Well no more snow since arriving at Gulmarg and with lots of solar about there’s definitely a few rocks poking around especially on the exposed ridges. There are still lines to be found for the adventurous on the north-facing aspects and especially where snow is sheltered and kept cold by the tree line. It’s a super cool crew of old and new faces in Gulmarg and everyone is using the time to hone up on essential avalanche transceiver skills and techniques, trying other snow disciplines and partying it up with DJ Alex throwing 3 great parties (including a Russian Christmas Party) where the house definitely ‘went off’.
Brian Newman, Gulmarg’s Avalanche Forecaster runs an avalanche class every Tuesday from 7pm at The Pine Palace Hotel which is both a theoretical look at avalanche risk and some excellent practical insights into the huge terrain offering that is Gulmarg. Already we have had some incidents at Gulmarg including a Russian women fracturing both legs about 8 bowls skiers right of Mt.Apharwat in the ‘Drung Bowls’ that lead you down to the village of Drung in an amazing 20 something kilometer ski and over 2000m vertical. The alert was raised around 8.30pm and she was located at 10pm with an amazing effort of some 30 ski patrol and gondola workers it took 6 hours to retrieve and a successful rescue was made. In appreciation we all donated a bunch of rupees towards the guys who put on an amazing effort – government workers (Gulmarg Tourist & Development Board) who don’t get paid over-time let alone double time and still had to work the next day unlike other western resorts in which a day off in lieu would certainly be mandatory. A Big thanks goes out to this superhuman effort. We all signed a t-shirt for the women who is recovering in Srinagar hospital and our positive thoughts go out to her for a speedy recovery.
A fellow kiwi Kerry and I headed down to Srinagar on the local bus which was 15 rupees from Gulmarg to Tangmarg (the village below Gulmarg) and a further 18 rupees to Srinagar which is great value for a 2 hour ride mixing it up with the locals! We were heading to a houseboat and wanted to give the body a little break from riding and soak up some of the exotic local culture that is Kashmir. We headed to Cafe Arabica (in front of Grand Mumtaz Hotel) for a latte and some pizza. A bit of a treat as a little expensiony coffee was 65 rupes and pizza started from 200 rupes but not a bad pizza on my ‘Indian Pizza Scale’ NOT my ‘World Pizza Scale’ probably a 7/10 as it was from the wood oven.
With full bellies we headed to Lal Chowk where there was a bit of ‘action’ a couple of days earlier where 2 militants had been gunned down after being holed up in a hotel – the Indian Army taking care of business so we were a little cautious but this is not particularly unusual for Srinagar. When accessing Gulmarg Ski Resort it is relatively safe as the route from the airport to Gulmarg skirts the outside of the city and has Indian Army lining the road all the way up – which of course they have foreign & Indian tourists within their interest to protect. As we came across the bridge walking towards Dal Gate there was a heavy police presence and the shops in the outer market roadside seemed to be closed which was odd, it not being a Friday (a day of worship). We peered into the market and saw a barrage of rocks and stones being hurled at the police by locals. Apparently a local boy had been killed by the police and a 3 day strike ensued in protest of the police barricade intimidating the local community. Well the first bit of action I had seen, so it was head down and around the corner to Dal Lake. We had a good wander down the shores being badgered for Shikara rides and had arranged to meet Gulum our houseboat host. We met Gulum who is a lovely laid back local from Srinagar and is helper shokot who paddles us over to the ‘Highland Queen’ houseboat which would be our abode for the evening. We had the customary Kashmiri Kawa tea (made with saffron) and biscuits as we took on the locals paddling past in Shikaras and smaller vessels coming and going as the sunset. As it cooled with the departure of the sun we headed inside to the beautiful living room which was rather like being in your posh grandma’s house with chandeliers, intricate wood panelling, carved tables, exquisite couches and chairs set on the finest Kashmiri carpets. We sat down to roast chicken, potatoes, carrots and green beans – wow just fantastic with a fruit custard dessert a welcome change to curry. We planned an early morning rise to visit the legendary ‘floating vegetable market’ which kicks off at first light. We snuggles up in a bed fit for a king with a hottie (hot waterbottle) into dreamland.
We awoke to masala chai and headed out on the shikara at 7am, wrapped up in our down jackets, covered with a warm blanket, more hot tea and sharing the ‘winter wife’ – a flax made bucket that holds hot coals taken from a fire that the Kashmiri men place under their pharans to keep warm. We paddled through the frozen lake wonderland as it came to life arriving at the site of the trading. Probably over 100 small vessels were pulled up and the vegetable haggling, bartering and selling began in what is probably one of the more unusual markets in the world. The vegetables were all types of carrots, haq & palak (types of Kashmiri spinach), onions, potatoes and so on. We also had a little brekkie snack of Kashmiri bread with a lovely (not too sweet) sugary coating which was delicious. 200 photos later and with the sun coming up over the lowland Himalayan hills we paddled back for breakfast via the local bakery. The sun hit the frosted snowy Lakeland creating beautiful crystal reflections in the water – a photographers dream! We were again treated to great food -omelettes and Kashmiri bread washed down with Kashmiri kawa tea. After good conversation we left Gullum and hiked up the opposite hillside to the Shankaracharya Temple. You can’t take mobiles or cameras in due to security and unfortunately it has a military base surrounding the beautiful Hindu temple. 243 steps up and down was good cross training for skiing that’s for sure! Great views over Dal Lake really put the huge body of water into perspective and I started to hatch a plan of a lake circumnavigation! A mission for another time.
Some beer shopping (it’s located about 200m after Dal Gate opposite the lake front on the left side of a group of a shop front complex) and it was time to track down some Momos at Ying Yang restaurant (near Cafe Arabica towards the market before the bridge on the left). Awesome Momos made by the Nepalese crew and it was another mad tuk tuk ride to the local bus station to re-trace our steps back up to Gulmarg watching village life from the bus and arriving back to our peaceful little haven.
www.sunstoneadventures.com
Tuesday, 12 January 2010
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
Journey to Gulmarg Ski Resort, Kashmir, India
Edinburgh – London – Delhi.
After an overnight stop in Delhi it was great to pick up some last minute things before flying the 1 hour 20 minutes to Srinagar in Kashmir, India to make my way to legendary ski resort of Gulmarg! I always stay in the Main Bazaar of Parha Ganj in Delhi as its good value, a well placed location for connecting and there is always something to see. A pomegranate & orange juice followed by a superb masala dosa and a full head shave was just what the doctor ordered. The main bazaar is a hectic backpackers spot but always full of action and interest with storage facilities, cheap shopping, some great local food haunts and some nice places for a quiet beer!
