A group of 350 armymen were setting up a winter warfare camp at Khilanmarg near Gulmarg, when the snow avalanche struck the region. 70 of them were rescued, while some others could be still trapped there.

The officer, who was killed, was identified as Lt. Prateek. The army personnel were from an advance camp of the Army’s prestigious High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS). Some of those seriously injured are in a critical condition in a hospital in Gulmarg.

An Indian soldier makes his way by truck towards the site of an avalanche which engulfed a military school in Kashmir, killing at least 17 people Photograph: Tauseef Mustafa/AFP/Getty Images

Indian ski guides, who normally are hired by the burgeoning numbers of foreign skiers, worked into the evening to help with rescue efforts, according to local ski outfitter Yasin Khan. No tourists were hurt.

A combined rescue team composed of military personnel, police and tourism officials, working in fog and snowfall more than two meters deep, took several hours to recover the bodies of those killed.

Officials said there was little chance of any tourist being trapped as the avalanche was triggered at an altitude higher than the popular skiing slopes. About 400 tourists skiing in the area were safe.

Heavy snow blocked Kashmir’s main highway, the only road link to the rest of the country, for the third day Monday.

Over the weekend, skiers in Gulmarg had expressed concerns that days of intense snow were creating risky avalanche conditions.
The website gulmargsnowsafety.com warned Friday of “HIGH potential for climax avalanches,” adding: “when strong winds on Sunday and Monday create slab conditions, expect widespread natural avalanches from this weak interface throughout the alpine region.”

Authorities say an avalanche warning had been issued after several days of heavy snowfall.

It’s not clear yet what precautions, if any, the military took in the face of the warnings. The avalanche was triggered when 70 troops were taking a skiing test.

A vehicle carrying Indian Army rescue team is on its way to Gulmarg, via Tangmarg, northwest of Srinagar, 08 Feb 2010 (AP)

The Army produces skilled alpinists who occasionally trade potshots with the Pakistanis in the nearby Siachen glacier region, dubbed “the world’s highest battlefield.”

They also are sending India’s only two Olympic skiers to Vancouver.

The High Altitude Warfare School is the Indian Army’s primary institute for such training and was set up more than 60 years ago initially to teach skiing to front-line infantry troops.

In April last year, another avalanche hit an Indian army post close to the de facto border, killing seven soldiers and injuring at least eight others.

About 400 people, including 30 civilian workers, were at the training centre, but the avalanche hit only one part of the facility.

The picturesque surroundings of Gulmarg is alluring the snow dare-devils of the country in one of the heavenly places of this earth which is gearing up to the hilt for the fifth edition of the National Winter Games that is scheduled to be held at Gulmarg from February 18 to 22.

According to Winter Games Fedetion of India (WGFI) Secretary RK Gupta, a total of 11 States and union territories have confirmed their entries for the upcoming Games to be hosted by the Tourism Department of Jammu and Kashmir under the aegis of Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

The five-day event will also witness the participation of the teams, of armed forces who had played a pivotal role in taking this sport to new horizons, Indian Army, Indian Air Force, Indian Navy, Border Security Force and Indo-Tibetan Border Police.

The event will also give a fair idea to WGFI to review the strengths and weakness of their athletes for the next Olympic Winter Games, which is to be held in Vancouver (Canada) in 2010.

The Indian skiers will also get the much-needed practice for the 2010 Vancouver Games since they will be having one more competition lining up for them prior to the mega-event as India is organising the South Asian Federation (SAF) Games in 2009 that is be going to held at Auli in Uttarakhand.

WGFI President, SS Pangtey, exudes huge confidence over his players as far as SAF Games are concerned. “India will brush away all the medals that will be at stake since we are much ahead form the other countries of the South Asian region,” acclaimed Pangtey.

The various states and union territories, which will be taking part in the event, include Andhra Pradesh, Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and host Jammu and Kashmir. The technical aspect of the games will be handled by WGFI itself.

The participants will be competing in six disciplines including alpine ski, cross country ski, ice-skating, ice hockey, snowboarding and biathlon, which involves two disciplines first a one kilometer round from the athletes in the snow with their skis on immediately followed by a target shooting competition, at the Games.

From the world’s highest gondola lift surrounded by some of the world’s tallest peaks, there are icy steeps, acres of powder field and a maze of pine and fir trees — with only a handful of skiers and the odd snow leopard for company.

