Two years back when I was offered the post of  technical trainer I thought this would be a great opportunity to improve my technical knowledge. It was once I thought I should be master in computers but then when I was given a seat in biology group in my eleventh I lost hope of becoming a master in computers. Again when I got a chance in bachelor’s degree it was due to my lack of concentration that took me away from my dreams. After three years when I got this opportunity of technical trainer my thought was “Here I’m to grab you, this time I’m not going to miss the opportunity.

If you ask me now did you succeed in achieving your dream? My answer will be I’m on the way and still a long way to go. But I’m happier now for a different for a reason. Never had I thought I will be assigned to a project where I have to travel to most places around India and that’s the base for this blog.

Writing is not my big strength, even in my school and college days it was the theory exams in which I flunked. Now it was Krion, a guy with who I share and discuss a lot about stories, movies, blogs, travel and photography. He was the one after who I started reading novels a lot. Now again he is the one behind in starting this blog. He gave me the idea of starting a blog about the places I travel just like a travel on. He too have a blog, you can check that at http://sgkiron.wordpress.com/

After one and half years of travel in south I was given a schedule to move on to Nasik, Nagpur and Amla. Before moving to Mysore where I was given the schedule to spend my next two weeks we had a break for one month to enjoy our pooja holidays and dewali. I reported back in Hyderabad by base location on October 20^th and I was making all arrangements to go to Mysore as per the given schedule, but then I got a call from my HR

“Venkat, Neha here”

“Yes Mam, Good morning”

“Good morning, How r u?”

“Fine mam”

“Ok Venkat, see I’ve sent you a mail regarding the upcoming schedule just have a look and reply me”

“Ok mam” I replied with lot of thoughts and questions in my mind suddenly popping up like kangaroos

Even before the call got disconnected my fingers where running across the length and breadth of my keypad. “The upcoming schedule?” was the first question came up because according to previous schedule it was only two locations more after which I thought of getting out of from this project.

When I was back at home my parents started discussing about my marriage they want me to get married before the end of 2010 but I told it’s not going to at least before March 2011. I thought I have to settle down before I got married. We had a great discussion about should the girl be working, what qualities should she have and even the place where we should have the marriage. I never thought about this, I even thought am I ready for this? This discussion biased me about getting me out of this project because I’m moving around from once place to another every fortnight. So first I’ve settle down at one place most probably at my base location Hyderabad. But as I said the discussion biased my thought. Yes even before this discussion I felt it’s been long time now in the project and I’m training people in the same topic every fortnight so where is my dream going on. I want to excel in many technologies I’ve to learn more that’s one reason why I took over this job. I have learnt more but I want to more to excel.

These thoughts were going on in my mind till the webpage came up and I logged on to mail. Two mails from my manager, just internal circulations and a mail from Cisco wanted me to get enrolled for some kind of live technical meeting on web for which I’ve to pay some dollars and there it is the mail from my HR subjected “Next Training Locations”. Again the plural bothered me. I clicked on the subject to reveal the actual content of the mail as the window popped up I saw the table content with from and to dates followed by the place of the training. To my surprise I was told to work in north. What was even more surprising was the location mentioned on the top of the table, it was Srinagar.

It’s not that I’m going around all 365 days. We will be given a break after a certain period of time. Sometime it’ll be for one month like what we before this and sometimes for three months. So every time I get break I go home and I’ll report back in Hyderabad before moving on to next location. Every time I get the schedule more than me it’s my colleagues who will be excited about the places I’m moving around. They say I’m lucky to roam around at the cost of the company, they say I’m lucky to explore more places. But for me yes I’m lucky to roam around so wide but if it is alone you feel little bored and I felt that till now.

Now after seeing the mail my thinking was something different and the mobile sung my ringtone it was my HR. I pressed the green button and said “Hello”

“Hello Venkat, Did you see the mail?”

“Yes mam, and mam Is it till June?”

“You don’t want to worry about that, Are the locations ok for you?”

“No mam, Mam is it possible to relive me from the project” was what I was about to say but my eyes were on the list of location

“Yes mam” said my lips

“Fine then you can make your arrangements to move on to the next location”

“I’ll mam”

“Ok then bye, have a nice day”

“Thank you, mam” I said and I was staring at the list again

What have you done? Why did you do this? Thoughts were going through my mind

One answer struck me was the locations on the list and now I’m mentally prepared to move on to Srinagar, the summer capital of the northern most state- Jammu and Kashmir. After some research on net I found the ways to reach Srinagar. Flights are operated by Jet Airways, Air Deccan, Spice Jet, Kingfisher Airlines, Go Air, Jet Lite and Indian Airlines from Delhi. It will cost around Rs.5000 from Delhi or if you want cut some cost you go to Jammu from Delhi by train which will cost approx Rs.900 for a third AC and flights from Jammu will cost around Rs.2500 approx. If you book your flight tickets at least fifteen days early you may get around 35% less than the actual amount. But if you are traveling in winter remember flights can easily be canceled due to weather conditions. As I’m not entitled to go by flight according to company policy I decided to go to Jammu by train and then to Srinagar by shared taxi.

I started in Hyderabad on October 23ed evening 6’o clock by train and reached Hazrat Nizamuddin station in 24 hours. My next train to Jammu was at 11.30 that night from Delhi railway station. So for people who are not aware just an information. There are three stations in Delhi. One is Hazrat nizamuddin, second is Delhi and the third is New Delhi. I got down at Hazrat Nizamuddin and came out to get an auto. You can see a lot of autowalas ready to take you but never fall for that as I did. It’s better to take a prepaid auto. It is available in all three stations. I reached Delhi station in half an hour I thought how to spend time and found Chandni Chowk is at a walk away. I was on my foot after putting my luggage in the cloak room. Soon I became a drop in an ocean of homo sapiens.

As my foot scrawled down thinking what to do my stomach knocked and told it is time to feed it. It didn’t take much time to find the best location. It was a unique choice from the localites to have a visit to paranthawala gali. Thanks to those unknown friends who gave me the suggestion. It was easy to find as it is one major landmark in Chandni Chowk. Any shopkeeper can put on the right direction. A lane totally dedicated for paranthas. People say the lane had more than twelve shops for five to six generations but now there are only five or six. This place was one of those affected most by never forgettable 1984 riots and totally burnt. My stomach dint allow me to research which one of these shops are best so I entered the one which was right at the entrance. From more than 20 varieties I choose to go for some rare verities of paranthas. My first choice was the Kaju (Cashew) and Badam (Almond) parantha. The paranths are fried in ghee and served hot with delicious chutney and vegetable pickle. My next choice was the mixed parantha in which I could find cashew, almond, potatoes, tomatoes, radish and cauliflower. Most special paranthas cost around Rs.25 and other normal paranthas like potato and cauliflower are Rs.10. I felt not to have more while on travel so I promised myself to come back on another day and have every variety they have.

I still had around three hours for my train so I decided to explore the total area did some window shopping and just when I decided to move back to station I found a shop where people were flooding down to have falooda one of my favorite drinks. I moved towards Gyani’s rabri falooda shop. After getting a coupon we have to win an oral fight. The one with louder voice gets his price. A glass full of falooda with almond and pista and some scented water spilled on it proves why it attracts these many people. As my stomach started worrying why it knocked I again scrawled down to station, this because of tiredness.

People who don’t have time for this can check out the restaurant just outside the Delhi station on McDonalds inside the station to feed their stomach. Finally I got into the train at midnight because of the time conscious railway department. One hour behind the schedule I reached at 12.30 in the afternoon. As planned to go by road to Srinagar I searched for options. Found sumos are available very frequently from the station and bus stand. But my next huddle was waiting for me; it will be taking approximately eight to nine hours to reach Srinagar. My service engineer recommended not travel during night. But I have my training scheduled to start the next day 26^th of October.

I decided to take the risk. In fact it will be a kind of adventure and I love that. I was then guided by some good men to the place where I good get a sumo. It is right at a walk able distance from the station. Already four people were waiting inside the sumo, three on the middle seat and one on the back. My choice was to sit on the front seat because seat was filled with luggage and one guy was sitting there already, the middle row was filled with three already so left alone was the front seat. But if you get a chance to sit in the middle seat never miss that, the best and comfortable. Sometimes front seat is shared by two, I’m lucky mine was not and back seats are loaded with luggage.

Sumos charges around Rs.350-Rs.500 during off-season and up to Rs.650 during on-season times. If you need a separate sumo are also available for a total rent of Rs.2000- Rs.3000 depending on the time of the year you travel and sometimes even rate varies according to the time of the day. The J&K government run buses are also there to Srinagar which will take Rs.150 and takes 12 hours.

So I got into a sumo who took another fifteen minutes to start. My thoughts were could I reach in time so that I can check-in into a hotel before my dinner. Thanks to the driver in just above 3 hours we had our first stop at a place called Kud. Kud is a small town 110 km away from Jammu which is famous for its patissa in other words sohan papdi or sohan halva. I thanked god that I dint miss this. Generally I don’t like sohan papdis but if it Haldiram’s I’ll never miss to have a hand and after that this kud patissa is the one which score. There are lots of shops just on the highway where we can get these patissa. Most shops are there for generations now.

After a short fifteen minutes stop at kud we started our journey back to Srinagar. It was already becoming dark. And in few minutes we are totally engulfed by dark. Again thanks for a skillful driving in another five hours we reached Srinagar. The driver also suggested some good hotel out of which I selected Hotel Diamond at the lal chowk for my stay. Normally rooms in Srinagar are costlier in summer. I got a single occupancy double room for Rs.400 which in summer will cost around Rs.1200. It was pretty cold there and it’s the first time in my life I was staying at place where it was below 5 degrees. Luckily I got a good dinner too.

The next day I was in the clients place well above the scheduled time. But that’s after a great difficulty in getting up on a cold morning. Once my training was over I came back to the hotel got fresh up and decided to explore Srinagar.

First I decided to find a best place to have my lunch. Most of people in the client place and in the hotel made unique choice to taste Krishna Visno Dhaba’s rajma (kidney beans) rice and curry rice. It was not difficult for me to find out the place at mandir road as any autowala can take there. It was exceptionally good the rajma curry was cooked and served hot with rice. During the stay in Srinagar one thing I observed was that any meal will be served sliced radish. It’s a never miss meal at Krishna dhaba. Then when I decided to move further I got a call from my manager to check my mail regarding some official information and revert back before the end of the day.

Once I was back in the hotel with a disappointment where I had one more disappointment waiting for me. I switched on my laptop and connected to my mobile to access internet but I couldn’t get connected to internet. When I called the mobile subscriber I got the news that GPRS connectivity is not available in J&K due to security reasons. So I started searching for an internet café and found one after a little difficulty. When I finished the work it was just after five and after that I lost my mood to move around.

I came back to the hotel and took some rest then ordered for a cup of tea. I had a little chat with the guy who served the tea and found the places to roam around in Srinagar. The hour chat with the guy gave me clear idea on what to do, how to move around and at what cost. Then I planned myself to accommodate most of this in my two weeks stay along with my training schedule.

To start with I selected the Adi Sankaracharya temple. It is at1100 feet high in the hills southeast of Srinagar. The temple is devoted to lord Shiva. The temple itself looks like a Shiva lingam. It is said to be built somewhere in 5 B.C. but it was in 9^th century saint sankaracharya visited this place to preach sanatan dharma. This can be reached by road and then taking around 250 steps to the temple. Temple was renovated multiple times in the past by many king and Indian government. This strong ancient monument is considered to have the one of the oldest shrine in the valley and survived two fateful earthquakes. The temple has been declared to be of National importance under the ancient Monument and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act by Archaeological Survey of India. You can have a great view of Dal Lake and Jhelum river flowing making a great a picturesque.

My next plan to have a visit to the Mughal Gardens, a group of three gardens Chashma Shahi (The royal fountain), Nishat (abode of peace) and Shalamar (abode of love). As the name suggests the gardens were built by Mughal empires for their lovable begums. History says that Srinagar itself was found by the greatest mughal emperor Akbar who built a great fort overlooking the dal lake. Followed by him many mughal emperors developed the city. But most notable was Shah Jhan who was behind all the three Mughal gardens. In particular the shalamar was redesigned and built for his gifted wife Noor jahan. He also extended to Mughal garden with chashma shahi which a very beautiful spring flows through. The rose gardens and the mild fragrance make it really romantic.

Facing the beautiful Nishat Bagh is the Hazratbal mosque. The mosque offers a spectacular view of the lake and the   mountain afar. This holy place houses the preserved sacred hair of Prophet Mohammad. It is said that the sacred hair was brought here by Aurangzeb before which it was kept at Naqashbad Sahib situated in the center of the city. The sacred hair will be kept for public display only on religious occasions. This Mosque is considered as an essence of the love and respect of Muslims for the Prophet. This white marble historic structure is breath takingly beautiful and is also the only domed mosque in Srinagar. Ladies are not allowed after the first part of the masque.

Next it was the most awaited location, the Dal Lake. The Shikara ride in the Dal Lake will cost you around Rs.150 in off season and Rs. 500 in season time for a whole Shikara. Make sure to show off your bargaining skills especially in off season. If you are staying longer, you could go on shikara rides more than once to a different part of the lake. A must see is the “village” in the lake. Ask for a ride to the side where the locals live and the view of floating vegetable market should be on the never miss list. The market is usually operational only at sunrise.

Another option to spend time in Dal Lake is the houseboats. Unlike the one I’m very familiar with in Alleppey, Kerala these houseboats do not float around the lake. These are anchored off-shore. It is a great and unique way to enjoy your stay in the city. Houseboats are accessible either by road, or by a short shikara boat ride. Houseboat usually has 2-5 bedrooms plus bath, dining room, living room and upper deck. It is recommended not to book a houseboat in advance before arriving. It is to get a better price when go in person, and to get a better feeling of if you’ll like the place and the owners. Boats with land access have the advantage of allowing you to leave if you feel uncomfortable, or just like going for a walk, but should not mind the noise from the outside. If you are comfortable with houseboats which are accessible by shikara then you can always take that but mind it is rare to get a transport in the night.

The houseboat cost may range anywhere from Rs.600 to Rs.6000 rupees some including two times meal and depend on the time of the year you travel. Be sure to take a 1 hour boat tour of the lake inlets to get a nice glimpse of life and wildlife along the lake. It is averaged at about Rupees 300 to 500. If you are not comfortable with houseboats there are lot of hotels near Dal Lake which range from nominal to luxury.

