Skiing On Virgin Slopes

In Alps and Rockies most skiers prefer to go for wilderness skiing rat her than standing hours in queues to get a trip on Ski-lifts-Ski-mountaineering offers the real thrill and challenge for high adventurous skiing writes Mohammad Yusuf.

At the moment winter sports activities are limited to Gulmarg in Kashmir only. Zooming down virgin steep slopes and ridges or swishing across valleys and passes in winter on cross-country skis is one of the winter adventure sports which the Jammu and Kashmir can offer to an intended tourist. However, we are yet to fully exploit the potential of this tourist product. Sindh, Lidder and Gurez valleys, Mahadev (Srinagar), the Pirpanjal and Zanaskar ranges are ideal for the introduction of this winter sport. But to develop winter adventure it is essential to clarify that it is not only downhill skiing at fixed resorts like Gulmarg that constitutes the thrill. The real adventure is going across the hills and mountains in winter on skis.

There is need to develop this kind of adventure which involves the least investment, compared to fixed ski resorts as no lifts, cable cars, snow beating machines, hotels and snow clearing machines etc. are required. The Government has only to construct some alpine huts in the upper reaches of Thajewas, Mahadev, Lidder and Wadvan valleys etc and train local youth to this sport who could accompany as Mountain Guides, porters and cooks with foreign expeditions. Cross Country skiing has tremendous potential in tourist sector. In fact Kashmir can produce dozens of ski resorts if only someone could realize the potential of the White Gold. It could develop much needed winter tourism and create avenues of employment during winter months.

Ski-Mountaineering:

Ski-mountaineering is one of the youngest winter sports to catch the fancy of experts in both skiing and climbing is “Ski-Mountaineering”. In Europe it is called “Ski-du-Randone”. It involves going over virgin hills and mountains with special equipment. Ski -touring which has become very popular in West particularly in Rockies and Alps combines the tenacity and stamina required for cross-country skiing with the thrills of making long runs downhill on skis. Enthusiasts go from daylong ski-mountaineering to even weeklong or still longer expeditions, camping during night either in tents or provisional shelters like igloos or Gujar huts etc. This is sort of high altitude winter trekking and the best way to combine the views of magnificent mountain scenery in winter with the thrill of skiing on virgin slopes. Avalanches and high temperatures on mountains are some hazards to be braved by the skiers. High temperature causes dehydration. In bad weather the temperature goes so down that there is possibility of catching cold injuries like Hypothermia and frostbite., This could also be called as wilderness skiing.

In view of over development of traditional ski resorts where one has to stand hours in a queue to get a trip on a Cable Car or a ski-lift, the sport is catching up fast in Europe, Australia and America and enthusiasts are now looking for newer areas to explore. Our state in this context has extensive possibilities which have hitherto remained completely unexploited. Last year many Australian and Israeli tourists visited Gulmarg but most of them were inclined to ski-touring and snowboarding. Even having tourist restrictions to higher reaches of Gulmarg and without any ski-touring itinerary of Tourism Department some foreign skiers and snowboarders undertook tours to Sunrise and Sunset peaks at their own level. In the absence of a local Mountain Guides some skiers also got lost in the surrounding mountains. It was not their madness but the majestic mountains that lured them to undertake the trip. Skiing down from Sunset peak about 15,000 feet gives them a sense of achievement which they cannot have in the entire European Alps. The months from March to May are the best period for ski touring in Kashmir. The snow conditions are ideal and the wind just right.

Equipment:

The equipment though built on basic principle of cross-country, is completely of a different type. For ski-mountaineering sophisticated equipment is designed in Europe. The skis are like normal alpine skis but shorter, wider, lighter and brighter in color. These skis are suitable for all kinds of snow conditions, powder, soft, hard and icy. The binding with which the boot is fixed, are multipurpose for cross-country and downhill skiing. A spring is fixed with the toe plate of binding which gives automatic push to a skier while walking. A special clip is fixed in the heel plate which holds the weight of skier while climbing uphill. At the time of need these bindings could be removed and a sledge like stretch can be made to carry heavy loads or rescue a sick/injured team mate. The mountain ski boots are lighter in weight and low back with vibrum soles and warm inners. The buckle opens the boot at the back which permits normal walking movement of feet. For uphill skiing seal skins are fixed beneath the ski surfaces which firmly hold the grip of ski with snow and doesn’t permit to slip backward. For more difficult icy slopes a pair of ski crampons is fixed with each ski. This bites into the ice and does not allow ski to slip back. The ski sticks are adjustable. One can make them as long as he wishes. Besides, two sticks can be fixed to each other, thus making a long pole, called snow stake. These long poles/snow stakes could be used for searching fellow skier who is buried in an avalanche. It is mandatory for every ski-climber to carry an avalanche beep, which is used for detecting a skier who is trapped in an avalanche. For navigation purposes every ski expedition carries a Global Positioning System. It is very useful for exploratory expeditions. The skiers carry special low weight high altitude diet. If this sport is to be operated here in a big way the Tourism Department will have to procure the latest mountain skis with its accessories and better designed footwear for porters.

Exploration and Promotions:

The first organized Ski-mountaineering expedition which came to Kashmir was a four member United States team in 1977. This team undertook a weeklong ski trip from Gulmarg to Shopian before they crossed into Wadvan valley over Margan pass and made another ten days trip to Panikhar in Suru valley of Ladakh Himalayas. In 1980 the first reconnaissance expedition to Lidder valley in Pahalgam was undertaken by two Kashmir explorers, the writer and his friend, Mehraj-ud-Din, a travel agent.

Published in Daily Rising Kashmir on 18th Jan, 2009.