The Ladies Perspective

In the last post, we heard a couple of well-seasoned shredders opinions on their trip to Gulmarg. Now it's time for the ladies. Kate (K) and Laura (L) both came out with their boyfriends for the 2015 season. Kate had done a bit of snowboarding before coming out to Gulmarg but this was her first real taste of big mountain powder. Laura was a newbie and had mastered the very basics, over four days, on dry and indoor slopes back in Scotland. But what would a solid month of adventure snowboarding in the Himalaya mean to someone relatively uninitiated to the world of winter sports, in a place known for it's extremes?

Kate and Laura stoked to be shredding the Himalaya.

Why did you decide to come to Gulmarg?
K: Having been a shred widow over the past four Kashmiri snow seasons. My partner loves riding in the Himalaya, It inspired me to come and see what it was all about.

L: It was the year I was determined to learn a new sport, snowboarding was my choice and the fact my boyfriend has been going there I was curious to what made Gulmarg special to him.

The girls boards

Did you have any hesitations about coming out here?

K: My first few google searches on Kashmir left me with questions about safety on and off the mountain. Another concern for me was that the mountain may be beyond my skill set. For the latter reason, I decided it would be better to give myself ample time to settle into Gulmarg.

L: Personally; no. I think that knowing someone who regularly visits the place eases any worries or nerves you might have.

What sort of reaction did you get when you told people where you were going?

K: Reactions really varied. Some people had no idea where on the globe Kashmir was. Others responded with puzzled eyes and surprise about the idea of snow and India.
L: They thought I was nuts! Warning me of the dangers in that part of the world and the border.

Can you give me your first impressions on the place?
K: A mix of wonder and apprehension met me at the airport, I was feeling a long way from home. However, I was like a kid in a toy shop waking to the mountain view and falling snow the next morning.
L: Driving up that hill of never ending twists and turns made my tummy ache with butterflies.

It is just breathtaking. I was speechless. The excitement of being surrounded in stunning views, whiter than white snow, I knew this trip was going to be magical for me.

Kate getting her first taste of deep snow.

As the trip progressed did your impressions change?

K: My apprehension softened over time, as my experiences opened me to seeing more of the layers and complexity of Kashmir.
L: It changed alright...My impressions got better and bigger and so did my smile.

Be honest; any downsides?
K: Learning how to ride powder was an initial struggle (literally, wriggling about in a couple of feet of snow). Having less fringe comforts and conveniences took some adjusting, but also became part of the adventure.
L: I have nothing to compare this place to, so I find it hard to think of downsides. I soaked up everything there and accepted the place for all it had to offer, bucket showers included! (Sandy - Not all the accommodation in Gulmarg has bucket showers. But they get the job done.)

Always important; how was the riding? 
K: This was certainly the most amazing snow conditions I had seen. There was also a heap of friendly crew who were open to exploring together and created a fun vibe on the mountains. I was surprised to find that Gulmarg has something for a range of abilities.
L: HAHA..to begin with awful. I was daft enough to learn in Gulmarg. But as the season went on I became more confident and within 2 months, I was shredding at the top of the mountain with everyone else and riding down Monkey Hill. I grew a lot as a rider and a person there.

How's the Gulmarg set-up differ to other resorts you've visited in the world? 
K: How is it the same? I felt more onus on myself to riding cautiously and take responsibility for personal safety. Schedules and customer service expectations about how and when the resort should run are different. Decisions like this are made by people with responsibility for safety of the resort and their decision-making process did not always seem to be readily conveyed
L: Me no know! Like I said before; I was a snow virgin before Gulmarg.

Sometimes you have to hike, Laura embraces the shred life.

Off the slopes, how'd you find the food and culture? 
K: This is not just a snowboarding holiday, it is an experience. To spend time with locals and learn about the beauty and perils of their daily lives and histories was really special. I left feeling enlightened and motivated to share what I had experienced of Kashmir with others. As for the food- it was AMAZING! There were lots of vegetarian options and a range of food choices for different tastes and budgets available in Gulmarg.
L: You cannae fault the Culture. The sledge whalas, the shopkeepers, egg man, quadbike taxi man and of course all the jeeps; these all played a factor in making my experience the best it could ever be. Don’t know what I'm talking about? Go see and find out for yourself! I was never a fan of curry to begin with but grew to love it, I have to say there is a lot of variety within Gulmarg.