“I’ve been to ski resorts all over the world, but here the lift-to-powder ratio is absolutely sublime,” said Bowles, one of just a few hundred self-confessed ski bums and adventure tourists drawn to Kashmir this season.

“Anywhere else in the world you’d need to trek for hours or have loads of money for a helicopter.

“You’re on top of the world here in the Himalayas. There’s a freedom to break the rules and ride wherever you want. It’s a place where I can be at one with the mountain.”

Skiers and snowboarders have been converging on the village from all over the globe since the high-altitude lift at the state-run resort opened two years ago, looking to escape the crowds and prices of chic resorts in the West.

“I’ve come out with a budget of 450 dollars for three weeks. In Europe that would last just a few days,” said Bowles, who, on 1,000 rupees (22 dollars) a day for food, lodging and lift passes, is “living simply but comfortably”.

“It’s a special place, low key and quiet. There’s a uniqueness. The local people haven’t had their spirits corrupted by corporate greed.”

– Extreme skiing, extreme tensions –

Cross-country skiers making their way through a snow field in Indian-administered Kashmir’s top ski resort of Gulmarg
© AFP/File Christophe Archambault

But the arrival in Srinagar, Indian Kashmir’s summer capital, serves as a stark reminder that all is not well in the Himalayan paradise.

Nervous Indian troops kitted out in full combat gear line the streets, fingers on the trigger. Pot shots and grenades lobbed at army convoys are a random but common danger for the bystander.

Since 1989, the idyllic Kashmir valley that Gulmarg overlooks has been wracked by a brutal battle between pro-Pakistan or pro-independence Muslim insurgents on one side and hundreds of thousands of Indian troops on the other.

Tens of thousands of people, a few foreign tourists among them, have lost their lives.

Militant attacks and grave human rights abuses by security forces continue, despite an easing of tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad in recent years.

As a result, most foreign governments say tourists should steer well clear of the entire area.

“Gulmarg used to be buzzing with tourists, but the travel advisories say don’t go,” said Fayaz Ahmad, general manager of the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation, one of the state bodies running the resort.

“But honestly, we cannot say Kashmir is any more dangerous than other Indian states. Tourists are not being targeted.”

The official brushed off a recent grenade attack against Indian tourists on the road between Srinagar and Gulmarg that left several injured.

“There have only been stray incidents. Even the militants want tourists to come so that foreigners can see the situation,” he said, adding that an Indian army high-altitude warfare school in Gulmarg means the resort itself is safe.

He also pointed out that the uncomfortably close Line of Control — the heavily-militarised de facto border separating nuclear-armed India and Pakistan — has been calm for the past few years.

“We were last hit by a (Pakistani) shell in 1999. Quite a long time ago,” he said, smiling.

– Conservation vs. development, free ride vs. safety –

Indian Army soldiers standing guard during a visit by an army high-rank official to Indian-administered Kashmir’s top ski resort of Gulmarg
© AFP/File Christophe Archambault

Locals in Gulmarg, which means “meadow of flowers,” have high hopes that their village will one day rank alongside the world’s top winter resorts.

The new gondola takes skiers to over 4,000 metres on Mount Apharwat, which overlooks Gulmarg. A clear day on the summit delivers views of five out of the 14 peaks in the world over 8,000 metres.

And there are plans to build more lifts over the next five years with a view to hosting the Commonwealth Winter Games in 2010.

At the moment, however, there is no doctor, hospital, banking facilities or Internet access — and the officials who run the resort say they want to prevent the haphazard, runaway development that plagues other Indian getaways.

“One of the best things about Gulmarg is that nothing has been done. We don’t want it mushrooming with big multi-storey constructions. It would be ruined,” said tourism official Ahmad.

One of Gulmarg’s few ski guides, Yasin Khan, said development needed to be limited to the absolute basics — a few more lifts, medical facilities and better communications.

“Gulmarg cannot offer the kind of nightlife and fancy restaurants you have in Western ski resorts, but what we can offer is virgin snow, plenty of sun, no crowds and Kashmiri hospitality,” said Yasin, who also runs the Kashmir Alpine Shop — the only private ski rental facility.

The resort’s managers also have the tricky task of balancing skier safety with its reputation as a top destination for big mountain ‘freeride’ — or steering clear of machine-groomed slopes in a practice increasingly restricted in more developed resorts for legal and safety reasons.

February saw Gulmarg’s first major accident involving a foreign tourist, when an Australian skier was killed in an avalanche below the gondola’s top station.