I arrived in Srinagar airport and travelled up to Gulmarg ski resort in good time (2 hours) as there was not too much snow about on the roads. Passing villages with people going about their day-to-day business, shopping, playing cricket, building and travelling in all sorts of vehicles from large jeeps, trucks, buses and even by horse & cart – a step back in time. We wind our way up past the village of Tangmarg on the Gulmarg road through the beautiful forest and finally pull into the valley arriving at the legendary Bakshi’s restaurant at Gulmarg ski resort. Gulmarg literally means valley of flowers and in summer is a riot of colour in which the Indian middle class come to retreat, play golf and take in the spectacular views from the gondola and around. This is how the ski resort has developed on the back of this summer retreat and with the extension of the gondola from 3000m to the top elevation of 3950m. it has opened up access to some 20 huge bowls across the Pir Panjal range offering some of the best steep, powder skiing in the world off the highest ski lift in the world.
A warm welcome from all the boys at Bakshi’s restaurant on my return and it’s a traditional cawa Kashmiri tea to settle in. I unpack and come down for dinner feasting on their signature dish - Afghani chicken with potatoes and green salad. Reports were that snow was needed and waking up the next morning it started dumping. Sunstone had bought the snow – but to be honest for a resort that gets over 20 meters of snow per year – odds are fairly good that snow is never far away! The Gondola was closed with white-out conditions and it was a good day to get my bearings again, sorting my room out (above the ski shop again) getting my gear ready for some fresh powder tomorrow – yee haa! We walk over to Pine Palace Hotel and say hello to the staff there and Brian & Tim who are snow safety this year. Brian returns for his 3rd season and has been a real asset to Gulmarg Ski Resort putting in sound processes and safety procedures with a remit of training & developing the Gulmarg ski patrol. Some tea, coffee and ice cream hanging out with Tara (Canadian), Momo (French) and Cindy (Indian snowboard instructor from Manali) while we watched the snow continuing to fall and build to 15cm at 2600m. It must be getting twice that up top at 3000-4000m, morning would soon tell!
I awake the next morning to a beautiful sunny day and looking forward to some freshies. We take the gondola up to the mid station and Brian is heading up to the top to perform the safety control work as there is certainly potential for slides with new snow on a firmer base. We decide to skin up Mary’s shoulder to get some exercise start the acclimatisation process. The sun streams through the trees hitting the beautiful snow glistening and sparkling in a thermonuclear explosion. Yanik, Tara, frank and I arrive just above the trees, gear up and head down in some sweet deep powder – 30-40cms. A two minute ride I score 5 face shots and get the heavenly floating powder feeling again – welcome back!
The top is now open so we take the Gondola to the top station at 3950m and skin up to Apharwat summit at 4200m. A glorious day with a huge cloud inversion offers stunning views of Nanga Parbat – just spectacular. We head out far across skiers left in between bowls four and five to the ‘singing trees’ where we score some deep deep powder, silky sugary light pow in which we sink into the layer before the snowfall which gives a depth of at least 50-60cms and I’m back in the sublime! We ski a 1500m vertical line and with only 2 runs for the day taking close on 6 hours is evidence of the huge vertical that Gulmarg offers. What a big day for my first so it’s back to base and a solid dose of Ibuprofen , a long hour stretch for the calf muscles and a hot shower before some more Afghani chicken to celebrate the first day skiing. I bump into an old ski friend - Roland from my home ski field of Criagieburn in New Zealand – gotta love the worldwide ski bum community! We have a couple of beers catching up and then play the crazy card game ‘spoons’ which is a little like musical chairs but played with dessert spoons spread across a table in which there is one less than the card players. Whoever feels to grab a spoon loses the round. This sees me dive across a table and then upside down curve under it smashing into a Finnish guy to snaggle the last one but unfortunately the Finnish guy falls back on his chair in the fraca breaking a chair in the process – doh. 500 rupees between us all as it was a combination of about 10 people in a huge ruck! Fortunately I didn’t lose but Toby a Londoner (now claiming to be a kiwi as he’s living in Ruapehu) spelt out the word ‘club’ after losing 4 rounds and has to dance like a ‘night clubber’ for one minute - which is a long time in front of a packed restaurant with no music – good times - Gulmarg style.
www.sunstoneadventures.com
After an overnight stop in Delhi it was great to pick up some last minute things before flying the 1 hour 20 minutes to Srinagar in Kashmir, India to make my way to legendary ski resort of Gulmarg! I always stay in the Main Bazaar of Parha Ganj in Delhi as its good value, a well placed location for connecting and there is always something to see. A pomegranate & orange juice followed by a superb masala dosa and a full head shave was just what the doctor ordered. The main bazaar is a hectic backpackers spot but always full of action and interest with storage facilities, cheap shopping, some great local food haunts and some nice places for a quiet beer!
I arrived in Srinagar airport and travelled up to Gulmarg ski resort in good time (2 hours) as there was not too much snow about on the roads. Passing villages with people going about their day-to-day business, shopping, playing cricket, building and travelling in all sorts of vehicles from large jeeps, trucks, buses and even by horse & cart – a step back in time. We wind our way up past the village of Tangmarg on the Gulmarg road through the beautiful forest and finally pull into the valley arriving at the legendary Bakshi’s restaurant at Gulmarg ski resort. Gulmarg literally means valley of flowers and in summer is a riot of colour in which the Indian middle class come to retreat, play golf and take in the spectacular views from the gondola and around. This is how the ski resort has developed on the back of this summer retreat and with the extension of the gondola from 3000m to the top elevation of 3950m. it has opened up access to some 20 huge bowls across the Pir Panjal range offering some of the best steep, powder skiing in the world off the highest ski lift in the world.
A warm welcome from all the boys at Bakshi’s restaurant on my return and it’s a traditional cawa Kashmiri tea to settle in. I unpack and come down for dinner feasting on their signature dish - Afghani chicken with potatoes and green salad. Reports were that snow was needed and waking up the next morning it started dumping. Sunstone had bought the snow – but to be honest for a resort that gets over 20 meters of snow per year – odds are fairly good that snow is never far away! The Gondola was closed with white-out conditions and it was a good day to get my bearings again, sorting my room out (above the ski shop again) getting my gear ready for some fresh powder tomorrow – yee haa! We walk over to Pine Palace Hotel and say hello to the staff there and Brian & Tim who are snow safety this year. Brian returns for his 3rd season and has been a real asset to Gulmarg Ski Resort putting in sound processes and safety procedures with a remit of training & developing the Gulmarg ski patrol. Some tea, coffee and ice cream hanging out with Tara (Canadian), Momo (French) and Cindy (Indian snowboard instructor from Manali) while we watched the snow continuing to fall and build to 15cm at 2600m. It must be getting twice that up top at 3000-4000m, morning would soon tell!
I awake the next morning to a beautiful sunny day and looking forward to some freshies. We take the gondola up to the mid station and Brian is heading up to the top to perform the safety control work as there is certainly potential for slides with new snow on a firmer base. We decide to skin up Mary’s shoulder to get some exercise start the acclimatisation process. The sun streams through the trees hitting the beautiful snow glistening and sparkling in a thermonuclear explosion. Yanik, Tara, frank and I arrive just above the trees, gear up and head down in some sweet deep powder – 30-40cms. A two minute ride I score 5 face shots and get the heavenly floating powder feeling again – welcome back!
