The Ladies Perspective

In the last post, we heard a couple of well-seasoned shredders opinions on their trip to Gulmarg. Now it's time for the ladies. Kate (K) and Laura (L) both came out with their boyfriends for the 2015 season. Kate had done a bit of snowboarding before coming out to Gulmarg but this was her first real taste of big mountain powder. Laura was a newbie and had mastered the very basics, over four days, on dry and indoor slopes back in Scotland. But what would a solid month of adventure snowboarding in the Himalaya mean to someone relatively uninitiated to the world of winter sports, in a place known for it's extremes?

Kate and Laura stoked to be shredding the Himalaya.

Why did you decide to come to Gulmarg?

K: Having been a shred widow over the past four Kashmiri snow seasons. My partner loves riding in the Himalaya, It inspired me to come and see what it was all about.

L: It was the year I was determined to learn a new sport, snowboarding was my choice and the fact my boyfriend has been going there I was curious to what made Gulmarg special to him.

The girls boards

Did you have any hesitations about coming out here?

K: My first few google searches on Kashmir left me with questions about safety on and off the mountain. Another concern for me was that the mountain may be beyond my skill set. For the latter reason, I decided it would be better to give myself ample time to settle into Gulmarg.

L: Personally; no. I think that knowing someone who regularly visits the place eases any worries or nerves you might have.

What sort of reaction did you get when you told people where you were going?

K: Reactions really varied. Some people had no idea where on the globe Kashmir was. Others responded with puzzled eyes and surprise about the idea of snow and India.

L: They thought I was nuts! Warning me of the dangers in that part of the world and the border.

Can you give me your first impressions on the place?

K: A mix of wonder and apprehension met me at the airport, I was feeling a long way from home. However, I was like a kid in a toy shop waking to the mountain view and falling snow the next morning.

L: Driving up that hill of never ending twists and turns made my tummy ache with butterflies. It is just breathtaking. I was speechless. The excitement of being surrounded in stunning views, whiter than white snow, I knew this trip was going to be magical for me.

Kate getting her first taste of deep snow.

As the trip progressed did your impressions change?

K: My apprehension softened over time, as my experiences opened me to seeing more of the layers and complexity of Kashmir.

L: It changed alright...My impressions got better and bigger and so did my smile.

Be honest; any downsides?

K: Learning how to ride powder was an initial struggle (literally, wriggling about in a couple of feet of snow). Having less fringe comforts and conveniences took some adjusting, but also became part of the adventure.

L: I have nothing to compare this place to, so I find it hard to think of downsides. I soaked up everything there and accepted the place for all it had to offer, bucket showers included! (Sandy - Not all the accommodation in Gulmarg has bucket showers. But they get the job done.)

Always important; how was the riding? 

K: This was certainly the most amazing snow conditions I had seen. There was also a heap of friendly crew who were open to exploring together and created a fun vibe on the mountains. I was surprised to find that Gulmarg has something for a range of abilities.

L: HAHA..to begin with awful. I was daft enough to learn in Gulmarg. But as the season went on I became more confident and within 2 months, I was shredding at the top of the mountain with everyone else and riding down Monkey Hill. I grew a lot as a rider and a person there.

How's the Gulmarg set-up differ to other resorts you've visited in the world?

K: How is it the same? I felt more onus on myself to riding cautiously and take responsibility for personal safety. Schedules and customer service expectations about how and when the resort should run are different. Decisions like this are made by people with responsibility for safety of the resort and their decision-making process did not always seem to be readily conveyed

L: Me no know! Like I said before; I was a snow virgin before Gulmarg.

Sometimes you have to hike, Laura embraces the shred life.

Off the slopes, how'd you find the food and culture? 

K: This is not just a snowboarding holiday, it is an experience. To spend time with locals and learn about the beauty and perils of their daily lives and histories was really special. I left feeling enlightened and motivated to share what I had experienced of Kashmir with others. As for the food- it was AMAZING! There were lots of vegetarian options and a range of food choices for different tastes and budgets available in Gulmarg.

L: You cannae fault the Culture. The sledge whalas, the shopkeepers, egg man, quadbike taxi man and of course all the jeeps; these all played a factor in making my experience the best it could ever be. Don’t know what I'm talking about? Go see and find out for yourself! I was never a fan of curry to begin with but grew to love it, I have to say there is a lot of variety within Gulmarg.

How'd you find the local people?

K: The locals were a pleasure, especially when taking the time to get to know people and story swap. Kashmiri people were very hospitable and keen to make sure that we had a good stay. Although it can be frustrating to encounter cultural difference at times, I was usually able to relax into this by asking myself to think about why this person might be behaving like this.

L: I cannot express enough love for them, they truly are kind, friendly and not likely to forget your name. I was honoured enough to be invited to a home cooked meal 3 times on my trip, never have I felt like I was part of the family so quickly after being introduced to them. Beautiful people inside and out.

