tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36290245977300057942012-01-21T04:24:02.057-05:00AN ADVENTURE OF SNOWBOARDING & TRAVEL IN KASHMIR, INDIAMICHAELhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282669968888930262noreply@blogger.comBlogger301100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629024597730005794.post-65563910078637822932008-06-10T16:00:00.037-04:002011-11-19T14:44:56.747-05:00

Gulmarg '07/08: An incredible winter season at Gulmarg. Scroll down for the posts, presented in chronolgical order, excerpted from Gulmarg '07/08. Other winter seasons: Gulmarg '11/12 Gulmarg '10/11 Gulmarg '09/10 Gulmarg '08/09 Go: Snow Conditions at Gulmarg Go: Backcountry Advisory at Gulmarg Please visit & support SNOWBOARDS FOR KASHMIR, a non-profit corporation that channels surplus

MICHAELhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282669968888930262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629024597730005794.post-38661733272269118502008-06-06T13:00:00.008-04:002008-06-30T10:26:19.132-04:00

Gulmarg experienced the first substantial snowfall of this winter season Friday November 30, elevating the hopes of local residents who are largely dependent upon tourism for their livelihood. If you are curious you can watch a broadcast report of this event from One India.The first snowfall of Kashmir's winter season consistently drops in early December. In 2006 the season's first snowfall in

MICHAELhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282669968888930262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629024597730005794.post-74121417358528260382008-06-06T12:45:00.000-04:002008-06-06T13:15:50.912-04:00

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

MICHAELhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282669968888930262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629024597730005794.post-85283482606180307972008-06-06T12:30:00.001-04:002008-06-06T13:16:21.438-04:00

Many countries require a visa in order to visit and India is no exception. The Embassy of India sends this business to Travisa Visa Outsourcing, an outstandingly quick service that turned my passport and visa around in a week flat. A 10-year, multiple-entry visa costs about USD$150 compared to a 6-month, multiple-entry visa for about USD$75, so I opted for the longer visa.With visa in hand it was

MICHAELhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282669968888930262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629024597730005794.post-81538122343872097082008-06-03T19:30:00.010-04:002008-06-06T12:10:35.605-04:00

Amid the jostle at the SXR baggage claim appear the O-Zed’s and we tell tales of our last 24 hours in Delhi. Assisting each other out of the snatch-and-grab, we potter off to the obligatory form-filling of tourist registration, exit the terminal, load a jeep, bypass Srinagar, and make direct for Gulmarg.The road passes for the greater part through a broad valley floor before rising gradually to

MICHAELhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282669968888930262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629024597730005794.post-35826509106096329862008-06-03T19:29:00.004-04:002008-06-06T12:06:29.709-04:00

This post is dedicated to the friends and family of Shaun Kratzer, a man lost in an avalanche one year ago today, at Gulmarg. An account of this sad event by someone who was there can be found at The Avy in Gulmarg. There is also a discussion of this particular avalanche with photographs of the crown and deposition located at this forum thread at Teton Gravity Research. (The area of that slide is

MICHAELhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282669968888930262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629024597730005794.post-84729490460275092552008-06-03T19:28:00.005-04:002008-06-06T12:07:13.584-04:00

Everyone is ready early and excited to get on snow. I lace up snowboard boots for the first time in 20 months after a season off for an ankle surgery. The familiar routine of dressing for the mountain comes back quickly and I’m relaxed. Hand passes hand eye to lace, buttons snap, goggles are levelled. In an instant I’m where I’ve been a thousand times before, readying myself for the day,

MICHAELhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282669968888930262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629024597730005794.post-8721862643626785322008-06-03T19:27:00.005-04:002008-06-30T10:27:01.007-04:00

The second stage opens to the public today for the first time in a week, allowing access to the upper mountain and many feet of untracked powder. It is the conclusion of a waiting period following the first major storm of February. It leaves a meter (three feet) of fresh snow in its wake. Game on - Release the Hounds!Photo credit: John CarolinSkier: Andrew JowettI generally get my ass handed to

MICHAELhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282669968888930262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629024597730005794.post-31849903604767050642008-06-03T19:12:00.006-04:002008-09-13T02:40:47.667-04:00

Several of the long-distance runs off of Mt. Affarwat are named for the villages where they terminate after a distance of many kilometres. The bowls to the east of the summit, on the skier’s right, generally run to a drainage that leads to the small community at Drung. Babareshi can be reached from the bowls to the west of the summit. From either of these villages one must walk to Tangmarg, where

MICHAELhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282669968888930262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629024597730005794.post-39975798929601472582008-06-03T19:11:00.008-04:002008-06-06T12:10:01.907-04:00

This is the center of the peace and love universe at Gulmarg, where trance music swirls around a toasty burkari (woodstove). A warm welcome, fresh baked breads and excellent kawah tea are generously offered by this man, Raja, who was once a mujaheddin warrior, but now prefers cooking and sharing his home with foreign visitors.Photo credit: Griffiths/SmithRaja's resident, and NZ ripper Ruari

MICHAELhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282669968888930262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629024597730005794.post-11356095117117989352008-06-03T19:10:00.005-04:002008-09-20T09:26:53.040-04:00

If you are going to spend any time at all in Kashmir it pays to do a little homework on the subject of the local cuisine, otherwise you may be intimidated by its appearance, its aroma, and the presentation. Without knowing what you are looking for in advance you may find yourself reduced to eating the same old standards, missing out on a truly interesting epicurean experience.I made the mistake

MICHAELhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282669968888930262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629024597730005794.post-41457960701945418232008-06-03T19:09:00.003-04:002008-06-06T12:11:53.641-04:00

Most hotels in Gulmarg have a kitchen and restaurant to service their clients, though many guests choose to take meals and tea in their rooms. The quality of food may vary, but the menu items are often similar: rice, lentils, vegetable mash, and chicken or mutton curry. Fruit is often absent from a stock meal; savvy guests buy bananas, apples, and oranges from the markets in Tangmarg or

MICHAELhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282669968888930262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629024597730005794.post-35028273704841433362008-06-03T19:08:00.005-04:002008-06-06T12:12:35.758-04:00

Gondola car approaching G2 (top station, stage one).Photo credit: MHIPMatt R. finds airtime behind the Green Heights Hotel.Photo credit: John CarolinORIGINAL POST: 21 FEB 2008

MICHAELhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282669968888930262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629024597730005794.post-27985943555064705552008-06-03T19:07:00.005-04:002008-06-06T12:13:05.727-04:00

The pre-ski scene at G3.Photo credit: MHIPHiking the ridge to the OB.Photo credit: John CarolinAndrew J. ripping cold smoke somewhere in Drung Bowls.Photo credit: John CarolinORIGINAL POST: 22 FEB 2008

MICHAELhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282669968888930262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629024597730005794.post-15838727907581000662008-06-03T19:06:00.005-04:002008-09-20T09:23:01.064-04:00

Due to hit the shelves in the fall of 2008: Snowboard Canada, with a full-feature trip report, shot on location in Kashmir. SBC is a great magazine that too few American or European riders recognize; it is hard to find on sale outside Canada, and it is not available online. To my knowledge, when published this would be the first article on Gulmarg for a snowboard magazine in North America. Kudos!

MICHAELhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282669968888930262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629024597730005794.post-81398340042434885082008-06-03T19:05:00.005-04:002008-06-22T20:52:42.027-04:00

One of the highlights of the National Winter Games at Gulmarg was the ice hockey tournament. The rink itself was unusual in that the corners really were corners, there was almost no transition at all in the boards. For a somewhat witty, sarcastic, and definitely denigrating account of this event please read "Hockey Night in Kashmir" as reported by some Canuckleheads that were evidently

MICHAELhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282669968888930262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629024597730005794.post-73622087251434558692008-06-03T19:03:00.005-04:002008-06-22T20:36:24.802-04:00

Seismologists report event located in Kashmir, near to Gulmarg. It occurred around 1240PM, after lunch, but I don’t notice it all. No fatalities or damages are reported.Tremor Rocks Valley - Kashmir Observer, 25 February 2008.UPDATE: Valley Rocked by Tremors - Kashmir Observer, 1 March 2008.UPDATE: Quake Again Rattles Kashmir; Sixth in a Fortnight - Kashmir Observer, 6 March 2008.ORIGINAL POST:

MICHAELhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282669968888930262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629024597730005794.post-59428514697571018732008-06-03T19:02:00.007-04:002008-06-30T10:28:12.880-04:00

Major snowfall is considered a causal factor in border monitors reporting zero militant infiltrations. Pray for more snow!Photo credit: Sam SmithHeavy snowfall brings down infiltration in Gulmarg - MeriNews, 23 February 2008.ORIGINAL POST: 25 FEB 2008

MICHAELhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282669968888930262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629024597730005794.post-67481640605454749562008-06-03T19:01:00.005-04:002008-06-06T12:16:55.623-04:00

Brian Newman, leader of the Snow Safety team for Gulmarg 07/08, with Nanga Parbat in the background.Mr. Newman is a no-nonsense individual who takes his job very seriously, and each Tuesday night he and his Snow Safety team hosted a (spellbinding) presentation on the subject of avalanche danger at the Pine Palace. This was always a very well attended, SRO event that never failed to make a

MICHAELhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282669968888930262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629024597730005794.post-25673108831369433982008-06-03T19:00:00.005-04:002008-06-30T10:28:49.094-04:00

Second storm of February 2008 and the upper gondola (stage two) finally opens! Heavy snowfall on an already destabilizing snowpack caused the upper stage to be closed for several days during the storm, and for a day or more for the ensuing avalanche control. The shutdown continued when the army was unable to deliver the allotted avalanche explosives due to other activities. This led to grumbling,

MICHAELhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282669968888930262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629024597730005794.post-13485195932019158802008-06-03T18:59:00.005-04:002008-06-06T12:18:45.150-04:00