How'd you find the local people?
K: The locals were a pleasure, especially when taking the time to get to know people and story swap. Kashmiri people were very hospitable and keen to make sure that we had a good stay. Although it can be frustrating to encounter cultural difference at times, I was usually able to relax into this by asking myself to think about why this person might be behaving like this.
L: I cannot express enough love for them, they truly are kind, friendly and not likely to forget your name.
I was honoured enough to be invited to a home cooked meal 3 times on my trip, never have I felt like I was part of the family so quickly after being introduced to them. Beautiful people inside and out.

Laura is turning Kashmiri, during a homestay in Nambalnar. 

What sort of person do you think would like to come here? 
K: I think Kashmir is best encountered in the spirit of adventure and openness. The adventure is more than riding the biggest most beautiful mountains your likely to ever encounter in your life, it is also navigating getting about the village, ordering dinner and sharing stories with locals and other tourists. 
L: Gulmarg can appeal to anyone. I came here as a total beginner but by the end I was stoked knowing I'm good enough to return and explore more terrain. If you're a go-getter, who loves powder and is looking for something different then Gulmarg us the place for you.

Kate getting ready for her first ever powder turns!

That is that! Reckon you can convince your girlfriend to come along now then check out www.di5adventures.net. We've had our girls out there and they survived so surely we must be doing it well! Next time a blog with more pictures and less words.

Other people's opinions matter.......

Most people believe everything that they read on the internet. Whether that is sensible or not is another matter altogether. However, there are a few skeptics for whom the internet is just a bunch of fanciful nonsense that holds no weight; compared to what they watch on the telly. Lastly, are the sensible few that are a bit more savvy. You know that most people are either sharing an opinion or want some money from you. So when it comes to getting an honest opinion on what a trip to Gulmarg is really like, perhaps reading something written by someone, who essentially wants you to come with their compnay on a trip of a lifetime, might be slightly weighted towards only showing you the best. The photoshopped, unblemished, unreal, perfectionists ideal of what it's like. Well shame on you if that's what you think I do. I am a man of integrity and believe honesty, is almost always, the best policy. I tell it like it is. Luckily most of it doesn't need any touching up as it's as close to snowboard Nirvana as you can get, in my humble opinion. However, just in case there is some mistrust in your ever cynical approach to all things bloggy I've decided to go down a different tract for the next couple of blogs. Di5 Adventures have been operating in Gulmarg for 5 years and we've had guests come from many places across the world. So rather than me prattle on about what you can expect on a trip with us, I leave it up to them.

First up is the boys: Will (W) and Bones (B). Two great mates from Australia who have each been shredding for over a decade. These guys are commited to a shred life. They've tasted many an Aussie winter and taken that passion abroad to North America and Europe. So they can shred, they're keen as and they like an advenutre. Let's see what they thought

Bones and Will cruising Dal Lake on a shikara

Why did you decide to come to Gulmarg?
W: Powder, steep, cheap. Ticks all the boxes. The decision was never really a hard one. 
B: I wanted to go to a resort that was completely different. Somewhere I would be taken out of my comfort zone, face challenges and experience new things 

Did you have any hesitations about coming out here?
W: I was wary. I understood there a few more risks involved in Gulmarg then your average resort. However, that was one of the reason why I was going.
B: Initially none at all - then I did some googling.  It gave the impression that Kashmir could be unsafe to travel. However, after chatting to Andy and some other Gulmarg regulars my hesitations were replaced with excitement.

What sort of reaction did you get when you told people you were going to Gulmarg?
W: Everyone was interested to say the least. "Can you even snowboard in India?" "Isn’t that right next to Islamabad?" "Why don’t you go to Japan?" Are just some of the questions people wanted to know. I did find the ones who were the most shocked were the first to get in touch to find out what the trip was like.
B: The majority of my friends are boarders or skiiers so they got it. Mum & girlfriend were a bit worried about avalanche danger. The others didn't even know where Kashmir was!

The guys get local on a trip to Nambalnar

Can you give me your first impressions of the place?
W: It just made me smile. Not because something was funny. A smile of understanding. I knew I was out of my comfort zone and it is exactly where I wanted to be.
B: Wow, this has to be the best place to go snowboarding in the world! Look at all those faces and terrain and there’s no one here!

