Dealing with vertigo?

[Sheena]

Anyone else feel like this happens more the older you get? Yesterday I was skiing at snowbasin at the top of their wildcat chair. For context not super high up the mountain and not exposed. Visibility however was bad there and the winds were super strong.

Anyway I started skiing down the blue run - given the conditions it's what felt safest to me, since I knew what to expect and knew there would be no surprises. All the sudden there was a huge bust of wind, everything went white and I could not tell if I was standing, moving or where I was. Next thing I knew my head was hitting the slope.

I am glad I was on a blue slope, but still it was a little un nerving and afterwards felt nauseous and had to compose myself as I was not sure I could make it down this simple slope.

At long last, anyone experience this? Even on simple slopes? I have heard advice to just try to keep going, but maybe my skill set just isn't there yet? (Which is completely possible)

 

[kmb5662]

I've had it happen a few times during whiteouts. It sounds silly but what I find helps is to stop and put your hand right in front of your eyes a few inches away for a minute or so to help "orient" you.

 

[AJM]

Meeeeeee !!
I get terrible vertigo in bad vis conditions and yes I too have found myself on the ground wondering what the heck happened
I find if I keep moving its better but if I stop it's all over !!
The other thing I try and do if I get caught out is to try and keep looking ahead and not down towards the snow, which I should be doing regardless but if the vis is bad I have a tendency to look down to try and analyse where any lumps and bumps in the snow might be.

 

[MrsPlow]

Yep, 100%. I've been on an almost flat trail in whiteout feeling that I was still moving when I was standing still - horrible feeling. Now I try to follow someone in a bright jacket in low vis - my husband doesn't have the same problem which is handy, so when possible I try to keep my eyes on him.

 

[contesstant]

Yes, it gets worse with age! It's why I won't go over to Strawberry on anything but a mostly sunny day. One downfall of Snowbasin is the relative lack of trees, especially on the not-steep terrain. I've also fallen down in horrible visibility and I didn't even realize I had fallen until I went to ski off. At the first pitch of Sweet Revenge no less!

 

[Sheena]

Yes, it gets worse with age! It's why I won't go over to Strawberry on anything but a mostly sunny day. One downfall of Snowbasin is the relative lack of trees, especially on the not-steep terrain. I've also fallen down in horrible visibility and I didn't even realize I had fallen until I went to ski off. At the first pitch of Sweet Revenge no less!

The ridiculous things, is I was just a few turns down wildcat bowl, so we are not really talking anything serious. Though the way I felt after I fell, I was so disoriented, I almost was to the point of someone asking ski patrol to come take me down.

 

[contesstant]

The ridiculous things, is I was just a few turns down wildcat bowl, so we are not really talking anything serious. Though the way I felt after I fell, I was so disoriented, I almost was to the point of someone asking ski patrol to come take me down.

I'm sorry It's not fun at all! I swear my eyes feel like they're going to pop out of my head because I strain so hard to see when it's like that. Then I start seeing stars and floaters in my vision. I wonder if a headlamp would help? Something to stash in the pocket!

 

[Christy]

Ohhh yes it sucks. If visibility is poor I just make sure to stay near trees. There are some days I don't go to the top of the mountain if it looks to be in a cloud. It's not even really disappointing, it's just what I do now, no biggie. I know that depending on where you ski, you might not have trees, and that's tough.

I got a bit of vertigo on a chairlift last year as we passed through a cloud which was new and unexpected but luckily I was able to take a minute at the (sunny) top and I was fine.

I'm really baffled at the advice to ski though it. That just seems dangerous or literally impossible when you can't tell which way is up.

 

[santacruz skier]

That's why skiing in the Alps can be a total challenge..... usually above tree line and all you really see are the neon piste markers - that's where you know NOT to go outside the boundaries. You could end up in a couloir. Seriously, off piste should be with a guide. Friend and I skied off the Grand Montets at Chamonix without a guide and it was scary as no markers anywhere. First fright was 200 metal steps from the cable car to the snow. Thankfully, there were a few groups with guides so we kind of followed them.... Not seriously steep but a challenge nevertheless. We finally skied to a little restaurant and the server looked at us and said, "you guys skied that without a guide?"

 

[AJM]

That's why skiing in the Alps can be a total challenge..... usually above tree line and all you really see are the neon piste markers - that's where you know NOT to go outside the boundaries. You could end up in a couloir. Seriously, off piste should be with a guide. Friend and I skied off the Grand Montets at Chamonix without a guide and it was scary as no markers anywhere. First fright was 200 metal steps from the cable car to the snow. Thankfully, there were a few groups with guides so we kind of followed them.... Not seriously steep but a challenge nevertheless. We finally skied to a little restaurant and the server looked at us and said, "you guys skied that without a guide?"

Its all above the treeline here in NZ and if it comes in really bad Patrol will put out neon markers to help us limp our way down.

 

[santacruz skier]

Its all above the treeline here in NZ and if it comes in really bad Patrol will put out neon markers to help us limp our way down.

I was thinking NZ was similar

 

[Abbi]

I had it happen at Killington a zillion years ago. I was out in the middle of a run in dumping snow and totally lost the sense of what was up and down and felt dizzy. Everything was white, the snow and the air. Terrifying and I stopped and was practically hyperventilating. Once I got settled a little, I traversed the run until I could see trees and get a sense of up versus down.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

This happened to me years ago in a bowl at A-Basin. Snow, wind - which way did I go? Fortunately, I had unfazed DH as fearless leader, and he took me down one turn at a time. Otherwise, I'm not sure how I'd have gotten down.

I don't know what the answer is when there are zero trees, but if ANY are available visually, that's my orientation point.

 

[Verve]

Ugh the white room! You're definitely not alone and it is spooky - especially when it comes out of nowhere like that. While higher skill level might help you power through it, I think the discomfort during and the nausea you experienced afterward is fairly universal. We get an adrenaline spike meant to help us get through it (not always helpful but what you can you do?) and then there is a period of after-effects - shakiness, nausea and fatigue. As with any out of the comfort zone experience, I try to be very kind to myself and take a nice break, try to avoid negative self talk and maybe drink a cocoa (definitely get some calories in your body if you can). 100% agree with @AJM that you should not look down at your ski tips in these moments - makes it way worse. And I love the mitten trick that @kmb5662 shared and will try that next time.

 

[Trailside Trixie]

I don't but my SO and a good friend of ours does. They have been given exercises to do but it's something they deal with on the day to day. My SO got a sled ride down at Bromley a few seasons ago because he got dizzy and passed out at the summit. I am grateful that I don't have this and feel for those that do.

 

[skinnyfootskis]

BPPV and Epiley maneuver! Works wonders!

 

[Sheena]

So I saw this on Snowbasins FB. This is what I got caught in.

 

[TNtoTaos]

This is why pilots take instrument flight training. If they are in clouds, and can't orient themselves, they would crash the plane. In fact, the plane crash that killed Kobe Bryant was caused by the pilot, who had no instrument training, deciding to fly in bad weather and fog.

Another interesting thing to try is to close your eyes and try to walk a straight line for more than 10' - you probably won't be able to, no matter how many times you try.

 

[contesstant]

So I saw this on Snowbasins FB. This is what I got caught in.View attachment 22227

When I read the NOAA forecast for Friday, I said NOPE! And this is why