GULMARG IN FACEBOOK

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 R.
Album - Alexander S.
Album - Tim S.
Album - Sam S.
Album - Matthew S.
Album - Yannick T.
Album - Dave W.
Album - Carlo W.
Group - Gulmarg Untapped
Group - Gulmarg Winter 2007-2008

Victim: John Carolin







Rider: Eric Eide










Rider: Alex Griffiths








Rider: James Jordan







Stoked: Andrew Jowett







Glowing: Varvara Kemnits








Skier: Grant Keogh








Rider: Tony Linnell







Skier: Edgar Mann







Your Host: David May








Photo: Arttu Muukkonen







Photo: Ido Neiger






Micro Aerialist: Mike Nixon








Shaka Thrower: Colm O'Carroll








Photo: Melanie Reisinger








Photo: Matt Roon







Photo: Alexander Semenov







Rider: Tim Silverman







Rider: Sam Smith








Rider: Matthew Sutherland








Chiller: Yanick Turgeon








Skier: Dave Watson








Pan Flutist: Carlo Wein

GULMARG IN FLICKR

Flickr - Badmalone
Flickr - Batschmidt
Flickr - Benito Aramando
Flickr - BingDunlop
Flickr - Doughboyshredder
Flickr - Griff and Smith
Flickr - Johnnyboy Gomez
Flickr - JonAdler938
Flickr - Knut.Rogne
Flickr - Lenskap
Flickr - MyHouseinPanama
Flickr - O.Joel
Flickr - Owais Zargar
Flickr - Ridehouse
Flickr - Ski Himalaya
Flickr - Stylz
Flickr - Trisb
Flickr - Williewonker
Flickr - Walydug
Flickr - Clusters: Gulmarg
Flickr - Tags: Gulmarg
Flickr - Tags: Kashmir

CALL FOR GULMARG PHOTOS & COMMENTS

Thank you to the skiers & riders toting cameras this season at Gulmarg. From your generosity and passion for mountain, sport, and art come the images that better illustrate Gulmarg than my words alone can do. Special thanks to Alex, Andrew, John, and Sam, for the photos I am able to submit today from Delhi. Further submissions, comments, corrections are fully welcomed.
Photo credit: Alex Griffiths
Hat credit: Sam's Gramma



Photo credit: Dave Watson

FINAL TURNS FOR GULMARG 07/08

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 Carolin
Rider: Michael O'Connor

GULMARG IN MARCH - 600 METERS OF FALLINE POWDER

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.
Photo credit: John Carolin




The bootpack to Affarwat's summit, well-trod by mid-day.
Photo credit: John Carolin

AVALANCHE AWARENESS, PT. THREE

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 there being no avalanche fatalities at Gulmarg during this season.

Here is the video, best seen with the volume off, since the soundtrack only glorifies danger, which, as anyone who has been in an avalanche event knows, is not glorious in any way, whatsoever.

1ST GLOBAL SNOWBOARD MARATHON, GULMARG

First straightline 1300m of vert, then run uphill to the finish line!















1st Position, John Carolin, South Africa;
2cd Position, Ruari MacFarlane, New Zealand;
3rd Position, Michael O'Connor, Australia.
Images courtesy of John Carolin

SECOND STORM OF FEB '08, GULMARG

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, grousing, and finally the hiking and skinning necessary to reach the fluffy goods.
Photo credit: Griffiths/Smith

This storm had closed out almost any opportunity to ride due to extremely poor visibility, and even the lower stage had been closed for for a short time. When it opened the hounds were waiting at the gates, and the lineup at the lower stage gondola was edgy, tense, and impatient. We got fully duped because in our excitement we forgot the first rule of deep snow - find all the available pitch on the hill. Instead of heading to the skiers left we dropped right down the gondola line, and after a few slow turns we were stopped dead in our tracks. Many of us ended up actually walking downhill. The sole groomer track had not been rolled out, so first tracks meant pretty slow going. We were sweating balls!
Photo credit: Sam Smith

AVALANCHE AWARENESS, PT. TWO: GULMARG

Brian Newman, leader of the Snow Safety team for Gulmarg 07/08, with Nanga Parbat in the background (photo right).

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 sobering impression on the gathered crowd.