The top is now open so we take the Gondola to the top station at 3950m and skin up to Apharwat summit at 4200m. A glorious day with a huge cloud inversion offers stunning views of Nanga Parbat – just spectacular. We head out far across skiers left in between bowls four and five to the ‘singing trees’ where we score some deep deep powder, silky sugary light pow in which we sink into the layer before the snowfall which gives a depth of at least 50-60cms and I’m back in the sublime! We ski a 1500m vertical line and with only 2 runs for the day taking close on 6 hours is evidence of the huge vertical that Gulmarg offers. What a big day for my first so it’s back to base and a solid dose of Ibuprofen , a long hour stretch for the calf muscles and a hot shower before some more Afghani chicken to celebrate the first day skiing. I bump into an old ski friend - Roland from my home ski field of Criagieburn in New Zealand – gotta love the worldwide ski bum community! We have a couple of beers catching up and then play the crazy card game ‘spoons’ which is a little like musical chairs but played with dessert spoons spread across a table in which there is one less than the card players. Whoever feels to grab a spoon loses the round. This sees me dive across a table and then upside down curve under it smashing into a Finnish guy to snaggle the last one but unfortunately the Finnish guy falls back on his chair in the fraca breaking a chair in the process – doh. 500 rupees between us all as it was a combination of about 10 people in a huge ruck! Fortunately I didn’t lose but Toby a Londoner (now claiming to be a kiwi as he’s living in Ruapehu) spelt out the word ‘club’ after losing 4 rounds and has to dance like a ‘night clubber’ for one minute - which is a long time in front of a packed restaurant with no music – good times - Gulmarg style.
www.sunstoneadventures.com
Tuesday, 29 December 2009
Island Peak Expedition Memoirs X - Summit Day
Tuesday 4th November Advanced Base Camp (5,700m) to Island Peak Summit (6,189m)
We rise just before 2am instinctively, just before the wake-up call – its weird how the body works sometimes – and get our gear together, easy as I’m wearing most of mine already! Brekkie is muesli & milk, biscuits and coffee, Saran forgot the tea but we warm the hands and innards with hot coffee which is a nice change! We finally push off into the dark just before 3.30pm with Nima (our climbing Sherpa) leading off into the cold morning. Our head torches blaze away, flickering into the dark like a bunch of fire flies in the darkest of night. We edge our way up the loose, exposed gully, I feel like a zombie as the body tries to wake up. We wind up the steep track; the toes start to warm and the body slowly starts to kick into action. I can suddenly smell beer and am thinking either Nima (now behind me) or maybe Ola has had a night on the turps, surely not! But no the beer (a can of San Miguel) has been punctured by my crampons in my pack – gutted - that was meant to be drunk on the summit as a celebration! We continue on balancing feet and hands up the loose path and rock walls as we elevate, partly scrambling partly tramping up. It starts to lighten as we near our first goal – “Crampon Point” – guessable as the place where we don the spikes for the snowfield. Saran comments about the fact that just before daybreak it always seems to cool down and then when the sun hits it starts the warming process as the earth gets blanketed with solar energy. Christine is really struggling but makes it to CP. We strap our crampons on, perched on a small buttress with striking icefalls all around us. Christina decides to pull the plug and head down – she’s had enough of dragging her arse and it’s the right and responsible call to make and we all really respect her for that, a tough call to make. Per, Nima and I form the lead climbing team, roping up and start winding our way up over a couple of crevasses in the snowfield as the view opens up we can see the large 100m headwall and the exposed ridge leading to our goal, the summit - what a great view and perspective. We plod on slow and steady as the air is thin in glorious sunshine and can make out a handful of climbers ascending the ramp in the distance. We continue on easy ground, and it’s not long before we arrive at the fixed ropes at the start of the 100 meter headwall. A Japanese man (very old - we later discover the youngest team member is 60 years of age in their party) is torturously making his way up the fixed ropes and almost looks on death’s door)! Saran, Freddy and Ola; in the second climbing team catch us up and it’s on, we’re ready to start the technical climb. Per heads up followed by myself with Nima skipping up next to the fixed line. This guy’s pretty casual, in his jeans and a smoke hanging out the side of his mouth, this is cruise mode for this Sherpa. The Japanese are creating a traffic jam at Anchor one but Nima does a great job in overtaking the old fella and getting our Jumas and safety slings around him. Some clear ice in front of us now, as our crampons bite into the 45-55 degree sloping ramp. The views are fantastic and again the bluebird day is just what we’d been hoping for, glorious conditions on summit day! There is the odd hole and crevasse slit so we take care and edge our way up slowly but surely as the adrenaline starts to flow. Snow and ice is constantly pelting down and it’s nice to have my trusty (and now battered) old helmet on, to duck in and avoid the deluge of ice debris. I reach another anchor with help from our lead Sherpa who doesn’t seem to even have an axe (ok so he’s summited Everest twice), a walk in the park is the impression he’s giving, but he’s in full control. I keep on going, determined, focused and feeling great, the preparation has been good and it’s paying off as I concentrate on step after step. I take my camera out to take a shot of Per in front of me, and just like the other evening, a big avalanche crashes down the other side of the valley onto the dirty brown moraine of the Lhotse Shar, a long way below us – what a view - spectacular! The headwall steepens to 50-55 degrees now and I use my axe pick style to really get some good purchase finally finishing the rope section and topping out onto the summit ridge. The hard part is done, now the 20 minute cruise up to the peak. The views are sublime Nuptse (7,879m), Lhotse (8,501m), Lhotse Middle Peak (8,401m) and Lhotse Shar (8,383m) to the North. To the East rising above the frozen waves of the Lhotse Shar Glacier are Cho Polu (6,734m), beyond to the red granite mass of Makalu (8,475m). To the South the Imja Glacier leads the eye up to the massive ice flutings of Baruntse (7,720m) and across the Amphu peaks to the large arrow head of Ama Dablam (6,856m). Down the valley we can see the village of Dingboche, peak of Tawache (6,542m) and way down to the Imja Glacier Lake. We can also see Mera Peak (another famous trekking peak at 6,421m) far away in the distance, superb crystal clear views.