Laura turning Kashmiri, during a homestay in Nambalnar. 

What sort of person do you think would like to come here?

K: I think Kashmir is best encountered in the spirit of adventure and openness. The adventure is more than riding the biggest most beautiful mountains your likely to ever encounter in your life, it is also navigating getting about the village, ordering dinner and sharing stories with locals and other tourists.

L: Gulmarg can appeal to anyone. I came here as a total beginner but by the end I was stoked knowing I'm good enough to return and explore more terrain. If you're a go-getter, who loves powder and is looking for something different then Gulmarg us the place for you.

Kate getting ready for her first ever powder turns!

That is that! Reckon you can convince your girlfriend to come along now then check out www.di5adventures.net. We've had our girls out there and they survived so surely we must be doing it well! Next time a blog with more pictures and less words.

Other people's opinions matter.......

Most people believe everything that they read on the internet. Whether that is sensible or not is another matter altogether. However, there are a few skeptics for whom the internet is just a bunch of fanciful nonsense that holds no weight; compared to what they watch on the telly. Lastly, are the sensible few that are a bit more savvy. You know that most people are either sharing an opinion or want some money from you. So when it comes to getting an honest opinion on what a trip to Gulmarg is really like, perhaps reading something written by someone, who essentially wants you to come with their compnay on a trip of a lifetime, might be slightly weighted towards only showing you the best. The photoshopped, unblemished, unreal, perfectionists ideal of what it's like. Well shame on you if that's what you think I do. I am a man of integrity and believe honesty, is almost always, the best policy. I tell it like it is. Luckily most of it doesn't need any touching up as it's as close to snowboard Nirvana as you can get, in my humble opinion. However, just in case there is some mistrust in your ever cynical approach to all things bloggy I've decided to go down a different tract for the next couple of blogs. Di5 Adventures have been operating in Gulmarg for 5 years and we've had guests come from many places across the world. So rather than me prattle on about what you can expect on a trip with us, I leave it up to them.

First up is the boys: Will (W) and Bones (B). Two great mates from Australia who have each been shredding for over a decade. These guys are commited to a shred life. They've tasted many an Aussie winter and taken that passion abroad to North America and Europe. So they can shred, they're keen as and they like an advenutre. Let's see what they thought

Bones and Will cruising Dal Lake on a shikara

Why did you decide to come to Gulmarg?

W: Powder, steep, cheap. Ticks all the boxes. The decision was never really a hard one. 

B: I wanted to go to a resort that was completely different. Somewhere I would be taken out of my comfort zone, face challenges and experience new things 

Did you have any hesitations about coming out here?

W: I was wary. I understood there a few more risks involved in Gulmarg then your average resort. However, that was one of the reason why I was going.

B: Initially none at all - then I did some googling.  It gave the impression that Kashmir could be unsafe to travel. However, after chatting to Andy and some other Gulmarg regulars my hesitations were replaced with excitement.

What sort of reaction did you get when you told people you were going to Gulmarg?

W: Everyone was interested to say the least. "Can you even snowboard in India?" "Isn’t that right next to Islamabad?" "Why don’t you go to Japan?" Are just some of the questions people wanted to know. I did find the ones who were the most shocked were the first to get in touch to find out what the trip was like.

B: The majority of my friends are boarders or skiers so they got it. Mum & girlfriend were a bit worried about avalanche danger. The others didn't even know where Kashmir was!

The guys get local on a trip to Nambalnar

Can you give me your first impressions of the place?

W: It just made me smile. Not because something was funny. A smile of understanding. I knew I was out of my comfort zone and it is exactly where I wanted to be.

B: Wow, this has to be the best place to go snowboarding in the world! Look at all those faces and terrain and there’s no one here!

As the trip progressed did your impressions change?

W: The way the world works in Gulmarg is a little different to anything I have ever experienced. However, as the trip progressed, I started to enjoy Gulmarg’s life of uncertainty.

B: No, first impressions were only strengthened as the trip progressed.  We explored so many different aspects of terrain. There was always some funny highlight, or interesting character to keep things moving along.

Be honest; any downsides?

W: The only downside is coming up the Gondola, looking at a perfect pitch with waist deep pow on it and knowing due to avalanche danger you won’t be able to ride it. 

B: Sure I could complain and say I was sick of omelettes for breakfast, the coffee was crap and Russian techno music sucks! I could also say the Gondola could be run more efficiently and wasn’t open enough but these were things I knew about before I went and that’s the way things are. No downsides at all from a Gulmarg angle.

Always important; how was the riding?

W: Apparently it was the worst season in a decade. If you didn’t tell me, I would never have guessed. The riding was amazing and it certainly didn’t matter if the gondola was turning or not. Tree runs down to Babareshi and the taxi ride back up were certainly a trip highlight.

