We are acting as agents of Ski Himalaya – a professional Australian company to provide you the Ski Holiday in Gulmarg. We recommend that you go through these details carefully for your information before you book the holiday.
Who knows what the weather will be in Gulmarg: Kashmir Powdercats = Local Road Transport + Mountain Guiding ServicesWhatever the weather rest assured - riding with the Kashmir Powdercats means you’ll make the most of the incredible snow riding on offer during your short stay in Gulmarg. When you sign on with Kashmir Powdercats, you enjoy the benefits of our local mountain knowledge plus protection against disappointment if a Himalayan snowstorm closes the upper gondola for part of your visit. If this happens you have private transport to and from the all-weather terrain below Gulmarg. This area has a huge number of descents through widely-spaced trees which are perfect for riding in bad weather.
Who knows what the weather will be like during your stay in Gulmarg. The following is afictional week to show you how our full-time Mountain Companion Programme adapts to give you the best possible riding experience no-matter what weather you hit – sun, snow or blizzard.
Sunday: Met at Srinagar Airport and transfer to Gulmarg. Evening welcome from Kashmir Powdercats. Distribution of avalanche beacons. Monday - Clear weather: Morning practice session with avalanche beacons. Warm up runs and orientation on lower gondola. Later, ascend gondola and see views from the top of Mt Apharwat. Option to ski/board down, or to ride the gondola back down to Gulmarg. At lunch or at the end of the day your Mountain Host makes sure you know the best way down from the mountain to your hotel – to make sure you enjoy the full benefits of your hotel’s ski-in ski-out location. Tuesday - Snowing: Stage Two of gondola is closed. Our transport meets you at your hotel door and shuttles you to the top of the forested runs to Tangmarg. Repeated descents – over three kilometers in length - in this enchanting area. Advanced groups progress to steeper forested runs to Baba Reshi. Our road transport is coordinated by two-way radio and mobile phone so we can minimise, or eliminate, any waiting time before returning you to Gulmarg for your next run. Wednesday - Snowing Again: Stage Two of gondola closed again. Repeat Tuesday! Expert groups might also ride from gondola mid-station, past Monkey Hill, to the valley floor. Later in the day our ‘cruiser’ group elects to return with their Mountain Host to the forested runs under Stage One of the gondola and our nearby hotels. Thursday – Clear Weather: Opening of Stage Two of the gondola is delayed until after lunch while the ski patrol monitors avalanche risks and undertakes safety steps. Some guests opt for early descents through the forested slopes to the Baba Reshi shrine, where the views take on a new beauty in the clearer weather. Others are happy to spend the first part of the day scouting the runs under Stage One of the gondola with their Mountain Host. After lunch at our nearby hotels, the afternoon is spent riding the gondola to the top station at 3980 metres and plundering the safer aspects of Mt Apharwat's Stage Two slopes. Friday - Sunshine again: Most guests will wish to head for the gondola! Some guests may wish to participate in the ‘north-western’ descents which involve the walk to Mt Apharwat's summit. This may include direct descents to points further along the golf course, from where our vehicles return you to the gondola base. Full ‘south-eastern’ descents from Mt Apharwat to the Tangmarg Valley floor are long and serious challenges, and by necessity are restricted to guests with the requisite skill, fitness and aptitude. Afternoon transfer to Sriangar. Overnight at the houseboat.
Mountain Guiding & Local Transport with Kashmir Powder cates:Our unique Kashmir Powdercats guiding and local transport service is recommended for all guests. To the best of our knowledge our Kashmir Powdercats team comprises the overwhelmingmajority of indigenous Kashmiris (apart from the professional ski patrol) who have a material level of training in snow safety and avalanche rescue.Kashmir Powdercats offers you the best available snow riding during your time in Gulmarg. Our local born and bred guides know the sweetest angles within the gondola’s inbound area after new snowfalls, the best options on Mt Apharwhat’s huge out-of-bounds high alpine terrain, and numerous hidden lines through the trees to the valley floor below Gulmarg. Guiding services includes our road vehicles, which return you to Gulmarg from the many forest and high alpine descents which finish in the valley. When a multi-day mid-winter snow storm closes the upper gondola, the best powder snow terrain in Gulmarg is in the forests which descend from the resort to the valley floor. The glades of gigantic Himalayan pine and fir offer fantastic and well protected riding. Kashmir Powdercats give you practical access to Gulmarg’s best tree terrain on days when bad weather closes the gondola. The Kashmir Powdercats - all Gulmarg locals who live in the surrounding villages - lead you through the forest to the valley below, from where our road vehicles return you back to Gulmarg. In good weather our Kashmir Powdercats programmes focus on the upper gondola and the high alpine terrain, when your guide’s expert local knowledge ensures that you enjoy the best powder lines on Mt Apharwat. This includes options to participate in classic long descents on Mt Apharwat’s south-east shoulders to the valley floor near Drang - from where our road transport returns you to Gulmarg. The best route back from the gondola mid-station to your accommodation - the route which eliminates walking - is not obvious. Your host will show you the way back to your hotel at the end of the day.
We recommend:We recommend you bring sufficient rupees (cash) to cover a budget of 1500 rupees/day for gondola passes, and that you assume the gondola opens every day. Cash is not easy to obtain in Gulmarg. The price of a full day pass last winter (covering both the lower & upper gondola) was 1800 rupees. The full gondola day pass was rarely purchased. In good weather most guests preferred to purchase a single ride to mid station for 150 rupees plus a day pass for the top section for 1250 rupees (total of 1400 rupees/day). Single ride tickets from mid-station to the top, at 250 rupees, are understandably popular on days when weather, or snow safety, limits the operational hours for the upper gondola. Prices for rides on Gulmarg’s new chairlift are unlikely to be available before next winter. The chair-line is immediately parallel to the gondola line and commences at the gondola mid-station, travelling to Mary’s Shoulder, which is roughly half way between the gondola’s mid-station and top-station. We will email guests on ticket prices for the new chair no later than commencement of Gulmarg’s 2011-2012 winter operations.
Factors to Consider:Firstly, Gulmarg’s facilities are not comparable to most international destination resorts. We have an incredible mountain in the most precipitous winter climate in the Himalayas accessible by a 1330 vertical metre gondola. Gulmarg continues to be a pioneering resort in an exotic location with no commercial trappings or winter holiday crowds. Secondly, Mt Apharwat’s upper slopes are best suited to advanced and expert snowriders. Over the past four winters patrolling of Mt Apharwat’s upper slopes - including monitoring and control of avalanche risks by professionally qualified overseas ski patrollers - was limited to the large bowl to the immediate right (looking at the mountain) of Gulmarg’s upper gondola. Venturing beyond the main patrolled bowl is equivalent to entering a backcountry wilderness. Travel outside the main patrolled bowl should only be undertaken with avalanche safety equipment and should not be undertaken without due experience and/or caution, including observance of Backcountry Avalanche Advisories posted by the ski patrol. Thirdly, Operational hours of the upper gondola (above mid-station) are subject to weather and safety factors. For the past three winters explosives have been available for the control of avalanche risk, however, the upper gondola can be expected to remain closed for much of the first day following a significant snowfall while the ski patrol undertakes avalanche monitoring and control work. Fourthly, All guests joining riding with Kashmir Powdercats must sign the following Liability
Disclaimer reflecting your assumption of the risks that comes with visiting this pioneering resort and your recognition that none of our local Kashmir Powdercats Mountain Hosts carry IFMGA/UIAGM (international) professional mountain guiding qualifications.
|
