Ski Day: Fueling in the Cold, Hydration at Altitude and Sun

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8:25 a.m., the lift line. It’s 9°F, the sky is that deep mountain blue, and everyone is stamping their boots and pulling up neck gaiters while the first chair swings around. By 11 the sun is blazing off the snow, someone’s goggles have fogged, and the kid in the group is suddenly “starving” and “freezing” in the same breath. A great ski day is mostly planning: what you eat before the first chair, what’s in your pockets, how you drink when it’s cold and dry, and how you protect skin and eyes from sun that’s stronger up high than at the beach. This page covers it for every skier, from the family on vacation to the high school racer between runs and the college or World Cup athlete on race day.

General information. If you have diabetes, a heart or lung condition, are pregnant, or take medications, ask your doctor how cold and altitude affect you. Back to the skiing hub.

Breakfast before the first chair

A ski day can mean five or six hours of on-and-off effort; the Compendium of Physical Activities rates moderate downhill skiing at about six times resting energy use while you’re moving. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and sports dietitians recommend carbohydrate-rich meals in the 1 to 4 hours before exercise lasting more than an hour, and suggest keeping fat and fiber moderate if they upset your stomach. Practical versions: oatmeal with fruit and nuts, eggs on toast with a banana, yogurt with granola. Eat early enough that you’re not skiing on a heavy stomach, and don’t skip it to make first chair.

Fueling on the mountain

• Snack every hour or two. For stop-and-start exercise of 1 to 2.5 hours, the ACSM position stand suggests 30–60 grams of carbohydrate an hour. On a ski day that’s simply a snack on the chairlift or at a mid-morning break.
• Pick snacks that don’t freeze solid. Trail mix, soft granola bars, dried fruit, a PB&J, fig bars. Energy chews and many bars get rock hard in the cold; keep them in an inside pocket.
• Lunch with carbs and some protein. Chili, soup with bread, a sandwich or pasta, then a lighter afternoon snack. Eating before you’re starving keeps legs and focus steady late in the day, when tired skiers make mistakes.
• Kids run out first. Pack their pockets too, and plan a warm-up break every hour or so for little ones.

Hydration at altitude

Cold, dry mountain air and hard breathing cost water, and many skiers drink far less than on a summer hike because they don’t feel hot. The CDC’s travel guidance lists dehydration among the conditions that can look like altitude sickness, and a headache on day one at a high resort may be either. The National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) recommends knowing your own needs and not overdrinking: you shouldn’t gain weight over a day of exercise.

• Start the day with a glass or two of water at breakfast, and drink at every lodge stop.
• Carry water that won’t freeze: an insulated bottle like the Hydro Flask 32 oz in a locker or pack, or a snow hydration pack such as the CamelBak Zoid Snow, which runs the drinking tube inside an insulated shoulder strap.
• On long or hard days, an electrolyte drink like Skratch Labs Hydration (about 400 mg sodium a scoop) or Nuun Sport tablets adds sodium and some flavor that makes drinking easier. See our best electrolyte powders.
• The CDC advises no alcohol for the first 48 hours at high altitude, and NSAA’s Responsibility Code says not to ski or ride lifts impaired. The après beer can wait until the skis are off, and is better after day two.

Sun: the hazard people forget in winter

The World Health Organization says UV levels rise about 10% for every 1,000 meters of altitude, and fresh snow can reflect as much as 80% of UV, so you get it from above and below. A base at 9,000 feet plus bright snow can mean a sunburn on a cold day in February. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends a broad-spectrum SPF 50 or higher for outdoor winter sports, reapplied at least every two hours (more often at altitude or after sweating), and UV-blocking goggles or sunglasses. The American Academy of Dermatology’s baseline is SPF 30+, broad-spectrum and water resistant.

• Apply sunscreen before you boot up, to the face, ears, neck and the underside of the chin and nose, which catch reflected light.
• Keep a small tube or stick in a pocket and an SPF lip balm, like Banana Boat Sport Lip SPF 50, for lunch-break touch-ups. A mineral sunscreen such as Blue Lizard Sport SPF 30+ works for sensitive skin.
• Goggles or wraparound sunglasses with UV protection every day, cloudy or not; keep a spare pair for kids.

Staying warm (and safe)

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recommends light, loose layers that are water and wind resistant. The idea is to stay dry: a wicking base layer, an insulating middle layer and a shell, with a layer you can open or stow when you warm up. Wind on the chairlift is the cold you feel most; the National Weather Service notes skin can freeze in about 30 minutes at a wind chill of -19°F. Cover cheeks and ears on cold days, slip HotHands warmers into mittens, and head in early if anyone shows red-then-pale, numb patches or uncontrollable shivering. Signs of frostbite, hypothermia and altitude sickness are on our skiing injuries page.

The first day at altitude and the last run of the day

If you flew in from sea level, make day one a cruiser day. The CDC recommends only mild exercise for the first 48 hours above 8,000 feet, and about a quarter of visitors who sleep that high in Colorado get acute mountain sickness. Later in the trip, watch the clock and your legs: the AAOS advice is to stop when you’re tired or in pain. Skiing with a partner you can see is the rule in the trees and on powder days.

Race day for ski racers

• Morning: a familiar breakfast 2–4 hours before your start; nothing new on race day.
• Inspection and warm-up: after course inspection, a real warm-up (free skiing plus dynamic drills), then keep warm with a jacket and warm-up pants until the start.
• Between runs: a snack and fluids soon after run one, then a warm place to rest. Two-run races (slalom and giant slalom) can leave hours between runs.
• After a crash: any head knock means out for the day until checked, even in a big race. Concussion steps are on the injuries page.

After the day, refuel and plan for tomorrow on our ski recovery page, and see the ski nutrition page for the full picture. Team-sport families can compare our soccer game day guide.

Ski day: FAQs

What should I eat before a day of skiing?

A carbohydrate-rich breakfast 1 to 4 hours before you start, such as oatmeal, toast with eggs, or yogurt and granola with fruit, plus water. Then snack every hour or two on the mountain.

Do I really need sunscreen when skiing?

Yes. UV rises with altitude (about 10% per 1,000 m, per the WHO) and snow can reflect up to 80% of it. Use broad-spectrum sunscreen (the Skin Cancer Foundation suggests SPF 50+ for winter sports), reapply every two hours, and protect lips and eyes.

How much water should I drink skiing?

There’s no single number; it depends on your size, effort, clothing and altitude. Drink at breakfast and at every break, carry water that won’t freeze, and don’t overdo it: NATA warns against drinking so much that you gain weight.

Is it OK to drink alcohol on a ski trip?

Not while skiing: the Responsibility Code says don’t ski or ride lifts impaired. At high resorts the CDC advises no alcohol for the first 48 hours. After that, keep it moderate and after the skis come off.

How do I keep my water from freezing on the slopes?

Use an insulated bottle kept inside a pack or jacket, or a hydration pack with an insulated tube, and blow the water back into the reservoir after each sip so the tube doesn’t freeze.