B: Epic in so many ways!  The amount of different terrain available to ride is unreal. By far the funnest riding I had was riding waist deep powder, through these huge trees, while there was a thunder a lightning storm going on – it was surreal.

Bones dropping a line into the Babareshi trees.

How's the Gulmarg set-up differ to other resorts you've visited in the world?

W: It is like no other resort I have ever visited. Which is probably why it has become my favourite resort.

B: Pretty much everything. There’s great people there, no kooks, lots of snow, awesome and friendly locals, its cheap as chips, limitless terrain, authentic food. I could keep going but don’t want to give it all away.

Off the slopes, how'd you find the food and culture?

W: I thought I would struggle with the food before I got there, absolutely not the case. The culture is what sets a trip to Gulmarg apart from anywhere else. It is what made this trip so memorable.

B: The food in Gulmarg is amazing; the whole trip we ate like kings.  As 90% of Kashmir is Muslim, it was a real experience seeing how friendly, happy and outgoing these people are.

How'd you find the local people? 

W: Kind, approachable, willing to help, hospitable and funny. A little bit mischievous at times!

B: Super friendly.  We really experienced them when we stayed a night in Omar's parents’ house in his village, so accommodating and hospitable and we managed to get tucked into bed at night by Omar’s dad 'GM'!

always a fun way to get to the market

What sort of person do you think would like to come here?

W: Speaking as an Australian, to other Australians. Someone who is sick of Japan, realising it has been overrun with the plague of Australians. Anyone else who wants an adventure should know you will certainly be rewarded.

B: I think from my experience with Di5 and the tour package I did that it’s an awesome trip for young and adventuress people, who are not worried about having to do some walking and to ‘earn your turns'. It’s a proper ‘snowboarding’ holiday where the focus is on getting out and riding and experiencing as much of that as possible, which is different from a snowboarding ‘holiday’ where the focus may be more mixed between heading out to bars all night, going to the hot tubs and fancy restaurants mixed with some snowboarding when the snow is good.

Finally; would you recommend a trip to Gulmarg?

W: Already have and will continue to do so. I will also be coming back myself, that's a certainty!

B: I couldn’t recommend it any higher.  It was the best trip I’ve ever been on and it will be hard to top unless I go back.

So that's that. Fancy experiencing it yourself then hit us up at www.di5adventures.net for more info and our latest deals.

Not a seasoned pro, maybe a member of the opposite sex? Well fear not the next blog is for you. We've got the thoughts of two girls relatively new to the sport of snowboarding in a predominantly masculine environment. How did they find it?

The 2nd Annual Himalayan Banked Slalom Part 1: The Build

Broken but proud is the best way to describe how you feel after the building of the 2nd Annual Himalayan Banked Slalom. I suppose the test of any good event is whether or not it makes past it's inaugural year. Well Andy and I came back to Gulmarg and had every intention of making that happen. However, mother nature had other ideas! When we wanted snow it didn't come, when we didn't need any more it wouldn't stop! As a man that loves the snow, I am aware I shouldn't complain about 'too much snow'. However, as an organiser of a snowboard event, which requires you to build a course, one would like to see snow up to the start of the build then a week of sunny digging, a little fresh the night before and then a bluebird event day. Wishful thinking! Before any of this 'too much snow' nonsense came along we still had the tough decision of where to build the course.

Kahla, Sandy and the sledge

Last year we identified and claimed first gully (Here on in and forever more known as Banked Slalom Gully.) on phase 1 as the prime location for our HBS. We had a decent base last year and got what we needed done. This year when we went up to scope the gully we were sitting far lower than the previous year. We knew we wouldn't be able to bank up the steepest part but we could push the start further up the mountain and still have the race up there. Unfortunately, the weather was not playing the game. The week we had to build was due to puke with the likely result of limited access to the course, resulting in all our hard work getting buried under fresh snow. A tough decision was made and we went to scope out some alternative locales.

the course is set, lets DIG

With the storm approaching and the location changing, we postponed the dates and figured out the new spot. Our options were limited to two areas on the smaller slopes of the golf course. Our first choice was shut down due to it's close proximity to the beginners slope. So we moved it onto the Harmukh lift, which is not being used this season. We stomped up there and took a few different lines before we had a good contender for this year. Now all we had to do was get our hands dirty and dig. So on a very snowy Monday morning we had everything in place to get started, all we had to do was get there.







Three of us went out; Andy, myself and Khala, one of our good local friends, who had the toughest job that day. While Andy and I broke trail for him, Khala dragged a Kashmiri sled through our chop with 20 poles and three shovels tied on board. The going was slow and tough. The snow was falling heavily and we were in a complete white out. Unable to determine the undulations of the snow, we were stumbling into snow banks, making the whole walk that much harder. Once up top we had to re-run our route and set up the poles for definition. We built a couple of rollers for speed and banked up the first turn. We ran the line and boot-packed back up each time. Once our legs were spent we called it a day. Safe in the knowledge we had the Pisten Bully, to do the hard pushing, in the morning.

