I cannot recall how I first heard of a ski resort in India but it was described to me as an expanse larger than Verbier with vertical footage similar to Whistler, serviced by one six-person gondola. Many hours after that were spent Googling into the night to learn more about Gulmarg. "Ne Pofa, A short ski trip around the world" from M.dub is a beautiful video featuring the resort in the second half. It alone was enough to convince me to drop it all and go ASAP.
Trip reports provide the grittier details about a destination, so browsing the Thorn Tree Travel Forum and similar has become mandatory before any adventure. The chestnuts in all of the internet jibber-jabber are doughboyshredder's TR: Gulmarg Late Feb 2007, and reidhresko's TR: Gulmarg, Kashmir 1.5-12.2007 at the Teton Gravity Research Forum. DBS also has a great Flickr photoset from Gulmarg, as does batschmidt.
"Get High in Gulmarg" is about skiing in India despite what it sounds like, and be sure to check out "Kashmir: Land of Paradise" from Chill Factor. Three additional sources of info are: Himalayan Powder Dreams, Ellis Brigham Travel - Gulmarg, and "The Line of Control".
This is a Recommended Reading List for visitors to Jammu & Kashmir.
Photo credit: MHIP
ORIGINAL POST: 2 DEC 2007
INSPIRATION & INFORMATION