As the trip progressed did your impressions change? 
W: The way the world works in Gulmarg is a little different to anything I have ever experienced. However, as the trip progressed, I started to enjoy Gulmarg’s life of uncertainty.
B: No, first impressions were only strengthened as the trip progressed.  We explored so many different aspects of terrain. There was always some funny highlight, or interesting character to keep things moving along.





Be honest; any downsides?
W: The only downside is coming up the Gondola, looking at a perfect pitch with waist deep pow on it and knowing due to avalanche danger you won’t be able to ride it. 
B: Sure I could complain and say I was sick of omelettes for breakfast, the coffee was crap and Russian techno music sucks! I could also say the Gondola could be run more efficiently and wasn’t open enough but these were things I knew about before I went and that’s the way things are. No downsides at all from a Gulmarg angle.

Always important; how was the riding?
W: Apparently it was the worst season in a decade. If you didn’t tell me, I would never have guessed. The riding was amazing and it certainly didn’t matter if the gondola was turning or not. Tree runs down to Babareshi and the taxi ride back up were certainly a trip highlight.
B: Epic in so many way!  The amount of different terrain available to ride is unreal. By far the funnest riding I had was riding waist deep powder, through these huge trees, while there was a thunder a lightning storm going on – it was surreal.

Bones dropping a line into the Babareshi trees.

How's the Gulmarg set-up differ to other resorts you've visited in the world?
W: It is like no other resort I have ever visited. Which is probably why it has become my favourite resort.
B: Pretty much everything. There’s great people there, no kooks, lots of snow, awesome and friendly locals, its cheap as chips, limitless terrain, authentic food. I could keep going but don’t want to give it all away. 

Off the slopes, how'd you find the food and culture?
W: I thought I would struggle with the food before I got there, absolutely not the case. The culture is what sets a trip to Gulmarg apart from anywhere else. It is what made this trip so memorable.
B:  The food in Gulmarg is amazing; the whole trip we ate like kings.  As 90% of Kashmir is Muslim, it was a real experience seeing how friendly, happy and outgoing these people are.

How'd you find the local people? 
W: Kind, approachable, willing to help, hospitable and funny. A little bit mischievous at times!
B: Super friendly.  We really experienced them when we stayed a night in Omar's parents’ house in his village, so accommodating and hospitable and we managed to get tucked into bed at night by Omar’s dad 'GM'!

Transport options around the village
vary, this is always a fun way to
get to the market

What sort of person do you think would like to come here?
W: Speaking as an Australian, to other Australians. Someone who is sick of Japan, realising it has been overrun with the plague of Australians. Anyone else who wants an adventure should know you will certainly be rewarded.
B: I think from my experience with Di5 and the tour package I did that it’s an awesome trip for young and adventuress people, who are not worried about having to do some walking and to ‘earn your turns'. It’s a proper ‘snowboarding’ holiday where the focus is on getting out and riding and experiencing as much of that as possible, which is different from a snowboarding ‘holiday’ where the focus may be more mixed between heading out to bars all night, going to the hot tubs and fancy restaurants mixed with some snowboarding when the snow is good. 







Finally; would you recommend a trip to Gulmarg?

W: Already have and will continue to do so. I will also be coming back myself, that's a certainty!
B: I couldn’t recommend it any higher.  It was the best trip I’ve ever been on and it will be hard to top unless I go back.

So that's that. Fancy experiencing it yourself then hit us up at www.di5adventures.net for more info and our latest deals.

Not a seasoned pro, maybe a member of the opposite sex? Well fear not the next blog is for you. We've got the thoughts of two girls relatively new to the sport of snowboarding in a predominantly masculine environment. How did they find it?

The 2nd Annual Himalayan Banked Slalom Part 2: The Event

Generally at this point in the proceedings Andy and I lose control and Omar takes over. He's got way more experience when it comes to getting things done, Kashmiri style and excels on the organisational side of things. That's just as well because by the time we get to this point the fatigue from three days hard grafting has set in and we sit quietly as the competitors arrive. Registration is a breeze and by the end we have hit  over 20 sign ups; plenty of locals representing alongside folks from Australia, Czech Republic, Japan, Scotland and South Africa. We had people competing in all categories and late registration on the morning of the event bumped the numbers up closer to 30. Considering we were hosting the event almost two weeks late and the vast majority of the Westerners had peeled out of town, we were satisfied by the turnout. The Banked Slalom is more about giving the local snowboarders an event for them to compete in and call their own, so we were really stoked that over half of the total competitors were Kashmiri.

