Skiing and Altitude Sickness

[Benny Profane]

That's the issue with that place. Hard enough for a flatlander to get off a plane and ski groomers at 10,000 plus, but, basically, a heli ski operation at the same altitude? Nope. Unless you're a genetic freak.

 

[RichTee]

That's the issue with that place. Hard enough for a flatlander to get off a plane and ski groomers at 10,000 plus, but, basically, a heli ski operation at the same altitude? Nope. Unless you're a genetic freak.

Also very hard to operate a Helicopter at those altitudes (hover above 12000ft dangerous).

 

[TonyC]

That's the issue with that place. Hard enough for a flatlander to get off a plane and ski groomers at 10,000 plus, but, basically, a heli ski operation at the same altitude? Nope. Unless you're a genetic freak.

Heliskiing at 10,000 feet is not that different from lift served given comparable challenge of terrain and snow.

But Silverton is indeed a different animal.
1) You're at 12,000 not 10,000 and that's a significant difference.
2) Much of the terrain involves hiking 30-45 minutes above the top of the chair which is at 12,200 feet. If you come from sea level, make sure you do Silverton at the end not the beginning of a week in Colorado.

If you are a very efficient skier in steep ungroomed snow you may manage the skiing OK, but for the hiking part you'll need to be a

genetic freak

unless you have slept in Colorado for several nights in advance.

My TR from 2004:

Silverton, 3/28/2004

Though Silverton has a 1,900 vertical lift purchased from Mammoth, it is in nearly every way analogous to snowcat skiing. Here is the tent base lodge, with outhouse just to its right. The partially buried bus at upper right is the rental shop. Here co-owner Jenny Brill gives us the usual...

www.firsttracksonline.com

I had slept 4 nights in Aspen at 8,000 and 4 more in Telluride at 9,500 before skiing Silverton, so I had no issues. There was a long thread on the old EpicSki forum from some customers who suffered a lot at Silverton.

 

[Benny Profane]

Well, I meant helicopter like experience.

 

[Benny Profane]

Heliskiing at 10,000 feet is not that different from lift served given comparable challenge of terrain and snow.

But Silverton is indeed a different animal.
1) You're at 12,000 not 10,000 and that's a significant difference.
2) Much of the terrain involves hiking 30-45 minutes above the top of the chair which is at 12,200 feet. If you come from sea level, make sure you do Silverton at the end not the beginning of a week in Colorado.

If you are a very efficient skier in steep ungroomed snow you may manage the skiing OK, but for the hiking part you'll need to be a

unless you have slept in Colorado for several nights in advance.

My TR from 2004: https://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/threads/silverton-3-28-2004.5658/
I had slept 4 nights in Aspen at 8,000 and 4 more in Telluride at 9,500 before skiing Silverton, so I had no issues. There was a long thread on the old EpicSki forum from some customers who suffered a lot at Silverton.

I have lived in Summit for a few months at a time. I will repeat, unless you're a genetic freak, no way a week or two can acclimate you to the rigors of hiking, let alone skiing untracked, at those altitudes. It takes a long time, like, basically, living at 9000 (Breck, Frisco) for a year or maybe two, just to start. At least for me, but, the younger, the better, I think.
I always envied the dudes who went out and hiked straight up the East Wall at Abasin when it opened. Not for the turns, which are kind of minimal, but, just the ability to do that quickly. That is fit.

 

[Milo Maltbie]

You don’t acclimatize after one or two weeks, you just get used to feeling sluggish.

mm

 

[TonyC]

I will repeat, unless you're a genetic freak, no way a week or two can acclimate you to the rigors of hiking, let alone skiing untracked, at those altitudes. It takes a long time, like, basically, living at 9000 (Breck, Frisco) for a year or maybe two, just to start. At least for me, but, the younger, the better, I think.

I'm generally reluctant to get into ability discussions but:
1) Skiing high quality untracked snow is not particularly strenuous once you have some experience and can do it efficiently. In fact it's the least strenuous skiing aside from freshly groomed packed powder or corn. I'm still comfortably cat skiing in Canada at age 70 and there are quite a few customers older than me. It helps that you have a typically 15 minute cat ride between runs. Heliskiing can run at a much faster pace, but often it does not, especially at single day operations and/or serving multiple groups. My 31 days of heliskiing have averaged 18K vertical, which is slightly lower than my average for lift service.
2) Hiking uphill is when you find out if you have adequate altitude acclimitization. Altitude sensitivity is almost entirely a function of individual physiology and can't be changed much by fitness training. I won't claim that I was ever the same as someone living full time in Summit County, but after a week sleeping at 8,000+ feet I would feel normal from a skiing perspective at any lift service and could take on a special occasion hike at a measured pace I'm sure slower than those locals.
3) I retired at age 58 and thankfully did not notice increased altitude sensitivity until past age 65. At 70 it's noticeable that I have to take rest breaks on expert runs at 10,000 feet that I often skied nonstop up to a few years ago.

YMMV. MadPatSki can ski circles around me and is 13 years younger, but on Day 1 from sea level he can be slowed down even at 8,000 feet, which is fortunately not bothering me too much yet.

 

[Benny Profane]

Best story I have is flying into Denver, going to Loveland first day, looking up at chair 9, and saying, wow, it's untracked up there! On day one. It was heavily windpacked at 13000 plus. I considered the ER that night, seriously. I was messed up.

 

[Tjf1967]

You don’t acclimatize after one or two weeks, you just get used to feeling sluggish.

mm

Isn't that acclimating?

 

[raisingarizona]

That's the issue with that place. Hard enough for a flatlander to get off a plane and ski groomers at 10,000 plus, but, basically, a heli ski operation at the same altitude? Nope. Unless you're a genetic freak.

With some pretty heavy hiking at 11-12k.

But, if you haven’t you really should.