought my boots in Les Saisies - they have hinged things in the sole and heel which you can have in "crampon" mode or "non crampon" mode (they do no favours to floors). They are like walking boots, with vibram soles and a waterproof membrane. I don't think they're very widely available but most resorts will sell rubber strap things, with strong spikes underneath, which work very well.
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