After finishing the options to roam around inside Srinagar we have places nearby to visit like Sonamarg, Gulmarg, and Pahalgam. Each one of these is simply beautiful and unique in its own way and unique.  Sonamarag is 87 km north-east of Srinagar where we find glaciers and the joy ride of sledge drawn by men.  Gulmarg is known for its flowers and skiing. It also has the Asia’s highest and longest cable car to have a great view of Himalayas. Here the season starts from December and goes till April. Pahalgam one of the most beautiful places on earth, the town of Pahalgam offers breathtaking views. One can just trek on some of the many mountains or one can trek to Lidderwat, Kolohoi Glacier or to Sonmarg. Snow skiing is an attraction during the winter months (from December to late February). Pahalgam is also the entry point for the famous Amarnath Cave, a holy site for Hindus. We need a separate day or two each to visit these places.

Having planned to visit all these places my second and third day was bit tight thanks to the bright participants. And how lucky I was PM and Congress president Sonia Gandhi visited Srinagar so security was tight and I was told not to move around during this time. I even had visitors to my room to check if I’m a true Indian Citizen. Then the disappointing call came from my office to cut off the training schedule in four days.

The next day I finished my scheduled and packed back to Delhi. I took a flight from Srinagar and what a wonderful sight it was. Though it was disappointing Kashmir valley called me back in two weeks and I was back in Awanthipura in two weeks of time. Awanthipura is a small town 28 km away from Srinagar and who knows this, it one of the largest producer of cricket bats in the world. I was overwhelmed when I enjoyed the first snow fall in my life there. So the journey is set to continue…….

For future travelers…

How to reach Srinagar?

Where to Stay?

What to eat?

Where to move around?

Dal Lake, shikara ride in Dal Lake, Mughal gardens, Hazratbal mosque, Adi Sankaracharya temple, Sonamarg, Gulmarg, and Pahalgam.

What can you buy?

The handicrafts range of Kashmir is complete only with woolen shawls and woodcarving. Travelers can purchase richly embroidered woolen shawls in. Apart from regular woolen shawls, one can also buy Pashmina shawls (made from the hair of ibex) and shahtoosh shawls (made from the hair of the Tibetan antelope), which are highly valued shawls manufactured in Kashmir. As Kashmir is the only state where walnut trees grow in India, complicated carvings are done on walnut wood to create items like tables, chairs, stools, fruit bowls, partitions and more that have rich floral and framework patterns carved on them. World’s best willows are grown in this part of India so cricket fans can have their pick of choice bats from here.

Kashmir at Glance (02 Nights/03 Days)
Srinagar- Gulmarg–Srinagar.

Glimpse of Kashmir (03 Nights/04 Days)
Srinagar- Gulmarg–Srinagar.

Royal Kashmir (04 Nights/05 Days)
Srinagar –Pahalgam – Gulmarg –Srinagar

Unforgettable Kashmir (05 Nights/06 Days)
Srinagar – Gulmarg – Yusmarg – Pahalgam – Srinagar

 Kashmir at its best (06 Nights/07 Days)
Srinagar—Pahalgam-Sonamarg-Gulmarg-Srinagar

For Further Details Please Contact:

Anees Travels Pvt Ltd

Boulevard , Dalgate

Srinagar- Kashmir

Ph: (0194)-2453579, 2501092

Cell : 9419078057, 9419444269, 9796337272

Contact Person : Sheikh Ashraf

The first thing that comes in the mind of the tourists who thinks of Kashmir is the silent Dal Lake and Kashmir’s own romantic houseboats known as Shikaras floating on the backdrop of sunset. Dal Lake is situated in Srinagar the capital city of Jammu and Kashmir. The entire Lake covers an area of around 18 squire kilometres. Most of the shores of this beautiful Lake are filled with Mughal gardens, Parks and hotels. Dal Lake is one of the most beautiful and romantic lakes in the country. From the time of Mughal rule, passing the British rule and even now in the present time, the charms of this Lake have not reduced even a bit. The lotus and water lilies in the Lake makes it more stunning. Dal Lake is one of the main attractions that bring thousands of tourists to the Kashmir valley annually.

Srinagar airport is the close to Dal Lake and the closest railway station is in Jammu. The roadways are perfectly maintained with a good network system connecting different parts of the country through Chandigarh, Delhi, Jammu, Gulmarg etc. the capital city also have plenty of accommodation options.

Im  Winter 2009 brachte der “New  Zealand Ski Club of Kashmir” 8 junge Ski Lehrer und Ski Lehrerinnen aus Australien, Neuseeland, England, Argentinien und Frankreich nach Gulmarg in Kaschmir um einheimischen Kindern das Skifahren beizubringen. In seinem kurzen Video erzählt Jack McCowan über die Erfahrungen die er und seine Kollegen während diesem Einsatz gemacht haben. Das Video spricht für sich selbst und zeigt mit wie viel Begeisterung und Wertschätzung diese einmalige Gelegenheit von den Kindern genutzt wurde und wie stark sie sich über ihre ersten Skiversuche gefreut haben.

Für diesen selbstlosen Einsatz müssen diese jungen Idealisten gelobt und ihnen gedankt werden für ihre hervorragende Lehrtätigkeit in dieser verlassenen Gegend. Sie haben viel dazu beigetragen um den Kindern in Gulmarg ein einzigartiges Erlebnis zu vemitteln und bei einigen haben sie vielleicht sogar die Grundlagen geschaffen damit sie sich ihre Zukunft mit einer Tätigkeit im Ski- und Bergsport selbst gestalten können.

Auch wir können unseren persönlichen Beitrag zur Verbesserung der Zukunftschancen der Menschen in Kaschmir leisten in dem wir diesen Skiort im Himalaya besuchen und ihn bei Freunden und anderen Skifahrern und Snowboardern bekannt machen.

In 2009 the New Zealand Ski Club of Kashmir brought 8 young ski instructors from Australia, New Zealand, UK, Argentine and France to Gulmarg in Kashmir to teach the young children in this remote area how to ski. In his recent video Jack McCowan gives an account of the experience those ski instructors made when they were there. The video speaks for itself and shows how much the efforts of these young volunteers were appreciated by the kids and how much they enjoyed their first skiing experience.

These young ski instructors must be applauded for their selfless engagement and be thanked for a fantastic job done! They have contributed a lot by giving to many of these kids probably a ” once in a life time experience” and to some they may even have taught the basic skills that could motivate them to design their own future as skiing and mountaineering professionals.

We all can contribute to a brighter future for this young generation by visiting this Himalaya ski resort and by promoting it to all our friends and skiers or snowboarders we know.

Major Himalayan Hill Stations

Gulmarg & Sonamarg
The beauty of this place can only be seen to believe. No words, no phrases would be enough to capture the sheer brilliance of this unimaginable canopy crafted by the God. Resembling a huge bowl of meadow, lush and green, where the only voices that you hear are the cowbells tinkling away in the fields, Gulmarg looks like a fantasy world.

Srinagar
This place is the capital of Jammu and Kashmir and is also the largest city in the state. Situated at an altitude of 1730 meters from the sea level, this place is world famous for its Dal Lake and the floating House Boats in its waters. Also home to one of the most exquisitely designed landscape of flora and fauna; Mughal Gardens, the city has a sleepy yet energetic charm about it.

Ladakh
A land like no other, Ladakh is guarded on both sides by two of the world’s mightiest mountain ranges, the Himalayas and the Karakoram Range. A place full of breathtaking sights, Ladakh is a different world with its strange Gompas perched on heights; the barren and rocky surfaces sprayed with patches of grass in between, and also the patches of white powder snow that seem too hard to resist for the on-lookers to play with.

Shimla
Just think of anything beautiful related to the mountains, and the chances are, that you will see and hear all those sights and sounds here in this Capital of Himachal Pradesh. The amazing town of Shimla, which was also the summer capital in pre-independence era of the British Raj, is certainly full of with all the natural beauties that you can imagine.

Perched on a scenic hill location overlooking a deep valley, the hill town has plenty of green pastures around it. The added beauty of this place is the Narrow Gauge rail that connects it from the town of Kalka located in the foothills.

Kullu
Once known as Kulanthpitha, the end of the living world, Kullu is nestled in the valley on looking the vast Himalayan range. Situated on the banks of the Beas River, this town is famous for the Kullu Dussehra which is annually held with celebrations lasting almost a week. Travel Articles

Manali
This is another hill town of Himachal Pradesh which is very popular among tourists due to its closeness to the snow capped region of the Himalayas. Also famous for its apple orchards, this town is a popular honeymoon destination and also serves as a base camp for numerous treks in the higher peaks of the Himalayas.

Dharamshala
A place which is more famous for the exiled Tibetan Leader Dalai Lama; Dharamshala is a pretty place with its dense pine trees and Deodar forests. Surrounded with plenty of fresh water streams and a bustling bazaar, Dharamshala is a perfect place to unwind and exploring the Tibetan temples.

Dalhousie
This is a quiet mellowed town, with a great sense of serenity. This hill station is also a place to spend a nice weekend at a relaxed and easy pace.

Nainital
This is a fairytale town situated around a big reservoir of water which is Called “Naini Tal”. The Tal is actually the main attraction of the hill town, which is thronged by plenty of tourists every year. Situated in the hills of Kumaon, Nainital is also surrounded by Bhim Tal, Sat Tal, Naukuchia Tal and Khurp Tal.

Mussoorie
This hill station is located just 35 kilometers from Dehradun, the capital city of Uttranchal. Owing to its majestic beauty, this place is also famous among tourists as the queen of hill stations. AN excellent place to chill out away from the sweltering heat of the plains, this place presents a very good option of catching a quick chilling tour because of its easy accessibility from the plains.

Rishikesh
This religious and yoga centre is located just 24 Kms away from Haridwar. This place is famous for its Ghats and Sadhus, and also serves as the vantage point for deities going to pay their prayers to the Chaar Dhams of Badri Nath, Kedar Nath, and Yamunotri & Gangotri Dhams.

Kailash Mansarovar
The mystery of this vast reservoir of almost frozen water perched on the Tibetan plateau still beckons hundreds of visitors every year. The story of Lord Shiva’s abode Kailash Parvat over-looking this Sarovar also attaches a religious significance to the place for Hindus.

Recently, Gulmarg made headlines in one of the leading

newspapers where it was spotted as one of the potential locations for 2010 Winter Commonwealth games. One of my friends told me that Gulmarg, in Kashmir, is a place that serves as the hub of activity from November to March. Being an adventure enthusiast, I decided to visit the same as my next holiday destination. I packed my bags and headed towards Srinagar, which is at a distance of about 53 km from Gulmarg. While driving towards Gulmarg, Tahir, my driver told me that this land of prestine beauty was named by Sultan Yusuf Shah because of the countless colourful flowers meadows present here. Tahir first took me to a hotel where I had some snacks. I decided to start off with skiing. Gulmarg is a place with ample opportunities for the amateurs as well. One can easily find all the equipments and training facilities in Gulmarg for skiing, tobo-ganning, ski-bobbing and paragliding along with a T-bar lift, a chair lift and ski-lifts. Luckily I got the skis and sticks, snow boots, woolen socks, mufflers, windproof jackets, goggles and caps on rent at a reasonable price. It is the best Ski resort in the country and maintains the high-quality service. Tahir also told me that it also holds a position as one of the highest lift served Ski resorts in the world. As I wanted to try out heli-skiing, a helicopter took me to the chosen peak from where I could choose my own descent route. It was great fun. I noticed that sledges and snow cycles are also quite popular here during winters. Another best part about Gulmarg is that it serves as the highest natural golf course of the world, situated at an altitude of 2890 m. The place also

offers countless trekking opportunities. Apharwat Lake, which is frozen until mid-June and even after that, provides wonderful trek routes to tourists. More adventurous trekkers can climb straight up the boulder-strewn slope of the ridge and descend on the other side to the path, which obviously is a thrilling exercise. From Gulmarg, a pony track leads upwards to Khilanmarg, Kongdori and Seven Springs. It takes a couple of hours by pony, and slightly longer on foot. While at Khilanmarg, I could enjoy the unparalleled views of the great Himalayan range. What I enjoyed most after skiing was the horse ride alongside the Alpather Lake. While returning to my hotel, I paid a short visit to the holy shrine of Baba Reshi, a Muslim mystic saint. I found the the meadow of flowers amazingly beautiful. After all these were the favorites of Emperor Jehangir who collected 21 different varieties of wild flowers from here.

Kashmir valley is one of the most beautiful places in the world. There is no match for its beauty anywhere in the world. The mesmerizing hill ranges are not only worth watching but worth trekking. Adventure lovers consider Kashmir valley as their Mecca. There are several mountain ranges which offer trekking facilities. Amarnath Yatra is considered more pilgrimage than adventure trekking; still have all the zest of a normal trekking.

The other major trekking areas are, Gulmarg, Sonamarg and Thajiwas trekking. Trekking from Sonamarg to the valley via Gangabal Lake is also a very popular and excellent trekking route. People from distant places visit Kashmir to experience Himalayan mountain ranges.

Srinagar is the nearest airport to reach Kashmir and Jammu Tawi is the nearest railway station. There are immense options to stay in hotels, resorts etc. to enjoy adventure filled vacation in Kashmir

Viele Skifahrer und Snowboarder die sich am Freeriden abseits der markierten Pisten erfreuen träumen davon sich auch einmal das Erlebnis des Heli Skiings gönnen zu können. Für die meisten bleibt dies aber meistens nur ein unerfüllter Traum, vor allem deshalb weil dieses exklusive Pulverschnee Vergnügen seinen Preis hat. Die typischen Kosten von 4‘000 bis 8‘000 EUR für eine Woche (für 5 bis 6 Tage!) Heli Skiing sind auch in guten Zeiten für einen grossen Teil der Ski und Snowboard Gemeinschaft eine Ausgabe die man sich nicht einfach so leisten kann.

