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My brain grappled with the apparent oxymoron, “Skiing in India” but as my source elaborated, my eyes adjusted. A picture of paradise was sketched, of vast untouched mountains descending into pristine valleys of conifers and snow leopards. It was the first time I’d heard of Gulmarg, nestled in the flank of Mount Apherwat in Indian Administered Kashmir and the first time I’d learnt of Skiing in India. The only familiar sound was the brutally gentle “Kashmir”; connotations of the finest wool sweater clashed with the memory that Bill Clinton once labelled the area the most dangerous region on earth.
Kashmir was once a rich man’s playground, a mountainous haven where the Raj could escape the searing heat of the Indian plains. Srinigar’s Dal Lake houseboats remain, stagnant and stunning against the bleak wintry landscape, martyrs of a better time. Stretching across both India and Pakistan following the pencil sketch of Partition in 1947, three wars have been fought between the two supposedly nuclear superpowers over Kashmir’s rugged soil since. The unofficial border, ‘The Line Of Control’, sits in brutal serenity just 10km from Gulmarg, tourers and split-boarders comically warned, “Don’t want to end up in Pakistan without a visa mate!”
In another time a day trip to Afghanistan wouldn’t have been out of the question.
International tourists are returning to this playground from the past, Meadow of Flowers in summer, snowsports mecca come winter. Skiing arrived in Gulmarg in the early 1900’s, but was revolutionised in 2005 with the completion of the Kongdoor Gondola. The Poma trundles with laborious irregularity over 1300 vertical metres, coughing-out thrill-seekers at 3900m asl. It earns its title as ‘Worlds Highest Ski Gondola’ with French nonchalance (the project took 20 years). The uneventful Phase One (2650m - 3050m) opened in 1998; Phase Two (2650m - 3980m) was unveiled in May 2005, launching Gulmarg onto the free-riding radar. The Himalaya, the greatest mountain range on earth, finally had an ample resort.
The gondola may be French but don’t expect Apres Skis, there’s a greater chance of spotting a snow leopard than finding a mulled wine on these slopes. In fact, there’s little here resembling the Alps aside from the blessed white that falls with routine violence, often choking the valley with metres in a single storm. There is virtually no piste in Gulmarg; the expansive flanks of Apherwat are stunningly barren, a powder-fiends dream
in terrain described as ‘heli-skiing without a chopper’. Indulge in a dip below the tree line with an entrepreneurial local guide and miraculously fresh lines descending 1800 vertical metres become a dream reality.
Alcohol is dribbling into this conservative Muslim haven as foreign tourist numbers increase for the first time in 30 years but should continue to be consumed with discretion. ‘Godfather’, with its hazy declaration of ‘Alcohol content: five to eight percent’ is the notorious beer in these hills and coupled with the 2700m elevation, swaggering parties can emerge without warning at notorious venues. Don’t anticipate finding some extra warmth on those lonely nights boys, Gulmarg is quoted as having a population consisting of 99% male to 1% female, BYO snow bunny is advised.
Paradise is not without misfortune, ironically, risk comes less from the 500 000+ Indian military personnel stationed in the valley or the extremists intent on causing havoc on the plains; avalanches and snow-wells have claimed tourist lives in recent years and local media regularly reports on human - wildlife encounters (bears and big cats), there have been 49 deaths in Kashmir in the past three years. The gondola operates on ‘Kashmir time’, meaning
it may not run for days, power shortages are common-place and ticket sellers are alien to the urgency associated with ripping fresh lines. Hint: breathe deeply and repeat, “Relax… this is Kashmir.”
The terrain is epic but not for the lazy. The giant ridge of Apherwat extends north south and every face is worthy of a rip on its day. Seek and you shall find, there is world-class treasure to be found but the path to X could be under your nose or six hours trek towards a hostile superpower. In a giant metaphor for it’s political owner, sliding Kashmir is like touring India, you’ll see and do things that will blow your mind, but you have to work for it.
A trip to Gulmarg is a refreshing reminder of why we travel, to experience the unfamiliar. Yeah you could hit Hakuba for the fourth time and end up in an Australian bar drinking with a crowd but in the end have you attained that mysterious level of foreign enlightenment? The minute the aircraft cabin doors open in Delhi, the air that is India bursts forth, stabbing at every orifice, you’re not in Kansas any more. Stepping from
the airport terminal is a declaration, “I am in India and I accept that every day will be a new adventure.” India is an extreme melting pot of cultures and behaviour that will baffle and amaze you. Gulmarg is yet to burst the international market but the writing is on the wall and the Kashmiris are primed for the influx. Get off the grid and get enlightened while you still can.
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John Carolin
non-member comment
Good work
Tim, I like it. It does the place some justice! Any plans to be back next year? I want to but think I may have less time at my disposal....