Learning to ski past age 50

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hokiehead
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Learning to ski past age 50

Post by hokiehead »

Anyone here learn to ski later in life? TIA for advice.

I've said I'm going to take lessons for three years now but this time I mean it (my wife finally conceded that her knees will never allow her to be a skier and gave me permission to go forward without her).

I'm 51 and have never downhill skied. Cross-country / Nordic skied only a few times in my life and never really got the hang of it (especially down hills and stopping).

I'm in decent shape but not the most coordinated person. My balance isn't the best, but not outright horrible. I've started practicing yoga and just ordered a balance board to work on this.

My short term goals for this winter / spring:
1. get proficient enough at back country skiing with mild down hills (<10°?) to not wear out the patience of my friends who would be willing to go out with me.
2. Do the easier slopes (green, blue?) at CO resorts without hurting myself.

Medium term goals: skin up couloirs and ski down some of the milder slopes on Colorado's high peaks.

Are professional lessons the way to go? I'm assuming that gaining some proficiency on groomed slopes is a prerequisite to ever gong down a 14er, but maybe there's other recommendations. I'm not really interested (at least at this point) in skiing resorts -- my goal is to advance as an aspiring mountaineer.

if yes, any idea how many professional lessons (or hours of lessons) would be reasonable to get me the skills to achieve those short term goals?

Are my goals reasonable sounding?

Also interested in any recommended "learn on your own" materials (e.g. books, websites, YouTube).

Eldora is uber-convenient for me (30 minute drive with almost no traffic risk). I realize it's not popular for experienced skiers, but is there any compelling reason not to take starter lessons there?

Even if I'm confident that I'm all-in on becoming a skier, I assume the smart thing is to rent / borrow a few times in order to try different setups and different brands / models prior to investing? but if anyone would advise to just go ahead and invest in certain gear up front, I'm open to that.

Thanks again for any help.
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derekpetrie
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Re: Learning to ski past age 50

Post by derekpetrie »

Last season was my first full season skiing, I’m 38. Prior to this season I skied once and snowboarded once. Both times at a Midwest hill where their most difficult run maybe is an easier blue in CO. While I don’t consider 38, “later in life” thought it may be helpful to share what it was like to learn to ski as an adult. I too want to do some touring.

1. Lessons are huge accelerators of skill. I took two group and one private lesson during the season and the real-time coaching was invaluable
2. I benefited from jumping into an AT setup. Whether you rent or buy them, I found it worthwhile to to get used to the differences in ski performance of an AT binding, AT boot, and wider waist all mountain ski. It is different and it is more challenging.
3. I am looking to complete Avy training this spring, and it seems like most outfits want skiers comfortable doing black resort runs. It also seems like easier 14er lines are at least equivalent to black resort runs.
4. Go off-piste as much as possible; cause that’s every BC lap
5. Find a run that intimidates you. Do it two times in a row, then go aggressively tackle a run you are confident skiing. This has been a great pattern for me to develop confidence.

I used Slopes to track my stats. Last season I skied 191 runs and 107k of vert. Of those 30 runs were with my family who are still on bunny slopes/east greens.By the end of the season I felt good on moderate blues at Loveland, WP and MJ. This season I want to be comfortable on easier black lines and tree skiing.

Everyone progresses at their own rate, but hope this helps. Im on Ikon so maybe I’ll see you at Eldora!
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JaredJohnson
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Re: Learning to ski past age 50

Post by JaredJohnson »

There are really reasonable packages for equipment rental, all-day lift ticket, and a half-day beginner's lesson at most resorts. At 37 I did one of these and the instructors were great and made it easy for me to get started so I could try the green runs for the rest of the day. Then I went to Outabounds Ski and Board in Denver and they helped me pick some good sized real cheap used skis poles and boots to beat up while still learning at the resort. It didn't take long at all for me to figure out the blue runs and black groomers, and by now I can manage many black mogul runs albeit slowly. That's with 3 years, but being out of town so like maybe a dozen visits to resorts and no extra lessons or forking over for new gear. I would probably benefit greatly from both and there are lots of ways to do it, one could also take a CMC or CMS class in the Backcountry. Point is there are no barriers to just getting out there and giving it a shot, and adjusting methodology as desired along the way. There are some aspects of learning that make some people miserable but if one is determined to have a blast, it can be a blast.

I think free squats helped my hip/leg/core strength for stability as a beginner. YouTube ski school helped figuring out moguls. I've started doing slack lines which has been super helpful for my balance and lower body technique so I think that will help me this season. The way to pick up slack lining is to do it a whole bunch without being discouraged by the constant falling.