Bis vor ein paar Jahren hatten Pulverschnee Enthusiasten vor allem in den Europäischen Alpen wenigstens noch die Möglichkeit in verschiedenen Regionen einige jungfräuliche Pulverschnee Hänge im Umfeld der erschlossenen Ski Gebiete geniessen zu können. Mit dem Aufkommen der Snowboards und der Einführung der breiten Freeriding Skis hat sich dies allerdings auch geändert und die derzeit noch befahrbaren Pulverschnee Gebiete in Bergbahn Nähe genügen der immer grösser werdenden Zahl von Freeridern bei weitem nicht mehr. Die meisten dieser Gebiete sind deshalb bereits kurz nach der Eröffnung der Bergbahnen am frühen Vormittag schon total verspurt.

Statt auf die veränderten Bedürfnisse von Skifahrern und Snowboardern zu reagieren und entsprechende neue Gebiete zu schaffen haben leider viele Bergbahnen und Wintersport Orte ihre Chance zur Differenzierung verschlafen und sogar widerstandslos akzeptiert, dass die wenigen, im erschlossenen Bergbahn Gebiet noch verfügbaren Pulverschnee Abfahrten mit Beschränkungen zur Schaffung von sg. Wildschutzzonen belegt worden sind.

Ob man diese, für viele Gebiete mindestens fragwürdigen Vorschriften ohne weitsichtige Konsequenzenermittlung auf die Auswirkungen auf den Wintersport Tourismus einfach widerstandslos hingenommen hat oder ob man ganz einfach das stetig steigende Kundenbedürfnis nach unbefahrenen Pulverschnee Hängen vollumfänglich ignoriert hat soll hier nicht weiter beurteilt werden.

Eines ist auf jeden Fall unbestritten – Wer heute in den Alpen aktiv den Trendsport „Freeriden“ betreiben will muss auf jeden Fall früh aufstehen um überhaupt noch eine Chance für wenigstens eine Abfahrt über noch wenig befahrene Pulverschnee Hänge zu haben. Dabei muss zudem auch noch riskiert werden, dass man für die Ausübung seines Lieblingssports  gebüsst wird und dass dabei sogar der Skipass entzogen werden kann!

Bei mir führten diese unbefriedigenden Rahmenbedingungen schon vor Jahren zu einem demotivierenden Frustzustand. Als dann in der letzten Vergangenheit zusätzlich immer mehr neue Vorschriften erlassen wurden, welche die Ski Freiheiten des Individuums weiter einschränkten hat es mir definitiv gereicht. Ich bin aufgebrochen um nach anderen Gebieten und Regionen zu suchen die mir ermöglichen sollten meinen Lieblingssport weiterhin ohne unnötige Behinderungen ausüben zu können. Einen Ort an dem die Voraussetzungen noch vorhanden sind um das beim Freeriden aufkommende Gefühl der unbeschwerten Freiheit voll geniessen zu können und wo die tiefe Verbundenheit zur unberührten Natur noch empfunden werden kann,  und dies zu Kosten die noch in den Budget Möglichkeiten des Normal-Verdieners liegen.

Während meinen Trekking Expeditionen im Himalaya habe ich deshalb immer wieder nach Gebieten gesucht die für das Freeriden geeignet wären und wo auch eine elementare Beförderungsinfrastruktur für den Wintersportler vorhanden wäre. Gefunden habe ich diese dann schlussendlich im Winter 2005/2006 in Gulmarg in Kaschmir. Hier habe ich all das wieder entdeckt was bis vor noch gut 15 Jahren auch in vielen Skigebieten Europas gefunden werden konnte. Nach Jahren der Pulverschnee Enthaltsamkeit bin ich mir dort vorgekommen wie im Paradies – wiedergeboren in einem Traumgebiet für Tiefschnee Fahrer, in einem Ambiente das an die Pionier Zeiten des Wintersports erinnert.

Dieses einzigartige Pulverschnee Ski Gebiet liegt in Kaschmir, am 4‘127m hohen Mt. Apharwat in den Pir Panjals am westlichen Ende der Himalaya Gebirgszüge. Die im Jahre 2005 vom französischen Lieferanten Poma fertig gestellte 6er Gondelbahn führt vom Ski Ort Gulmarg auf 2‘600m zur Bergstation auf 3‘990m. Von da aus können entlang des gut 6km langen Gebirgskamms zahlreiche Abfahrten über weit offene Schneefelder genossen werden. Auf Grund dessen, dass es für Freerider durchaus möglich ist mit der Gondelbahn pro Tag 6 bis 10 Abfahrten zu geniessen ist ein Abfahrtsvolumen von bis zu 10‘000 Höhenmetern absolut im Bereich des Möglichen und man darf hier deshalb durchaus von „Heli Ski Erlebnissen mit der Gondelbahn“ sprechen.

Bis heute ist Gulmarg ein Geheimtipp für Pulverschnee Fahrer geblieben, dies trotz den diversen Anstrengungen von uns und unseren Mitbewerbern um das Leistungsangebot in Gulmarg besser bekannt zu machen und um damit auch einen Beitrag zu leisten die Verdienstmöglichkeiten der einheimischen Bevölkerung zu verbessern. Das Skigebiet von Gulmarg wird deshalb in der unmittelbaren Zukunft seinen speziellen Charme sicher nicht verlieren, auch wenn sich das Hotel Zimmer Angebot von heute gut 300 Winter tauglichen Hotel Betten in den nächsten 3 bis 5 Jahren verdoppeln sollte.

Bei der Erkundung der Ski Möglichkeiten im Himalaya war auch der Faktor Preis eine wichtige Komponente denn schliesslich wollte ich ja etwas finden das sich auch der Normal-Verdiener leisten kann. Dank den Preisentwicklungen sowohl in Gulmarg wie auch im Internationalen Flugverkehr ist es heute möglich den interessierten Freeridern Programme anzubieten die sich durchaus mit den Ausgaben für den Aufenthalt in einem ähnlichen Freeriding Gebiet in den Alpen vergleichen lassen oder sogar günstiger sein können. (z.B. Arlberg, Davos, Andermatt, Verbier, Chamonix, etc.).  Wer einen zwei Wochen Ski Urlaub in Gulmarg ins Auge fasst muss heute je nach Programm mit den Flügen zwischen 1‘700 EUR und 2‘000 EUR rechnen.

Im Winter 2009/2010 wird nun in Gulmarg zum ersten Mal auch Heli Skiing angeboten. Im Gegensatz zu anderen Heli Ski Destinationen stehen hier den Gästen zwei Programm Varianten zur Verfügung, einerseits das typische 6 Heli Ski Tage Angebot zu einem Preis von 7‘000 EUR pro Person und andererseits die Möglichkeit zur Buchung von Einzelflügen zum Preis von 300 EUR pro Person. Auf Grund der Wetter und Wind Situation im Himalaya empfehle ich den interessierten Gästen sich vorerst nur für eines unserer Pulverschnee Programme anzumelden und dann vor Ort bei guten Wetter und Schnee Verhältnissen allfällige Einzelflüge zu buchen.

Mit der Kombination des Freeridings im Gondelgebiet und ein paar individuellen Heli Ski Flügen an den besten Tagen können passionierte Tiefschnee Fahrer so das ultimative Himalaya Ski Erlebnis geniessen –  und dies zu einem Budget das immer noch weit unter den niedrigsten Kosten für einen günstigen Heli Ski Urlaub an einem anderen Ort liegt und erst noch eine Woche länger dauert!

Abschliessend möchte ich die wesentlichen Eigenschaften des Gondelbahn Skigebiets von Gulmarg noch kurz zusammen fassen:

• Bergstation auf 3‘990m
• Höchster, von der Bergstation zu erreichender Punkt liegt auf 4‘300m
• 6km Gebirgskamm mit 19 anfahrbaren resp. an-traversierbaren Einstiegspunkten
• Abfahrten bis zur Mittelstation mit 800 bis 1‘200 Höhenmetern, 1‘600m bis ins Dorf
• Längste Abfahrt bis in den Talboden nach Drang 1‘900m Höhenmeter und 18km Fahrt
• Hangneigung 32° bis über 40°, Hanglage mehrheitlich N-NE
• Mögliches Fahrvolumen pro Tag: 6‘000 bis 10‘000 Höhenmeter, je nach Kondition und Fahrtechnik
• Ski Fahrer und Snowboarder am Berg: An Spitzentagen rund 300 Personen
• Wartezeit an der Gondelbahn an Spitzentagen: 20 bis 30 Minuten
• Durchschnittliche Schneehöhe im Dorf auf 2‘600m: 3m
• Durchschnittlicher Schneefall pro Saison: 20m
• Saison Dauer: Mitte November bis Anfangs Mai
• Beste Reisezeit: Mitte Januar bis Mitte März
• Schön/schlecht Wetter Verhältnis: 50/50
• Empfohlene Aufenthaltsdauer: 2 Wochen (Akklimatisationszeit, Schönwetter Reserve)
• Kosten für einen 2 Wochen Aufenthalt: 800 EUR bis 1′300 EUR je nach Program plus Flugkosten

Dieser Beitrag richtet sich an alle Skifahrer und Snowboarder die wie ich auf der Suche nach einem Freeriding und Ski Gebiet sind in dem sie ihren Lieblingssport noch frei und unbeschwert ausüben können und dies zu einem Preis der noch bezahlbar ist. Er soll zeigen, dass es solche Orte tatsächlich noch gibt und dass das Skifahren mit Gondelbahn auch im Himalaya möglich ist.

Informationen über das Himalaya Heli Ski und Freeriding Gebiet in Gulmarg findet man auch hier: Free Ski Himalaya

Gulmarg, Kashmir, India. By Siddharth Singh (c) 2009

It was just another day at office, myself, pattu, sunil, ravi, vishwa were chatting at our usual adda post lunch at cafeteria. Well, the topic of dicussion was to decide and plan for rafting…where, when? abruptly we decided to go to dhandeli for kali river rafting and action item for me was to check the feasibility. After googling and discussions with friends I got the contacts of the jungle resorts in dhandeli, but upon contacting them we realised that waters in kali is capable of rafting only after september since the waters in the dam has to come up. So now that the dhandeli plan was put on hold until few months hehe….there was some other mission idea revolving around pattu’s mind (…kashmir?) which only required a small ignition , was finally done by Suresh (sales suresh.,have to specify to diffrenciate between IT suresh..hehe). Pattu asked me to drop by his desk next day, then I did, he was all with his smiles there…he told me that we have diverted the trip from dhandeli to Himalayas and probably srinagar/amarnath? Are you crazy or what, I replied. But that’s no surpise in the team as we have done this couple of times..remember the kodaicanal trip? After this idea was floated we all decided to go to srinagar-amarnath since pattu had already visited once so he can be our tour guide cum host few of guys (Pattu, sunil, suresh, ravi ) were already ready for the ad-venture., I think some of them had dual idea in mind – “swamy karya hagu swakarya” by visiting amarnath. But yeah I was bit skeptical initially whether to go or not…what was that blocking me? well, I dont have an answer but what drove me to join was the passion towards adventures.

Pattu and Sunil took the initiative to search for the best possible cheap flight tickets for us to travel to sringar. Finally pattu could find some on the yatra.com and tickets were booked for 31st July 09 8:30am departure and 4th Aug 2:30 pm return. After 2-3 days Shyam also wanted to join, so pattu booked tickets for him but he dropped out after 12 hrs of booking , again some work for pattu to get the tickets cancelled, yes this time around he had tough time getting refunds from yatra.com, finally he had to escalate it to CEO of yatra.com. sounds weird? but its not unusual for IT infra folks like us isn’t it? Well before 29 july we regrouped to discussed the plan or the modalities for the trip and decided the things to carry and do. We (myself, pattu, Sunil, Ravi and Suresh) were all set to go, but last moment Ravi dropped out from the trip due to his eye infection , it was four of us left for trip.

On 31st july 2009 we started for the trip, flight was around 8:30am from bangalore – delhi (stopover) and then to srinagar. So we are pooled the cab and reached the airport having idly wada on the way . We reached Srinagar in the afternoon that day by around 1:30 pm, I was told that its a military airport so expecting it to be a baremetal one, but to my surprise it was a full fledged airport architectured for the way it should be to handle the heavy winter snowing. We found a travel counter at the airport so we decided to enquire there about the cab to baltaal base camp, the person there was very courteous and he told us the pricing and route etc. Our suresh with very excitement asked – ’shiv lingu kitna height hai abhi’ the answer came back ‘ Woh ling hai lingu nahi…,apko hindi kisne sikaya’ by then we were all bursting in laughs…

We hired tavera cab from sringar airport for 2100/- to baltal base camp which is 130km from srinagar. The drive was through sonmarg & kangan along the valley of rezan, throuhgout the drive, we enjoyed the pictureque scenery, apple plantations with stoppings at the some of the beautiful spots. The driver was not willing to stop frequently since after 3 pm the military convoy passes thru and if we get stuck has to wait for an hr or so, but, we insisted and made some pitstops for photo sessions & lunch (parota, lassi with chana…hmmm mouthwatering is it?) . It was the National Highway (NH1D) and zeal of Kashmir started taking on us. Here on we started admiring beauty of Kashmir and why all call it as heaven on the earth. The road which leads to kargil and then to Ley-Ladakh twin cities as so we could see sign boards mentioned ley 370Km. After 3 hrs of drive we came at a deviation for baltal base camp where in the road for another 2-3 km was completely muddy and pose challenges for even 4×4 SUV’s. We reached the base camp at around 5pm and we had to pass thru couple of security checks and there was even a computerised baggage scan. It was valley between high mountains and we were clicking photos, while a army jawan standing there called us in kannada, not sure how he realised we’re from karnataka, we left that place after a quick chat with him – ‘nimma uuru, estu varsha aithu kashmir ge bandu etc’. Then we hired a tent after negotiation for 50 bugs per day/head and logged our bags in to it and left in search of food, pattu knew langars (these are hindu cummunity kitchens serves free food to all the yatris), to our surprises menus there goes from roti, chawal, daal…to masala dosas’s & sweets etc . We had good daal rice and a roti and came back to our tent, had good sleep that night since we knew the next morning gonna be tough for us…at 11pm in the night we heard the announcement from the authorities that nobody should venture into the trek next morning till 5am, unless they declare the weather conditions favorable one.

Fact file: The trek to the Amarnath caves during the months of June – August every year is one of the most holy pilgrimages for Hindus. It is located at a height of 13000 ft above sea level. Best time to visit: July to August.

Climate: Average Max temp 16°C, Min Temperature -4°C.

