 Poster: A snowHead
|
Hi Guys
This is our first skiing holiday with a baby (10 months), we have non-skiing grandparents coming with us but I'm looking for any tips on clothing, activities etc whilst we are there. We've been to the same chalet for the last 2 times we have been skiing (missed last year due to pregnancy!) so we know the chalet has everything we need, but is there anything we should look out for? Are they OK with altitude for example?
Thanks!
Ally
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Hi Ally
I took my daughter with us when she was 11 months (I also had a just 2 year old). We also took grandparents. My 11 month old wasn't yet crawling and barely sitting which made the tiled floor in the apartment quite hazardess. We used the travel cot as a playpen to keep her safe and she was quite happy with a few toys. She was a lot easier to entertain than the two year old!
She was fine with altitude - we stay in Samoens which is only about 700m . The grandparents brought her up the mountain (to 1600m) to meet us for lunch 3 or 4 times. We just made sure she was wrapped up in layers with a snowsuit over the top. Hers had built in feet as she wasn't walking. In hindsight, attached mits would have been good as she wouldn't keep hers on. Don't forget sunglasses (baby bandz are good) Oh - and if your apartment doesn't have a washing machine take a spare snowsuit!.
She loved been dragged around in a sledge and generally playing with snow. She was also quite happy to fall asleep in mountain restaurants, gondola's, while we were eating out in the evening.....
As a 3 year old she could ski confidently on green and blue runs and thinks we own the apartment we stay in each year. She is definately a Snowhead 
I hope you and your baby have a great ski holiday
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Thanks so much for your quick reply! We have bought him a snowsuit as I hike a lot with him on my back and we have velcro boots that are waterproof/fleece lined and the same with mittens. Also, I hadn't realised but someone had given us some baby banz in a bag full of stuff and I only found them the other day so that's a bonus! My little boy is nearly walking ( I do wonder whether they do things in different orders as my friends who have girls are all talking a bit now but not moving and mine just grunts!). We are staying in Les Carroz and I'm hoping my parents can get up to the restaurant on the telecabine which I think is 1600m for lunch. We've been to the same chalet 3 times (as of this time) as we thought it was best for the first time with a baby, knowing where things are etc. Plus the owners live downstairs and they have become friends.
So impressed by your 3 year old! I can't wait til the time we can take family ski holidays. We have friends who have enrolled their little boy in classes at the Xscape in Castleford and they went to Austria for the first time when he was 4 and he absolutely loved it.
Have a lovely season with your family 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
AllyK, I and others have answered questions about this quite a few times before. You will find plenty of threads about this with the search function. Nothing wrong with starting a new thread - but some of us may be too lazy to post lots of stuff again... so might be worth a look. But have fun.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
AllyK, all in one snow suit is a must in my view - look around on ebay as a lot of them will be used once then grown out of.
Can usually rent, although buying is not much more, a sledge which a 10-mnth old can be pulled in i.e.. sitting with some back support. Other than that playing in the snow of course. We have taken ours on bubble lifts (weel grandparents did) to meet us higher up mountain for lunch.
Altitude is individual to kids - some suffer, some don't. As for anyone just make sure they have a drink to hand!
OUr twins were around 10-mnths when we first went and the following year there was a 3-mnth old sister as well - Mrs Boris was about 10 weeks pregnant when we went with the boys first!
Snowbands as mentioned also great as wrap around and secured by velcro. I would suggest taking some familiar foods with you just in case
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
AllyK, people who live here don't take their kids above resort level until they are about four or five, and the creche gives out 'babies at altitude' leaflets which tell you this and give a load of other advice. I translated it for them last season and have a copy on the laptop - pm me your e-mail address if you want it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sunglasses or strap on goggles are ESSENTIAL if taking baby out in the sunshine, the reflected light from the snow is very harsh.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Are you driving out or flying? If driving it could be worth taking your own high chair. The one we hired in France had no straps as did some of the ones we had in restaurants. He was constantly trying to stand up etc. I dont know if they don't do straps in France but I didn't see any all week. He was 9 months when we took him last year! He didn't larn any skiing, but learned how to walk out there!!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
AllyK, Lucky you with the non skiing grandparents. Baby will be fine, been taking my boy out to the mounains since he was 12 weeks old ... take a bottle and/or dummy for sucking on if you're flying. Some people take the kitchen sink on holiday with them - you can manage without bringing high chairs, etc! and I'm sure the chalet you know and love will cater for your needs and adore having a baby in the house! Altitude won't be a problem either, you don't need to stay at resort level because you're not staying at a particularly high resort - meeting for lunch at 1600 is no issue at all.