I take a few more pictures on my camera and I clip my safety rope to head up the exposed South ridge. It curves up into the sky and the endorphins are really kicking in now, the feeling that you know you’re almost there is exquisite, step after step – I’m nearly there and bang then I am – summiting 9.30am on the dot. Wow a bit of wind up here but its crystal clear views 360 degrees, huge peaks and mountain architecture stretches for miles, the sublime beauty of the Himalaya is hard to describe, a wonderful place to be, harmonious as you’re surrounded by the biggest mountains in the world. I feel very small but contented and almost privileged to be up here. We snap away taking loads of pictures & video, soaking up the sublime atmosphere and feeling of achievement, Per and I celebrate and the rest of the team join us for the team summit photo. Soon it’s time to lead off down as only half the job is done! We head down the ridge to the fixed rope. I manage to sneak in front of the sloth-like Japanese man and I attach my figure 8 to abseil down. We cruise on down really enjoying the satisfaction of summiting but we know it’s a long way down too but just keep soaking up the wonderful views. We stop at the bottom of the fixed lines for hot chocolate and scroggin, but are soon cold from pausing and there’s a bit of wind cooling us down. The slow Japanese man is now “short-roped” by his guide and is literally being dragged down the 110m pitch which is rather disconcerting, and it looks like he might just die there and then – questionable about how much he is enjoying his experience. We rope up again and get moving, making a good pace down to “Crampon Point”. We arrive and are greeted by Hari (our Sirdar) with hot chocolate and biscuits which we heartily wolf down stuffing our faces. We de-gear and start the descent of the loose rocky path passing ABC and finally arrive in Base Camp exhausted around 2pm – what a day! A well deserved lunch of chapatti, sausages & spaghetti and we retire into our tents crashing out for the arvo absolutely exhausted to the max! We rise again, as hunger returns, for dinner at 6.30pm. The boys have been busy as we’re presented with a glorious dinner of Chicken Curry (nice and spicy), rice and lots of potato and breads. I pull out a celebratory beer (I had purchased 2 from Chukkung, one for the summit and one for the return, the major goals) which I of course share out with my team mates! As we devour our dinner down finishing off when Nima (Cook) brings out a congratulations Chocolate cake to celebrate a successful summit!!! What a great surprise and just amazing what the team has been producing from a basic rudimentary kitchen – great work guys! We’d done it and now it was time to crash out to bed and bask in our glory! Rock on!
For info on trekking/mountaineering Everest Base Camp, Island Peak Mountaineering Expedition check out:
www.sunstoneadventures.com
Email: paul@sunstoneadventures.com
We rise just before 2am instinctively, just before the wake-up call – its weird how the body works sometimes – and get our gear together, easy as I’m wearing most of mine already! Brekkie is muesli & milk, biscuits and coffee, Saran forgot the tea but we warm the hands and innards with hot coffee which is a nice change! We finally push off into the dark just before 3.30pm with Nima (our climbing Sherpa) leading off into the cold morning. Our head torches blaze away, flickering into the dark like a bunch of fire flies in the darkest of night. We edge our way up the loose, exposed gully, I feel like a zombie as the body tries to wake up. We wind up the steep track; the toes start to warm and the body slowly starts to kick into action. I can suddenly smell beer and am thinking either Nima (now behind me) or maybe Ola has had a night on the turps, surely not! But no the beer (a can of San Miguel) has been punctured by my crampons in my pack – gutted - that was meant to be drunk on the summit as a celebration! We continue on balancing feet and hands up the loose path and rock walls as we elevate, partly scrambling partly tramping up. It starts to lighten as we near our first goal – “Crampon Point” – guessable as the place where we don the spikes for the snowfield. Saran comments about the fact that just before daybreak it always seems to cool down and then when the sun hits it starts the warming process as the earth gets blanketed with solar energy. Christine is really struggling but makes it to CP. We strap our crampons on, perched on a small buttress with striking icefalls all around us. Christina decides to pull the plug and head down – she’s had enough of dragging her arse and it’s the right and responsible call to make and we all really respect her for that, a tough call to make. Per, Nima and I form the lead climbing team, roping up and start winding our way up over a couple of crevasses in the snowfield as the view opens up we can see the large 100m headwall and the exposed ridge leading to our goal, the summit - what a great view and perspective. We plod on slow and steady as the air is thin in glorious sunshine and can make out a handful of climbers ascending the ramp in the distance. We continue on easy ground, and it’s not long before we arrive at the fixed ropes at the start of the 100 meter headwall. A Japanese man (very old - we later discover the youngest team member is 60 years of age in their party) is torturously making his way up the fixed ropes and almost looks on death’s door)! Saran, Freddy and Ola; in the second climbing team catch us up and it’s on, we’re ready to start the technical climb. Per heads up followed by myself with Nima skipping up next to the fixed line. This guy’s pretty casual, in his jeans and a smoke hanging out the side of his mouth, this is cruise mode for this Sherpa. The Japanese are creating a traffic jam at Anchor one but Nima does a great job in overtaking the old fella and getting our Jumas and safety slings around him. Some clear ice in front of us now, as our crampons bite into the 45-55 degree sloping ramp. The views are fantastic and again the bluebird day is just what we’d been hoping for, glorious conditions on summit day! There is the odd hole and crevasse slit so we take care and edge our way up slowly but surely as the adrenaline starts to flow. Snow and ice is constantly pelting down and it’s nice to have my trusty (and now battered) old helmet on, to duck in and avoid the deluge of ice debris. I reach another anchor with help from our lead Sherpa who doesn’t seem to even have an axe (ok so he’s summited Everest twice), a walk in the park is the impression he’s giving, but he’s in full control. I keep on going, determined, focused and feeling great, the preparation has been good and it’s paying off as I concentrate on step after step. I take my camera out to take a shot of Per in front of me, and just like the other evening, a big avalanche crashes down the other side of the valley onto the dirty brown moraine of the Lhotse Shar, a long way below us – what a view - spectacular! The headwall steepens to 50-55 degrees now and I use my axe pick style to really get some good purchase finally finishing the rope section and topping out onto the summit ridge. The hard part is done, now the 20 minute cruise up to the peak. The views are sublime Nuptse (7,879m), Lhotse (8,501m), Lhotse Middle Peak (8,401m) and Lhotse Shar (8,383m) to the North. To the East rising above the frozen waves of the Lhotse Shar Glacier are Cho Polu (6,734m), beyond to the red granite mass of Makalu (8,475m). To the South the Imja Glacier leads the eye up to the massive ice flutings of Baruntse (7,720m) and across the Amphu peaks to the large arrow head of Ama Dablam (6,856m). Down the valley we can see the village of Dingboche, peak of Tawache (6,542m) and way down to the Imja Glacier Lake. We can also see Mera Peak (another famous trekking peak at 6,421m) far away in the distance, superb crystal clear views.