How to reach: Trek or hire a pony from Baltal base camp is 17km and from pahalgam base camp its around 48km. Helicopter services are also availiable at the base camp.

Day 2: We got up at 4:45am in the morning after snoozing my nokia phone alarm for about 4-5 times , everyone wanted to have bath since we’re going to have darshan, so we quickly bought hot water for 20 bugs per bucket and had shower in the freezing cold atmosphere. At 5:30am we’re all ready to trek and we started climbing, on the way there were pony wallas asking us if we need them, but we rejected saying we are very confident of climbing on our own. As height was increasing sunil and suresh were stopping frequently for relaxing. I saw few Sadhu’s and old women were walking continuously chanting “Bam bhole”. I was amazed by their will power…we continued our journey. Scenic beauty nearby was wonderful Devdar trees, waterfalls, snow color rivers and mountains, flowers of different kinds, environment of Amarnath climb. No matter how fit you are, this one is demanding hike. The religious faith and zeal are what I feel will keep most of the people going. It was around 2.25km we had a pitstop and relaxed, but sunil and suresh were not ready to get up, they needed some more rest, there we decided we will hire a pony to load their luggage and they can only walk along. Meanwhile I told them that I will keep walking and will meet them at next pitstop, that time I dint realise that there will be multiple routes and we may disconnect from each other, but I went ahead for another 3 km admiring nature god and beautiful mountains. I decided to take a break and ate an apple from my backpack and relaxed for 20 min, from there the route was getting really tough and it was getting difficult to carry myself, but was determined to keep pace to complete the journey, nothing could have prohibited us to take amarnath dharshan except Army . Now that I was alone and don’t have a clue of my group reached a place where there was two routes in front of me.,I enquired few people which one to take but dint get clear reply, then I approached an Army jawan and asked – ’sir koun sa route teek rahega’ he replied ‘yeh wala route naya hai our dho kilimeter bachega aapko.,magar bahut difficult hai, rasta teek nahi hai, our doosa assan hai’ that put me on thoughts for a while but took the difficult one thinking it will reduce the time and lenght, by now it was 9:30am – 4 hrs past and covered 5km…still 12km more to go. I stretched further and started walking along with the military team who were also trekking along..,spoke to few of them but yeah very obviously I couldn’t match their pace

Now I realised if I walk further I will over extent myself without food so took quick break and ate an apple and some buscuits, by then it was 11:00 am, I had covered around 12km. Another 5 km seemed to be impossible for me but, did I had any choice? I can’t even take pony since I was on a trek route only. It was time to do a final swing, so started the trek again will a full determination to reach the cave by 12pm, sometimes even I ran like a marathon yes I did it, by 1 Pm reached and Pattu, sunil and suresh were waiting for me, we hugged with praise for eachother and left for dharshan. The cave is huge, almost few hundred meters wide and tall, we entered it finally with facing all hurdles. Luckily there was no rush, shiva lingam was around 3 ft height and parvatimayya’s lingam was beautiful and 6-8 feet high. With holy mind I prayed lord shiv. Also saw two pigeons in the cave. People say they are invincible., as they drank water falling from shivji’s jata. I drank the melted water from the lingam and left the cave.

After that we slept in a tent for an hour or so and at 3 pm we hired a pony for 500 bugs per person to come back to baltal camp. In this travelling we all invented that even horse riding is more tougher than walking. As it takes toll of your back and thighs. You also need good balance over it as few women fallen off the ponies in front of us. Finally we reached baltal at 7 pm, we were feeling relaxed as we completed Shivji’s darshan successfully. A great accomplishment for a follower. So that in mind I was very much satisfied.

Day 3 (Sonmarg-Srinagar-dal lake): We got up at 6 pm and packed our backpacks with collecting the clothes that was scattered all inside the tent. Paid the reamaning amt and said bye to Aktar (our tent care taker) We hired a cab (tata sumo) at the base camp for 3200/- to take us back to srinagar and also to have siteseeing of whole srinagar till that day evening 5pm and was supposed to drop us at dal lake. The driver was quite knowledgeable about the places around, we asked him to get us to rafting place @ sonmarg Sindh river, he did that. Myself and pattu had strong mind to do rafting in ice waters, but others were not that inclined. Reached rafting place at around 8 am, they told us 4 people are compulsary for rafting and it costs 300 bugs per head, so sunil and suresh were targets for us to convince which we did after some ragging . All set for rafting with life jackets, helmets etc, we realised the water was too freezing and any mistake of ours on the route will render us in to ice freeze waters. As the boat started off from the banks, we all shouted ‘bam bam bole’. Our boat immediately took momentum as the waters was gushing in high speed, there was amazing rapids and freezing water spilling over us…gave us an amazing experience of life time, within 30 minutes we had covered our 4km along rafting and reached the destination where our cab was waiting for us. We said gud bye to raft choach and left from there towards sringar. That day went fast with visit to world famous moghul gardens, Shankarachaya peeta on the hill top, ksheer bhavani temple and a mosque. By evening 5 pm we reached Dal lake, sunil and suresh found a beautiful house boat for 2400 bugs for 2 days for all four guys, thanks to negotiation skills of suresh

Welcome to floating sojourn…kasmir, Apples and apple-cheeked children, beautiful pahari women and the pink lotus flowers, paisleys and carpets, jewellery and wood carvings, the shikaras and houseboards.,its complete holidy atmoshere in srinagar. It still is…if it were not for the Army personnel littered all over. As one drives into sringar, it seems that the area has been taken over by the Army. At every ten steps an armed man will stop you to ensure that you are just a tourist. Hence, it is advisable to carry valid identify proof. In fact, soon enough you will start enjoying their company, since they not only make you feel safe, but also are always eager to chat and share a cup of tea, with a sermon or two flowing in if you accidentally touch upon the subject of national security.

It was time to log into the houseboat, the only way to reach houseboat is to take the shikaras. These shikaras are smaller boats that are decorated with flowers and brightly colored shiny fabrics and are specifically meant to tkae people to and fro between the houseboards and shore.

Unlike the houseboats of backwaters in kerala, these houseboats are fixed. Each houseboat is complete in itself with a few large rooms, a living room and a kitched. The remiscense of Mughal regal sensbilities can be seen in the fine furniture, delicate rugs and fabrics. After relaxing for 2-3 hrs in houseboat we thought of going out on shikara around Dal lake, we stuck a deal for 500 bugs for hrs of ride. The water is so clear that one can clearly see the underwater weeds and small fishes swimming. We sat in the shikara and watch life go by on the water, entertained sellers of all sorts of delightful things who arrived in shikaras to show their wares. Also our shikara passed by meena bazaar where we did some shopping (handicrafts, shawls etc) and finally came back to houseboat tired and everyone quickly slipped in to deep sleep.

Fact file: The valley of Gulmarg: a large meadow about 3-sq-kms in area, stands at 2,730 metres, 56-km south west of Srinagar . The name means ‘Meadow Of Flowers’ and in the spring it’s just that, a rolling meadow dotted with countless colourful Bluebells, Daisies, Forget Me Not’s and Buttercups. The valley itself is about 3-km long and up to a km wide.

Main attractions: Snow capped mountains, Gondola (rope way) , its world’s highest rope way or cable car which extends to the mountains upto 13,000ft.

Day 4 (Gulmarg): Gulmarg .. that’s what the plan for the day. As usual we had to get up early by 7am, this time was to save money on travel and to go by govt bus instead of our sumo’s or tavera’s. We reached TRC by 7am exact and upon checking with the bus station we realised that the bus to gulmarg was cancelled due to very less passenger turnout (good or bad?) well, we re back on track and hired a qualis for 1300 bugs. Our main attraction in gulmarg was Gondola (rope way), never realising that there was another adventure awaited there. Immediately after reaching there we’re approached by ponywalas and they promised a spectacular rite to the hill top where the snow mountains with another 7-8 siteseeing locations, well, with halfmindedness everyone climbed the ponies and it started climbing the hilly regions, very scenic mountains with pine trees. Then in the further journey to Gulmarg road was surrounded by flowers and chinar trees. It was yet another tiring ride on the pony of about 6km to reach the hill top, but, yeah all the tiredness vanished when we reached the place, it was so beautiful and only in the movies and probably calenders we had seen that amazingly beautifull place, we’re mesmerised. After playing with snow for 2-3 hrs, it was time for us to get down, we decided to get on to our foots, it was a very exciting trek back, photo sessions happened by default. Ad-venture din’t end after comming down, as everyone felt we should go for the gondola ride as we have come all the way to gulmarg, so we spent another 300 bugs per head and got on to gondola ride, it was amazing, breathtaking scenaries, withinn minutes the cable car reached the height of 13000 ft, where we could see the snow capped mountains. Oxygen and termperature decreased as it gradually went up, but on top it was ferfect fun. We spent some time there and came back, had lunch at a hotel near gondola base tower and walked back to the parking lot at gulmarg where the qualis was waiting for us. It was around 5:30, while the driver was not that humble this time, he was murmering that we’re late by 30 min, suresh used to call the driver as ‘frustrated soul’ that was fun too. After reaching srinagar we decide that night we will enjoy the houseboat and will not go out for dinner, so we packed some food from Nathus (famous veg restaurant and sweet stall in srinagar) and went to houseboat. That evening we sat on the brige of the houseboat with out feet in the neat waters of dal lake, chitchatting till late night with some drinks (soft ofcourse..hehe).

Day 5: (Srinagar airport): Finally it was a day when we all got up late in the morning, yes it was 9:30am quickly packed our bagpacks with all the scattered clothes in the rooms of the houseboat. Had lunch at krishna dhaba (as discovered…our fav dhaba in srinagar) and left for airport in ……an auto…yes thats correct..cost saving.,but it costed us 2Km of trek with lugguage as the autos were not allowed beyong the security checkpost before airport …ufff that was word everyone uttered. Got on to the aircraft by 2:20pm and reached bangalore by 9pm. It was home sweet home for me, but with sweet memories!!!! that’s how we completed our journey with ad_ventures….

When traveling to foreign countries the search of a suitable accommodation or an acceptable hotel becomes a key part in the planning process. Especially when planning a ski trip into the Himalayas the selection of the ideal hotel accommodation is key to avoid turning the winter holiday into survival training.

When I traveled to the ski resort of Gulmarg in Kashmir for the first time in the winter of 2005/2006 I learnt the hard way what can be experienced when believing in his own capabilities to find a suitable hotel accommodation on the spot and at a price level which corresponds to the hotel prices that are common in this part of the world.

In Gulmarg I had to accept that the known rules of the game don’t apply here. It is winter, you carry loads of luggage, there are no public transports or taxis available and you are trapped in village that stretches over a distance of more than 3 kilometers. Hotel owners know that you are here to stay and usually haven’t planned for an extended ski vacation of several weeks. This leaves you with two choices, you either accept the rates for winter suitable rooms or you sleep in a hotel which matches your budget and still pay at least the double of what you would pay in other mountain sports resorts in India for a similar room.

I had no other choice but to accept a room in a hotel without heating, neither in the room nor in the dining room and thus I slept the first two weeks of my stay in Gulmarg in my sleeping bag in a room with temperatures barely above freezing level.

Those trying to find useful information on Gulmarg’s hotel accommodation and lodging offers on the Web will only discover some proposals from Indian travel agents. Their offers are primarily addressing the Indian holiday makers who are looking for package deals during the summer months. For skiers this information is useless, first because the hotel’s pricing models for the summer months vary considerably from their winter pricing. This is mainly due to the reduced cost impact in the summer (no heating costs, more efficient means of transport, lower goods prices, higher room availability etc.). Second most of this information ignores aspects like the availability of heating or the ski in/ski out location of the hotel. In any case, most travelers should think twice before going through one of these agencies anyway.

Most readers who land on this blog after searching the web for information on “hotel accommodation in Gulmarg” expect to find here a list of recommended hotels with reference prices and contact details. Even though I could make this information available it would be of no use to potential Gulmarg visitors. This is mainly due to the fact that internet and email connectivity is not available in most hotels in Gulmarg which requires that reservations are made by phone. With this method the typical “misunderstandings” in the reservation process are more or less guaranteed, (lack of language skills, unstructured paperwork, over bookings, etc.).

Besides the pitfalls of this informal reservation process one must be aware that there is a considerable room demand for the period from mid January to mid March and that most of the winter suitable rooms have been booked in advance by local and international program operators.  Consequently direct bookings by independent travelers always entail a certain risk, if they are lucky they will be given a suitable room, however, if they are unlucky their reservations will get lost and they have to accept to change rooms several times during their stay or may even have to accept lodgings that are not meeting the expected comfort levels.

For ski vacationers in the Himalaya it is therefore important to know that the hotels in Gulmarg offer three comfort categories:

• Winter suitable category A hotels located near the slopes (the hotels correspond more or less to the 3 to 4 star standard levels in our regions). In these hotels three types of rooms are available; new and fully furnished and heated rooms, new partially finished rooms and old, not winter suitable rooms which are in the process of being renovated and which don’t meet our comfort expectations. The 7 category A hotels dispose of roughly 200 rooms with 350 beds but not all the rooms meet our comfort expectations for adequate and winter suitable lodgings.  Prices with breakfast and dinner start from 100 €.
• Not winter suitable category A and B hotels. Most of these hotel dispose of rooms which meet our comfort expectations for stays during the warm summer months. However, most of the rooms have no heating and no bath rooms with running hot water. In the winter 2005/2006 I lived in one of these hotels and was given an electric heater to keep the room warm during the night. Due to the low voltage the heater remained one of the well intentioned comfort raising gestures with no real use! Those hotels don’t dispose of the required generators to assure stable voltage and 24 hours of electricity availability, and without generators neither 24 hours’ heating nor hot water or light availability can be assured. In the winter these hotels also offer no heated dining rooms or lounges and also lack the qualified personnel to prepare warm meals. However, depending on one’s negotiation skills and the duration of the stay prices of less than 50 € per night can be achieved. In order to reach the Mt. Apharwat gondola skiers will have to accept a 30 to 40 minutes walk. The availability of taxis is scare and there are no means of public transportation.
• Huts and touris lodgings. This type of accommodation addresses primarily the needs of the budget travelers. Gulmarg offers a variety of lodgings in so called huts. Some of them offer quite comfortable lodging facilities, provided one hires a reliable “Wallah” who takes care of the wood heater, boils the hot water, cooks the meals and does the required shopping. Other suitable living and sleeping quarters can be found in so called tourist lodgings. There you can find simple rooms and dormitories with wood heating and in some places they even serve excellent food. The costs for a stay in these places starts at 15 € per day and person and include food. The gondola can be reached with a 30 to 45 minutes walk.