Have a fantastic holiday!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
I'm also interested in this as i have a 6 month old who we would like to take with us in March. Is it therefore necessary to find a resort at less that 1200m? and if so which resorts are low enough for such a young baby? 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
number9dream, travelling babies in abundance in Monetier at 1500m. And they do appear up the mountain for lunch (1950m).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
number9dream,
| Quote: |
I'm also interested in this as i have a 6 month old who we would like to take with us in March. Is it therefore necessary to find a resort at less that 1200m? and if so which resorts are low enough for such a young baby?
|
There seems to be very little basis in logic or practice in restricting healthy babies to 1200m altitude, untill recently on this site I have never seen it suggested before. I have never seen any suggestion that you should not take a baby to Denver Colorado at 1600m. Many healthy babies live at this height without detriment. Air travel routinely exposes passengers to an altitude equivalent to 2400m for hours at a time. There is no suggestion that healthy babies should not fly.
If you wish to stick to resorts below 1200m however there are literally hundreds of possibilities, it depends where you want to go. The majority of Austrian resorts are below this altitude, many 'traditional' French ones and quite a few Swiss. Unless you have a penchant for purpose built resorts which tend to be higher it should not be difficult to find some. If you want some suggestions I would ask what type of reosrt, which country and what kind of skiing do you want?
For some Random resorts
Les Gets, Chamonix,Megeve, Briancon(barely), Klosters, Grindelwald, Saalbach, Kitzbuhel, Schladming are all lowish
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
number9dream, No, certainly not in my experience ... my little one been coming to the mountains with me, in higher resorts, since 12 weeks - and I know a lot of babies who are born and live at altitude. Obviously up to you though.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
shouldn't have any problems with the wee ones
went out by car with our twins to Bourg at 12 weeks, car full of stuff for them not necessary (as friends who live there said the milk and nappies etc are all the same for french babies botts too.)
our local friends and the nanny had our two up as high as 1600m from their first trip in an all terrain buggy , and besides as already mentioned by others warm suits glasses and gloves on strings and plenty of high factor suntan lotion the little people are fine. the following years they progressd to sledges and rides to the top of transarc to the ice grotto and they now ski all over
our twin 6yo's girls with nanny in tow have in built homing devices to be at off the slopes in jimmys bar or maxima's in vallandry before its dark to get the beers in for the grown ups who they do sometimes beat down the hill.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
AllyK, regarding baby milk, my friend in Briancon says that they are VERY expensive compared to the UK. About 20€ a tin
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Nappy sacks did not exist in Val D'Isere when I looked, wearing flip flops, in a snow storm, for hours, in about 2004.
If you are flying to Geneva then you can buy baby stuff in the Migros supermarket - head forthe train station and keep going- but not unless he is on beer already.
Mrs Ed say breast feeding solves problems with the price of formula!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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: |
Nappy sacks did not exist in Val D'Isere when I looked, wearing flip flops, in a snow storm, for hours, in about 2004.
|
ed123,  Are you stark, staring, raving, bonkers???????????? It's just extraordinary how many recently invented consumer products the marketing men have persuaded young parents that they simply cannot do without. Even my tiny little neighbourhood épicerie sells tie handle polythene bags. Granted, without that disgusting "fragrance"
I agree that breast feeding (not one of the newer products) solves a huge number of problems travelling with young babies, but few are still breastfed at 10 months and as they are generally crawling round eating huge quantities of germs by then the sterilisation problems are not so critical - and they can have full cream cows milk, too.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