We are still working at a grass roots level for the banked slalom, though we are getting support from the J&K Tourism department. One such way is the use of there Pisten Bully. This is a bit of a double edged sword; it's amazing to have the ability to move around so much snow, so easily, but there is a significant language barrier between ourselves and the driver. On top of which they haven't had much opportunity to use their machines beyond a piste-ing capacity. So when you're trying to describe to them and then direct them, a lot can get lost in translation and be open to interpretation. We didn't face this problem immediately, this year, as when we went to get the cat it had broken down.

Kahla takes a break from the dig.

After hanging out for a couple of hours, waiting to see what was going to happen, we were told someone was coming to fix it and they would come over in the afternoon. We took this as a sign we had better get digging just in case they couldn't get it running. The three of us headed back to the course, Khala had decided that floundering around in the snow with us two, was more fun than his normal daily grind. We had one corner that we knew had to be hand dug, as there was no way we could get a cat into the area, so we took it back to last year and dug our first berm. It was warm that day and we grafted getting that first berm dug. We also started to think of the immense task at hand of physically digging the rest of the course.

As we had been promised a cat we may have left it a bit tight to achieve the impossible and build all the other turns in just 2 days. But we are stubborn and thick skinned so could deal with the aches and pains, which we would have to endure, to get the course finished. Thankfully, we got the call that the cat was on the way and we should organise lunch. One challenge after another for us. After it arrived and we had fed the drivers, we could get down to business. We pushed up our start ramp with no issues. On to the first berm. This is where things started to get tricky. With a couple of radios and some hand signals we sort of managed to get the snow in the right place. The next berm was at the point of awesomeness right until the driver went half a metre too far and collapsed the thing. Four more piles of snow later and we had to ask them to stop. We needed to shape these berms so that we could figure out where we would build the final turns.

The Pisten Bully arrives and we get serious

The end of a good day shapeing...

Our figuring was that as we only got a couple of hours with the Pisten Bully, rather than the full day we were promised, a couple of hours the next day wouldn't be an issue. The following day, we three, got up early and went about shaping the hunks of snow left by yesterdays machine massacre. Khala, who doesn't snowboard, was very deft in his ability to wield a shovel and took to the task with ease. We shaped a few and then started running the lines to iron out any bumps. A good solid morning of work and we had been informed that our cat would be back after lunch. We continued to shape the last couple of berms and we had a super fun and interesting first 6 turns, which we built a small jump on the end and into the next section. We gave up waiting for the cat and decided that with the challenging weather, snow pack and relocation we had to run a much shorter course than the previous year.





Next up was registration and the main event but that will follow shortly........

Late snow falls and tardy words.

The clouds close in over sunset peak. p:Laura Baird

It's been a slow start for the season and Gulmarg, being a unique place, means you have to get inventive, when the snow is low. Without the normal features of spas, cinemas and gyms the scope of your imagination has to come into play: do you want to build a snowman? With little originality you can get a lovely tour of the village, on the back of a sledge. Why not pay an old man to drag your lazy ass around? That'll kill an hour or a few depending on how guilty you feel. It's a quintessential experience for all the Indian tourists so why not join them. Or how about some of the new motorised toys that litter the village this year. Snowmobile up phase one or an ATV round the outer roads. Both an exhilarating and possibly death defying experience.



With a little more thought you could go get inventive and get your jib on. Why'll there isn't enough snow for the long, backcountry, powder lines, which this place is renowned for, there have been plenty of people being resourceful with what snow we have. I've seen hits set up, on the often buried rails, of the golf course. We've ridden up trees, with varying success. The normal small drop, is now a more challenging endeavour. Go into the woods and build jumps over the fallen trees. All it takes is a group of friends, a little creativity and some leg work and you've got something to session for a couple of days. Then when it snows you've got it all pre-built for the glory shot!

Laura gets a Kasmiri make over and ends up on the other side of the lens  p:Laura Baird

What about heading further afield? Most people come here for the snow and forget the wealth of Kashmiri culture that surrounds them. When you ride to Babereshi, take a proper rest and go visit the shrine and learn who it was named after. How about going to one of the smaller villages and receiving some home cooking and authentic Kashmiri hospitality. It's an experience I've had the fortune to be a part of several times. A look into how the families of the valley live their day-to-day, listen to stories about the past, discuss hopes for the future and get your imagination working overdrive, to envisage the colours and sights of the flowers in bloom, the orchards bursting with fruit, animals grazing in the pastures and people working the earth. Makes me want to come back to see it for real.