I take a few more pictures on my camera and I clip my safety rope to head up the exposed South ridge. It curves up into the sky and the endorphins are really kicking in now, the feeling that you know you’re almost there is exquisite, step after step – I’m nearly there and bang then I am – summiting 9.30am on the dot. Wow a bit of wind up here but its crystal clear views 360 degrees, huge peaks and mountain architecture stretches for miles, the sublime beauty of the Himalaya is hard to describe, a wonderful place to be, harmonious as you’re surrounded by the biggest mountains in the world. I feel very small but contented and almost privileged to be up here. We snap away taking loads of pictures & video, soaking up the sublime atmosphere and feeling of achievement, Per and I celebrate and the rest of the team join us for the team summit photo. Soon it’s time to lead off down as only half the job is done! We head down the ridge to the fixed rope. I manage to sneak in front of the sloth-like Japanese man and I attach my figure 8 to abseil down. We cruise on down really enjoying the satisfaction of summiting but we know it’s a long way down too but just keep soaking up the wonderful views. We stop at the bottom of the fixed lines for hot chocolate and scroggin, but are soon cold from pausing and there’s a bit of wind cooling us down. The slow Japanese man is now “short-roped” by his guide and is literally being dragged down the 110m pitch which is rather disconcerting, and it looks like he might just die there and then – questionable about how much he is enjoying his experience. We rope up again and get moving, making a good pace down to “Crampon Point”. We arrive and are greeted by Hari (our Sirdar) with hot chocolate and biscuits which we heartily wolf down stuffing our faces. We de-gear and start the descent of the loose rocky path passing ABC and finally arrive in Base Camp exhausted around 2pm – what a day! A well deserved lunch of chapatti, sausages & spaghetti and we retire into our tents crashing out for the arvo absolutely exhausted to the max! We rise again, as hunger returns, for dinner at 6.30pm. The boys have been busy as we’re presented with a glorious dinner of Chicken Curry (nice and spicy), rice and lots of potato and breads. I pull out a celebratory beer (I had purchased 2 from Chukkung, one for the summit and one for the return, the major goals) which I of course share out with my team mates! As we devour our dinner down finishing off when Nima (Cook) brings out a congratulations Chocolate cake to celebrate a successful summit!!! What a great surprise and just amazing what the team has been producing from a basic rudimentary kitchen – great work guys! We’d done it and now it was time to crash out to bed and bask in our glory! Rock on!
For info on trekking/mountaineering Everest Base Camp, Island Peak Mountaineering Expedition check out:
www.sunstoneadventures.com
Email: paul@sunstoneadventures.com
Island Peak Expedition Memoirs IX
Sunday 2nd November Island Peak Base Camp (Acclimatise/Rest Day)
Tea (black) arrives early as we lie in bed, a quick wash and we get stuck into a superb breakfast of porridge followed by potato pancakes and luncheon. I have a few extra pancakes with lots of jam just for good measure! I really believe food is a major key when acclimatising to keep the tank fueled up to maintain energy and not get run down at altitude, and we were certainly well treated to tons of food to fill our bellies. After brekkie we gear up and do some training with the ‘jumars’ on a fixed rope. We set up a course of a couple of ropes and practice climbing up using the ascending device called a jumar and abseiling down on our ‘figure eight’ devices. It’s my first time using a ‘jumar’ as I’m usually accustomed to more alpine style and traditional (or sport) rock climbing, placing protection as you move up the rock or mountain, they prove easy to use after a few goes and we’re having fun in the sun. A group of Japanese next to us are also practicing but look like they could do with some walking frames; they must have been all well over sixty years of age and looking rather frail. Lunch is the gorgeous Tibetan style bread with sardines, boiled egg and fried cauliflower pakora. Again some good variety in the menu which helps in keeping up the appetite – just the trick in our preparation. After lunch we perfect our jumaring and then take a small walk just halfway to base camp to again aid in acclimatisation and get the legs and lungs working!. We take in great views across the Imja glacier and its moraine lake. We soon head back to base and as I’m composing a photo of my roomy Per when a huge avalanche rips off the peak behind us thundering its way down to the valley floor in the pinkish hue of the late afternoon sun! It’s a little reminder of where we are – in a serious alpine environment and super close to the power of nature. Dinner time beckons and after a little lie down we get served up soup, pizza and apple pie – spoilt again with great food. Saran really has a great team behind him and we were starting to see the value in this. It’s off to bed at 8pm after continued cups of hot chocolate and another very cold night looms in the thin walled constraints of the tent but anticipation was growing, advanced based camp (ABC) tomorrow. Christina is not feeling well, which is a real bummer as she might not get the opportunity to summit. Fingers crossed for her as we tuck up into our cosy down sleeping bags.
Monday 3rd November Island Peak Base Camp (5,087m) to Advanced Base Camp (5,700m)
I awake after a great sleep right through the night. Tea, a wash and brekkie then we have another practice with the Jumar up the loose scree on the side of the valley. There’s a feeling of good anticipation and an air of excitement as we make a plan to leave for ABC at 2pm. Christina is still not feeling well (fever, stomach pains, vomiting). The decision hangs in the balance whether Christina will go. We have another carb stacking lunch of soup, spaghetti (with mini sausages). Still debate is going on as Christina has two more groups to guide with Saran in the coming weeks so really needs to get better soon. I give encouragement to Christina that she should head up to ABC and then she will at least have the option to go for the summit or head down to base camp, depending on how she feels. The team is ready to go and Christina decides she will come up which is good news. Saran leads off at 2.45pm at a slow and steady pace; again the great views unfold of Imja Glacier and Lhotse Shar. Some cloud starts coming up as the sun is setting creating an inversion and making a special atmosphere as we get one step closer to our ultimate goal. We arrive at ABC and there is an amazing shadow that we pose in capturing our silhouettes on camera. I pull out the classic Karate Kid “Crane” pose…classic! Tea is served and we organize the tent and gear for an easy ‘get up and go’ start. We meet in the kitchen for a basic dinner of Tuna Sandwiches, spaghetti and hot chocolate. I teach the Swedes Charades which makes for lots of giggles and then it’s off to bed for a short sleep in readiness for the summit day start at 2am! We jump into our bags, it’s cold but not desperately so, probably because I’m in my full Gore-Tex with down jacket over the top and boots on in the sleeping bag (using a silk liner). It’s hard to sleep while the adrenaline starts to kick in, and the slightly uneven ground isn’t helping the comfort levels either. I’m not a big pharmaceutical drug taker and don’t usually rely on any but I was given a valium by a girl at base camp and as I’m feeling restless I decide to use it to knock myself out for a few hours. It’s not a strong dose and she reckoned it would only knock me out for 3-4 hours, so I pop the pill and get off to sleep. I would only recommend this if you are confident you are fully acclimatised which I was.