I messed up my knee once, it took a few months to heal.I did this by trying some more advanced terrain when I knew very well I was not ready to try it. Since then I've advanced beyond the level that I hurt myself on, but without pushing the envelope so far to make it unsafe. So just don't push your boundaries too hard all at once.

Enjoy!
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Re: Learning to ski past age 50

Post by climbingcue »

I think coordination is a big thing learning anything later in life. If you pick up other activities quickly you will also be fine with learning to ski later in life. A good instructor will be worth it weight in gold. I had a friend that was trying to learn at 49 years old, she was a complete disaster. I don't think she would be able to do it with 50 lessons, she just did not have the coordination. Some people have it and some don't. Hopefully you are on of those people that have it. Good luck and enjoy the journey.
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derekpetrie
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Re: Learning to ski past age 50

Post by derekpetrie »

JaredJohnson wrote: Thu Sep 30, 2021 7:26 am I think free squats helped my hip/leg/core strength for stability as a beginner. YouTube ski school helped figuring out moguls. I've started doing slack lines which has been super helpful for my balance and lower body technique so I think that will help me this season. The way to pick up slack lining is to do it a whole bunch without being discouraged by the constant falling.
Good advice! I haven’t tried slack lines but have picked back up free squats and deadlifts, along with my usual alpine wandering, plus some CrossFit and Racquetball for dynamic motion.
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Re: Learning to ski past age 50

Post by CheapCigarMan »

I started skiing the same age as you. I progressed by taking a lesson then getting out there and practicing what I learned in the lesson. When I felt I was ready to advance I took another lesson, and repeat. First lesson was about learning the basics, stopping, turning, etc. For me I didn't start feeling comfortable until after skiing about a dozen days or so.
I think from there it depends on what your goals are. Groomers? Moguls? Backcountry? In how you'd want to progress.
Having an instructor is a big help. However, good instructors at resorts I've found are a hit and miss.

Yes, it's true, being older has its disadvantages. More fearful of falling and getting hurt. It hurts more when we do fall. It takes longer to heal when we get an injury. My first season I broke three ribs. Each season I seem to twist a knee. I'm finally in the Blacks and getting comfortable with ungroomed routes. Everyone progresses differently. Some say it's mental. I think, especially for us that started when we were older it is mental but we need to give ourselves more time for our bodies to catch up to the mental. We can push ourself but it takes a little longer for muscle memory, etc. to kick in. I think the key to success is, take a lesson then practice, lesson then practice, repeat.

How blessed those of you are that have been skiing your whole life. What a dream it would be to be skilled enough to come off a couloir or turn on a dime through the trees.
I met some skiers on Atlantic's narrow ridge and was just amazed at their skill level as I watched them riding Atlantic's hairline ridge and dropping down off of 5' bumps and ledges without even thinking about it.
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Re: Learning to ski past age 50

Post by Dave B »

Just a brief reality check here. I've been skiing for 13 years (started at 28), while I have skied some peaks, couloirs, and I ski primarily BC, I'm really pretty terrible at it. Variable (i.e. crappy) snow conditions and tight trees are plain hard to ski and take a lot of practice. So, don't expect to be gnar shredding anytime soon. I'd actually recommend you stay away from BC for several seasons, you need as much time going downhill as possible, which is 1000x easier at the resort. I do, however, second the recommendation to get off the groomed runs and in the trees/moguls/chunder as much as possible when you're at the resort.

Sadly, some movement patterns and coordination skills really need to be developed as an adolescence to really be accessible later in life.
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Re: Learning to ski past age 50

Post by mtree »

I know LOTS of skiers who learned much later. Its as much mental as it is physical... so they say. Some failed and some are skiing to this day. You'll find out soon enough where you stack up.

Every one says a good ski instructor is the biggest boost. I'm not positive, but I think eventually every one of these guys (yes, all guys) ended up hiring a private lesson or small group. They got attention you don't typically get in the bigger classes. After a few lessons they just hit the slopes on their own. Not sure if they picked up a lesson later. Oddly enough, none opted for snowboarding although a few tried. A couple said too much effort getting up off the snow! A couple others said it was the balance or lack of that kept them off a deck. And the PAIN of going down time and time again.

All rented equipment to start. A few picked up gear shortly after. Usually used, but some went with new. Guess it depends on your wallet. In the end I'd say half are still skiing or switched to cross country skis. The others... well, it just didn't work out for a variety of reasons. I'd say expect a slow learning curve. It took these guys awhile to get proficient. Not as easy as when they were young and bullet proof. Enjoy!
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Re: Learning to ski past age 50

Post by hokiehead »

CheapCigarMan wrote: Thu Sep 30, 2021 8:45 am I started skiing the same age as you. I progressed by taking a lesson then getting out there and practicing what I learned in the lesson. When I felt I was ready to advance I took another lesson, and repeat. First lesson was about learning the basics, stopping, turning, etc. For me I didn't start feeling comfortable until after skiing about a dozen days or so.
I think from there it depends on what your goals are. Groomers? Moguls? Backcountry? In how you'd want to progress.
Having an instructor is a big help. However, good instructors at resorts I've found are a hit and miss.