If there are suitable rooms available and if one disposes of sufficient time and sound negotiation skills it is quite possible to find a good deal on the spot which allows at best savings of 30 € to 50 € per week in comparison to the listed prices and the offers of international program operators. However, there is no guarantee that the promised room will also be available but what counts is that you booked there and paid for your stay in advance!

For the independent and cost conscious travelers’ convenience and as a reward for reading this far here at last the names of the 7 category A hotels. In some of these hotels we and other program operators lodge our guests in Gulmarg too: Fluorescent, Heevan, Highland Park, Hilltop, Mumtaz, Pine Palace and Royal Park.

For those who have decided to pay themselves this exclusive ski vacation in a ski resort in the Himalaya Mountains and who want to enjoy a stress and trouble free skiing holiday in comfortable and heated rooms I recommend to make use of the services of an international program operator. These operators are present in the hotel with their own personnel and assure that their guests will spend unforgettable and happy moments in Gulmarg. Offers of international operators with extremely attractive prices and multiple discount schemes should, however, be studied carefully too and if they include guiding I strongly advice to verify the competence level of the guides (license, registration, training, experience, etc.)

Those who plan to organize their own trip to Gulmarg should not waste too much time on searching the web for cheap rooms and budget hotel accommodation – my best advice for them is to hop in the plane, travel to Gulmarg and enjoy whatever experience they will make. Adventures are guaranteed, they start already at the airport with the search for a taxi that is willing and permitted to drive to Gulmarg.

More information on Gulmarg and powder ski programs in the Himalaya you find here: Free Ski Himalaya

Die Frage nach der geeigneten Unterkunft und einem passenden Hotel ist bei Reisen in fremde Länder immer ein wichtiges Element im Planungsprozess. Gerade bei einem Ski und Snowboard Urlaub im Himalaya kommt der Frage nach der idealen Hotel Unterkunft eine grosse Bedeutung zu –  insbesondere wenn man vermeiden will seinen Aufenthalt zur Überlebenswoche werden zu lassen.

Als ich im Winter 2005/2006 zum ersten Mal nach Gulmarg gefahren bin wurde mir anschaulich demonstriert was man erleben kann wenn man einfach auf Teufel komm raus dort hinfährt und auf keinen Fall über einen Veranstalter buchen will. Auf Grund meiner langjährigen Erfahrung als Führer in diesen Gebieten war ich irrtümlicherweise davon überzeugt, dass ich in Gulmarg problemlos eine gute Unterkunft in einem besseren Hotel finden werde und dies auch noch zu einem attraktiven Preis der in etwa dem typischen Preisniveau in diesem Teil der Welt entsprechen würde.

Die Hotel Realität in Gulmarg hat mich eines anderen belehrt und es lohnt sich meiner Meinung nach für niemanden diese Erfahrung nochmals selbst machen zu müssen – ausser man steht auf lange kalte Nächte im Schlafsack bei einer Zimmer Temperatur die nur knapp über dem Gefrierpunkt liegt.

Wer sich über das Hotel Angebot in Gulmarg im Web informieren will der findet zwar ein paar Basis Informationen, hauptsächlich auf Webseiten von Indischen Reiseanbietern die vor allem in den Sommer Monaten ihre Gäste dorthin bringen. Für den Winter Touristen sind diese Informationen weitgehend wertlos weil einereseits das Preisgefüge im Sommer dank der niedrigeren Nebenkosten (keine Heizkosten, effizientere Transportmöglichkeiten, viel grösseres Angebot an Zimmern dank Hotels mit nur “Sommer Infrastruktur”, etc.) ganz anders aussieht und andererseits die Winter Tauglichkeit der Hotels nicht überprüft wurde. Zudem sollten sich Reisende in jedem Fall gut überlegen ob sie wirklich ihr Hotel über eine dieser Agenturen zum voraus buchen wollen.

Die meisten Leser die auf diesen Blog als Ergebnis aus der Suche nach „Hotel Unterkunft in Gulmarg“ stossen erwarten hier jetzt eine Liste mit empfohlenen Hotels und den möglichen Preisen sowie die entsprechenden Kontakt Daten. Auch wenn ich diese Daten zur Vefügung stellen könnte so wäre dies für den interessierten Reisenden von keiner grossen Hilfe, einerseits weil auf Grund der fehlenden Internet Verfügbarkeit in Gulmarg nur der telefonische Kontakt zu permanent wechselnden Ansprechpartnern möglich ist und die Gefahr für die typischen „Missverständnisse“ bei der Buchung deshalb schon vorgegeben ist. (Mangelhafte Sprachkenntnisse, Zettel Wirtschaft, Über- buchungen, etc.).

Zudem werden gerade in der Hauptsaison die Winter tauglichen Zimmer bei den in Frage kommenden Hotels sehr stark nachgefragt und deshalb von internationalen und lokalen Anbietern auch bereits weit zum voraus reserviert. Für den indviduel Reisenden wird die Vorausbuchung deshalb so oder so zum „Russisch Roulette“, er kann zwar Glück haben und ein passendes Zimmer kriegen, wenn er Pech hat ist die Reservation verloren gegangen oder er muss akzeptieren im Verlaufe des Aufenthalts von einem passenden in ein weniger passendes Zimmer wechseln zu müssen respektive sich sogar damit abfinden in der Kategorie der nicht funktionstüchtigen Zimmer untergebracht zu werden.

Für den Ski Urlauber im Himalaya ist es deshalb vor allem wichtig zu wissen, dass das Hotel Angebot in Gulmarg in drei Unterkunftstypen unterteilt werden muss:

• Winter tauglichen Kategorie A Hotels in Pisten Nähe (entsprechen in etwa dem 3 und 4 Stern Standard in unseren Regionen). In diesen Hotels stehen dem Gast drei Zimmer Varianten zur Verfügung; die neuen und vollständig eingerichten und beheizten Zimmer, neue noch nicht vollständig fertig gestellte Zimmer und alte sich noch im Renovationszustand befindliche Zimmer die nur teilweise dem versprochenen Leistungsangebot entsprechen oder die unseren Ansprüchen an eine Winter taugliche Hotel Unterkunft nicht entsprechen. Die Anzahl Zimmer in diesen 7 Hotels beträgt ca. 200 mit rund 350 Betten, davon sind aber nur ein Teil wirklich voll Winter tauglich. Preise mit Halbpension ab 100 €.
• Nicht Winter taugliche Kategorie A und B Hotels. Die meisten dieser Hotels bieten über unserem Standard entsprechende Zimmer für die Sommer Monate an. Die Zimmer in diesen Häusern verfügen jedoch über keine Heizung und teilweise auch über kein warmes Wasser. Mir wurde im Winter 2005/2006 in einem dieser Hotels ein elektrischer Heizkörper ins Zimmer gestellt der aber wegen der fehlenden Stromspannung überhaupt keine Wirkung gezeigt hat. Diese Hotels verfügen alle nicht über den nötigen Stromgenerator ohne den man in diesem Teil der Welt weder 24h warmes Wasser noch Licht und Heizung sicherstellen kann. Im Winter fehlt neben dem beheizten Speisesaal auch das Personal zur Zubereitung von Mahlzeiten. Je nach Verhandlungsgeschick und Aufenthaltsdauer ist es aber möglich hier Hotel Zimmer zu einem Preis von  unter 50 € zu kriegen. Zur Gondelbahn braucht man zu Fuss um die 30 Minuten, Taxis oder öffentliche Transporte gibt es nicht wirklich.
• Hütten und Touristen Unterkünfte. Diese Art von Unterkunft ist vor allem für den Preis bewussten Reisenden mit wenig Komfort Ansprüchen geeignet. Es gibt in Gulmarg eine grosse Anzahl von sg. Hütten. Dies sind zum Teil ganz angenehme Unterkünfte sofern man einen zuverlässigen „Wallah“ hat der die Holzheizung am Leben erhält, das heisse Wasser kocht und sich um die Mahlzeiten und die dafür erforderlichen Einkünfte kümmert. Als Alternative dazu gibt es ein paar wenige Touristen Unterkünfte mit beheizten Zimmern und Massenlagern. Hier findet man Übernachtungsmöglichkeiten mit Mahlzeiten im Haus ab 15 € mit Verpflegung. Von diesen Unterkünften braucht man zur Gondelbahn zu Fuss zwischen 20 bis 45 Minuten.

Falls die Verfügbarkeit von Hotel Zimmern gewährleistet ist kann man mit genügend Zeit und Verhandlungsgeschick gute Konditionen aushandeln und dabei im Vergleich zu den internationalen Anbietern für einen 2 wöchigen Aufenthalt für vergleichbare Unterkünfte im besten Fall zwischen 30 und 70 Euro sparen. Die Garantie dass ein Zimmer im reservierten Standard wirklich verfügbar ist hat man dabei aber nicht! Bezahlt hingegen hat man es aber in jedem Fall schon im voraus.

Für Reisende die sich das Hotel aus Kosten-überlegungen und anderen Gründen selbst organiseren möchten gebe ich hier trotzdem noch die Namen der 7 Kategorie A Hotels in Gulmarg bekannt. In ein paar dieser Hotels bringen auch wir und die anderen Anbieter unsere Gäste unter: Fluorescent, Heevan, Highland Park, Hilltop, Mumtaz, Pine Palace und Royal Park.

Wer sich dieses exklusive Ski Erlebnis im Himalaya leisten will und den Ski Urlaub in Gulmarg ohne Stress und Sorgen geniessen möchte ist am besten beraten das Angebot von internationalen Anbietern zu nutzen. Die sind mit eigenem Personal vor Ort und kümmern sich persönlich darum, dass den Gästen die dem vereinbarten Standard entsprechenden Zimmer auch zur Verfügung stehen. Bei den internationalen Anbietern ist allerdings bei sehr günstigen Angeboten mit vielfältigen Preis/Rabatt Varianten auch Vorsicht geboten, und falls Führer mit gebucht werden so sollte unbedingt deren Status (Lizenz, Ausbildung, etc.) nachgefragt werden.

Wer allerdings trotzdem unabhängig nach Gulmarg reisen will sollte keine Zeit verschwenden um im Internet günstige Angebote für Hotel Unterkünfte zu finden sondern sich einfach ins Flugzeug setzen, nach Gulmarg fahren, sich überraschen lassen und vor Ort seine eigenen Erfahrungen machen. Das Abenteuer ist so auf jeden Fall garantiert und beginnt bereits am Flughafen mit der Suche nach einem Taxi das nach Gulmarg fahren will und darf!

Weitere Informationen über das Winter Sport Angebot in Gulmarg finden Sie bei Free Ski Himalaya

Für die meisten Menschen bedeutet der Ski Urlaub eine Reise in die weitere Umgebung ihrer Wohnregion. Es gibt nur wenig Menschen die sich darüber Gedanken machen ob es ausserhalb der typischen Ski  Destinationen auch noch andere attraktive Gebiete gibt die einen Besuch wert wären und für einige ist es sogar unvorstellbar, dass es noch anderenorts erschlossene Ski Orte gibt als in den Alpen, den Rocky Mountains und anderen bekannten Gebieten in der westlichen Welt. Das solche Orte wirklich existieren zeigt dieser Warren Miller Video Trailer über Gulmarg in Kaschmir.

Meine ersten Ski Erfahrungen im Himalaya habe ich 1993 als Teilnehmer an einem Heli Ski Programm in Manali im Indischen Bundesstaat Himachal Pradesh gemacht. Dies ist für längere Zeit mein einziges aber unvergessliches Ski Erlebnis im Himalaya geblieben. Anlässlich einer meiner Trekking Expeditionen in Nepal habe ich dann erfahren, dass demnächst in Gulmarg, Kaschmir eine Gondelbahn eröffnet werden soll. Als sich diese Information anfangs 2005 bestätigte bin ich im Winter 2005/2006 erstmals dorthin gefahren und seit dem jedes Jahr mit Gästen zurückgekehrt.

Wenn ich versuche Freunde und Bekannten für das Skifahren im Himalaya zu begeistern dann zweifeln sie oft daran dass die erforderlichen Infrastrukturen dort auch wirklich vorhanden sind oder fragen sich warum man die zusätzlichen Flugkosten in Kauf zu nehmen soll wenn man doch attraktive Skigebiete direkt vor der Haustür hat.

Also was sind dann die Gründe welche mich und andere Menschen trotzdem dazu bewegen unser Ski und Bergsport Vergnügen im Himalaya zu suchen? Für die Kletterer sind es sicher die 8‘000er Gipfel die sie anziehen und für die Trekker und Wanderer ist es vermutlich das besondere Natur-Erlebnis abseits der stark frequentierten Wanderwegen in anderen Teilen der Welt – aber warum entscheiden sich dann die Skifahrer den Urlaub im Himalaya zu verbringen?

Da sich die meisten Skiorte im Himalaya noch in einer sehr frühen Entwicklungsphase befinden und viele Abfahrtsmöglichkeiten dort noch wenig erkundet sind ist es bestimmt die Suche nach dem Unerforschten welche die Pulverschnee begeisterten Menschen in diese Berge bringt. Aber auch die einmalige Chance zu den ersten zu gehören welche über diese schier endlosen und unverspurten Hänge gleiten dürfen ist sicherlich ein wichtiger Motivationsgrund.

Neben einer gewissen Abenteuerlust ist es aber vorallem die hervorragende Pulverschnee Qualität die mich Jahr für Jahr in die Gebirgslandschaft des Himalaya zurückkehren lässt. Obwohl ich einige sehr gute  Skigebiete in den Alpen und auch in den kanadischen Rocky Mountains persönlich kennen lernen durfte so sind die Schneebedingungen und Freeriding Möglichkeiten des Himalayas mit Abstand die besten. Regelmässige Schneefälle von über einem Meter, viel trockener und tiefer Pulverschnee, sehr steile und lange Abfahrten über weite offene Schneefelder in den oberen Regionen  verbunden mit anspruchsvollen Routen durch den Wald in den Talboden schaffen nahezu perfekte Bedingungen für grossartige Pulverschnee Erlebnisse, sowohl für Ski Läufer wie auch für Snowboarder.