www.sunstoneadventures.com
Tea (black) arrives early as we lie in bed, a quick wash and we get stuck into a superb breakfast of porridge followed by potato pancakes and luncheon. I have a few extra pancakes with lots of jam just for good measure! I really believe food is a major key when acclimatising to keep the tank fueled up to maintain energy and not get run down at altitude, and we were certainly well treated to tons of food to fill our bellies. After brekkie we gear up and do some training with the ‘jumars’ on a fixed rope. We set up a course of a couple of ropes and practice climbing up using the ascending device called a jumar and abseiling down on our ‘figure eight’ devices. It’s my first time using a ‘jumar’ as I’m usually accustomed to more alpine style and traditional (or sport) rock climbing, placing protection as you move up the rock or mountain, they prove easy to use after a few goes and we’re having fun in the sun. A group of Japanese next to us are also practicing but look like they could do with some walking frames; they must have been all well over sixty years of age and looking rather frail. Lunch is the gorgeous Tibetan style bread with sardines, boiled egg and fried cauliflower pakora. Again some good variety in the menu which helps in keeping up the appetite – just the trick in our preparation. After lunch we perfect our jumaring and then take a small walk just halfway to base camp to again aid in acclimatisation and get the legs and lungs working!. We take in great views across the Imja glacier and its moraine lake. We soon head back to base and as I’m composing a photo of my roomy Per when a huge avalanche rips off the peak behind us thundering its way down to the valley floor in the pinkish hue of the late afternoon sun! It’s a little reminder of where we are – in a serious alpine environment and super close to the power of nature. Dinner time beckons and after a little lie down we get served up soup, pizza and apple pie – spoilt again with great food. Saran really has a great team behind him and we were starting to see the value in this. It’s off to bed at 8pm after continued cups of hot chocolate and another very cold night looms in the thin walled constraints of the tent but anticipation was growing, advanced based camp (ABC) tomorrow. Christina is not feeling well, which is a real bummer as she might not get the opportunity to summit. Fingers crossed for her as we tuck up into our cosy down sleeping bags.
Monday 3rd November Island Peak Base Camp (5,087m) to Advanced Base Camp (5,700m)
I awake after a great sleep right through the night. Tea, a wash and brekkie then we have another practice with the Jumar up the loose scree on the side of the valley. There’s a feeling of good anticipation and an air of excitement as we make a plan to leave for ABC at 2pm. Christina is still not feeling well (fever, stomach pains, vomiting). The decision hangs in the balance whether Christina will go. We have another carb stacking lunch of soup, spaghetti (with mini sausages). Still debate is going on as Christina has two more groups to guide with Saran in the coming weeks so really needs to get better soon. I give encouragement to Christina that she should head up to ABC and then she will at least have the option to go for the summit or head down to base camp, depending on how she feels. The team is ready to go and Christina decides she will come up which is good news. Saran leads off at 2.45pm at a slow and steady pace; again the great views unfold of Imja Glacier and Lhotse Shar. Some cloud starts coming up as the sun is setting creating an inversion and making a special atmosphere as we get one step closer to our ultimate goal. We arrive at ABC and there is an amazing shadow that we pose in capturing our silhouettes on camera. I pull out the classic Karate Kid “Crane” pose…classic! Tea is served and we organize the tent and gear for an easy ‘get up and go’ start. We meet in the kitchen for a basic dinner of Tuna Sandwiches, spaghetti and hot chocolate. I teach the Swedes Charades which makes for lots of giggles and then it’s off to bed for a short sleep in readiness for the summit day start at 2am! We jump into our bags, it’s cold but not desperately so, probably because I’m in my full Gore-Tex with down jacket over the top and boots on in the sleeping bag (using a silk liner). It’s hard to sleep while the adrenaline starts to kick in, and the slightly uneven ground isn’t helping the comfort levels either. I’m not a big pharmaceutical drug taker and don’t usually rely on any but I was given a valium by a girl at base camp and as I’m feeling restless I decide to use it to knock myself out for a few hours. It’s not a strong dose and she reckoned it would only knock me out for 3-4 hours, so I pop the pill and get off to sleep. I would only recommend this if you are confident you are fully acclimatised which I was.
www.sunstoneadventures.com
Everest Base Camp Trek & Island Peak Climb Memoirs Part VIII
Thursday 30th October Gorak Shep (5,180m) to Everest Base Camp (5,380m) to Dingboche (4,420m)
An early start with Ian and we put on a good pace as we race up to EBC. The sun is shining and the sky is blue, what a surprise, this autumn weather is truly the best time to visit the Himalayas for clarity of view. As we approach, views of huge towering Seracs on the Khumbu Glacier, as we dodge around holes in the glacier, creaking ice and generally pretty rough morraine terrain. It’s great having a look around, only one expedition here with a small grouping of tents. I stumble across a 1960’s Oxygen Canister amongst the tents of the Korean expedition. This is certainly not the optimum time for climbing Everest as the excellent weather window, high on the mountain occurs in May. As we’re gazing up the Khumbu icefall small ice falls and avalanches pour down giving an air of seriousness. It’s great to be here a the place it all happens, at the heart of some many adventure stories I’ve read and a good feeling of achievement washes over me! We head down crisscrossing the undulating moraine for lunch at Gorak Shep. We part company as Ian is heading down to Pheriche and I will meet the expedition team in Dingboche. I head off reaching Lobouche 2.45pm and onto Thukla 4pm branching across to Dingboche arriving 5.15pm just before dark. I jump in the excellent outdoor shower and then officially meet up and join the expedition team – Team Sweden plus the Kiwi! It’s great to have some good yarns with Ola, father of Freddy (19 years old) and Per who is now my roommate. Ola had climbed Island Peak a couple of years ago and wanted to share the experience with Freddy, so brought him back to have a crack at it, which was just great!
Friday 31st October Dingboche (4,420m) to Chukkung (4,720m)
I woke after a great sleep to our Sirdar Nima bringing me morning tea and a bowl of warm water to wash with, just great. I head up the road and quickly log-in on email (20 rupees per minute would you believe compared to 20 rupees per hour back in Kathmandu!) but hey it’s over 4000m in the Himalayas! I write a quick email to Ma & Pa and Kitty (my girlfriend at the time) and am delighted to also receive some news from my last recruitment company that a candidate I was working closely with has secured a role that I had previously arranged an interview for, isn’t technology amazing! We start Trekking leisurely up to Chukkung, the beautiful valley unfolds and there’s a feeling of excitement to be part of a team that will share the experience of the Island Peak mission. I did some final washing of clothes and chat with Ola, Freddy, Per and Christina as we all look forward to heading up to Island Peak Base Camp tomorrow. I have a little siesta; listening to my Ipod and some reading getting some good chill time in before the hard work starts again! A nice cosy warm hut and a great feed of Dahl Bhat with the team geeling and excited – Island Peak Base Camp tomorrow – bring it on!
www.sunstoneadventures.com
An early start with Ian and we put on a good pace as we race up to EBC. The sun is shining and the sky is blue, what a surprise, this autumn weather is truly the best time to visit the Himalayas for clarity of view. As we approach, views of huge towering Seracs on the Khumbu Glacier, as we dodge around holes in the glacier, creaking ice and generally pretty rough morraine terrain. It’s great having a look around, only one expedition here with a small grouping of tents. I stumble across a 1960’s Oxygen Canister amongst the tents of the Korean expedition. This is certainly not the optimum time for climbing Everest as the excellent weather window, high on the mountain occurs in May. As we’re gazing up the Khumbu icefall small ice falls and avalanches pour down giving an air of seriousness. It’s great to be here a the place it all happens, at the heart of some many adventure stories I’ve read and a good feeling of achievement washes over me! We head down crisscrossing the undulating moraine for lunch at Gorak Shep. We part company as Ian is heading down to Pheriche and I will meet the expedition team in Dingboche. I head off reaching Lobouche 2.45pm and onto Thukla 4pm branching across to Dingboche arriving 5.15pm just before dark. I jump in the excellent outdoor shower and then officially meet up and join the expedition team – Team Sweden plus the Kiwi! It’s great to have some good yarns with Ola, father of Freddy (19 years old) and Per who is now my roommate. Ola had climbed Island Peak a couple of years ago and wanted to share the experience with Freddy, so brought him back to have a crack at it, which was just great!
