I spent months planning, scoping and getting psyched for my first trip to Gulmarg in Kashmir. I had been told about the crazy amounts of snow Gulmarg normally gets, I’ve been shown photos of lines and terrain that was my total vibe. I got packed up and jumped on a plane and within a day I went from hot summer weather in Cooma to the freakin Himalaya. Culture shock was a little high on the drive up from Srinagar including seeing army dudes on every street corner with pretty big machine guns.
Kashmir, is a region with a rich and complex history, and has been a center of cultural and religious influences for centuries. Once a hub of Hindu and Buddhist traditions, it later became a significant Islamic region and, in 1846, came under Dogra rule as part of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. After the partition of India in 1947, Kashmir became a disputed territory between India and Pakistan, leading to wars and ongoing tensions. Since the 1990s, the region has faced insurgency, military operations, and political unrest, with India increasing its military presence and Pakistan-backed groups fueling violence. The 1999 Kargil War, repeated clashes, and terror incidents kept tensions high. In 2019, India revoked Article 370, removing Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, sparking protests and a security lockdown. Today, the region remains heavily militarized, with ongoing disputes and an uncertain future.
What does this mean for skiing? Well, Kashmir is a very polarizing place, meaning there is some of the most beautiful and opulent things in the world yet across the road there are some of the most poverty stricken places you will ever come across as well. Infrastructure is not something the area is known for unless you are staying at the five star KHYBER resort. Ski patrol is present but it is small, avalanche mitigation is there but small. As with every new area you go to, the first thing to do is get the lay of the land, start to suss out the snow pack and talk to the locals. One very awesome thing that the Gulmarg Avalanche Centre (GAC) does is every Tuesday night they hold a talk at one of the local pubs to tell everyone what’s going on up there snow pack-wise.
After a couple days on snow I quickly found out that this was going to be an interesting trip. There was heaps of snow but not really, I was hitting rocks on almost every run. Skiing the guts where things should be totally filled in I was even finding rocks so I needed to change my approach but after that first GAC talk Brian, an avalanche forecaster from Colorado, really opened my eyes and put a little fear into me as well. Brian is has pretty much set up shop in Gulmarg since skiing sort of started and has been training and educating the local patrol and skiers since. He is the reason there is mitigation at all.
After a couple days on snow I quickly found out that this was going to be an interesting trip.
Now that I am a little freaked out about how scary the conditions in the back country are I’m really starting to rethink where I am going to be able to ski, but trying to stay optimistic so I keep looking for fun. The tree skiing at the resort has been some of the best ever. They call it Dhaba Trees coz this zone is right above the Dhabas (aka restaurants). PS. I’ve never had better food on a hill, EVER. Sofi makes the best everything and sitting in his hut on a stormy day around the fire is like nothing you are going to find at another resort in the world. These trees are steep and it’s been two weeks since the last storm and I’m still getting fresh turns.
Still, the Alpine is what we want, when is it going to storm next and will it be enough to fill in the alpine? Will it flush out the persistent danger layer from November? These are the real questions the whole town is asking. It started snowing and it really feels like this is the one. Now we all know never go up high when it’s storming, right? First day of the storm and it’s already dumped about 40cms, still snowing and a total white out. This is when your Jedi mind power comes into play OR you stay in the lodge and wait it out.
Remember it’s all about making the right decisions for the day. We made the decision to storm ski and it paid off. Blower pow in the guts and some of the best tree skiing I’ve ever had in my life, even better than Teton Pass.
The next day phase two of the Gondola is meant to open for skiers for the first time of the year. The buzz is super high, but in the meantime we are in the line for the Chair Car and there are only 40 people waiting. Yep you read that right, the best day of the season so far and we’ve pretty much got it to ourselves. Time to start hucking off everything right, HA.. nope still been finding more rock snakes than we would like.
We knew the zones up high that were safe so we hit those right away and it was amazing. Before you drop in you are looking out across a valley towards the biggest mountains in the world. The first big peak you see is Nanga Parbat (Ed: read about Allie Pepper’s Mission up Nanga Parbat in Vertical Life issue #52), it’s the 9th highest mountain in the world sitting at 8,126 m high. Everywhere I looked I was looking out at some amazing mountain vistas. I started to traverse more and venture onto things a little less travelled yet still opting for the safer option to all the lines I picked. I would say that the three weeks I spent in Gulmarg I skied more conservatively than I ever have in my life but I still had one of the most amazing experiences ever. Sometimes just getting to ski the next run is as exhilarating as skiing something crazy steep or jumping off some big cliff.
More info on Gulmarg Skiing
Location: Gulmarg, Kashmir (India)
Famous for: World’s Highest Skiable Gondola, It’s in the Himalaya.
Elevation: 8,727 ft(base area) to 15,568 ft(summit)
Lifts: 2
Ski School/s: yes
Terrain Park: 2025 saw the first DIY park built by a couple of locals and a two very passionate travellers from Montana (JJ you guys are freakin awesome)
Pass: Day or week pass available or be one of only 12 who actually buy a season pass.
Accessible travel: No
Best for: Those seeking a true adventure, not just a ski trip but a total cultural immersion.
