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Gulmarg 3980m/13058ft, Kashmir India |
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By Ido Neiger
Six years of traveling can change a man. Freedom and life lessons that can not be experienced in any other way, led me to an understanding of how I am, how I like to be, and where I fit in.
I visited the Gulmarg ski resort for the first time in the year 2000. I had the best 3 months of my life! After I acknowledge this fact, I started to think how I could give back to a place and people who had made such a difference in my life.
I decided that I was ready for my final exam of these past six years of Freedom studies, which I so enjoyed attending. A final task in which I would put together all the skills I’ve been given: to make a difference, to make a change, to love without question, to create something pure. All though these things could be achieved by giving a beggar a dime, but I felt something bigger would be more appropriate.
The only snowboard for hire in Gulmarg at the time was a Burton Air, which was manufactured in the mid 80’s. My task was to show snowboarding in Kashmir, and to teach Kashmiris the proper way of riding the freshies!
I decided to return to Gulmarg with a bunch of boards and to conduct the first Kashmiri snowboarding course, free of charge for the local population.
150 kg. That’s the weight of 14 snowboards, 16 bindings, 17 boots and a whole lot of wax, P-Tex, bolts, electric iron and other snowboarding maintenance gear. Thanks to Royal Jordanian Airlines, I was able to take 60 kg on the flight with me. The extra 110 kg I had to send by cargo.
I returned to Kashmir in the beginning of winter, 2003. Mr. Baktoo greeted me in Delhi’s airport on my arrival. He presented me with a good luck necklace made of yellow and orange flowers. He knew what I liked. It was great to meet him again after so long as he drove me to a hotel in New Delhi’s main bazaar and took care of all the customs logistics.
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The next day we tied the 150 kg to a roof of an Indian-made jeep and swept off on a two-day journey to Kashmir.
After a very relaxing week on Mr. Baktoo’s houseboat outside of Srinagar, we started organizing the first Kashmiri snowboarding course.
The course was divided into 3 groups with 10 students in each group. Each group went through a 10-day snowboarding course in which the students practice snowboarding technique, switch riding, powder technique and the safety rules of both resort and backcountry riding. It was a wonderful and fulfilling experience to teach this wonderful sport to such enthusiastic people. The students were between 20 to 34 years old, from a broad range of professions, such as the tourist industry, education, computer engineers, doctors, vets and my favorites… ski bums! The students were eager to finally experience this sport that was previously only available on through images on a TV. They were extremely excited to be a part of this first snowboarding introduction.
The media also found interest in this little project of mine. Besides articles in 7 local newspapers and one foreign magazine, I was interviewed 5 times for the Kashmiri TV news program. All of the snowboarding gear I brought with me was left in Gulmarg and is available for rent in the “Kashmir alpine ski shop”.
The idea was to conduct the course through the University of Kashmir. After a lengthy meeting with Dr. Tarzan and Mr. Mundo (Directors of Physical Education at the university) it was decided that due to lack of finance, the university could not conduct the course that year. However, I guess my enthusiasm to conduct the course moved them and the next day I received a phone call from Mr. Mundo, explaining that they had decided to establish the K.S.A (Kashmir Snowboard Association). In that way, we could reach a wider public audience and have snowboarding available to all of Kashmir.
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The Himalayan region is a dream come true for every winter sport lover who is seeking unspoiled wilderness and long virgin runs. Local snowboarding pioneers exist in Himachal, Uttar Pradesh and how can I forget Mr. Meraj, Mr. Asif, and f’ Ferdos of Kashmir.
Gulmarg (the meadow of flowers) is an attraction for winter game extremists in winter. In summer it hosts the highest natural golf course in the world and its beautiful scenery of snowy peaks; endless green fields covered with carpets of flowers attract couples seeking the ideal romantic holiday. Gulmarg village is located on a ring-shaped mountain range at an altitude of 2600m. A gondola climbs from the village to the Peak of Kongdori Mountain, at an elevation of 4150m. It provides a ski area of 7.5 sq km, with runs of up to 7 km in virgin snow.
The resort also provides hotels and huts for hire, restaurants, snow mobile rides, ski rentals and now available, snowboards for hire.
This year for the first time, snowboarding was part of the Indian Winter Games championship as a demonstration event and will become a racing event in winter 2004. Foreign tourism is welcome in Gulmarg ski resort. The Indian-Pakistani conflict has no affect on this area of Kashmir and an unforgettable winter awaits those who will attend.
Ido would like to thank: To “Mountain Wave” and “Lone Star” snowboard shops in Breckenridge Colorado, “Ski Pass” snowboard shop and Elon Celman in Israel for their kind donation of snowboarding equipment. To Yusuf Baktoo, Yasin Kan and Hanid Dar for taking care of my every need throughout my stay in Kashmir. To Yusuf Mundo of the Kashmiri University for fueling my spark and bringing snowboarding to the attention of every sole in Kashmir. To the enthusiastic locals that took part in the course. That sparkle in their eyes will stay with me forever. To Jack Burton, David Sims and the rest of snowboarding pioneers, for developing this wonderful sport to what it is today and giving us kids something to play with.
Submitted: July 2003 |
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ski touring gulmarg |
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