Your holiday in the mountains
Skiing and other mountain activities are demanding sports. Here are some health and safety tips so you can have a stress free holiday ...
 Eating correctly
Before an intense physical effort it is important to eat food containing complex sugars (pasta, rice …).
A walk under 3 hours does not require any special food but anything over this time you should take dried fruit, cereal bars (simple sugars carbohydrates, lipids). Don't worry about the calories as altitude and the cold will burn them up and increase your energy production!
Avoid skiing just after a meal, as at least two hours are needed for digestion, which makes you tired.
Drink plenty of water in the mountains as dry air increases dehydration. Protection Protect yourself with good quality water and wind resistant skiwear.
Choose layers of suitable clothing to allow your body temperature to change depending on temperature variations.
Wear sun protection, the sun reflects off the snow and is stronger in the mountains even on cloudy days! Skin and eyes are most vulnerable.
Before going skiing apply a high protection factor sun cream and don’t forget the ears! Reapply frequently.
Protect your children's skin with a suitable sun block.
Use sunscreen protection for lips and hands to avoid ski damage.
Always wear eye protection, ensure that sunglasses comply with Standard EN 1836:1997 (goggles Standard EN 174:1996) There are a range of ski glasses and goggles adapted to all types of conditions. Lenses should provide 100% UV protection. Sunglasses and goggles makers provide different colours of lenses according to the weather conditions
Lenses colour | Utilisation | Yellow | Skiing in bad weather (fog), enhances contrast | Orange | Skiing in poor light, good against dazzle | Grey | Skiing in bright and sunny weather |
Know your limits
You need to be adequately prepared to make the most of ski touring in a mountain environment.
Get in shape. You'll enjoy skiing more if you're physically fit and have worked on your technique.
Don't over estimate your abilities. Stop before you become tired.
Calculate the time for skiing + breaks and leave early in the day to have enough time for the return trip.
Before you start make sure you are in good physical condition and have worked on your technique. Don't over estimate your capacities: the vertical ascent, duration, and altitude. Altitude sickness Headaches, feeling faint, vomiting, fatigue? You may be suffering from altitude sickness, which is a serious condition occurring during long stays at high altitude (over 2500 m). Risks are extremely serious, and medical care is necessary and the only cure to descend to 500 m altitude.
Over 5000 m altitude, altitude sickness can cause cerebral oedema, which begins with changing moods and behaviour or severe headaches. Visionary problems and vomiting progress rapidly to a coma condition, which is fatal if you don't go down immediately. Altitude sickness only appears a few hours after being at high altitude, so people taking the scenic cable railway to see the views won't be affected.
To avoid altitude sickness you need to acclimatise properly and not to go over 500 m elevation per day at over 3500 m altitude. Pregnancy Skiing while pregnant will depend on the stage of pregnancy and your individual experience. Skiing is a fairly physical sport and does involve the risk of serious falls. Plenty of regular skiers continue to ski during pregnancy, and there is no reason why you should not. You will need to consult your doctor.
If downhill skiing is not possible try snowshoeing or cross-country skiing … Some advice for skiing in pregnancy.
1 –There is no reason why you shouldn’t ski but this is a fairly demanding sport and does involve the risk of serious falls. Keep off crowded slopes and the dangers of a collision and avoid high altitude as 30% of pregnant women are affected by altitude sickness. Until 3 months the risks of loosing the baby are low.
2 – From 6 months the weight of the baby and you own tiredness will make you stop skiing and you will be out of breath very quickly.
3 – You can do gentle sports in moderation unless your doctor has advised against it.
4 – Make sure you are adequately dressed against the cold, always wear sunglasses and drink lots of water. Be careful of altitude sickness which affects 30% of pregnant women.
5 – You can always do some gentle snowshoeing or cross-country skiing.
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