Yes, it's true, being older has its disadvantages. More fearful of falling and getting hurt. It hurts more when we do fall. It takes longer to heal when we get an injury. My first season I broke three ribs. Each season I seem to twist a knee. I'm finally in the Blacks and getting comfortable with ungroomed routes. Everyone progresses differently. Some say it's mental. I think, especially for us that started when we were older it is mental but we need to give ourselves more time for our bodies to catch up to the mental. We can push ourself but it takes a little longer for muscle memory, etc. to kick in. I think the key to success is, take a lesson then practice, lesson then practice, repeat.

How blessed those of you are that have been skiing your whole life. What a dream it would be to be skilled enough to come off a couloir or turn on a dime through the trees.
I met some skiers on Atlantic's narrow ridge and was just amazed at their skill level as I watched them riding Atlantic's hairline ridge and dropping down off of 5' bumps and ledges without even thinking about it.
thanks!

I'm currently not interested in groomed slopes at resorts, but acknowledge that's probably the best place to start.

I want to be able to ski long snow covered approaches instead of snow shoeing them. I'd like to get to that point as quick as reasonable.

eventually, I want to be able to skin up and ski down the high peaks. I'll be patient and cautious in my advancement to this goal.
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Re: Learning to ski past age 50

Post by JaredJohnson »

hokiehead wrote: Thu Sep 30, 2021 9:45 am eventually, I want to be able to skin up and ski down the high peaks. I'll be patient and cautious in my advancement to this goal.
This is my goal as well although being out of town I expected to be a number of years in making. When I reached the point where I could do some blue moguls and black groomers, I rented some AT gear and skinned up to the base of the citadel in the spring. I left the skis and booted up and down the cooler and then attempted to descend from the base of the cool water to the trailhead. Skinning up was surprisingly efficient. But I was definitely out of my comfort zone, I don't think the skiing difficulty was all that high but the runout and high stakes even on a simple slope were really disconcerting and I went very slowly with a lot of stops and nervous turns on the way down. Very much worth doing, but it was an eye opener.
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Re: Learning to ski past age 50

Post by madbuck »

I agree with Dave B in setting realistic resort downhill goals first, before BC, and that going from 0-to-BC "this season" is a tall order. You should consider season-long rentals that you can switch out as necessary to start. Eldora is actually a good setup for you since you're close, and there's plenty to learn on for groomers and then glades, but also XC. Those downhill repeats (and lessons) are going to be necessary to train your balance/coordination/proprioception to just "do it" and not have to think as much, and you want to learn proper things slower so you don't risk bigger injuries at speed. Feel free to rent AT skis for the area if that's what you expect to use. But XC can help you as far as wanting to skin up long approaches and not holding up your friends, so if that has been challenging so far then it's something to work on. Some of the slower "learning" stuff for BC is the approach going uphill and downhill on a skin track, often through tight trees. No problem using those AT skis on the nearby XC trails (e.g. Jenny Lake, Guinn Mtn) as well.

Ski conditioning exercises are also a good idea as some have mentioned. I had one when I first started learning to ski (mid-20's) and one useful thing was actually practicing "falling" off of a balance ball, so as to condition your body to bend your elbows and not lock them (thereby risk breaking a wrist), and also to roll on your back instead of fighting it (and risk breaking a collarbone). I've been fortunate to fall (plenty!) skiing, biking, and running and then realizing that I indeed stayed loose and rolled.

Overall I'd look at the year as a "base" for basic, general skills to build confidence and (importantly) prevent injury. That's the consideration I'd have for age, which is that getting injured is going to be more costly, in terms of longer recovery and lost time. So work on that base and stay healthy! Good luck!
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Re: Learning to ski past age 50

Post by Jim Davies »

I got a late start (age 43), but 20 years later I'm pretty confident about anything inbounds (although prefer ungroomed blue runs at Loveland for a higher fun-to-effort ratio). Definitely get lessons, buy a pass somewhere (IMO small ski areas are better for starting out), and get your own equipment to remove the resistance to going often. I found the book "The All-Mountain Skier" to be a great help to understanding what was going on, since it breaks down skiing techniques into different areas like edging, steering, pole use, etc, but maybe save until you've got some days in so that it'll make more sense. Resort skiing is a blast, and it's taken away most of my desire to climb in the winter. :mrgreen:
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