Mr Salama surveys the fitting of the author's tailored kilt jacket  p:Laura Baird

Travel further down the highway and you'll eventually end up in Srinagar. One of the British Raj's, summer, bolt-holes has loads to offer. Many people will just drive straight up to Gulmarg and then spend there last night on a house boat, giving the city itself little thought. The architecture in the old town and down lane ways is exceptional. Exposed brick and timber walls, ornately carved wooden edifices and centuries old Masjids are all there for the exploring. There is history everywhere you look and it's sometimes just a matter of looking up or down.

Srinagar's culinary offerings are even more fun to explore. You've got the traditional style restaurants offering fantastic Kashmiri fair, a hidden gem of a Tibetan restaurant, with amazing momos and thukpak, plenty of street food, where I've had some of the best samosa of my days. Just this year I was introduced to my new favourite spot, a bbq joint, smashing out skewers laden with big chunks of mutton, deep-fried nuggets of boneless fish, the freshest kebab, all served up with local bread and 6 different types of dip. Need to wet your whistle then there are a few coffee shops and places to purchase booze too.

the alterations continue, Mr Salama weaves his magic.  p:Laura Baird

Want to get your shop on? Then you can pick up all sorts in the city. From market stalls selling bad fakes, Westernised supermarkets that cure the curry blues, a plethora of traditional handi-craft shops with paper maiche, shawls, saffron and all the other perfect gifts, to bespokely-crafted, totally-personalised, one of a kind creations, by a third generation tailor. Be warned, this last one could take up an entire day in itself! All in all, you could easily loose some days in Srinagar.



But it's snowing now, so who needs to know all this? We've got an interesting party this evening, which should be snowier and produce a good story. Then we've got a whole banked slalom to build and host. So no news for a while and you'll soon be bombarded with a whole host of adventures. Let's hope at least one has some POW shots!

Previous seasons this view would have involved snow!  p:Laura Baird

a Big week....

"All aboard the good ship pow-pow!" Shouts the captain in my head. I'm staring down a near pitch perfect powder field, it's been snowing heavily for a good 24 hours and everything is primed. I drop into my line, two epic turns and the amount of sluff is now enough to take me for a short ride. All expected on this angle, with the amount of snow we've had, so my line had no major obstacles to hazard me. Gotta love the core work-out when you wiggle and wiggle, to shake off all that snow, trying to get going again.

Sandy is quite the tall scotsman.

 Normal cruising speeds resume. Until all of a sudden your board starts to sink, then your knees go under, your thighs disappear and then the rest. From a bystanders point of view, I imagine, I look some what like a submarine diving to the deep. In some respects I am.These last few days, I've been forcing my board further into the unknown depths. Trying to avoid shredding my hull on any hidden rock bombs. I never found the bottom and I avoided all those nasty, jaggy buggers! My final likening to the maritime form, sticks with the submarine class.

You enter the white room, consequently clip something, eat it and become ensconced in snow. You lie there for a second or two, getting your gyro settled. Then it's 'up periscope' to see just how far you tumbled and who caught it on camera! Snorkeling around in the deep stuff can only mean one thing; we've had a classic Gulmarg storm.

The storm left 210cm of Himalayan white gold!

It rolled in last Sunday. The week previous to that was fairly relaxed. I took out my brand new stick, for this season, and rode the one groomer we have here. Finally, making it over the two flat spots without any issue. After a month of riding two, frankly, broken boards, in an attempt to preserve my new ones, beyond one season, which would be a four season first for me, was an absolute pleasure! She reminded me of playing with a six month old puppy. So full of spring and bounce, excited to explore new places, ever attentive to my instructions. Really just a load of innocent fun. Having spent a day becoming acquainted with her I spent
another with a pack of lads.

  As so few people ever really ride the groomer here, there isn't an abundance of side hits. We chose a lazy sunny lunchtime to head up. Roaming around, sniffing out possible spots to do our business. We laid our marks and charged around. Yelping when distressed, howling with happiness and just being a bit barking mad! Look what happens when an animal is forced out of it's natural habitat. Lucky for this animal, he can look at a weather forecast and could stave of becoming a totally feral, snow-starved, beast.

When the long-term forecast gives you a week of snow, you know it's going to be a great time here in Gulmarg. We were gifted with over 2m of lovely, lovely fresh white yumminess. Enough to feed the powder hounds here. We took bites out of the trees, the chairlift and eventually the upper reaches of the mountains. Being early Feb the wildest animal behaviour was in the queues! I could go off right now and describe the differing shred species that inhabit this zoo. Some with their slithering, slick, snaking shenanigans. Others with their down right pig headed attitudes. But that is a whole other blog.

I don't have time for that right now as digging begins on the first ever Himalayan Banked Slalom course soon. More on that to come very shortly.............................