First straightline 1300m of vert, then run uphill to the finish line!A Rowdy Finish.1st Position, John Carolin, South Africa; 2cd Position, Ruari MacFarlane, New Zealand; 3rd Position, Michael O'Connor, Australia.Images courtesy of John CarolinORIGINAL POST: 01 MAR 2008

MICHAELhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282669968888930262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629024597730005794.post-28893155781988043472008-06-03T18:57:00.006-04:002008-08-20T10:05:14.580-04:00

The video below contains NO footage of avalanche events at Gulmarg; it is included here to give one an idea of just how dangerous is this natural phenomenon. The subject of avalanche danger is taken very seriously by the Snow Safety team and the Gulmarg Ski Patrol, and these people did a very good job of ensuring the safety of visitors to Gulmarg. They ought to receive a measure of credit for

MICHAELhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282669968888930262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629024597730005794.post-11270900492142307702008-06-03T18:07:00.006-04:002008-06-30T10:29:29.109-04:00

Returned last night from a respite in Srinagar unsuspectingly surprised to hear reports of dry powder on the upper reaches of Mt. Affarwat. Fresh turns to be had easily by rolling straight out the gondi, more awaiting those hiking over the summit, and off to Sharks Fin.The bootpack to Affarwat's summit, well-trod by mid-day.Photo credits: John CarolinORIGINAL POST: 05 MAR 08

MICHAELhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282669968888930262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629024597730005794.post-53926072166421000952008-06-03T18:06:00.005-04:002008-06-06T12:01:07.200-04:00

I postpone leaving Gulmarg by a day to run some more turns off the top of G4. The snow on NW aspects is still dry up high, so I milk farewell turns off Gondola Ridge. An excellent finish to a one-of-a-kind season.Photo credit: John CarolinRider: Michael O'ConnorORIGINAL POST: 06 MAR 2008

MICHAELhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282669968888930262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629024597730005794.post-45133481645253748182008-06-03T18:04:00.004-04:002008-06-06T11:59:36.594-04:00

Eastern flank of Mt. Affarwat, leading to Drung Bowls.Photo credit: John CarolinMany thanks to my friends at Kashmir Powdercats - I hope to see you again next winter!Photo credit: Alex GriffithsORIGINAL POST: 07 MAR 2008

MICHAELhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282669968888930262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629024597730005794.post-44540693443052087512008-06-03T17:53:00.009-04:002008-11-15T13:27:18.278-05:00

Blast Rips Through City Centre, Breaks Lull, Wounds 16 - Kashmir Observer, 19 March 2008.UPDATE: Fire in Gulmarg's High Altitude Warfare School - Kashmir Observer, 24 March 2008.UPDATE: 15 Soldiers, 64 Militants Killed in 2008 - Kashmir Observer, 24 March 2008.ORIGINAL POST: 19 MAR 2008

MICHAELhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282669968888930262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629024597730005794.post-21602239792236344782008-06-03T17:52:00.000-04:002008-06-06T13:40:35.489-04:00

The return trip home from India was a straight slog, I slept through nearly all of it, and have nothing of real interest to report. The pharmacies in Delhi will sell nearly anything so I purchased a handful of scooby snacks with my remaining rupees and passed out comfortably in Premiere Class all the way to JFK. These snacks mix very well with port and champagne, though it is not something your

MICHAELhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282669968888930262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629024597730005794.post-41072315775355772872008-06-03T03:01:00.006-04:002008-07-27T22:41:03.310-04:00

Flickr - BadmaloneFlickr - BatschmidtFlickr - Benito AramandoFlickr - BingDunlopFlickr - DoughboyshredderFlickr - Griff and SmithFlickr - Johnnyboy GomezFlickr - JonAdler938Flickr - Knut.RogneFlickr - LenskapFlickr - MyHouseinPanamaFlickr - O.JoelFlickr - Owais ZargarFlickr - RidehouseFlickr - Ski HimalayaFlickr - StylzFlickr - TrisbFlickr - WilliewonkerFlickr - WalydugFlickr - Clusters:

MICHAELhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282669968888930262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629024597730005794.post-51846137645602207612008-06-03T02:54:00.015-04:002008-09-12T18:44:07.953-04:00

If you Facebook, and are friends with these folks, you can view some excellent photographs of Gulmarg by peeping these photo albums and groups:Album - John C.Album - Eric E.Album - Sarah F.Album - Alex G.Album - Andrew J.Album - Varvara K.Album - Grant K.Album - Tony L.Album - Edgar M.Album - David M.Album - Arttu M.Album - Ido N.Album - Michael N.Album - Colm O.Album - Melanie R.Album - Matt

MICHAELhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282669968888930262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629024597730005794.post-24111270443276822932008-06-01T21:00:00.002-04:002008-08-20T10:06:00.468-04:00

Thank you to the producers and contributors for the following videos:

MICHAELhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282669968888930262noreply@blogger.com