“Essentially you’re on your own up here. You have to know how to take care of yourself,” said Sean McDonald, an instructor from Canada who witnessed the accident. “It’s a place for someone who has done a lot of global skiing and wants to do something different.”

And it is very different, McDonald said.

“The military presence is not something I’m used to. The altitude is challenging. The setting is fantastic. You have to be extra cautious — because it’s essentially lift-access off piste,” said McDonald, whose company, Extremely Canadian, is one of several outfits bringing clients to Kashmir.

– Olympian endorsement for the “wild west of skiing” –

Foreign tourists making their way up a track pulled by ropes hanging from a snow cat, in Indian Kashmir’s top ski resort of Gulmarg
© AFP/File Christophe Archambault

Steve Lee, an Australian alpine skier who has taken part in three Olympic Games and counts a World Cup gold in his trophy cabinet, said Gulmarg is a rare jewel among ski resorts.

“Gulmarg aligns itself with only a handful of resorts left around the world that offer a big mountain experience with decent lift access used by very few people and with very few rules,” he told AFP.

“It offers a sense of freedom that is hard to find these days,” said Lee, who skied in Kashmir last year.

What Gulmarg needs to do, he suggests, is capitalise on this image while improving basic infrastructure and mountain safety facilities, key to the booming market of ski adventure tourism.

“Its biggest shortcoming is the availability of true mountain guides” with avalanche and rescue training, added Lee, who now runs the online ski magazine Chillfactor.

“For most ’skiing tourists’ as opposed to skiing adventurers, it would lack many facilities, like pubs, restaurants, dance bars, global communication and other entertainment, but if you are there to ski then it really has it all,” he says.

“From my experiences while skiing all over the world, it is possibly the ultimate ski area for off-piste access. It really is the wild west of skiing.”

©AFP

With mercury soaring in entire north India, thousands of tourists are visiting the Kashmir Valley to escape sweltering conditions even though summer capital Srinagar also witnessed hottest day of the season at 34.4 degrees Celsius Sunday. However, as tourists keep thronging the resort, Gulmarg kept tempers cool with the maximum temperature of just 23 degrees.

‘Besides the bewitching beauty and cool temperatures of Gulmarg, the five kilometre long gondola ride on Gulmarg-Afarwat hills is chief attraction,’ said Farooq Ahmad Shah, Kashmir’s director for tourism.

‘The (Gulmarg) gondola made a revenue of Rs.60 million last year and we have set a target of Rs.100 million this year,’ Shah said.

‘We charge Rs.700 for the entire to and fro ride from Gulmarg to Afarwat Hills and for children below 10 years, the rates are half.’

Gulmarg Gondola is the World’s highest Cable Car at 13,400 feet above the sea level.

‘We are also planning the World’s highest restaurant at Afarwat Hills at 14,000 feet where we have the World’s highest ski point,’ the tourist official said.

Besides the high profile Cable car project, local traders – including the pony-owners who take the tourists on joy rides through the meadows in Gulmarg – are also doing brisk business these days.

‘The place is wonderful and the people here are very courteous. It is a dream vacation for me and my family,’ said Sanjay Kholsa, 46, who has come here with his wife and two kids from Mumbai.

The Jammu and Kashmir tourism department has decided to hand over the Gulmarg Ski Resort to a private operator for 99 years. This is the first time the department will allow a private investor to run one of its premier tourist destinations.

Sources said the decision was taken after the department was flooded with offers from international firms, especially from Germany and France, to take over the ski resort. The department will hire a consultant over the next two months to settle the deal.

According to J&K’s director-general of tourism Salim Baig, the government will not interfere in the running and development of the resort by the private owner but will only play a regulatory role to ensure all forest and environment laws and safety regulations are followed.

“We have decided to privatise the entire 6 sq km of Gulmarg ski resort. German and French companies have already shown interest in taking it over. We expect to get over Rs 20,000 crore from the deal. What’s best, the entire land is owned by the state government and there are no private properties that have to be auctioned. At present, hotels in Gulmarg have 1,200 beds which can be increased by the private party in dialogue with the existing hotel owners,” Baig said. 

There was a time when the girls in Kashmir valley were expected to wear veils due to religious belief. But with the passage of time, the young girls are exploring avenues to conquer the picturesque slopes of the scenic hill resort of Gulmarg at 8,500 feet above sea level in the Pir Panjal ranges of the Himalayas.