Brian is careful to stress that this presentation in no way substituted for actual avalanche training, and in doing so, most definitely motivated many in attendance to seek out that training. (The Snow Safety team established a permanent, simulated buried victim and transceiver as a practice facility on the grounds of the Pine Palace).

Lest you remain unimpressed with the inherent danger of a big mountain environment I invite you to read this arresting submission by Ptor - the 2007 Kashmir Winter Report.
Photo credit: John Carolin
Image courtesy of Brian Newman

KASHMIR, GULMARG REPORT MOST SNOWFALL IN 15 YEARS

Major snowfall is considered a causal factor in border monitors reporting zero militant infiltrations. Pray for more snow!
Photo credit: Sam Smith

Heavy snowfall brings down infiltration in Gulmarg - MeriNews, 23 February 2008.

GULMARG GONDOLA, STAGE TWO (3050-3950m)

The pre-ski scene at G3.
Photo credit: MHIP








Hiking the ridge to the OB.
Photo credit: John Carolin






Andrew J. ripping cold smoke somewhere in Drung Bowls.
Photo credit: John Carolin

GULMARG GONDOLA, STAGE ONE (2650-3050m)

Gondola car approaching G2 (top station, stage one).
Photo credit: MHIP







Matt R. finds airtime behind the Green Heights Hotel.
Photo credit: John Carolin

DRUNG, BABARESHI, & TANGMARG

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 there is transport back to Gulmarg.
Photo credit: Griffiths/Smith



The LZ's (landing zones) are well steep and deep, so huck yer' meat off 'em!
Photo credit: Michael O'Connor
Rider: John Carolin

AVALANCHE AWARENESS

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 now known as Shaggy's Face). An additional account of this tragedy can be read where it was originally reported at News.com.au (Caution: This article is accompanied by a disturbing photograph of the victim).

The snowfall at Gulmarg this season has been generous, increasing the danger of avalanche at the resort, and especially in the adjacent bowls, which are unpatrolled, but heavily skied. There has been a slide in every bowl of Mt. Affarwat this season. Fortunately, the resort has retained the services of experienced patrollers and avalanche experts, and has gained permission to use explosives to trigger pre-emptive slides to control the danger to skiers.

Please consult the following avalanche resources before venturing into the backcountry, and if you intend to visit Gulmarg the patrollers firmly ask that one come equipped with a transceiver, a probe, a shovel, and the knowledge to properly use them all.
Photo credit: Corey Putkunz

AVALANCHE RESOURCES:
The Avalanche Center
The Avalanche Encyclopedia
Surviving the Backcountry - Tahoe World.
WestWide Avalanche Network

GULMARG TO HOST NATIONAL WINTER GAMES

Gulmarg will host the fifth National Winter Games, 17 - 22 February 2008. It is the third time Gulmarg has been selected by the Winter Games Federation of India for this event. The resort hosted the very first National Winter Games in 1998; the games have also been held at Shimla, in the state of Himachal Pradesh. The Indian Olympic Association will select its ski team for the 2010 Winter Olympics based on results from these games. Jammu and Kashmir state officials hope that good snow conditions and diminished violence in the region will bolster its bid to host the 2010 Commonwealth Winter Games.
Photo credit: doughboyshredder

INTERNATIONAL TOUR OPERATORS

AU Ski Himalaya - Gulmarg
CA Extremely Canadian World Tours - Gulmarg
IN Gulmarg Powder Guides - Gulmarg
IN Kashmir Alpine Winter Adventures - Gulmarg
UK Mountain Tracks - Gulmarg
SU Free Ski Himalaya - Gulmarg
Photo credit: Dave Watson

TGR FORUM THREADS

Jump in with both ski boots and start a flame war!

The "Anyone Else Going?" Thread
The "Gulmarg, Kashmir" Thread
The "Gulmarg '07/08" Thread
The "TR: Gulmarg '07" Thread
The "TR: Gulmarg, Kashmir" Thread
Photo credit: BBC

UPDATE: 6 April 2008
The "Gulmarg 2008 TR (1/3)" Thread
The "Gulmarg 2008 TR (2/3)" Thread
The "Gulmarg 2008 TR (3/3)" Thread

THE TERRAIN AT GULMARG

Thank you to Mike Benedek and Ride Guide, as well as Ski Himalaya for this video:

UPDATE: The following video is no longer available on YouTube. The producers are selling it HERE.



ORIGINAL POST: 30 NOV 2007