Young kids at altitude

A snowHead

We've been to:

Les Menuires 1800m - kids 20 months and just shy of 4
Aime La Plagne 2100m - kids 2y5m and 4y8m
Oz-en-Oisan 1300m - kids 2y8m and almost 5yo
Oz-en-Oisan 1300m - kids 3y5m and almost 5y8m

It "seemed like" the kids "suffered" a bit more on those first two trips, especially at Aime. Of course even adults suffer at higher altitude. But then the kids were a big younger on the first two trips. Was wondering if snowheads had noticed their young kids having more problems staying at higher altitude resorts, or if anybody has avoided them because their kids were young?

We are going on a trip in April and whilst we will make sure high altitude skiing is available are trying to avoid staying too high. But wondering if it really matters that much.

A snowHead

In what way have they suffered?

We're taking out 2.5 year old to Courchevel so wondering what affect the altitude will have on her.

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Those altitudes seem a little low for them to be the root cause of feeling unwell. IIRC it tends to be an issue at altitudes of around 2500 - 3000m above sea level or more. I appreciate this will vary from person to person. I'm not sure if children suffer the ill effects of altitude at lower heights than adults, I'd be interested to know if this is the case?

If you are 'sleeping low' and day tripping up it shouldn't be too much of a problem in most resorts.

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I seem to recall reading somewhere that kids dehydrate faster because of their lower body mass or something? And if they are very small they often don't think to drink when thirsty. So "suffering" may be headaches caused by dehydration due to dry mountain air? Just a thought.

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I personally think under 2000m is unlikely to have any effect whatsoever on most people, including children. I would happily take Technique Jr absolutely anywhere habitable in the Alps. I might not take him to the top of a 3500m glacier cable car I suppose, but we took him to about 2100m every single day last year (at 5 months old) and nothing untoward happened.

Out in Meribel last week and again went up and down to mid mountain quite a few times, and didn't notice anything out of the ordinary.

Mind you, being the fruit of my considerable loin, he is an ubermensch.

The effects of low temperature, strong sun and dehydration are going to be more significant to a child's wellbeing than the raw altitude. Snug clothing, lube up with plenty of factor 30, put sunglasses and a hat on them to protect from sunstroke and snowblindness, keep the hydration flowing, and all will be fine.

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I think it can affect adults even. I always have sleeping problems at altitude for the first few days. Last October at Tignes le Boisses (1800m) I started getting a nasty dry cough as soon as I arrived which went as soon as I got back down 3 days later. I've not had that problem anywhere else including 3 other trips to Les Boisses.

After all it is free

I reckon lots of these ailments that are associated with "altitude" are more correctly attributed to the fact that just prior to arriving at altitude, the sufferer has spent 12 hours in and out of aeroplanes, airports, and buses. Which are all disgustingly unhealthy environments. Difficulty sleeping is just the excitement Smile

Sideways_Jnr had his first birthday when we were away before christmas and was perfectly happy at 1850 and slept like a log, did pick-up a touch of kennel cough from his stay in the day-care nursery though.

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Mr Technique, I agree.
And altitude definitely does not cause a fever, Layne, that was probably a viral upper respiratory infection. I do theorise that the very dry atmosphere may leave us low-landers' mucous membranes a bit open to catching stuff however.

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I think that nasty dry cough may be slightly asthmatic.

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Freddie Paellahead, Colin B and others. Yes, I wasn't suggesting ailments would be picked purely through being at altitude but that they are more susceptible more and suffer more. I suppose I kind of knew the answer before I posted but wanted to clarify my thinking and see what others thought. I think my conclusion is that if possible we will try and stay at circa 1300m just for comfort and to help keep everyone healthy. At least until they are a bit older. Whilst at the same time not worrying if we end up higher.

Layne, I don't think I'd get too hung up on the altitude, and if staying low meant that you had to forsake resort-level snow (for the children to play in after the lifts close), then I think that they would be missing out on part of the experience - but having said that, after the last two UK winters, they probably have had more opportunities than previous years for mucking about in snow.
My three "boys" (the youngest is now 20 Shocked

) really only experienced snow on their ski holidays, and the joy and novelty of it was an important part of the trip.

You know it makes sense.

My eldest was quite happy playing at 11570ft (3527m) atop of Vail mountain when she was about 2 (now a tall skinny teenager about to do her GCSEs so no ill effects!) while her mum was sleeping off the effects of altitude down in the town about 1000m lower. As has been said the effects of altitude can vary person to person and trip to trip, ill one time might be fine even higher next time and vice versa. At altitude hydration is critical and dehydration can set in earlier especially hen exercising like skiing, just keep an eye on them and make sure they have plenty to drink!

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Layne, Hi, how do you think they suffer? I've not noticed altitude affecting mine particularly although we have tended to stay at about 1000 - 1500 before but with trips much higher up. My two have ended up with various viral-type bugs before when we've skiied but I've put this down to a mix of flying and then having to cope with often over-heated chalets and dry cold air. I now go through a process of really boosting them up before we go and making sure they drink loads of water whilst in the air and in the resort which has helped enormously.

A snowHead

When I went on holiday to Ibiza as a youngster there was an illness everyone talked about called Ibizan flu, when I started at university (again many moons ago) there was a thing called Freshers Flu.

In my non medical eyes I think they're caused by lots of people from all over the place converging on the same place with lots of different germs (and illnesses) mixing together. When we were away last month I was ill there, the rest of the family were fine, but they've all had the same thing at various intervals since we got back - including the OH who has currently lost her voice (which at times is quite nice Laughing

)

A snowHead

I appreciate that this is by no means a scientific study, but our 6 month old just spent a very happy week at Mottaret (1750m), the only side effect seemed to be she slept for an extra half hour or so in the mornings.

She didn't go any higher than this though

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

We are going to take our 6 week old to Les Menuires which is 1850 in march. She will be 3.5 months old by them but I am not expecting any problems apart from the usual stuff

I think I would quite appreciate the extra half hour sleep at present ...........

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altitude is a funny one - it takes different folks different ways, and you can be fine for your whole life - even living/working in the mountains - and then suddeny, boom, problems.

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Young kids at altitude

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