Moving ahead with time these girls have shed their traditional dresses for a pair of ski jumpers costumes as they attend a 14-day basic ski-training course, being conducted by the University of Jammu and Kashmir.

The camp is intended to draw women out of their homes for recreational activities instead of making any attempt at preparing national ski champions.

“Recreation is very essential. Especially, for such youngsters who remained absorb in studies. We bring them here away from the stress, to the mountains and are giving them this training,” said Mohammed Yosuf, a ski instructor with the university.

As snow-flakes gently fell to the ground, 20 women students from various areas of the region that include Srinagar, Kupwara, Anantnag and Sopore, donned in ski gear, tackled the white slopes.

“Earlier I always thought that skiing was very tough and we would never be able to do it. But after we saw an advertisement on television offering us a course, we were very excited about it. It’s very nice here,” said Sabeena, a trainee.

Besides the basic ski course, the programme also offers an advance course and an instructor’s course for those interested in making skiing a career.

Nusrat Nabi, an avid skier and trainee believes that there is a vast scope in the field.

“It’s very nice. I am doing my basic course now and want to do my advance course later on. I was always interested in skiing. After completing all the courses I can also become an instructor. There is a lot of scope here,” she said.

Kashmir with its cloud capped snowy peaks, densely forested mountain slopes, undulating foothills, infinite variety of flora and fauna – are a temptation no nature lover and adventure seeker can resist.

It is believed Kashmir region with many rivers and small streams has a lot of potential for adventure tourism.

Tourisn should get a major fillip as the government is investing heavily in infrastructure development at major resorts in Kashmir. From fashionable golf courses to modern hotels, the government is pumping huge amounts of money into infrastructure development.
 
The two golf courses in Pahalgam and Gulmarg resorts are being made 18 hole turf with all modern amenities. Another golf course with 18-hole capacity is also being planned at the Sonamarg resort.
 
“We have got Rs 2 crore for Gulmarg Golf course which will be one of the modern turfs in the country. This will give a big boost to our tourism sector,” said Nazir Ahmad Bhat, Director of Tourism, Kashmir.
 
Around one million non-pilgrim tourists are expected to visit Kashmir this year. Last year around six lakh tourists visited Kashmir. This excludes four lakh pilgrim tourists who visited the holy Amarnath cave in the past two months.
 
The government has also approved a proposal of setting up 25 new hotels and restaurants at the famed resort in Gulmarg. “We have identified 25 land plots which will be leased to the people for setting up modern hotels, restaurants and shopping complex. This will give Gulmarg an edge and it will become an international destination which can attract tourists who are concerned about the facilities”, Bhat said.
 
To have a better connectivity on the upper reaches, the government has decided to have a chairlift in Gulmarg. Already Gulmarg houses the world highest cable car situated at 13,400 feet. But the chairlift proposal has been mooted to connect the mountain ridges so that tourists have no problem in moving on the higher reaches to enjoy nature.
 
The government has earmarked Rs 4.5 crore for the project which is likely to kick off in summer. “We have got the money and we will definitely start work in summer,” said Bhat. Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussian Beig said the government is trying to give a major push to infrastructure development to put Kashmir on the international tourism map.

SRINAGAR: Come Valentines day and Kashmir will play host to love birds from different states. Thanks to the special Valentine package announced by Mumbai based travel operators, the trouble torn valley will receive couples from across the country starting February 14.It is for the first time in 17 years of turmoil, that travel operators have focused on valentine day and announced packages to woo couples, ushering in a new era of thaw in violence plagued Kashmir.

Called the Kashmir valentine package, the three day four nights tour costs Rs 14000 per couple. It includes hotel accommodation, transportation and sightseeing at Srinagar, Gulmarg and Pahalgam.

“Interested couples can make bookings from any of our branches of Raj Travels network spread throughout the country. We expect a good response because it is for the first time that such a package has been announced by any tour operator in the country,” says Rakesh Gupta, head of Franchisee Raj Travels in J&K, which has conceived the idea of Valentine packages.

Gupta adds that the love birds will be provided special luxury vehicles from Srinagar for sight seeing in order to make their trip memorable. “We are doing our best to play good hosts and make the stay of our guests comfortable in Kashmir,” he says. “The package is valid up to February 28. It however does not include the to and fro fare.”

Elated by the novel idea, the state government feels that it will send a positive signal across the country and tourists will get motivated to visit Kashmir next season. “It is indeed a positive signal. If people come to Kashmir they will return with good memories. Through word of mouth, in the longer run the tourism sector will be benefited to a larger extent”, says Nazir Ahmad Bhat, Director, Tourism department, Kashmir.