The crew at the starting mound. stoked! pic: Omar

As I mentioned in the last blog post, an ideal HBS would see a bit of snow on the course overnight and then bluebird the next day. We got one out of two. Overnight we got a couple of inches that made the course look pretty in the morning. Or so we would have seen if it hadn't been snowing and cloudy. We had to set the course and  laid out bamboo posts fro the flags and set the nets on the difficult corners. Mercifully the cloud was lifting and you could see from top to bottom. While the snow kept falling and falling we  continued to make ready and the competitors arrived. Due to the cold temperatures and abundance of snow we were unable to use the timing equipment as the batteries don't last long enough. Not to fear though we had the next best thing: a Swiss resident with a stopwatch!

Men's Champ 2015: Mudasir pic: Andy

As we had a shorter course and more time we decided to change the format to three runs per person.thier legs and work out the fastest line down the course. Even with our insistence that these runs should be taken slowly and used as a way to familiarise yourself with the turns; several people took it upon themselves to go hell for leather and we were patching up berms and resetting safety nets even during practice! As the day continued so did the snow fall which made for an experience akin to riding a powder covered rollercoaster. This meant for a much slower course however going by the enthusiasm of some riders it was probably a good thing for the injury count, which is still zero. A raucous atmosphere was present, with spectators and competitors cheering and hollering, as the first of the competitors dropped in.  The high spirits continued throughout the day, as did the snow!
The best two times combined would give us a winner. We even had time for practice runs to let everyone get





Everybody took three runs then we fuelled them with Kawha and lunch prepared by our hotel sponsor. The Pisten Bully did make a reappearance and was used to ferry people from finish to start. The level of riding was varied. We saw some people getting low, pushing through the berms and reading the course well. Others were not so experienced and had difficulty on the course. Overall most people made it down competently and those that were new to this type of competition always have next year to redeem themselves. Having only ever had the opportunity to ride this sort of course once before, in last year's HBS, it was great to see the local boys giving it their all. There have to be winners at these sorts of competitions and this year was no exception. We kept the results huddled under our snow soaked jackets and told everyone to come to the award ceremony.

The best uphill lift available, Pisten Bully Power! pic: Omar

Prize giving was hosted at the same hotel, which prepared our lunches, Khaleel Palace. We all rolled in there suitably late but it's Kashmiri time so we were still early. Beers appeared and we got in the mood for another strange award ceremony. Ferried into the room we were then made to wait, for an extra 20 minutes, for our guest of honour. Lots of pics were getting snapped and the whole thing reminded me of school prize giving from my younger days. All in all, it's actually a lot of fun as it's a very alien ceremony compared to what you'd imagine it to be. For example, you'd probably expect such a party to go late into the night, with some wildness familiar to ski town apres. Not in Kashmir. Here it's all about speeches and certificates. But hey "This my dear is Kashmir" so you just got to roll with the punches.

2nd in Mens open, Richard looking solid.
 pic: Andy

The overall Open mens result went down to the wire.  A dead heat between local speedster Mudasir therefore took top honours. The open womens was light on entrants and saw a battle between Scotland and the Czech Republic. The Czech women was victorious and took home the trophy. The junior mens saw the second win by Mehraj Khan, unfortunately he moves into open mens category next season and the threepeat is out of reach. Watchout guys, this kid is fast.
and Australian import Richard required the third run to be counted. Mudasir had the best three runs on the day and
For those that are interested here are the results;


So that's a 2nd Annual Himalayan Banked Slalom in the bag. Proving we're here to stay and that this event should start getting a bit more recognition. While both years have thrown up varying challenges we've had such a fantastic support network that we always managed to overcome. To everyone that helped or competed in any capacity our great thanks. We hope to see you all again next year, snow permitting, we'll be back in the Banked Slalom gully!

That's a wrap for 2015, see you in 2016. pic: Andy

The 2nd Annual Himalayan Banked Slalom Part 1: The Build

Broken but proud is the best way to describe how you feel after the building of the 2nd Annual Himalayan Banked Slalom. I suppose the test of any good event is whether or not it makes past it's inaugural year. Well Andy and I came back to Gulmarg and had every intention of making that happen. However, mother nature had other ideas! When we wanted snow it didn't come, when we didn't need any more it wouldn't stop! As a man that loves the snow, I am aware I shouldn't complain about 'too much snow'. However, as an organiser of a snowboard event, which requires you to build a course, one would like to see snow up to the start of the build then a week of sunny digging, a little fresh the night before and then a bluebird event day. Wishful thinking! Before any of this 'too much snow' nonsense came along we still had the tough decision of where to build the course.