Friday 31st October Dingboche (4,420m) to Chukkung (4,720m)
I woke after a great sleep to our Sirdar Nima bringing me morning tea and a bowl of warm water to wash with, just great. I head up the road and quickly log-in on email (20 rupees per minute would you believe compared to 20 rupees per hour back in Kathmandu!) but hey it’s over 4000m in the Himalayas! I write a quick email to Ma & Pa and Kitty (my girlfriend at the time) and am delighted to also receive some news from my last recruitment company that a candidate I was working closely with has secured a role that I had previously arranged an interview for, isn’t technology amazing! We start Trekking leisurely up to Chukkung, the beautiful valley unfolds and there’s a feeling of excitement to be part of a team that will share the experience of the Island Peak mission. I did some final washing of clothes and chat with Ola, Freddy, Per and Christina as we all look forward to heading up to Island Peak Base Camp tomorrow. I have a little siesta; listening to my Ipod and some reading getting some good chill time in before the hard work starts again! A nice cosy warm hut and a great feed of Dahl Bhat with the team geeling and excited – Island Peak Base Camp tomorrow – bring it on!
www.sunstoneadventures.com
Everest Base Camp & Island Peak Memoirs Part VII
Tuesday 28th October Lobouche (4,930m) to Gorak Shep (5.180m)
We get on the trail and meet up with “Team America” ie Maile, Caitlin and Brandon (all siblings) and Jessie. We cruised at a slow steady pace with glorious weather again. The gang is in good spirits, despite not acclimatising properly (coming up too quick and being rather ill with banging headaches at Thukla a part from Jessie). I head up past Gorak Shep, leaving my gear in our room and visit Rob Hall’s memorial. I am really touched and shed a tear for my great countryman and Himalayan legend. The late afternoon storm clouds swirl about, with views of Nuptse creating quite an atmosphere and a feeling of big mountain respect – this was the stuff I’d come to see! Rob Hall was only 35 years old when he passed – what a young life to be taken by this extremely powerful mountain, the intense feelings really hit home as I am 33 years old and still feel very young at heart (most of the time anyway)!
Wednesday 29th October Gorak Shep (5,180m) Acclimatisation Day – Kala Pattar (5,545m)
This morning we’re going to head up to the classic viewpoint that takes in Mt.Everest, unlike EBC which actually doesn’t but has views of the Khumbu icefall and surrounds. I pack up the daypack and we cruise up the 5545m vantage point. After 70 minutes of a slow persistent slog in the thinning air we are treated to absolute mind blowing views of Mt. Everest in all its glory. The eye takes in great views of the khumbu ice fall leading up from EBC and the whole surrounding bowl. Pumori is close behind Kala Pattar and is a striking triangular peak highlighted by a deep deep blue sky. After taking in the views I Trot back down to the sandy flat plateau area of Gorak Shep and lay in the sun by a beautiful ice lake – great to have the feet out of the boots and in the sun! A few momos in the arvo with some chilled out reading. Ian the New Yorker is still feeling quite sick with little appetite (he had been in the Indian Himal for over 40 days so it would be unusual for it to be an acclimatising issue) and is suffering from bad guts. Night arrives and Christina and Saran turn up with the team of Swedes (Per, Freddy and Ola) whom I will join in a few days to Climb Island Peak. It’s great to have a chat and some chai and get to know them all a little better – what a great bunch of people they are!
www.sunstoneadventures.com
We get on the trail and meet up with “Team America” ie Maile, Caitlin and Brandon (all siblings) and Jessie. We cruised at a slow steady pace with glorious weather again. The gang is in good spirits, despite not acclimatising properly (coming up too quick and being rather ill with banging headaches at Thukla a part from Jessie). I head up past Gorak Shep, leaving my gear in our room and visit Rob Hall’s memorial. I am really touched and shed a tear for my great countryman and Himalayan legend. The late afternoon storm clouds swirl about, with views of Nuptse creating quite an atmosphere and a feeling of big mountain respect – this was the stuff I’d come to see! Rob Hall was only 35 years old when he passed – what a young life to be taken by this extremely powerful mountain, the intense feelings really hit home as I am 33 years old and still feel very young at heart (most of the time anyway)!
Wednesday 29th October Gorak Shep (5,180m) Acclimatisation Day – Kala Pattar (5,545m)
This morning we’re going to head up to the classic viewpoint that takes in Mt.Everest, unlike EBC which actually doesn’t but has views of the Khumbu icefall and surrounds. I pack up the daypack and we cruise up the 5545m vantage point. After 70 minutes of a slow persistent slog in the thinning air we are treated to absolute mind blowing views of Mt. Everest in all its glory. The eye takes in great views of the khumbu ice fall leading up from EBC and the whole surrounding bowl. Pumori is close behind Kala Pattar and is a striking triangular peak highlighted by a deep deep blue sky. After taking in the views I Trot back down to the sandy flat plateau area of Gorak Shep and lay in the sun by a beautiful ice lake – great to have the feet out of the boots and in the sun! A few momos in the arvo with some chilled out reading. Ian the New Yorker is still feeling quite sick with little appetite (he had been in the Indian Himal for over 40 days so it would be unusual for it to be an acclimatising issue) and is suffering from bad guts. Night arrives and Christina and Saran turn up with the team of Swedes (Per, Freddy and Ola) whom I will join in a few days to Climb Island Peak. It’s great to have a chat and some chai and get to know them all a little better – what a great bunch of people they are!
www.sunstoneadventures.com
Monday, 28 December 2009
Skiing in Gulmarg with a local girl
Gulmarg has earned the distinction of being the best ski resort in Asia, not to mention home to the highest ski slopes in the world
I plug in my ipod, check the tension on my skis and look around. We're skiing in Gulmarg and I see John Falkner standing by the gondola at 15,000 feet in masterful yoga stretch. To me John is God of the slopes, a veteran and regular on the soaring Apharwat peaks of Kashmir. Like me, he visits annually with his group of ski-crazy friends and advanced European skiers. A quick nod of approval from him, a short prayer, and I'm ripping down 13,000 feet of powder off the world's highest slope for the first time. Everything in front of me is white and I see kilometers of snow, glistening like diamonds, waiting to be kicked up like dust as my skis fly over.