According to official estimates, around one million tourists are expected to visit Kashmir this year. The figure excludes the pilgrim tourists who would visit Kashmir during the annual Amarnath Yatra.

Peter and Kip are two ski coaches who have come all the way from Canada and the US to train the team in avalanche awareness, ski mountaineering and mountain rescue.

A ski patrol team is the need of the hour since the safety of skiers, who come every year in large numbers, is a prime concern.

“Lot of concepts are new. Technical aspects of rescue and first aid are doing well. We are having a lot of fun in our courses. We are very excited and it is a pleasure to be with them and they are enthusiastic towards the project,” said Peter Spricenieks, Canadian coach.

Crucial techniques

The members also said they were being given important lessons in techniques.

“They are teaching us rescue, avalanche safety, first aid and some good skiing techniques so that we are ready for 2010 Commonwealth Games. We are taking care of the skiers on these slopes,” said Mohammed Anwar, Ski Patrol member.

Gulmarg has been a big revenue earner as a holiday destination, which is why the state government is planning to revamp the slopes and add more facilities like cable cars.

“All the international ski resorts have some basic rules and regulations. Keeping those in view, we are making efforts to provide all facilities which an international ski resort has,” said G M Dar, Team Captain.

If everything goes well and Gulmarg hosts 2010 international ski event, it will give a big boost to the Kashmir tourist industry.

Gulmarg, Jan 13: The snow-clad slopes of Gulmarg are these days home to a large number of professional skiers, including many from Europe and United States.
A high profile six-member team of mountain and skiing experts from Sweden is presently on “Mission Gulmarg” to enable smooth conduct of ski events on Apharwath.
“We’re here to teach the in-service skiers rescue operations during skiing,” Jorgen Karstrain, an expert in mountain guiding and member of the team told Greater Kashmir.
Having been to various ski-resorts around the Globe, Jorgen was all praise for the mountains of Gulmarg, often called ‘Switzerland of Kashmir’ for its stunning beauty.
“The mountains are ready made for skiing. They are unique in a sense that there are long ridges and slopes, and they provide ample opportunities for conduct of skiing and other snow activities,” says Jorgen as he glanced up a mountain.
“Due to Gulmarg, Kashmir has the potential to become one of the best ski-resorts of World,” Jorgen asserted.
Federation of International Skiing, after survey of the mountains has already given green signal in its report for conducting skiing on Apharwat.
“We’re able to conduct cross-country ski racing last year, and preparations are on to host national and international ski events,” said G.M Dar, incharge Tourism department Gulmarg and Mountaineering and Skiing instructor.
Dar said enquires about the new skiing spots in Gulmarg were pouring in from across the globe.
Nina Garmen, a professional skier from US was “inspired” to ski on the mountains of Kashmir. Garmen says she could not resist coming here, after seeing mountains of Kashmir and the ski opportunities they offer, in a video on extreme skiing ‘Tangerine Dream’ produced by the US-based Teton Gravity Research.
“It seems like the mountains have been carved out for skiing. I visited in summer here to see the slopes closely and eagerly waited for the snow. And now I’m here enjoying while skiing,” an elated Garmen said.
Mari Van, a skier from Holland said “I feel safe and at peace here. Gulmarg has soul-healing power.”
Many local kids and students of various Srinagar schools are also participating in the ski-training program amidst ski-experts.
Shiekh Burhan, 11, a student of Tyndale Biscoe School was skiing with impeccable skill. “I want to represent my state in international ski events. Every Kashmiri should know skiing, as it can prove helpful in rescue and relief operations in winters,” Burhan said as his instructor shouted at him to ride down the slope.
“All the students have donated Rs 100 for the program and we’ll have fun,” two girls said.
Savita Koul, an ace ski instructor said 43 students are participating in the training program. “The local students are picking the art of skiing very fast. You would be amazed to know that a student of kindergarten, Madeha has already outshined others in skiing and she’s doing it according to the book,” Savita said while pointing towards Madeha far away on the slope.
A team of Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering (IISM) is also camping in Gulmarg to oversee the ongoing skiing training program and up gradation of ski infrastructure.
“We’re planning to introduce para-ski gliding, ice hockey and skiing on snowboards courses in our training programs. Let’s hope for more snowfall,” said B.S Bajwa a member of IISM.