Kahla, Sandy and the sledge

Last year we identified and claimed first gully (Here on in and forever more known as Banked Slalom Gully.) on phase 1 as the prime location for our HBS. We had a decent base last year and got what we needed done. This year when we went up to scope the gully we were sitting far lower than the previous year. We knew we wouldn't be able to bank up the steepest part but we could push the start further up the mountain and still have the race up there. Unfortunately, the weather was not playing the game. The week we had to build was due to puke with the likely result of limited access to the course, resulting in all our hard work getting buried under fresh snow. A tough decision was made and we went to scope out some alternative locales.

the course is set, lets DIG

With the storm approaching and the location changing, we postponed the dates and figured out the new spot. Our options were limited to two areas on the smaller slopes of the golf course. Our first choice was shut down due to it's close proximity to the beginners slope. So we moved it onto the Harmukh lift, which is not being used this season. We stomped up there and took a few different lines before we had a good contender for this year. Now all we had to do was get our hands dirty and dig. So on a very snowy Monday morning we had everything in place to get started, all we had to do was get there.







Three of us went out; Andy, myself and Khala, one of our good local friends, who had the toughest job that day. While Andy and I broke trail for him, Khala dragged a Kashmiri sled through our chop with 20 poles and three shovels tied on board. The going was slow and tough. The snow was falling heavily and we were in a complete white out. Unable to determine the undulations of the snow, we were stumbling into snow banks, making the whole walk that much harder. Once up top we had to re-run our route and set up the poles for definition. We built a couple of rollers for speed and banked up the first turn. We ran the line and boot-packed back up each time. Once our legs were spent we called it a day. Safe in the knowledge we had the Pisten Bully, to do the hard pushing, in the morning.

We are still working at a grass roots level for the banked slalom, though we are getting support from the J&K Tourism department. One such way is the use of there Pisten Bully. This is a bit of a double edged sword; it's amazing to have the ability to move around so much snow, so easily, but there is a significant language barrier between ourselves and the driver. On top of which they haven't had much opportunity to use their machines beyond a piste-ing capacity. So when you're trying to describe to them and then direct them, a lot can get lost in translation and be open to interpretation. We didn't face this problem immediately, this year, as when we went to get the cat it had broken down.

Kahla takes a break from the dig.

After hanging out for a couple of hours, waiting to see what was going to happen, we were told someone was coming to fix it and they would come over in the afternoon. We took this as a sign we had better get digging just in case they couldn't get it running. The three of us headed back to the course, Khala had decided that floundering around in the snow with us two, was more fun than his normal daily grind. We had one corner that we knew had to be hand dug, as there was no way we could get a cat into the area, so we took it back to last year and dug our first berm. It was warm that day and we grafted getting that first berm dug. We also started to think of the immense task at hand of physically digging the rest of the course.

As we had been promised a cat we may have left it a bit tight to achieve the impossible and build all the other turns in just 2 days. But we are stubborn and thick skinned so could deal with the aches and pains, which we would have to endure, to get the course finished. Thankfully, we got the call that the cat was on the way and we should organise lunch. One challenge after another for us. After it arrived and we had fed the drivers, we could get down to business. We pushed up our start ramp with no issues. On to the first berm. This is where things started to get tricky. With a couple of radios and some hand signals we sort of managed to get the snow in the right place. The next berm was at the point of awesomeness right until the driver went half a metre too far and collapsed the thing. Four more piles of snow later and we had to ask them to stop. We needed to shape these berms so that we could figure out where we would build the final turns.

The Pisten Bully arrives and we get serious

The end of a good day shapeing...

Our figuring was that as we only got a couple of hours with the Pisten Bully, rather than the full day we were promised, a couple of hours the next day wouldn't be an issue. The following day, we three, got up early and went about shaping the hunks of snow left by yesterdays machine massacre. Khala, who doesn't snowboard, was very deft in his ability to wield a shovel and took to the task with ease. We shaped a few and then started running the lines to iron out any bumps. A good solid morning of work and we had been informed that our cat would be back after lunch. We continued to shape the last couple of berms and we had a super fun and interesting first 6 turns, which we built a small jump on the end and into the next section. We gave up waiting for the cat and decided that with the challenging weather, snow pack and relocation we had to run a much shorter course than the previous year.