The Lost Girda

THUMP, THUMP, THUMP, THUMP is the noise that has been greeting me every morning for the past couple of weeks. Question: have I given up on the shred this year, in exchange for boozy nights out and ENA based hangovers?  Answer: nope, that thumping noise is not my head. It's the noise of the carpenters building the first ever snowboard shop in Gulmarg! That's all I'm going to say on that. Andy is putting together a little ditty on that project. So much has happened in the past few weeks that I'm at a bit of a loss as to where to start. To roll back three weeks, season passes were obtained and the shred could finally begin, on a low tide. Roll back two weeks, we're picking off lines and loving life. Roll back one week, we're in the midst of our first big storm, with no power but huge grins! But roll back just three days and we're, unfortunately, present for the first avalanche related fatality in four years.

That brings us to today and my quandary as to where to begin. I know it's important to give all the news of a season here in Gulmarg. However, it's difficult for me to write about the death of someone I've never met. Where information is limited and the rumours are rife, alongside the nature of the avalanche and the circumstances that caused it, the true story will probably never come to light. This can lead to speculation and untruths. All I know is that it leaves me with a heavy heart and a thought for all people that enjoy the mountains. It would be to easy to wax lyrical about the ever present dangers, the need to be extra vigilant after a big storm and how we are just guests on mother natures curves. But I won't. For me, the simple fact is, a man died doing something, one would assume, he loves and somewhere more lives have been affected. I know many ski towns will also suffer a similar fate this season, so please everyone be as safe as you can.

So now I'm left hanging in a melancholy space. How can I go on and tell you all about how epic my riding has been, without sounding a little ungracious? Well, the story I am going to tell happened before the storm. It was our first mission over the top of Mt. Affarwat for 2014. The forecast was for a sunny morning, the avalanche advisory had been digested and we were confident about our terrain choice. Want to hear what happened? Then read on.

Our line as viewed from the east side of Gulmarg on a much nicer day click to enlarge^^

Skins on, I begin my first tramp up to the top of the mountain. Approximately 250m of vertical to climb over a little more than a kilometre. Fine if I'm at sea level, relatively painless at 2000m, get up to 3950m (top of the gondola) and I start to wheeze a bit. Things slow down and I feel I've gone for miles and looking back it's about 50m! Deep breaths don't seem to fill my lungs. I can't seem to get into a nice, regular stride, which matches my breathing. It's tough pushing to the top. Especially, when the weather that was nice at the beginning, is slowly turning. Now, I'm not only trying to regulate my breathing but contemplating what to do if it turns into a complete white out.

looking for the entrance to our line in the approaching storm.

The wind is bringing in the cloud and the visibility is as regular as my breathing. I push on to the top and over to our first re-grouping spot. I can see that the visibility isn't as bad as it could be. But I'm no way fooled that it can't get worse in seconds. When the others arrive we discuss our options and decide to lose a little altitude and reassess. Split-skiing is still a novelty and I have the grace and balance of a newly born foal! At the next spot, the cloud is a little thinner and the decision is made to continue with our original objective. We skin on, aware that, if the weather dictates, we can still turn around. A little further we need to stick the boards on our backs and search out the entrance on foot.

My feet punch through the sugary snow to the brush underneath, with a regularity that makes me wonder how my board can survive this scratch free. We locate the top of our line and scope out our dropping in point. It's unanimous that the true entry isn't going to be ridden by us today. We select a safer spot and begin to transform our boards back. This is when the wind plays her hand. She screams in my ear as I try and rip off my skins. The unruly things flapping in the wind refusing to behave. Fingers fumble with buckles and she even snatches up my mountain snack! The saving grace is that she's moving the cloud through so quickly that there are plenty of clear patches.

Perseverance is key when it comes to a transition in a blizzard. But we do so and are soon ready to move out. One-by-one we cross the shady part and move down the ridge top. I get to ride the short first pitch and the flat light puts me on my bum. Unperturbed I'm up quickly and over to our next safe spot. Once we're all there, it's this season's newbie to the area that gets to ride the first line. Off he goes and he does a good job of making it look awesome. With a spotter above and one below, it's my turn next. My head slips into my snow zone and away I go. The feeling of gliding over the snow brings me no ends of joy. I pull up next to Jason and I can see we're both wearing the same sort of smile. Andy is down last and surfs the white waves with his usual grace. All back together we scope the next pitch and it serves to provide us with more of the goods.

Jason does the billygoat

Down the bottom I look back up at the treats and am happy with our decision making process. In my mind it was better to ride something slightly narrower, with heavily identifiable features, than a wide open bowl in the clouds. Now on lower angles we head off back to the gondola. So that was a day before the last storm. We looked at the conditions, discussed and assessed the day. We rode something well within our abilities and did so in the safest manner we could. However, I'm now all to aware that it only takes the smallest change to make a massive difference. February is fast approaching and with it we'll have more people on the mountain, bigger snow storms and the potential to go on even bigger adventures.