Ein weiterer Aspekt der den Charm dieser Ski Orte im Himalaya unterstreicht ist deren Entwicklungsstand. Trotz der jährlich wachsenden Zahl an Besuchern haben sie ihren traditionellen Charakter bis heute weitgehend erhalten. Natürlich sind einige neue Hotels entstanden und alte umgebaut worden damit der internationalen Kundschaft zentral beheizte Räume und Zimmer mit Bad und fliessend Wasser angeboten werden können. Die restlichen Infrastrukturen sind aber nach wie vor sehr beschränkt vorhanden – ein angenehmer Kontrast zu den modernen und geschäftigen Ski Orten mit ihren luxuriösen Annehmlichkeiten und unendlichen Shopping Möglichkeiten.

Ski Fahren ist aber nur ein Teil des Himalaya Ferien Erlebnisses. Für mich wie auch für viele andere resultieren die Reisen in den Himalaya immer in einem schwer in Worte zu fassenden emotionalen Erlebnis das einige Menschen auf die inspirierende „spirituelle“ Wirkungskraft dieser magischen Berge zurückführen. Was immer es auch sein mag eines ist sicher, nach ein paar Tagen oder Wochen im Himalaya kann man zweifellos eine starke Steigerung seiner körperlichen Leistungsfähigkeit erkennen und feststellen, dass sich auch die mentalen und emotionalen Energien beträchtlich erhöht haben – Ich auf jeden Fall fühle mich immer viel ausgeglichener und entspannter wenn ich nach meinen Aufenthalten in diesen Bergen in die Hektik unserer Welt zurückkehre.

Eines ist sicher, ein Ski Urlaub im Himalaya hat jedem Pulverschnee und Bergsport Begeisterten etwas zu bieten und wird deshalb schon fast zur Pflicht! Ich kann allen Outdoor Enthusiasten deshalb nur empfehlen eine Reise in den Himalaya zu wagen und sich das exklusive Ski Erlebnis zu gönnen – sie werden es bestimmt nie bereuen!

Mehr Informationen über Ski und Trekking Programme im Himalaya gibt es hier Free Ski Himalaya

A journey from Srinagar to Gulmarg, 52 km away is a very nice and pretty panorama view. Said to be Asia’s highest and longest cable car project , the two stage rope way ferries people to and from Kongdoori Mountain, a shoulder of the nearby Affarwat Peak (4200m). The view from the top, near Khilanmarg, is magnificent.

THINGS TO DO

• If you enjoy trekking, head to Khilanmarg, a 600m ascent from Gulmarg. Site for the famous winter ski runs, the meadow is full of forget-me-nots and buttercups in summer. It also has stunning views of the Nanga Parbat, Nun and Kun peaks.
• Follow the pony trail to frozen Alpather Lake, 13km away.
• Head for picnic spots such as Waters Meet where the Feroyepore Nallah (5 km away), a mountain stream meets the Bahan river or the Ningli Nallah, 8 km away, which runds downhill to meet the Jhelum near Sopore. Both places have great camping sites; you often get the share space with the Gujjars who move their herds here during summer.

Ski vacations in the Himalaya Mountains, especially at the ski resort of Gulmarg in Kashmir are gaining popularity and therefore more and more people are looking for useful information on safety issues in this region. Good sources of information are usually the online versions of the daily newspapers or websites like „Kashmir Watch“ which gives an overview on the present conflict status. Individual travelers are advised to also consult the Kashmir travel advisory of the state department/foreign office of their country of residence.

As organizers of ski and freeriding programs in Gulmarg we are not only responsible for the safety of our guests on the mountains but must also assure their well being during the whole duration of their ski vacation in Kashmir. Before interested skiers book with us we are often confronted with the following question „Is it true that the ski resort of Gulmarg is located in a disputed area and regularly targeted with acts of violence?”.  As organizer and manager of our ski programs in Gulmarg I am committed to answer these questions and to inform interested parties regularly on the security situation in Gulmarg and in Kashmir, and also to share with them my personal assessment of the conflict potential in the area. Any changes in the conflict situation that could give reason for safety concerns will be communicated with my blog and through our website.

Violence in the Gulmarg Ski Resort?

First a few words on the violence potential in the ski area – the rumor of Gulmarg being a violence prone ski resort is totally baseless and proved to be false. However, it needs to be said that Gulmarg is located in the proximity of the so called „Line of Control“ (line of demarcation between the Indian and Pakistani parts of Kashmir) and that a strong military presence can be observed in this area. On the other hand visitors need also to know that Gulmarg is a small remote and in the winter difficult to reach settlement at 2‘700m with roughly 100 permanent residents and therefore has a low potential for significant, locally triggered acts of violence, especially when all nonresident tourist industry workers have to descend to their villages in the valley at the end of the day. Other non negligible facts that speak for the improved safety situation in the area are the termination of the territorial disputes between India and Kashmir in 2003 and the encouraging results of the 2004 launched appeasement process between these two countries.

How dangerous is it to travel in Kashmir?

„Safety“ is always an issue when potential participants in our ski programs start to plan their trip to Kashmir in more detail. Due to the fact that all „foreign offices“ warn of potential demonstrations and clashes between the army/police and Kashmir’s population the travelers’ concerns about their safety are certainly justified. It can’t be denied that Kashmir is regularly suffering from acts of violence that are triggered by different reasons and it is a fact that during these clashes people are injured and sometimes even killed. However, people need also to be made aware of the fact that so far no foreign tourists have become victims of these acts of violence – if this would have been the case the world would definitely have been informed about it! The travel advisories for Kashmir published by the state department/foreign office should of course be consulted and then complemented with some independent assessments of the security situation when skiers plan their ski trip to Gulmarg. As in other parts of this region a trip to Kashmir entails a number of non negligible but manageable risks – risks that can be considerably minimized by traveling in organized groups and by joining programs of established tour operators.

My Personal Experience in Conflict Regions in the Himalayas

Since 2001 I have been guiding groups in different conflict regions of Nepal and India (Kashmir). In all these years I have never been confronted with any critical or threatening situations that could have given reason for concern. I run my ski and freeriding programs in Gulmarg since the winter season 2005/2006 without seeing any acts of violence or other harmful activities towards foreigners. Up to last year I used to take my guests immediately from the airport to Gulmarg in order to avoid the highlighted potential risks of Kashmir’s capital city Srinagar. Last winter, however, I decided to explore this “dangerous” city on my own and later took also groups there. During our stay in the city neither I nor my guests have experienced any situation that could have given rise to concern. As organizer of ski programs in Gulmarg I am regularly in touch with important sources of information in and around the ski area and have, therefore, an efficient early warning system in place which allows me to take the necessary precautions to assure the safety of our program participants should a critical situation arise.

In addition to the extremely cautious travel advisories also certain tour operators in my part of the world have started to play a dubious role when it comes to questions on “Ski Trips to Gulmarg” and the related “Safety Issues”, despite the fact that they propose their own trips to Gulmarg, too. I fail to see the motivation behind their disturbing and often destabilizing comments, it may be that they are seriously concerned for the safety of their customers (however, if they considered the risks too high they should never have proposed Gulmarg as a ski destination in the first place as the Kashmir Conflict has begun way back in 1948), but it may also be that they just take advantage of Gulmarg’s popularity to catch customers for their ski trips to other destinations in Asia (Japan, China, Heli Ski, etc.). Most probably it is just an ill-advised argument to hide their inability to justify the significant price mark ups on their programs or the failure to sell the added value of their expensive guiding services.

Based on the actual conflict situation in Kashmir a ski trip to Gulmarg presents not more risks than a trip to any other destination in this part of the world, especially if one takes the recommendations of the state department/foreign office into account, applies appropriate caution during the visit in the region and makes use of the services of experienced and locally established international program operators.

Personally I regret that some organizations and certain individuals are trying to wretch Gulmarg’s reputation as an outstanding powder ski area by spreading unqualified and disturbing rumors concerning the safety situation in the Kashmiri Mountains. My advice to all deep snow addicts, don’t let yourself be discouraged, take a chance and make your ski trip to the Himalayas – you won’t regret it! Participants of our previous programs will be pleased to confirm it.

Ski Ferien im Himalaya und insbesondere in Gulmarg, Kaschmir werden immer populärer und damit steigt auch das Bedürfnis nach brauchbaren Informationen bezüglich der Sicherheit der Reisenden. Gute Informationquellen bilden dafür in der Regel die Online Versionen der Tageszeitungen oder Webseiten wie “Kashmir Watch” wo ein umfassender Ueberblick zur aktuellen Konflikt Situation gegeben wird. Leider sind die meisten dieser Informationen nur in Englisch verfügbar. Vor allem alleine Reisende sollten deshalb ergänzend dazu auch die Reiseratschläge der jeweiligen Auswärtigen Aemter konsultieren.

Als Veranstalter von Ski und Freeriding Programmen sind wir nicht nur dafür verantwortlich, dass unsere Gäste sich am Berg sicher fühlen sondern auch, dass sie ihre Reise von A bis Z bei bester Gesundheit vollenden.  Bevor die interessierten Ski Fahrer bei uns buchen werden wir immer wieder mit der folgenden Frage konfrontiert: “Stimmt es, dass Gulmarg in einem umkämpften Gebiet liegt?”. Als Verantwortlicher dieser Programme in Gulmarg ist es mir wichtig interessierte Reisende und Ski Läufer über meine Erfahrungen stets auf dem laufenden zu halten und ihnen meine persönliche Einschätzung der aktuellen Lage mittels Blogs und über unsere Webseite mitzuteilen.

Die Gefahren Lage im Ski Gebiet von Gulmarg

Als erstes zur Gefahren Lage im Ski Gebiet  – die Aussage, dass Gulmarg in einem umkämpften Gebiet liegen soll ist total aus der Luft gegriffen und entspricht nachweislich nicht der Realität. Es stimmt zwar, dass Gulmarg rund 20km von der sg. „Line of Control“ (Demarkationslinie zwischen dem Indischen und Pakistanischen Teil Kaschmirs) entfernt liegt und deshalb in diesem Gebiet eine starke Militärpräsenz festgestellt werden kann. Gulmarg ist eine kleine, abgelegene und im Winter schwer zugängliche Siedlung auf 2′700m mit etwas über 100 Einwohnern und hat deshalb ein geringes Potential für gewalttätige Ausschreitungen, insbesondere auch deshalb weil Alle die tagsüber im Ort für den Tourismus tätig sind am Abend wieder an ihre Wohnorte im Tal zurückkehren müssen. Richtig und wichtig ist aber vor allem, dass die kriegerischen Auseinandersetzungen zwischen Indien und Pakistan bezüglich der territorialen Zugehörigkeit von Kaschmir 2003 zu Ende gegangen sind und dass seit 2004 im Entspannungsprozess zwischen den beiden Ländern erfreuliche Fortschritte erzielt worden sind.

Wie sicher ist das Reisen in Kaschmir?

Der Punkt „Sicherheit“ taucht immer wieder auf wenn sich potentielle Teilnehmer an unseren Programmen etwas näher mit ihrer Reise nach Kaschmir befassen. Da alle Auswärtigen Aemter auf die Gefahr von möglichen Demonstrationen und Auseinandersetzungen zwischen der Armee/Polizei und der Bevölkerung aufmerksam machen sind die Sorgen bezüglich der eigenen Sicherheit in Kaschmir gut zu verstehen. Es kann auch nicht abgestritten werden, dass es jedes Jahr im ganzen Gebiet von Kaschmir (Kaschmir, Jammu, Ladakh) aus verschiedenen Gründen zu Unruhen kommt und dass bei diesen Auseinandersetzungen Menschen verletzt oder sogar getötet werden, ausländische Touristen waren aber bisher nie dabei sonst hätte es die Welt auf jeden Fall erfahren! Für den Reisenden nach Kaschmir ist der folgende Hinweis des Deutschen Auswärtigen Amts sicherlich das beste Rezept um für die eigene Sicherheit zu sorgen „Generell wird dringend abgeraten, allein oder mit einem nicht ausgewiesenen Führer durch diese Gegenden zu trekken, per Autostopp zu reisen oder an einsamen Plätzen zu zelten.“.

Meine Erfahrungen in Konflikt Regionen des Himalaya

Seit 2001 bin ich jedes Jahr während mehreren Wochen mit Besuchern in den sg. Himalaya Konflikt Regionen Nepal und Indien (Kaschmir) unterwegs und war in dieser Zeit weder mit Gruppen noch alleine je mit kritischen oder bedrohlichen Situationen konfrontiert. Mit den Ski Aktivitäten in Gulmarg habe ich im Winter 2005/2006 angefangen und habe, im Gegensatz zu meinen Mitbewerbern, bis im vergangenen Jahr von Besuchen der Hauptstadt Srinagar abgeraten. Im letzten Winter habe ich mir dann Teile der Stadt zuerst auf eigene Faust etwas genauer angesehen und später auch mit Gruppen besucht. Dabei hat es keine einzige Situation gegeben die Anlass zur Besorgnis gegeben hätte. Als Veranstalter bin ich im ständigen Kontakt mit wichtigen Informationsquellen (einer meiner Führer ist der persönliche Snow Guide des Chief Ministers) und werde deshalb früh darüber in Kenntnis gesetzt wenn aussergewöhnliche Massnahmen erforderlich wären um die Sicherheit der Kunden zu gewährleisten.

Leider spielen seit dem vergangenen Jahr auch einige Programm Anbieter eine ganz fragwürdige Rolle wenn es um das Thema „Ski Urlaub in Gulmarg“ und um die „Sicherheit bei einem Ski Urlaub in Gulmarg“ geht, obwohl sie diese Reise selbst auch anbieten! Was die damit bezwecken ist mir unverständlich, entweder sind sie wirklich um die Sicherheit der Gäste besorgt (dann hätten sie diese Reise auf Grund ihrer eigenen Gefahren Beurteilung gar nie anbieten dürfen, der Kashmir Konflikt exisitiert seit 1948! ), oder sie benutzen diese immer beliebter werdende Destination gezielt als Köder um Teilnehmende für Ski Reisen zu anderen Destinationen (Japan, China, Heli Ski etc.) zu gewinnen. Ich denke am Ende ist es bei denen einfach die Kapitulation vor dem eigenen Unvermögen ihre markanten Preisunterschiede zu begründen resp. den Mehrwert ihrer eigenen Leistung zu verkaufen. Ein wirkliches Respektieren des Kundenwunsches kann ich da beim besten Willen nicht erkennen.