Next up was registration and the main event but that will follow shortly........

Late snow falls and tardy words.

The clouds close in over sunset peak. p:Laura Baird

It's been a slow start for the season and Gulmarg, being a unique place, means you have to get inventive, when the snow is low. Without the normal features of spas, cinemas and gyms the scope of your imagination has to come into play: do you want to build a snowman? With little originality you can get a lovely tour of the village, on the back of a sledge. Why not pay an old man to drag your lazy ass around? That'll kill an hour or a few depending on how guilty you feel. It's a quintessential experience for all the Indian tourists so why not join them. Or how about some of the new motorised toys that litter the village this year. Snowmobile up phase one or an ATV round the outer roads. Both an exhilarating and possibly death defying experience.



With a little more thought you could go get inventive and get your jib on. Why'll there isn't enough snow for the long, backcountry, powder lines, which this place is renowned for, there have been plenty of people being resourceful with what snow we have. I've seen hits set up, on the often buried rails, of the golf course. We've ridden up trees, with varying success. The normal small drop, is now a more challenging endeavour. Go into the woods and build jumps over the fallen trees. All it takes is a group of friends, a little creativity and some leg work and you've got something to session for a couple of days. Then when it snows you've got it all pre-built for the glory shot!

Laura gets a Kasmiri make over and ends up
on the other side of the lens  p:Laura Baird

What about heading further afield? Most people come here for the snow and forget the wealth of Kashmiri culture that surrounds them. When you ride to Babereshi, take a proper rest and go visit the shrine and learn who it was named after. How about going to one of the smaller villages and receiving some home cooking and authentic Kashmiri hospitality. It's an experience I've had the fortune to be a part of several times. A look into how the families of the valley live their day-to-day, listen to stories about the past, discuss hopes for the future and get your imagination working overdrive, to envisage the colours and sights of the flowers in bloom, the orchards bursting with fruit, animals grazing in the pastures and people working the earth. Makes me want to come back to see it for real.

Mr Salama surveys the fitting of the author's
tailored kilt jacket  p:Laura Baird

Travel further down the highway and you'll eventually end up in Srinagar. One of the British Raj's, summer, bolt-holes has loads to offer. Many people will just drive straight up to Gulmarg and then spend there last night on a house boat, giving the city itself little thought. The architecture in the old town and down lane ways is exceptional. Exposed brick and timber walls, ornately carved wooden edifices and centuries old Masjids are all there for the exploring. There is history everywhere you look and it's sometimes just a matter of looking up or down.

Srinagar's culinary offerings are even more fun to explore. You've got the traditional style restaurants offering fantastic Kashmiri fair, a hidden gem of a Tibetan restaurant, with amazing momos and thukpak, plenty of street food, where I've had some of the best samosa of my days. Just this year I was introduced to my new favourite spot, a bbq joint, smashing out skewers laden with big chunks of mutton, deep-fried nuggets of boneless fish, the freshest kebab, all served up with local bread and 6 different types of dip. Need to wet your whistle then there are a few coffee shops and places to purchase booze too.

the alterations continue, Mr Salama weaves his magic.  p:Laura Baird

Want to get your shop on? Then you can pick up all sorts in the city. From market stalls selling bad fakes, Westernised supermarkets that cure the curry blues, a plethora of traditional handi-craft shops with paper maiche, shawls, saffron and all the other perfect gifts, to bespokely-crafted, totally-personalised, one of a kind creations, by a third generation tailor. Be warned, this last one could take up an entire day in itself! All in all, you could easily loose some days in Srinagar.



But it's snowing now, so who needs to know all this? We've got an interesting party this evening, which should be snowier and produce a good story. Then we've got a whole banked slalom to build and host. So no news for a while and you'll soon be bombarded with a whole host of adventures. Let's hope at least one has some POW shots!

Previous seasons this view would have involved snow!  p:Laura Baird

What's that coming over the hill? Is it winter?