I'm not here to offer safety advice, there is an amazing amount of information out there. Nor am I hear to sugar coat the dangers associated with being out in the backcountry. I'm here to recite what a season in the Himalaya can be like. It's just unfortunate that, this year, life in the mountains, here, have had such a serious consequence. What I'll take away from it is the real importance to assess the risk, be aware of the consequences and, above all, play it safe.

Welcome to Gulmarg 2014......

Snow is fundamental to our sport, doesn't take an Einstein to figure that one out, which is why when it plays a hand in stopping you in your tracks, can you really get angry? Personally, I can't because I love snow. Even if it means spending New Years Eve, stuck in a Delhi hotel, alone, due to the Srinagar airport being closed by the snow! I've also learned that crashing in a Jeep, on the drive through the snow, on the way to Gulmarg, doesn't dent your love for the white stuff either! So some interesting travel mishaps preceded the start of the 2014 season, back here in Kashmir, which hasn't officially started as we await this storm before they open the top half.

The view of the Pir Pinjal the day before Sandy got stranded by snow

Having the luxury of three months, we can await patiently for the opening and get our legs in skinning around, scouting new spots to explore. It's a definite merit of the place that after three seasons you can still discover new lines and you haven't set foot on the mountain! We've found jibs, pillows, chutes, drops and all manner of interesting features to hit. Bet you are beginning to wish you were here! Well you can always make that possible, just sack your job, book a flight, then send us an email and we'll sort the rest for you. Alternatively, just keep reading this blog and learn what a season in the Himalaya can throw at you.

Duelling busses, no one wins!

I mean how easy should it be to get a season pass? Most places you'll fill in a form online, make a payment and go collect. Well here in Gulmarg things are a bit more complicated. First, you need to go and get the necessary monies out of the ATM, as there is no card or online payment facility for your season pass. Obviously the machine in the market is getting fixed and won't be working that day. So it's off to Tangmarg to use the bank down there. 10 minutes into the trip and we're into a traffic jam. One bus has become lodged against a barrier and is getting pulled out by another, while a small army of locals try and lend a hand. There is shouting, wheel's spinning, a bus rocking but none of this has the desired effect. It stays put.

We clamber pass and start strolling down the road, getting picked up about 15 minutes later after the blockage is resolved. 
Down in Tangmarg we hold up the ATM line as we are forced to make several withdrawls to reach our required amount. Pesky max-limit on foreign cards! Money in pockets, it's back in another jeep for a trip back up to Gulmarg, passing the bus, now abandoned of help and spectators. 

Now we can head to the ticket office for the face-to-face transaction.

Heading in we are warmly greeted by the cold, having no real central heating in the main office. Enquiring about a season pass we are informed that we must wait as the right person isn't there. We wait, wait a wee bit more and then a final bit of chilling brings a new face into the office. Once again we enquire. This time we are told season passes can't be sold until it snows! 'But surely you sell them to us now, so when it does snow, we can just head up' we explain. Nope, can't do that. Once we have the season pass they're obliged to let us up to the top. I mean I love snow but I absolutely despise its uncanny ability to hide board wrecking rocks just underneath, which I dare say is what's going on,up top, at the moment.

Deaf to our suggestions and promises that we have no interest in committing 'new board suicide' we leave without a season pass. Oh well, was half expecting to come away from that empty handed, as it is the norm for the start of the season, when things that seem simple to us are just the opposite! We leave it a good few days and go out on the aforementioned recon. Returning just yesterday to try our hand again. 'Still more snow needed' is the same reply.

Recon......till after this storm

Returning this morning, after 0cm of new snow, our season passes are issued. Ah that extra magic non-existent snowfall how I love you! Just in time for the actual storm that will bring real snow. So now we wait with things to pass the time, like more exploration and the inaugural Avalanche meeting of new head patroller Colin Mitchell. That's tonight at 7.30pm, Pine Palace Heritage, if you are already here. If not, just remember all you need to do is quit the job, book a flight and send us an email and we'll see you there next week!

Post Storm Explorations

All of a sudden BAM goes Gulmarg; an explosion of technicolour outerwear, big groups and queues. It must be February.

The Gondola queue at Kongdoori is inside this year!

 The end of the storm sees about 200 people lined up for opening day. It’s a mad dash, to cash in, on the powder stash. What took well over ten days to track out in January is now done a few. This is when a good knowledge of the mountain will see you reap the best rewards. My tip, if you are new to the place, is get a good guide! For me it is all about exploration.

The typical sunny morning view from Sandys breakfast table

 I finally got some binoculars this year. I also have a prime breakfast view of the entire mountain. I combine these two things and pick out spots, usually on the rocky out crops, which still have no lines. It’s then off out, to pick our way, into the lines and leave the only tracks on that face. Guess what? They’re still there! It pays to spend the busy times exploring new lines. I’ve opened up a few spots this year that, after the next snowfall, I know are highly unlikely to be ridden and I’ve got more to explore.


