 Poster: A snowHead
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So let's say you're a non skier, going on a trip with some skiers, to a ski resort. Let's say that the resort in question has a pedestrian ticket option, that allows the use not only of gondolas and cable cars but also a couple of the more modern chairlifts.
With me so far? Let's also say that the pedestrian party have a 7mth old BABY with them, and want to ascend the hill for lunch, but would have to do so via a chairlift.
Is that allowed, can it be done? I'm not assuming that the baby will sit on the seat, more that he or she would be in some sort of harnessed papouse arrangement.
Anyone done this? Is it likely to be a) liftie's discretion, b) at your own risk but yes, or c) you'll be refused entry?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Sounds to me like you would want to call the Lift or Tourist office of the resort. Personally I wouldn't do it but I understand your dillema. I didn't take my son to a ski resort until he was 18 months old and I live in the Alps but maybe I'm just an OPP.
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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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surely the problem isn't so much the getting up (if allowed on the chairlift in the first place) as a pedestrian could easily dismount and clear the area just as well as lots of skiers and certainly beginner boarders, but actually getting back down after lunch or having a walk around.
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I'm assuming that the pedestrian lift pass allows you to ride the chair back down again, rather than insisting you learn to ski whilst up there in order to descend.
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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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From the leaflet issued by the creche in 2Alpes:
"Altitude
Changes in air pressure on the way up to resort can damage your baby’s ears and increase the risk of ear infections. You are recommended to drive slowly, stop often and give your baby something to suck in order to encourage him to swallow and take the pressure off his eardrums.
It is not advisable to take babies and toddlers up to high altitude – the recommended maximum is 1200m for babies under a year old and 1500m for those under 18 months. You should not consider taking young children any higher than 2500m."
If you really want to do it, ask at the lift office first but expect a lot of disapproving finger-wagging from the ticket-selling ladies.
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Lizzard, that's good info, thanks.
1200m! That's a pretty meagre maximum.
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paulio, just go somewhere like Wengen where it's not an issue, as you can use the train instead.
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Given that your not supposed to go on a chairlift with a rucsac - then any sort of papoose arrangement is not going to work. The baby will get trapped between you the bar and the seat back. Also any straps on your back can get hung up on the seat back with the consequences you can see on many a youtube clip. Its a bad idea. Do you have a specific resort in mind ? I cant think of any (apart from Glencoe) that allow pedestrians on chairlifts in the winter.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I would not take a baby on a chairlift and think the Lifties won't let you! Certainly here in L2A (in gondalas and eggs) the lift company don't recomend you taking young babies or children on the lifts because of there ears....it is possible but at your own risk!! Here I think its more about the amount you assend/decend in one go as this rule is for the lift to Venosc to which going down from 1650 (resort hight). Would deffinatley be worth speaking to the lift company or a ski school would prob have this information.
Your party could always come and meet you at a restraunt at resort level for lunch....where are you going?
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We took our very young baby up the lifts in the summer. She was born at 1000m so i wasn't too worried about going above 1600!
In my area it is pretty normal to see parents with little ones in the summer.
The lifties radio up to the top and the lift is slowed down on arrival. Same when getting on as well...
I don't tend to see it as much in the winter - and if we organise a mid-mountain-meet then we normally choose somewhere serviced by a gondola - then we can take the buggy as well!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Lizzard, That altitude info re ears is pretty rubbish isn't it? Every time you fly in a commercial plane you will be at an effective altitude of 2000m or higher - usually with a climb rate equal to that in most Gondolas, but perhaps less than some of the faster Cable-cars. However - I would not have taken either of ours on a Chair at that age. Too wiggly and squiggly.
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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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I would only take a 3 yr old or under in an enclosed bubble lift/cable car that you walk on to (not one where you keep skis on).
We took our three yr old on a fast open chairlift at puy st vincent and I was terrified she would fall out...didn't realise how far it would go up the mountain when we foolishly got on.
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stoatsbrother, I have thought that as well. However, that's the advice which is given here by doctors, creche and parents, and as I have no babies I stay out of the argument.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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stoatsbrother,
I think aircraft are have an internal pressure of 8000-10000ft equivalent when they are crusing at 38,000ft
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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 must say I'm inclined to - not ignore exactly - but maybe 'flout' those altitude recommendations a teeny wee bit.
Over 3000 might be pushing it, but 2500 is pretty safe, surely. Otherwise why would, say, Val Thorens bother having a creche that can take a 6mth old?
Interesting debate on here, thanks guys.
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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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johnboy, about 8000 ft (2438 m) I think.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Lizzard, Dien Ben Phu and Algeria mean nothing to you?.
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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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Our little (3 week old) daughter is coming up the mountain with us this winter, there are no issues with the lift company (well most of the lifties are our mates having said that), we take turns skiing while the other baby sits with lots of help from all the people in the bar  Goes down very well! Just need to be happy skiing down with her (i'm pretty big and a very experienced skiier), so that you don't risk falling or getting swiped, and that they are well wrapped up and sharing your body heat - just because you are hot doesn't mean they are.