Bei einer Ski Reise nach Gulmarg bestehen auf Grund der dezeitigen Lage keine weitaus grösseren Risiken als in einem anderen Gebiet in dieser Region, insbesondere wenn man die Ratschläge des Auswärtigen Amts befolgt und sich von einem erfahrenen und vor Ort anwesenden Programm Anbieter begleiten lässt.

Ich persönlich finde es schade, dass man versucht begeisterten Pulverschnee Fans den Traum vom unbegrenzten Freeriden im Himalaya mit unqualifzierten und nachweislich falschen Aussagen zur Sicherheit zu vermiesen. Ich kann dazu nur sagen, sich nicht verunsicheren lassen und die Reise nach Gulmarg trotzdem wagen – es lohnt sich! Unsere Gäste aus den vergangenen Jahren werden es gerne bestätigen.

In these hot summer months many of us are dreaming about the refreshing cold winter air and begin to contemplate on where we would like to spend our next ski vacations. For us this is the perfect moment to present our 2010 ski programs for the Himalaya, in an exceptional ski area in Kashmir’s ski resort of Gulmarg.

A ski trip to India into the Himalaya mountains, this sounds adventurous and exotic – In reality it is, however, a journey to one of the most exciting and beautiful ski areas of the world! Since 2006 we have been regularly taking skiers to Gulmarg. Over the years we explored numerous possibilities for attractive powder snow descents and know most slopes from personal experience.

Because of regular and heavy snow fall Gulmarg offers excellent powder snow conditions with an average snow depth of 3 meters. The snow quality and the huge number of variegated descents were described by our guests as key differentiators of our powder snow offer in Kashmir. The participants of our programs characterize Gulmarg as the “last resort” on earth where powder snow skiing still results in an authentic skiing experience. Discover the beauty and the skiing possibilities of Gulmarg with us and book a trip to one of the most extraordinary and exciting skiing and free riding resorts in the world.

The Journey

Our guests travel independently from their home country to Delhi where they will arrive in the early morning. After transferring to the domestic airport our guest fly to Srinagar. After completion of Kashmir’s immigration formalities they will be received by us at the front door of the airport building. The journey continues with an adventurous 50km jeep ride to Gulmarg at 2’600m and check into a comfortable hotel close to the gondola. The following days are available to enjoy the long and varied descents on the wide open, more than 35° steep slopes on the up to 4’300m high Mt. Apharwat range. In the morning of the last day our guest will be brought to the airport in Srinagar from where they fly to Delhi. In the Delhi most people take their return flights home the same night. If our guests prefer we can also drive to Srinagar in the afternoon of the second last day, do some shopping and spend the night on a houseboat on the Dal lake.

Participant Profile

• Sound skiing technique with ability to ski safely and uninterrupted in challenging terrain and all types of snow
• Good health and strong physical fitness to participate in skiing days with up to 10’000 verticals meters per day and walks of up to 2 hours at altitudes between 3’000 and 4’300 meters
• Interest in other cultures

Scope of Services “Guided Programs” , 7 Ski Days Sfr. 1‘190, 12 Ski Days Sfr. 1‘890

• All lift passes, airport transfer Srinagar-Gulmarg,  all transports for bad weather programs and tree skiing
• Lodging in double rooms with breakfast and dinner in our partner hotel
• 1 trained and experienced, registered snow guide for 4 guest and short avalanche awareness training
• Every day one long descent to Drang or other locations on the valley floor (weather dependant)
• Program management by Swiss ski instructor/expedition leader with several years experience in the Himalayas

Scope of Services “Hosted Programs”, 7 Ski Days Sfr. 690, 12 Ski Days Sfr. 990

• Airport transfer between Srinagar and Gulmarg, privileged access to our  guides and drivers
• Lodging in double rooms with breakfast and dinner in our partner hotel
• Guided terrain visitation on the first day and short avalanche awareness training
• Program management by Swiss ski instructor/expedition leader with several years experience in the Himalayas

Additional Costs

• Flight Europe – Srinagar approx. Sfr. 900 (ca. EUR 600)

India Visa Fee ca. Sfr. 60, (in most countries visa application forms can be downloaded online)

Important  Information

The participants should be prepared that on a skiing trip to India not everything will go according to expectations. There can be delays and shortcomings that are beyond our understanding like for example the irregular opening times of the gondola. Skiers must also be aware that the meteorological conditions in high alpine terrain are subject to change and that a certain number of bad weather days must be accepted (based on our experience in Gulmarg approx. 40 – 50%). On bad weather days the gondola remains closed due to generally high avalanche danger (level 4) and poor visibility. In order to fully enjoy the trip a positive attitude towards unexpected situations combined with a high tolerance of the local people’s way of living is absolutely necessary.

If you want to know more about this exceptional ski resort and about our programs visit us at Free Ski Himalaya

Gerade in den heissen Sommer Monaten träumt der Eine oder Andere von den erfrischenden und kühlen Temperaturen des Winters und macht sich seine Gedanken wo er wohl den nächsten Winter Urlaub verbringen will. Für uns also der richtige Moment um unser 2010  Ski Urlaubsangebot für den Himalaya vorzustellen.

Ein Ski Trip nach Indien und in den Himalaya, das tönt aussergewöhnlich und abenteuerlich –  In Wirklichkeit ist es aber eine Reise zu einem der schönsten und besten Pulverschnee Gebiete der Welt! Seit der Saison 2005/2006 sind wir jeden Winter während mehreren Wochen mit Gästen in Gulmarg, Kashmir unterwegs. Seither haben wir zahlreiche Abfahrtsmöglichkeiten erkundet und kennen alle Routen aus eigener Erfahrung.

Die Seilbahn zum Mt. Apharwat mit der Bergstation auf 4‘000 Metern in Gulmarg gehört zu den höchsten Seilbahnen der Welt und führt zum Ausgangspunkt  für zahlreiche Abfahrtmöglichkeiten durch steiles und vielfältiges Gelände mit bis zu 1‘800 Metern Höhendifferenz. Der oberste Teil ist hochalpines Terrain, ab 3‘200 Metern beginnt das Fahren in den lichten Zedernwäldern des Himalayas.  In der Regel absolvieren unsere Gäste zwischen fünf und acht Abfahrten pro Tag (6‘000 bis 9‘000 Höhenmeter).

Dank regelmässigen und starken Schneefällen herrschen in Gulmarg ausgezeichnete Schneeverhältnisse mit einer durchschnittlichen Schneehöhe von über 3 Metern. Das Gebiet hat unsere Gäste vor allem dank seiner Schneequalität und seinem grossen Angebot an abwechslungsreichen Abfahrtsmöglichkeiten begeistert. Sie bezeichnen Gulmarg als den „letzten Ort“ auf dieser Welt wo das Pulverschnee Fahren noch zu einem authentischen Ski Erlebnis wird. Überzeugen Sie sich selbst und lassen Sie sich entführen in eines der aussergeöhnlichsten und attraktivsten Ski und Free Riding Gebiete auf dieser Erde.

Ablauf der Reise

Unsere Gäste reisen unabhängig von ihrem Heimatflughafen nach Delhi wo sie in der Regel in den frühen Morgenstunden eintreffen. Nach dem Flughafen Transfer fliegen die Gäste weiter nach Srinagar. Dort komplettieren sie die Einreise Formalitäten und werden von uns am Ausgang des Flughafens empfangen. Weiter geht es in einer abenteuerlichen Jeep Fahrt ins rund 50 km entfernte, auf über 2‘600 Metern gelegene Gulmarg. In einem komfortablen Hotel in der Nähe der Seilbahn werden sie einquartiert. Die nächsten Tage stehen nun zur Verfügung, um die langen und abwechslungsreichen Abfahrten durch die weiten, über 35° steilen Hänge am 4‘300 Meter hohen Mt. Apharwat geniessen zu können. Am Morgen des letzten Tags bringen wir die Gäste zum Flughafen nach Srinagar von wo aus sie nach Delhi fliegen und von dort meistens noch am selben Abend nach Hause zurückkehren. Falls die Gäste es wünschen, können wir bereits am Vorabend nach Srinagar aufbrechen, Einkäufe tätigen  und anschliessend in einem gemütlichen Hausboot am Dahlsee übernachten.

Anforderungen an die Teilnehmenden

• Sicheres und zügiges Skifahren in anspruchsvollem Gelände und bei unterschiedlichen Schneeverhältnissen
• Gute Gesundheit und körperliche Fitness zur Absovierung von Tagesfahrleistungen von bis zu 10‘000 Höhenmetern und Aufstiegen von bis zu 2 Stunden in Höhen zwischen 3‘000 und 4‘300 Metern
• Interesse für fremde Kulturen

Leistungsumfang für geführte Programme, 7 Ski Tage Sfr. 1‘190 , 12 Ski Tage Sfr. 1‘890

• Alle Lift Tickets, Flughafen Transfers Srinagar-Gulmarg, Transporte für Schlechtwetter Programme & Waldfahrten
• Unterkunft im Doppelzimmer mit Frühstück und Nachtessen in unserem Partner Hotel
• 1 ausgebildeter und erfahrener, registrierter  Snow Guide für jeweils 4 Gäste
• Täglich eine lange Abfahrt nach Drang oder zu anderen Orten im Talboden (Wetter abhängig!)

Gäste sowie kurzer Lawinen KursProgramm Management durch Schweizer Ski Lehrer/Expeditionsleiter mit mehrjähriger Himalaya Erfahrung

Leistungsumfang für betreute Programme, 7 Ski Tage Sfr. 690, 12 Ski Tage Sfr. 990

• Flughafen Transfers zwischen Srinagar und Gulmarg, priviligierter Zugang zu unseren Führern und Fahrern
• Unterkunft im Doppelzimmer mit Frühstück und Nachtessen in unserem Partner Hotel
• Geführte Gebietsbesichtigung am ersten Tag und kurze Einführung in das Verhalten bei Lawinen Situationen
• Programm Management durch Schweizer Ski Lehrer/Expeditionsleiter mit mehrjähriger Himalaya Erfahrung

Zusätzliche Kosten

• Flug Europa – Srinagar ab Sfr. 900 (ca. EUR 600)
• Visum für Indien ca. Sfr. 60, (das Antragsformular kann in den meisten Ländern über das Web bezogen werden)

Wichtige Informationen

Die Teilnehmenden sollten sich darauf einstellen, dass auf einer Skireise nach Indien nicht immer alles den Vorstellungen entsprechend abläuft. Es kann es immer zu Verspätungen oder Verzögerungen kommen, die für uns nicht unbedingt ver-ständlich sind, beispielsweise bei den Öffnungszeiten der Seilbahn. Die Teilnehmenden müssen sich auch darauf einstellen, dass das Wetter im hochalpinen Gebiet veränderlich ist und man mit Schlechtwetter Tagen rechnen muss (Erfahrungswert in Gulmarg ca. 40 – 50%) an denen die 2. Sektion der Gondelbahn dann wegen hoher Lawinengefahr (Stufe 4) geschlossen bleibt. Um diese Reise richtig geniessen zu können braucht es vor allem eine positive Einstellung zum Umgang mit unerwarteten Situationen und eine tolerante Haltung gegenüber den Idealen und Prioritäten der lokalen Bevölkerung.

Haben Sie Lust auf einen aussergewöhnlichen Ski Urlaub und wollen mehr erfahren dann besuchen Sie doch unsere Web Seite: Free Ski Himalaya

Well, it took us two hours to decide to go on a trip to North India. Took one night to convince everyone for a 15 day trip. Two credit cards to book tickets and ensure we don’t run out of money during the trip. I wont speak about what we did in Delhi – the metro, CP, paratha Galli, Jama Masjid, Secretariat, the Noida garbage dump. I loved Delhi – this is for all Delhi-ites! Delhi totally rocks – except that someone flicked my sipper near CP.

So, we took the night train from Delhi to Jammu. Drama through out – we had to fight with ‘uncles’ to get our booked seats. The men shamelessly looked at me while we foul mouthed them, astonished by their audacity. He din’t care. He wouldn’t budge. We forced him out after some perseverance. Reached Jammu early morning. We were to go to Katara and then climb to Vaishno Devi that day. I felt the best thing to do was to take a J&K tourism bus to the place. Now this is where our trip changed and so did my life!

There was this gentleman – Nazir bhai who looked very friendly and helpful. He directed us to the bus outside. But, before that he asked us where we were from. He hinted he had something interesting for us. I decided to check out and convinced others to follow suit. He asked us our plans – A Rishikesh after this, maybe a Dharamsala we said. He immediately said – “You should go to Kashmir now. There is no time like this for such a trip!”. I looked at Naren – “We will go!” came the answer. Yadav and Nikita looked apprehensive. I know I will be hated for saying this, but Vinzie’s face turned pale. I continued to discuss with Nazir Bhai about the tour he had to offer. Four nights on a super deluxe boat house on Dal, Gulmarg, Pahalgoan, two and fro Jammu – Srinagar for a well bargained price ( I won’t put the price here and affect his business) – DONE! We booked it and went ahead with the Vaishno Devi trek that day.

Crazy climb! 15 kilometres. Through the night. People chanting insane slogans – “Email bhi kardi Jai mata di, phone bhi kardi jai mata di” etc. After a brief stay at the top we headed back down the same night and reached by 6 in the morning to our base camp and slept! Then came Haffiz bhai – the oldest (in his 50s) and the most lovable driver in Kashmir, a 25 year old veteran, respected by everyone in Kashmir! We loaded our luggages and left for Srinagar.

This is the best part of my life so far. The drive was magnificent, between the Himalayan ranges! The first sight of snow capped mountains is a memory I will treasure. The towns at the foothills of these mountains – spectacular beauties. The river and its changing colours was mesmerizing. I hadn’t seen any of this in my life. The Jawahar tunnel – 3 kilometres, longest in Asia – never known to me. The army bunkers camouflaged in the mountains had its own mystical stories! Then came the road, then came the turn which had a message – “The first look at the Kashmir Valley!”.