The other option is to skin. Probably one of the best days I’ve had this year was in variable snow conditions. We set off to the top, went round the back of Shark’s Fin, to a zone called Great White. There the three of us were the first off the top, a nice 45 degree pitch. Good snow into a bit of crust but fresh lines. Then it was a little scoot and a short scramble into the doggy chutes.
 Named because the best way to access them is from behind! Again the snow looked hard and sun- crusted but after a couple of jump turns it softened up nicely. First three down there too! A second skin saw us back onto the Apherwat ridge and one final 1000m run for the day. The top quarter was sub- par but you persevere and are rewarded with an epic fall line tree run. Then a bouncy and fun natural border cross run to the gondola.

The fun thing about Gulmarg is most of the time you will not know if a spot has a name yet! Sandy and crew put some lines in "the Doggy Chutes"

 That last run was 9 days since our last snowfall. Gulmarg is such a wonderful place because even as busy as it is and with a long period of no snow, one can still find the goods. The best thing about pushing further out is that you keep discovering new zones. From that one day I’ve got two new projects for future exploration. This place never ceases to amaze me. My third season and I’ve found even more new places and I haven’t even been in a helicopter!

Hunter Gatherers

 N.B. This is a blog from about three weeks ago. It started snowing as I was writing it, and low and behold, I got side tracked and have just got back to the computer. 

The last week has seen a hunter gatherer approach being applied to my riding, by observing the mountain, talking to friends and a little natural instinct helped me to locate the position of the best powder stashes. Then it was on with the skins and out to stalk my prey.

 By no means am I a skilled split-boarder, so the numerous switchbacks, on one expedition, saw a less than stealthy tracker fumble up the slope. But that’s part of the fun for me, learning new skills to help me access the bigger trophies. Luckily, my bumbling efforts that day didn’t alert our objective and the back of the beast was satisfactorily slashed. One run, no lift, new skills attempted what a great day in Gulmarg.

The view from Monkey Hill under a clear full moon

 Another time we went out night stalking, under the full moon, on monkey hill. It was, for me, part homage to the founder of Di5, for everyone else something fun. Having dodged the poop chute boot pack we enjoyed late night refreshments. Once the amateur gymnastics show had finished up top, we rode down under a mixture of torch and moon light. At the bottom uncontrollable fits of laughter were a sign of a great adventure!

 Then the snow started to fall, and fall, and fall. Three days producing well over 1.5m of light fluffy good times. A much loved top up that whetted everyone’s appetite for the mountain to open again soon. While we waited patiently we built hit runs that got buried, put in skin tracks that got filled and watched the people arrive, with a look of awe, at the mass of snow that was falling.

Sandy has been busy at the keyboard over the last few days, here are his latest adventures:

PHASE TWO OPENING DAY

worth the wait?

The beautiful thing about the early season is that you can have a leisurely breakfast, a gentle stroll to the gondola and still be 6th in line! Our numbers swelled close to 15 as the anticipation for the fresh, deep, powdery goodness increased exponentially, with every minute passed. After 2 hours we were positively frothing for our fix. A little bit of argy-bargy and eventually I was cocooned into my bubble on my way up to find ‘paradise on earth’. Using my time in the Gondola to spot the natural avalanches that had ripped out the nasty depth hoar, which is one of the snow-packs potential future weaknesses. Soon enough though, I was, once again, standing at the top of a massive, open bowl ready to satiate my desire for snow and I set off with a child like enthusiasm.

Bombing down the first pitch the snow was billowing up around me and my cheers were well heard. Having only 5 people ahead of me, I knew, I had an exceptional opportunity to lay down a line without having to cross another. However, as I pulled around the first ridge, the slope angle decreased and I became aware that I wasn’t floating like an angel anymore. My board was sinking and I was firing out all my skills to stop my nose getting completely buried. I came very close to swimming like the days before, yet, this was like being dropped in the ocean and told to swim for a shore you cannot see! Luckily a lot of back leg pumping and being able to jump on a skier’s track saved me from drowning. Back at the bottom there were a lot of bemused grins. Everyone had been surprised by the snow, which was so deep and unsettled that, while exceedingly fun, was harder work than expected. A quick set back of the stance made the next run better. Then the rest of the day was amazing after you realized that you had to jump into other people’s tracks, build up sufficient speed, then pop off into the next untracked field of fun you find.

The next few days saw the snow settle and things speed up. Once again everyone was treated to line after line of freshies. We were running over 2000m of vertical into the Drang valley with barely another Westerner in site. Skinning out through local villages, where the pace of life was far removed from what you experience in Gulmarg. Old favourite runs were being whipped, new routes opened and transceiver skills honed. The mountain was a like a fruit tree, rich with plump juicy morsels of goodness, ripe for the picking. As a high pressure band saw a big swing in day and night temperatures complemented by the wind scouring some aspects, you soon had to re-evaluate your days to allow you to access the goods.