A little over a week ago I found myself in Aviemore. Not many of you will be familiar with this place. It is what can be best described as Scotland's quintessential ski town. It's not massive, but it has that outdoor vibe and a view of the mountains. While I was there I woke to a rather cloudy sky, which obscured the peaks. I went outside to go to work and I could feel a distinct nip in the air. Not long into the morning, I got a text telling me that the first snowfall of the season had fallen that night. Over the day, as the clouds broke up, I got glimpses of a few snowy topped mountains, bringing me the giddy feeling that winter is taking hold. Low and behold, four days later, the Kashmir valley sees its first snowfall for the 2015 season. Is it fate that the two places I call home, get Ullr's first touch within a week of each other? I don't know and I'm not one to spend too much time pondering the interconnectedness of the situation. All I know is it has started. While the southern Hemisphere winter is winding down, we in the North are just starting to don some extra layers.

Soon Mt Affarwat will be dressed in white! ^^click to enlarge^^

This season will be the 5th year the Di5 Adventures crew will have had a presence in Gulmarg. Half a decade of shredding the Himalayas. Not bad! I'll have spent more time as a snowboarder in Gulmarg than I will have anywhere else in the world, which I am certainly not going to complain about. As we approach this coming season we do so with heavier hearts than normal. The reason being the recent flooding that has decimated much of Kashmir. Mother nature has no time for borders and the storms of September flooded both the Indian and Pakistan sides of Kashmir. The capital city of Srinagar, on the Indian side, which when visiting Gulmarg you have to pass through, saw buildings collapse and entire families lose their homes. Out in the countryside, the farming industry has been literally washed away. With this being the staple of many a Kashmiri income and little work available to them in winter, our thoughts have been with them. (we have been trying to identify the best path for people wishing to donate and help ease the situation for those most affected)

The Di5 Team:
Omar Hajam, Director of Mountain Operations.
Andy Turland, Managing Director
Sandy Norval, European Correspondent.

So it would be unfair for me to harp on about the awesomeness of winter and what epic adventures we can expect this season, without recognising it's going to be very tough for many families. We understand that our business makes us part of families in Kashmir and creates an opportunity for us to help those less fortunate. As the season grows closer, the snow depths increase and the devastation gets blanketed white, we must not forget to offer help where we can. This season will see the Di5 family grow too. We've got new faces coming out to experience the joys of a Gulmarg winter. Please don't think that our stoke levels aren't up there and this season will somehow be less of a party than before. Remember; it's our 5 year anniversary!

We're going on adventures, we'll be bringing you all the hype, the Himalayan Banked Slalom is growing and going to be back. We have hundreds of lines to go and explore and you're coming on the journey with us. We are pumped, life is good, the snow is falling and tickets are booked. All that being said we'll be doing our best to spread the love throughout the valley and seeing what we can do to help. Let's come together as shredders of the world and be the best dysfunctional family we can. Let us not bicker in the lift line, like petulant siblings, let us put differences aside and have fun together, let us support each other in bringing out the best of our winter, wherever it may be!

Remember, it's never too late to come out and celebrate the 2015 season in Gulmarg. Just head to our website www.di5adventures.net and get in touch. We've got packages to suit all budgets and as a company we are actively involved in investing directly back into Kashmir.

The one and only HIMALAYAN BANKED SLALOM; Desert!

An Instagram from www.pirate-movie-production.com
perhaps Gulmarg will show up in their next Film!

 So here we were on day one, the qualifiers. A little icing on the cake was some overnight snow, which put 30cm of fresh over everything. Unfortunately the cloud was with us and the soupy visibility was going to make things a little tricky. We got up early to set the gates, put up safety fences, check timing equipment and generally just make sure all was good to go, before we let everyone out to devour the goodies. A few last minute additional competitors, in the form of the Nitro snowboard crew was a little bonus, Elias Elhardt, Marc Swoboda and Knut Eliasson had, with great timing, rolled into Gulmarg on the day before. We were already stoked with our registration numbers now we had some professionals competing  and Pirate crew filming as they competed! It really was a buzz to be a big part of this event. However, the visibility was not getting any better and the start was delayed while we waited for a weather window.

Local shredders waiting for their shot at the course

Course marshalling sucks in zero visibility! So does riding a course in crappy viz you have only seen once. Being totally powerless to do anything about the weather the qualifiers had to go ahead. The time was ebbing away and everything was postponed till after lunch. Standing around and getting cold before a competition is not a great idea. The juniors and the ladies had all had one run and a few men too. The idea was to give everyone two goes and then qualify the fastest times. This plan was waylaid for a much fairer decision of everyone qualifies and we’ll keep our fingers crossed for better weather on Sunday. Needless to say, the fastest time of the qualifiers was set by Elias Elhardt. However, a good show was put in by all and the general consensus was a job well done.

