Published in The Observer, March 2007
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Stuff the bus pass – I take the ski lift

William Ham Bevan reports on skiing's over-65s boom, with a little help from his dad

AS USUAL, the phone call came in the middle of August. 'The lads and I are going skiing in Val d'Isere again next year,' my father said. 'It would be great if you could join us. After all, I don't know how many more years I'll be able to carry on doing this.'

I didn't believe him. Although now just a few months off his 70th birthday, Dad had been saying the same thing each winter for at least a decade. More to the point, when we went skiing together, it tended to be me, rather than him, who ended up in a beetroot-faced, hyperventilating mess after tackling any terrain that was vaguely taxing. The one or two occasions each holiday when I'd offer a ski pole for Dad to pull himself up after a tumble were my only chance to dust off the old gags about installing runners on the Zimmer frame.

We met up on a fine day at the foot of the Olympique cable car. Owing to various family commitments, the 'lads' were somewhat depleted, with only one, Geoff, in my father's age bracket; the others on the trip were mere striplings in their forties. This meant that this year - exceptionally - all members of the group were skiing on the same set of hip joints they were born with. But the surprising reality is that 'silver skiers' are becoming an increasingly common sight on the slopes.

Crystal, Britain's biggest skiing tour operator, has seen the proportion of its clients over the age of 65 increase by 50 per cent from the 2000 season to last year. 'The reason is that people are staying fitter longer, the new shorter skis are easier to use and modern bindings are far safer, which is particularly important with older skiers,' says Marion Telsnig, a Crystal spokesperson.

It's all part of a more general trend for older people to take on much more adventurous holidays. The swing away from the coach tour and towards adrenaline activities has been so pronounced, it has led to consternation at the Foreign Office, which found 20 per cent of over-50s took part in bungee jumping, abseiling or similar activities on recent holidays, and 25 per cent wanted to go shark diving on their next. In response, it has launched World Wise, a book encouraging the elderly to be fully prepared for what they are taking on.

Inghams, another leading ski operator, reports that over-60s have grown more adventurous in their resort choices and are no longer put off by flying long-haul to America or Canada, so perhaps it's not surprising that European resorts are launching a concerted drive to attract older skiers.

The Espace Killy - comprising Tignes and Val d'Isere - grants 15 per cent off lift pass prices for those aged between 60 and 74. You don't get an entirely free lift pass to go with the bus pass until 75 - a more parsimonious arrangement than in the other French mega-resorts. Paradiski (Les Arcs, Peisey-Vallandry and La Plagne) and the Trois Vallees (Courchevel, Meribel, Les Menuires and Val Thorens) all offer free lift access from the age of 72.

For his annual challenge, my father always engages the same guide, Pierre Liotard, for a day's off-piste skiing. Despite the name, Pierre looks every inch an intimidatingly rugged mountain man. This time around, as our group shared out the avalanche transceivers and shovels while thick, muggy snowflakes flumped down through a miasmal fog outside, I wondered if I wasn't making a big mistake in tagging along.

So it proved. We started out on some gentle terrain, which Pierre had adjudged safe. However, the snow was deep, damp and heavy. While my father floated on top, I sank, having passed him in weight several years ago thanks to the products of Arthur Guinness. After four successive face-plants, I realised that I simply lacked the fitness to keep up.

And stone me if I didn't regress many years in an instant and have a proper teenage strop. 'I can't do this,' I huffed. 'Sorry if that's a disappointment to you. I'm off.' And with that I slunk off back to Val d'Isere to sulk at a cafe behind a copy of the International Herald Tribune for the rest of the morning.

'We've been finding the level of the senior skier is getting steadily better, and we're running more trips aimed at a higher standard,' said Betony Garner of the Ski Club of Great Britain. It runs a portfolio of 'Peak Experience' trips for over-50s, but has found the median age on them has now grown to 67. 'Some are even trying out snowboarding - which, I'll admit, looks a bit strange at first.'

Steve Ingham, author of Fit to Ski, stresses the importance of starting to work out well in advance of the holiday, having a check-up at the GP before starting an exercise regime and going easy on the alcohol when in resort. All very well, up to a point; but our bibulous late-afternoon ritual has become far too entrenched and sacred to abandon.

On the final run of the day, we'd stop at our usual bar above La Daille for a few tots of genepi - the potent, syrupy liqueur distilled from Alpine wormwood weed. Then we'd slither down to the Toviere bar for rounds of Mutzig, an Alsatian beer that, at something like 7 per cent alcohol, packs an appropriate bite.

At such times, Geoff would produce a set of poker dice from a leather pouch, and the subsequent games of 'liar's dice' gave me the chance to show off an incontrovertible talent, and claw back some reputation. But honour has been piqued, and I am determined to get fit, ditch the flab and keep up with the old man on our next sortie off piste. Or by the time he's approaching 80, at least.

Essentials

William Ham Bevan travelled with Neilson (0870 909 9099), which offers a week half-board at the Hotel Mercure, Val d'Isere, including flights from Gatwick, from £795, or a self-catering apartment from £379. Mountain guide Pierre Liotard can be booked by calling 00 33 6 81 715954.