There do seem to be altitude issues with very young babies who are not use to it though. They get all pissed off for a few days - we live at 1250m and don't have too much effect but we have freinds who are refuge gardians (2500m) and have thier two children with them up there. Stepahnie only came down from the refuge to give birth and then the babies came back up, but she reccons it look a little while for them to get use to it, especially on returning to altitude after the off season. They gernally have shorter breaks between feeds and don't sleep as well for a bit.
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My doc knew I was taking our (then) four month old skiing and she never said a word. In resort I did get quite a few comments about it though. Have to admit she slept rubbish, but other than that was fine. We went to Courchevel. Dont think I'd take one so young again. Maybe it was just a coincidence?
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Emerson came with us a 9 weeks and 14 weeks and he was fine. We were at 1350. I am not sure I would do a chair lift at that age (especailly as cold) but gondola yes indeed.
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in garbure we trust,
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Our little (3 week old) daughter
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Congratulations! Do post a photo!
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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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stoatsbrother, nearly as much as Iraq and Afghanistan. Let's refrain from infantile 'my Dad's bigger than your Dad' idiocy, shall we?
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Babies seem to survive at altitude in many other parts of the world even in such safety concsious places as America women ssem quite happy to have babies in Denver Alt 1600m.
Both my children went as babies to resorts above 1500m I suspect the advice to restrict babies to an altitude of 1200m has very little evidence or logic to back it up.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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T Bar, I suspect it has more to do with taking them up and down and the changes in air pressure which that involves, rather than the actual altitude per se.
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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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Lizzard, exactly- but the pressure change in a climbing aricraft is much greater
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ed123, I shall watch with interest next time I have the misfortune to be on a flight with a baby to see if its head explodes. 
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You know it makes sense.
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Lizzard, I forgot my place - we are an annoying nation of wimps and safety nazis... thank you for enriching our lives oh wise one 
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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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Lizzard, anyway I thought you didn't like babies on planes- if a baby's head did explode - and if you were nearby how would anyone know that it was the altitude and not you?
Same goes for babies on chairlifts.
Ha
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Lizzard wrote: |
| stoatsbrother, are you harping on about a 70-year-old war yet again? |
Second time in this thread I'm in complete agreement with you.... the world is turning upside down.
A couple of factoids for our island pals.
During the main fighting in the summer of 1940 the French were losing soldiers at a faster rate than during WW1.
It was the sacrifice of the French Army that let the BEF and some French Forces escape from Dunkirk to fight another day. Without the phyric victory of Dunkirk there was a good chance that Britain would have fallen... even with Dunkirk there were strong currents towards a peace agreement with Hitler as Andrew Marr's recent series made clear.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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davidof, actually I don't think anyone except Lizzard mentioned WW 2
I was casting doubt on the entire record of the French Military since 1067... 
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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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| Quote: |
Just need to be happy skiing down with her (i'm pretty big and a very experienced skiier), so that you don't risk falling or getting swiped, and that they are well wrapped up and sharing your body heat - just because you are hot doesn't mean they are.
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in garbure we trust,
Now this is a totally different argument and I think worth a thread on its own...
My view of this is that it is incredibly dangerous, has far too much risk attached and not in any way responsible.
I get so cross when I see people on the pistes with baby back-packs. It is just too dangerous to comprehend, the windchill temp in addition to the risk of an idiot behind you in combination with your weight in a slip/slide/fall will just offer death to a baby.
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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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stoatsbrother, hence " How many Frenchmen does it take to defend Paris?"
"Nobody knows"
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
Given that your not supposed to go on a chairlift with a rucsac - then any sort of papoose arrangement is not going to work. The baby will get trapped between you the bar and the seat back. Also any straps on your back can get hung up on the seat back with the consequences you can see on many a youtube clip. Its a bad idea. Do you have a specific resort in mind ? I cant think of any (apart from Glencoe) that allow pedestrians on chairlifts in the winter.
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That's a load of dangly bits...
You can take rucksacks on chairlifts, and on any lift I've ever been on there would have been room for me to hold a baby on my lap*. Ischgl lets you go pedestrian on a chairlift without skis (hilarious with my grandma lol), and I'm pretty sure Westendorf/Ski Welt do as well, which could suggest that most of the Austrian resorts with modern chairlifts would?
*No idea if it's advisable, and hopefully will be a fair few years before I have to think about it lol!
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Maybe cos their little hearts wouldn't be able to pump enough blood (i.e. oxygen) . Just a thought.
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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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martinm,
They manage it in Denver and many other places.
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martinm, but not a brilliant one - see comments above about pressurised aircraft. In fact newborn babies are used to surviving in an oxygen depleted environment and their haemoglobin has an enhanced avidity for oxygen compared with you and I.
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