Day two: BLUEBIRD(-ish). A wee test run for me, just to make sure nobody had spoiled the course in yesterday’s white-out. Not one to hold back and my first real run at the course, which I’d poured a week of my life into, I didn’t really hold back. That’s possibly why Andy got a radio call, from me, shortly after asking him to advise all riders the course was a damn site faster than yesterday and that we had to reset the safety fence on the ‘Super-Pooper’! Nothing to do with the fact I came in too fast and lost it, wrapping myself in the orange webbing, which left me floundering like a net-caught fish. I was just thankful the first time I ever put up a safety net, it actually worked well enough to hold me. With the gates set, safety fences back in place and the timing equipment ready for a test, I got the honour of a second run, just to make sure the timing equipment was working, mind. Absolutely nothing to do with redemption and the need to see how I’d place if I was competing.

The finish line and a bunch of rowdy competitors

Run complete with no bails this time, we could let the competitors at it. I hung out down at the finish line, as I wanted the best view of the hardest part of the course. First the juniors went and it was clear the turns were a bit like trying to tackle a 28oz steak: a gargantuan effort. Massive props have to go out to these kids and all the Kashmiris that have learned to snowboard. Seeing how they’ve never been allowed to ride the beginner lifts and genuinely have to hike for all those early learning runs, it’s an absolute miracle any of them have bothered. So to see them participating in their first ever banked slalom was a privilege. Hopefully, we’ll be involved in making a few changes next year that can further their skills. But I digress from the meaty finals.

The format was changed slightly due to yesterday’s bad weather and the fact we still had 40+ competitors racing. Therefore, an executive call was made so that it was one run for everyone; fastest run wins. Miss a gate and get disqualified, you better show up next year because there were no second chances. (That luxury was only afforded to me!) Ladies next and they sure as hell went hard. The course was quick and so were they. Some of them hadn’t even managed a practice run the day before! The camaraderie at the finish line was awesome. Every time someone came into view there was a whoop and holler like it was their surprise party. All that was missing was cake and bubbly. A real celebration of the sport was happening right here in the Himalaya.

Last but not least the open men’s final was upon us. Everyone was amped and the day was turning out to be epic. The men certainly gave it their all. Some surprise DQs and some impressive times. The immense task of building and helping organize the event was paying off. It was a tasty wee number that everyone enjoyed. The men’s title was scooped by a Russian, so even out of Sochi they were still at the forefront of snowboard firsts! Of all the riders I watched come through the ‘Super-Pooper’ he had the best line, which was evident in his time. Faster even than the pros from the day before! Race over; it was time for a beer and a bit of prize giving. Being Kashmir, where they love a good award ceremony, the ceremony was more silver service, fine dining than the truck stop hoe-down we had envisaged. But hey that’s the way the cookie crumbles. (I promise I only have one more cheesy food/cooking reference to go!)

The hardest corner of the whole course.
This is where the winners were decided

Never the less, we didn’t hurt anyone, the competition ran smoothly and everyone had a good time. We successfully held the first ever Himalayan Banked Slalom. BOOM! With the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism department rather happy with all our efforts and a smattering of international press coverage; it’s all systems go for 2015. Stay tuned for a bigger, more exciting and, we’d like it to be, a snowboard company sponsored event, next winter. Guess that means it’s out of the frying pan and into the fire for us!

(I whole heartedly apologise for all the crappy food jokes in these past blogs. I thought it would be a good thing; write a recipe on how to cook up a blah, blah, blah. But it turned out to be a cringey joke fest interspersed with a story of the event. I learnt my lesson. Thanks for reading though x)

                                                                                                                                                       

We would like to thank all those that helped us turn this crazy idea into an awesome reality. Especially these two men; 
Omar Hajam, for his untiring pursuit of the people in positions of power in Gulmarg. His efforts really made this happen.
Tariq Bhat, thanks for helping fine tune the logistical side of things and helping get some sponsorship.
also
The Meadows Hotel in Gulmarg, this great new hotel came onboard with sponsorship and helped us get gates printed and donated the lunches for all competitors.