The first annual Himalayan Banked Slalom

While the rest of the world will be concentrating on the biggest snowsports circus going down in Sochi, Russia. Di5 Adventures will be hosting a grassroots celebration of snowboarding, in one of the most remote resorts on the planet: Gulmarg. This coming Olympic year, in India, Di5 Adventures, with the support of the Jammu and Kashmir Tourist Department, will host the first ever Himalayan Banked Slalom. 

Most people who enjoy one planking in the snow will probably have heard of this style of event as it lays close to the roots of our sport. Harking back to a bygone era when snowboarding was more about slashing banks than hucking 9's. Competitions like the Mt Baker Banked Slalom have paved the way to keeping one foot in the past. Now we want to take that same spirit and showcase it in a country where snowboarding is still very much in its infancy. 

Over the past decade snowboarding has gone from strength to strength through exposure by visiting tourists. However, the sports commitees there have been harder to sway and a learner snowboarder still isn't allowed to ride the pomas! So we want to show the sport to these people at its fullest potential. At the same time, we'll pique the interest of all the locals. Ideally we want to stamp snowboardings mark on a country, which before the majority will never have even heard of.

Sandy is still the reigning "King of the Hill" but do not fret,
the speedy scot will be taking on an organisers role and not racing!

We're going to be doing all this at the end of Febuary 2014, when the season's visitors are at it's peak, as is the snow. It's going to be a full on blowout, with elimination runs, a night party and proper prizes. Want to get involved? Well we still need help in two areas. Firstly, we are looking for sponsorship. Work for or know someone at a snowboard or outdoor company, which you reckon would want to get involved in this annual festival, then please give them or us a shout. Secondly, we'll need competitors, so how about ditching the norm and come and get involved in a trully first of its kind for the Himalaya! 

Di5 Adventures are offering special packages, which run over the scheduled dates of the event and include entry. Go to www.di5adventures.net have a gander then email Andy or Sandy for more details.

A guide to being a Snow Bum.....Gulmarg Style PART #4

All aboard the Party bus!

The après scene in Gulmarg is not like you’d find in the west. Being in a Muslim state the consumption of alcohol is frowned upon but not banned. The Kashmiris are too savvy to the westerners want for that mmmmmm beer after an amazing days shred, to not sell it to us. As this is meant to be a rough guide to doing a cheap season my first suggestion is to not après every day. You’ll pay a premium for your beer and I’ve seen a $1 rise every year, which will put next year’s beers at about $6 a pop! (note: that is for a tall bottle of beer that is up to 8.25% alc.)

If you’ve been following these posts then you’ll be making a regular excursion down to Srinigar, to get some essentials. This is the time to stock up on your booze. It’s an adventure in itself finding the well-guarded, holes in the wall, which procure this sought after elixir. For that reason, I ain’t going to tell you where they are. Just be aware that the named brand spirits aren’t what they say. Most of the booze across India, with Kashmir being no exception, is ENA based. 
Without going into detail it’s basically rank spirit with nasty flavours added. It’s, however, debilitating-ly cheap! Where possible I’d recommend protecting your liver and getting grain based spirits. This is one of the few times where I’d say spending a little more will do you more favours. It’s fine if you only have to drink it for a couple of weeks. A few months and you’re insides will teach you a violent lesson. You have been warned.

Okay, so you have a store of shady booze. Believe it or not, many of the hotels don’t appreciate it when you saunter in with your own liquor and start quaffing it and having a great time. Have a few pre-drinks at your place and pick the nights you want to go out. You want a boozy season go to Whistralia, i did, it was amazing. Want to shred untouched bowls days after the storms gone, then choose more wisely. In fact that's an amazing time to get lashed: during the storms. Chances are the upper mountain is going to be closed the next day anyway!

2010 we built an igloo, bought some vodka and hosted a party.
At one stage there were 27 people jammed inside!!

So you know to be wary of the price of drinks at the bar and how to get cheaper booze but what to do if you don’t want to hang out in your digs? Well you’re here for a few months, so go make your own fun! The people that season out in Gulmarg are adventurous, fun and inventive. We love a good party and the more unique the better. How about utilising the ice rink for a bit of broom-ball or hockey? How about a kicker session under the stars? Or a night sledge extravaganza? How about a late night snowball fight or an outdoor rave? A full moon shred in the trees sound good? All these things are possible. Some take a bit of hard work, some are more regular than others, some have never been done before and some I haven’t even listed!

These guys know how to get a part started!!

At the end of the day; you are the party! It only takes a little imagination and a bit of planning among the long-term seasonairres to throw a one off party like you’ve never had before! Well that’s that. With the information I’ve divulged here I reckon it’s possible to achieve the impossible; a 3 month season without work. Obviously this is not a definitive guide but a rough introduction on how to do so. Guess I’ll be seeing you in the lift line!

Don’t have time to be the party planner but want to be the life and soul instead? Di5 Adventures has the inside scoop on a lot of these parties. Book a trip with us and keep yourself in the loop. Check us out www.di5adventures.net

A guide to being a Snow Bum.....Gulmarg Style PART #3

"You need to eat to shred"

Now we are all too aware that food is fuel. You burn calories just living up at 2650m in the cold snowy mountains. You absolutely annihilate them when you spend a day shredding. Taking back on those calories must be done to allow you a full season of happy shred time! There are two places you’ll want to locate; the bakery and the fruit market. These allow you to essentially pack a lunch for the day, which is top money saver! Another tip: eat a big breakfast, which is even better if it’s free after your stellar negotiations. If you slack on brekkie and are struggling to get up in time for the bakery, you can eat up at the mid-station. Here’s another useful ditty: find an alternative to the restaurant under the gondola. While it’s brilliant for a quick cup of chai, why don’t you make the trek over to the dhabas? More intelligently ride down to them. They offer similar fair and they’ll be a bit cheaper than Kongdori. If you want to try them all go for it. However if you are there for a while I’d say pick one and get to know the staff, loyalty goes along way with the Kashmiri people.

Tangmarg Market is another good place to stock up on goods.

Once you’re done with an awesome day’s shred you’ll want to eat again. Once back to the Market side of town you’ll notice an abundance of small restaurants dotted about. These places are the heart and soul of the town. They offer simple Kashmiri fair at exceptionally good rates. My favourite is the Pandith Brothers. These guys, in my humble opinion, do the best Malai Kofta in town. Their thali is basic but so cheap and they’ll fill it up for you. Once again, like the mid-station show a bit of loyalty and these guys will look after you. Who doesn’t love sitting outside, enjoying a bit of food, watching the sun dip behind the best snow playground I’ve found so far!

Eat in little places like this one and you will
experience the real taste of Kashmir

When it comes to the last refuel before bed eating as a big group is way better, more sociable and, the key ingredient, cheaper! There are loads of hotels with restaurants attached, offering all sorts of traditional feeds. I’m not going to give away any more of my favourites, as I do need to keep some of these for myself! My last tip for this blog is take a trip to Srinagar every once in a while. Find the place called "Pick and Choose" and stock up on honey, jam, peanut butter, nutella just basically loads of stuff you’ll not get up in Gulmarg that can make life cheaper for you. I’ve got loads more tips for this but I’m not sharing them. Some things you’ll just have to figure out for yourself. Well here’s one more: talk to the other travellers. Share your experience and tips, who knows what you might learn!

You’ll have noticed that I haven’t mentioned apres with the food. Well, guess what we’ll cover next time! However, to get all the know-how and insider goods book a trip with us instead. We’ll keep you fed and in the loop; www.di5adventures.net