Skiing in powder is the ultimate ski experience. The feeling of lightness, ease, and grace is incomparable. But the first time you venture into powder you may feel more like a fly in a spider's web than a bird on the wing.
Luckily learning how to ski on Gulmarg's well groomed slopes is easy.
Skiing was first introduced in these parts by two British Army officers who established the first ski club here in 1927. But it wasn’t until five or six years ago when Gulmarg's name first started to appear on the ski cognoscenti's hotlist.
Gulmarg is a small hill village situated in the northern Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir at the western extremity of the Himalayas in a mountain range called the Pir Panjals. Its name when translated means "meadow of flowers." It's 35 miles from Srinagar, the state capital and would, on a good day, take you about an hour and a half to drive up.
Skiing in powder, I think, is the ultimate ski experience.
— Zainab Nedou
I learnt how to ski in Gulmarg and then skied in different parts of the world but there's a special connect that forms between you and the mountains of Gulmarg that makes me want to run back every year. Probably because I'm Kashmiri. Or maybe it's because the slopes here are so perfect. In Gulmarg, with the use of snow-grooming equipment, a skier can learn to ski, and become quite proficient. There are well groomed slopes for beginners and intermediates. After you have mastered those you can easily move to what is locally known as the first phase of "The Gondola" -- a medium-to-intermediate run of approximately 2.5 kilometres of groomed piste.
Ski snobs love it because Gulmarg gets some of the heaviest snowfalls in the Himalayas. The high altitude snow remains cold, crisp and light for days on end. The snow cycle is unusually regular, often snowing every seven days for two to three days delivering over a meter of fresh powder at a time. The steep powder bowls stretch across the range, offering 1,000 meter vertical runs, not to mention skiing off the highest gondola in the world at nearly 4,000 meters altitude. There are even some 'super steeps' here, up to 65 degrees, to really get the endorphins flowing.
The diversity of skiing in Gulmarg means that you can experience what you want, when you want. Extreme backcountry, off-piste, on-piste, the highest gondola in the world or even resort skiing; take your pick. If company is a concern know that you’ll be skiing and boarding with professionals who know their playground (read: internationally qualified ski guides and mountaineers) and even trained Kashmiri locals. If first aid is what you're worried about, doctors and ski patrol personnel are always around. The medical staff even have snow mobiles for medical emergencies.
You'd be crazy not to be inspired by the raw beauty of Kashmir, the relentless pursuit of adventure, the thrill of slashing through untracked snow and the exhilaration of dropping into effortless runs, followed by a hot meaty meal, a warm brandy and a feather pillow.
The added advantage with skiing in Gulmarg is that it offers reasonably priced boarding and lodging and brand new equipment to hire for a ski holiday that won’t break the bank.
The Nedou’s Hotel, for example, is run like an old British lodge. The Lounge there, with the biggest wood stove in the valley, is lively till the wee hours of the morning with people nursing their drinks and discussing their day. Skiing in Gulmarg is definitely a place to make friends that last.
source:
http://www.cnngo.com/mumbai/play/skiing-kashmir-162328
www.sunstoneadventures.com
I plug in my ipod, check the tension on my skis and look around. We're skiing in Gulmarg and I see John Falkner standing by the gondola at 15,000 feet in masterful yoga stretch. To me John is God of the slopes, a veteran and regular on the soaring Apharwat peaks of Kashmir. Like me, he visits annually with his group of ski-crazy friends and advanced European skiers. A quick nod of approval from him, a short prayer, and I'm ripping down 13,000 feet of powder off the world's highest slope for the first time. Everything in front of me is white and I see kilometers of snow, glistening like diamonds, waiting to be kicked up like dust as my skis fly over.
Skiing in powder is the ultimate ski experience. The feeling of lightness, ease, and grace is incomparable. But the first time you venture into powder you may feel more like a fly in a spider's web than a bird on the wing.
Luckily learning how to ski on Gulmarg's well groomed slopes is easy.
Skiing was first introduced in these parts by two British Army officers who established the first ski club here in 1927. But it wasn’t until five or six years ago when Gulmarg's name first started to appear on the ski cognoscenti's hotlist.
Gulmarg is a small hill village situated in the northern Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir at the western extremity of the Himalayas in a mountain range called the Pir Panjals. Its name when translated means "meadow of flowers." It's 35 miles from Srinagar, the state capital and would, on a good day, take you about an hour and a half to drive up.
Skiing in powder, I think, is the ultimate ski experience.
— Zainab Nedou
I learnt how to ski in Gulmarg and then skied in different parts of the world but there's a special connect that forms between you and the mountains of Gulmarg that makes me want to run back every year. Probably because I'm Kashmiri. Or maybe it's because the slopes here are so perfect. In Gulmarg, with the use of snow-grooming equipment, a skier can learn to ski, and become quite proficient. There are well groomed slopes for beginners and intermediates. After you have mastered those you can easily move to what is locally known as the first phase of "The Gondola" -- a medium-to-intermediate run of approximately 2.5 kilometres of groomed piste.
Ski snobs love it because Gulmarg gets some of the heaviest snowfalls in the Himalayas. The high altitude snow remains cold, crisp and light for days on end. The snow cycle is unusually regular, often snowing every seven days for two to three days delivering over a meter of fresh powder at a time. The steep powder bowls stretch across the range, offering 1,000 meter vertical runs, not to mention skiing off the highest gondola in the world at nearly 4,000 meters altitude. There are even some 'super steeps' here, up to 65 degrees, to really get the endorphins flowing.
The diversity of skiing in Gulmarg means that you can experience what you want, when you want. Extreme backcountry, off-piste, on-piste, the highest gondola in the world or even resort skiing; take your pick. If company is a concern know that you’ll be skiing and boarding with professionals who know their playground (read: internationally qualified ski guides and mountaineers) and even trained Kashmiri locals. If first aid is what you're worried about, doctors and ski patrol personnel are always around. The medical staff even have snow mobiles for medical emergencies.
You'd be crazy not to be inspired by the raw beauty of Kashmir, the relentless pursuit of adventure, the thrill of slashing through untracked snow and the exhilaration of dropping into effortless runs, followed by a hot meaty meal, a warm brandy and a feather pillow.
The added advantage with skiing in Gulmarg is that it offers reasonably priced boarding and lodging and brand new equipment to hire for a ski holiday that won’t break the bank.
The Nedou’s Hotel, for example, is run like an old British lodge. The Lounge there, with the biggest wood stove in the valley, is lively till the wee hours of the morning with people nursing their drinks and discussing their day. Skiing in Gulmarg is definitely a place to make friends that last.
source:
http://www.cnngo.com/mumbai/play/skiing-kashmir-162328
www.sunstoneadventures.com
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