That was it! The single most beautiful piece of planet earth right below us! The Kashmir valley had a splash of yellow of the mustard flowers, a splurge of purple here and a red there. This place was devine. There are mountain flowers that dot the entire land, dry fruit trees, Kashmiri Willow trees. We reached Dal lake at 2100 hrs and by then, the city was eerie. We had seen the Indian Army’s show of strength, a.k.a sophisticated, in thousands and battle ready, while driving through the city. Getting out of the car on that chilly night seemed very risky. We were quickly whisked away in a Shikara to the boat house! We sat silently and I could sense all of us being a little apprehensive of the decision. The moment we reached the boat house – my first thoughts – “I don’t mind dying now. Its worth it”. The look of Srinagar from the boat with Dal in the front, the Himalayas in the background is heaven.

After a royal dinner, we chatted away till midnight and the next day was at Pahalgoan. We took the horses to reach the top of the hill and there was snow! I ran to the place and before I knew it – thud! This was just like what had happened the first time I saw the sea when I was four years old. I ran and fell flat on the ground. Who cares? We played in the snow, froze our fingers, I almost lost my watch and finally reached back the boat house for the best dinner again – not before hot pakodas on the way back!

The next day was to another beautiful place called Gulmarg – a horizon of snow, high altitude, right at the Line of Control between India and Pakistan. Dream land for sure. We sledged, played, fell in the snow! Another entire day of activity and some awesome conversations there with some very “interesting” local people – no, it were not girls, a little more serious than that. Another lovely night at the boat house.

The best part of the boat house is the sipping of chai on the boat balcony watching the Dal! Awesome stuff! I had some amazing, most incredible conversations with Ashraf and Altaf – the caretaker and the owner of the house! These guys had one helluva past to talk about! The lovely gardens in Srinagar, the Hazratbal mosque, Shankaracharya, the markets, the dry fruits, the cricket bat factory, the Pashmina shawls, the mughalai restaurant – we did it all in style. The most important part of the trip was this man – Haffiz Bhai, our driver! This man was out of the movies – hilarious yet a gentleman, the most popular driver in the whole of Kashmir, the most respected in the place by people of all ages! He made the trip totally safe and worth it for us.

When we left Srinagar, we swore we would come back – Kargil, Baramulla, Amarnath, Leh to do. The best part of Kashmir is that it is straight out of a child’s imagination of heaven. The land is magical. The land is surrounded by the most beautiful mountains – snow capped, brown and green, gigantic! The land is painted by a thousand colours. The stillness of the Dal is irreplaceable. The people of Kashmir are the most beautiful, the best hosts and are ones who live their lives with dignity and sheer class! Jannat or heaven – it truly is! what are you waiting for??

Gulmarg

On a bright morning full of promise of a glorious day ahead, we bid our hosts Bilal Hakroo and his father adieu and headed towards Gulmarg, a hill resort approx. 52 kms from Srinagar. We drove in the valley for about 40 kms to Tangmarg and than found ourselves winding our way through a beautiful pine and fir forest. As we drove up, magnificent vistas of snow covered mountains loomed before us and the drive soon took on a dream like quality.

In Gulmarg, we found our hotel amidst rolling meadows and dense woods of fir and pine. The weather in Gulmarg we discovered is very fickle. By the time we settled in, it had turned chilly with clouds hanging low and a drizzle making us stay indoors. Later in the evening we went horse riding on the meadows. Chatting with the locals, we discovered that in the winters, these meadows turn into fabulous ski slopes for, which Gulmarg is famous the world over.

The next day we set off on a walk in the woods and later rode up to Khilanmarg. From Khilanmarg, on a clear day one can see snow covered peaks in a huge 360 degrees ring. The distant hills look almost etheral, floating on air. Gulmarg’s greatest attraction these days is a Gondola ride, a ropeway linking Gulmarg to the Kongdoori Hill in two stages. The first stage transfers from the Gulmarg resort at 2,600 m (8,530 ft) to Kongdoori Station. The second stage of the ropeway, which has 36 cabins and 18 towers, takes skiers to a height of 3,747 m (12,293 ft) on Kongdoori Mountain, a shoulder of nearby Afarwat Peak 4,200 m (13,780 ft)). We rode on our horses till the Kongdoori Station through lovely woods and than boarded the Gondola  for the stage 2.

The Gondola ride is an amazing experience. As the Gondola moved out from the station the snow covered mountain fell away beneath us. We slid by quietly on the rope, an elaborate system of metal ropes and pulleys kept propelling us higher and higher. The Gondola eventually disgorged us at the Kongdoori peak. Stepping out of the station we were mesmerised by the expanse of soft snow, stretching over mountain ranges as far back as the eye could see. We walked on the soft snow, sinking into it to our knees and keeling over and than pulling ourselves out to stumble on for a little more. A local Kashmiri youth informed us that right behind the snow covered hill in front of us is the Line of Control, the de-facto Indian border with Pakistan. The Indian Army patrols these mountains round the clock and the Gondola is also used to ferry supplies to them.  

On our way back, we rode the Gondola right down to Gulmarg. It was indeed one of the most memorable day in our sojourn, a day one is unlikely to forget in a long long time.

Sonamarg

The drive to Sonamarg is more enchanting than the ‘golden meadows’.  The river Sindhu (not to be confused with Indus) rumbles along the road all the way. The road too surprisingly does not wind its way up, it gently slopes up along the fast flowing river. We drove to Sonamarg on a bright sunny day through the Kashmiri countryside, along the river. Sonamarg is breathtakingly beautiful, with huge snow covered mountains, slopes densely covered with fir, pine and birch trees and the river Sindh flowing by. Nearby is the Thajwas glacier, accessible on foot or on ponies. As soon as we drove to the village square we were virtually assaulted by a crowd of pony owners inviting us to go to the glacier. As we were making up our minds, we spied an inflatable raft. Enquiries revealed that we could go river rafting in the Sindh. We immediately signed up and drove a few kilometres further up and on the banks of the Sindh.

River rafting on the Sindh in grade 2 and 3 rapids amidst huge mountains on either side is a uniquely exhilarating experience. Off we went on a 3 kms stretch, with expert guides directing the raft. The river flowed fast and furious and the water was ice cold. We shouted and screamed as we plunged into vicious rapids and came out drenched to the skin. Being on the river and flowing with it creates an illusion, where with a start one realises that the mountains too seem to be moving with the river!  

We dried ourselves on the bank of the river in the hot sun that beat down on us. Driving back we took a detour and went towards Sumbal and than crossed Jhelum, driving along it to reach Srinagar by the nightfall.

Pahalgam

Kashmir is perhaps one of those places, where getting lost on the roads is a pleasant diversion. We set off from Srinagar on our way to Pahalgam and turned left towards  Bijbihara. Soon we found ourselves in a village, where we asked for directions and headed on a narrow road, which soon turned into a dirt track.  We went past tiny somnolent villages set in the valley amongst beautiful hills. Eventually we came across an old lady, working in the fields alongside, who told us to go back  and take a right turn  Soon we crossed the Lidder and found the highway to Pahalgam, with the river flowing besides us.

Pahalgam is located on the junction of the Aru and Sheshnag rivers, which form the Lidder. There is something completely enchanting about Pahalgam, which is so hard to define. If ever, one was to conjure up a perfectly beautiful landscape, than it has to be in Pahalgam. The snow covered peaks, the river, the forests, everything in Pahalgam is magical. In Pahalgam we just sat around the river and enjoyed the natural beauty, so generously spread around us. We went for walks and roamed the markets, buying gifts and souvenirs for family and friends.

Pahalgam was our last port of call in Kashmir during this sojourn. After having spent these days in the valley, I can only say that I can not agree more with emperor Jehangir. Even 500 years on, if there is a paradise on earth, it is here in Kashmir.

]]> http://guppo.wordpress.com/2009/06/14/kashmir-a-vacation-%e2%80%93-third-day-diary/ Sun, 14 Jun 2009 08:06:45 +0000 guppo http://guppo.wordpress.com/2009/06/14/kashmir-a-vacation-%e2%80%93-third-day-diary/ http://anasexperiences.wordpress.com/2009/06/03/back-to-kashmir/ Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:08:11 +0000 anasexperiences http://anasexperiences.wordpress.com/2009/06/03/back-to-kashmir/

Almost 20 years to the day we were in Kashmir once again.

Kashmir has been our family’s favourite holiday destination by a long shot. The last time I was there with my family comprising of my parents and sister was in June 1989. I had just graduated from high school and was awaiting the results of my Engineering entrance examinations.

I did not know it then, it was a sort of coming of age trip for me. Soon I would head away from home to join the engineering college, the valley will burst into flames and my uncle who lived in the valley (he was a Professor at the Kashmir University), would pack his bags and leave to settle down in Delhi.  My sister would start at the medical school in Aligarh, my father would retire from work and eventually move from Indore to settle down in Lucknow. Life would change forever.

However, we knew nothing of this then.  

I remember the train journey from Indore to Jammu and than onwards to Srinagar by  road. I remember walking up to the Shankaracharya temple and the view of the Srinagar city. I remember our visit to the Mughal gardens, Shalimar, Nishat and Chashm-e-Shahi in full bloom and in magnificent splendour and the massive chinars. I remember us gorging on the walnut pastries, buying dry fruits by the sackful and my mother and aunt shopping in the Lal Chowk. I remember the Shikara rides on the Dal from Hazrat Bal to Nishat right across the lake and to Char Chinar and the Nehru Park, islands in the lake.

I also remember our trips to Gulmarg, marred by a sudden downpour chilling us to the bone,  and to Sonamarg, the ‘meadows of Gold’ and our trek to the Thajwas glacier. And their was the botanical garden in Kokarnag, with roses so magnificent and huge and in so many bewildering colours that they took ones breath away, the calm waters of the lake Manasbal and the meadows in Yousmarg, where we were caught unawares by a sudden hailstorm.

The day we were to head back home, I stood at the railings in Nehru Park on the Dal and promised myself that one day sometime soon I shall return to this valley again. I had no idea of the things to come and how this eternal paradise will soon be engulfed in flames.

Years went by, but the desire and the allure of the valley never dimmed. Last year I had the occasion to travel to Srinagar on work and many of these cherished memories came flooding back. The tug of the valley was now so strong that I knew the day was not far, when I will be back with my family.

I planned a trip in August last year, which we had to cancel because of the sudden flaring of tensions in the valley following the Amarnath yatra. My wife and I went to Laddakh instead.

This summer, finally I took my parents and family back to Kashmir. A promise I had made to myself as a gawky teenager 20 years ago was finally fulfilled. We spent some wonderful days together.

More of that and my views on Kashmir in the next few posts.

Pic courtesy the author

]]> http://dailywing.wordpress.com/2009/03/29/gulmarg/ Sun, 29 Mar 2009 18:29:12 +0000 dailywing http://dailywing.wordpress.com/2009/03/29/gulmarg/

Gulmarg is one of the beautiful hillstations in India. It  was earlier known as Gaurimarg, where Gauri stands for Goddess Parvati the wife of Lord Shiva. The name Gulmarg was given to this place by the King Yousuf Shah Chak.  Gulmarg means  meadow of flowers. It is located in the Baramulla district of Kashmir at an altitude of 2,730 m and is 56 km southwest from the capital city of Srinagar and is close to the Indo-Pakistan border. In the shape of a bowl, its length is 3.5km and its width 1Km. Its undulating expanse is grassy slopes for the most part, with a small scattering of houses. The bowl is encircled by fir clad hills, and in the distance, snow dusted peaks; because of its altitude, its 11Km Circular Road offers a magnificent view of much of Kashmir Valley. It  looks like something out of a fantasy, and in spring, the green meadows are dotted with colourful bluebells, daisies, forget-me-nots and buttercups. In December the luxuriant green slopes of Gulmarg are blanketed with snow, forming some of the finest natural slopes for ski runs of all levels.

The journey to Gulmarg is half the enchantment of reaching there, roads bordered by rigid avenues of poplar give over to flat expanses of rice fields interspersed with picturesque villages. Depending on the season, nature’s colors could be the translucent green of spring, summer’s rich emerald, or autumn’s golden hues, when scarlet chilies festoon windows of village homes. After Tangmarg, the climb to Gulmarg begin through fir covered hillsides. At one point on the way, known simply as View Point, travelers commonly stop there vehicles for a few minutes and look out on to a spectacle of snow covered mountains, almost within touching distance. 

Skiing & Winter Sports - In December when the verdant green slopes of Gulmarg are blanketed with snow, Gulmarg acquires a new persona — the country’s premier skiing resort. It is the ultimate beginner’s ski resort.  Among the multitudes of slopes, there are a few which are serviced by ski lifts. The longest ski run in Gulmarg is provided by the Gondola Cable Car lift, where skiers can swoosh down the slopes from the height of 2,213m. The slopes in Gulmarg varying between 8,700 and 10,500 feet make the ski runs the highest in India. It is noteworthy that Gulmarg is the only heli-skiing resort in Asia. The skiing season at Gulmarg is from November to February.

Golf Courses – Gulmarg also has one of the world’s highest green golf courses, as well as a clubhouse, which is a historical building in its own right.

From Gulmarg, a pony track leads upwards to Khilanmarg, Kongdori and Seven Springs. It takes a couple of hours by pony, and slightly longer on foot. Khilanmarg offers an unparalleled view of the great Himalayan range. From here, across the Apharwat-the peak that looks up from this point-is Alpather Lake, a picturesque alpine lake that remains frozen until late June. It is located at a distance of about 13 km from Gulmarg.

Shrine Of Baba Reshi / Ziarat Of Baba Reshi :  This Muslim shrine is on the slopes below Gulmarg and can be reached from either Gulmarg or Tangmarg. The Ziarat, or tomb, is of a well-known Muslim saint who died here in 1480. 

The hill station of Gulmarg is in the Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir. Gulmarg is 56 km south-west of Srinagar. It is close to the Indo-Pakistan border.

Gulmarg actually means “the meadow of flowers.” The numerous snow-capped peaks and beautiful landscapes attract  a large number of tourists.

Khilanmarg is the venue for skiing during the winter season. From this spot it is possible to see the Kashmir valley and the Himalayan range.

The skiing season starts in December and continues to the month of April. Alpather Lake is a beautiful alpine lake that remains frozen till the end of June.