Fear of ski lifts; anyone else have this problem?

You said you've been snowboarding 6 years... how many times per year, and how many runs do you manage to get in? I can't imagine that someone who snowboards or skis regularly would have this kind of fear. I would've given it up long ago if that were the case. Plus, if you're as afraid of heights as you claim, I don't think you'd try rock climbing and feel fine, especially lead climbing where even with a rope you still fall some.

If it's that bad, I'd bring some kind of safety strap to keep me attached to the chair, just as a security blanket. Do any of the lifts have a safety bar? Does that help? Why not just cross-country ski?

there are restraint bars...

0/10

Have you ever experienced social anxiety? Would people describe you as being a shy or quiet person?

uh_no wrote:

there are restraint bars...

0/10

I've been on ski lifts that didn't have restraint bars. Granted they were not that high but high enough to do some serious damage if you fell or jumped.

Once I got up on a stool in my office, near the window, and was overcome with an intense fear of heights.

pansy wrote:

Last year I got on the lift and had to close my eyes the entire way (about a 15 min ride) because if i saw how high i was,i started to feel violently panicked. i had this visceral urge to jump off the lift - I knew obviously that this was the worst think i could do, but it was all i could do to stay on the lift and not do something dumb. Needless to say, i boarded down the mountain and didn't go back up.

Did anyone else have this problem, and if so, how did you deal with it?

I've had the exact same experience. It's basically a panic attack, and the adrenaline mixed with the fear creates a deeper fear that becomes somewhat hardwired. For me it took counseling by a psychologist along with some prescribed drugs to get through it. You don't have to use the drugs long or maybe at all, just long enough to get back on the chair and ride it a bunch of times. Good luck, but you can definitely beat the fear.

Scottie Ferguson wrote:

Once I got up on a stool in my office, near the window, and was overcome with an intense fear of heights.

That is very good but most will miss the reference.

To be fair, some ski lifts don't have the safety bar, and it is scary. Especially if it is windy and the chair is rocking back and forth. Yes; I find that frightening.

Run 92 miles a week on concrete in racing flats. That puts life in perspective.

Which mountain do you go to? I've been to 6-7 different mountains and every lift I've been on has restraint bars. I've never been afraid of them.

Hey, worse can happen than some panic...

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2009/0106091vail1.html

i like to ski wrote:

Which mountain do you go to? I've been to 6-7 different mountains and every lift I've been on has restraint bars. I've never been afraid of them.

I think it depends on what part of the country you're in. They used to be pretty common around here but they are mostly gone now from what I've seen. I'm guessing a lot of people got hurt from getting conked on the head by them, or forgetting to put them up at the end and then getting hurt in the big rush to raise them and get off. A lot more than they saved from falling. The only people that ever fall are kids screwing around, and they're not going to use the safety bar anyway.

i like to ski wrote:

Which mountain do you go to? I've been to 6-7 different mountains and every lift I've been on has restraint bars. I've never been afraid of them.

Apparently you've never been to arapahoe basin (just down the road from keystone, in CO). There's a really old double there that goes all the way up the steep face, and it gets probably 100+ feet off the ground at times, and has no restraints. Not for the faint of heart.

I look up, I look down. I look up, I look down.

I think everyone has a little fear on a ski lift. I try not to think about it too much. Last week I was on a ski lift that stopped for 20 minutes 60ft above a steep icy slope. I felt very nervous. I just turned my focus to the surrounding mountains. In other words, find yourself a distraction.

Not all lifts in the Western US have safety bars. Plus the bars are typically only installed on HSQs and 6-packs. On lifts a just hook my arm around the backrest of the chair. Where I ski no one ever uses the saftey bar anyway.

If you really want to scare yourself, I mean overcome your fear, try the new Peak 2 Peak Gondola at Whistler/Blackcomb. Highest point off the ground is 1427ft!

http://ww1.whistlerblackcomb.com/p2pg/

telekinesis wrote:

You said you\'ve been snowboarding 6 years... how many times per year, and how many runs do you manage to get in? I can\'t imagine that someone who snowboards or skis regularly would have this kind of fear. I would\'ve given it up long ago if that were the case. Plus, if you\'re as afraid of heights as you claim, I don\'t think you\'d try rock climbing and feel fine, especially lead climbing where even with a rope you still fall some.

If it\'s that bad, I\'d bring some kind of safety strap to keep me attached to the chair, just as a security blanket. Do any of the lifts have a safety bar? Does that help? Why not just cross-country ski?

i only go a couple of times a year, anywhere from 1-3 days at a time. ive only ever been to colorado - copper mountain, ski cooper and breck. none of the lifts i was on had bars - i htink i\'d actually be ok if they did. i do feel fine rock climbing, thats why i know the ski lifts are an irrational fear. if i\'m in control and strapped in im fine - its just being on the equivalent of a park bench 60ft above the ground that scares me.....i cant believe it doesn\'t happen to more people actually.

You need to get to know Mary before and during your ride up. Problems are over.

I've also had the feeling of panic, and getting the urge to jump off instead of keeping on going. My solution was to lean back, hang on to the back of the lift, and close my eyes.

this sounds like something i had in a similar situation. i was on a fairground ride that broke down when I was very high up from the floor (everyone looked like ants and you could see across the whole city) but we were horizontally on our fronts as if we were flying but held in by a bar that kept moving, it didn't feel safe and i kept feeling like i was slipping under the bar. it was also very windy up there. It was horrible and I kept having flashes of falling to the ground, like it had actually happened. i think i fared better than the friend who was up there with me who was fairly traumatised by the whole thing, she also felt she kept slipping along the bar and she was holding herself up there by her own strength.

i think the best thing to do is close your eyes and think of something totally different, you can't try and rationalise it. as for me, my solution is never to go on those rides again!