The Case for Cruising
January 14, 2022
Solo Ski Trip – What to Pack
January 17, 2022Gulmarg, in Kashmir has long been known for its ski domain.
After my trip to Les Deux Alpes in March 2017, I was determined not to let my ski skills sit on a shelf for another decade. So towards the end of the year, I started looking in to options for a ski vacation in 2018.
Conversation with some family friends brought up the idea of skiing a bit closer to home, in the Himalayas. Gulmarg, in Kashmir has long been known for its ski domain, but conflict and unrest in the region has often made it an unviable option for a holiday. Through some friends in Delhi, I was introduced to a lovely couple, Dilshad and Akshay Kumar who ran an adventure company specialising in ski weeks in Gulmarg. Akshay, whose father was a Colonel in the Indian Army, grew up in Kashmir and skied those slopes from the time he could walk. Along with his wife, he had been running small-group ski vacations to Gulmarg for several years.
After speaking with them I booked myself into a week of skiing in February of 2018, an Indian version of an all-inclusive trip. The company, at the time called Mercury Himalayan Exploration (MHE), takes over an the entirety of a small local hotel in Gulmarg, takes along their own chef to prepare all our meals, organises skis and ski boots, has trained instructors familiar with the terrain and of course manage transport to and from Srinagar, which is the nearest airport.
Initially trepidatious to join a group of families with young kids from Delhi, I put the experience above my hesitation and booked my flight to Srinagar as advised. Due to the distance from the airport to Gulmarg, the entire group was asked to book flights landing at similar times to facilitate easy travel, so I flew from Bombay with another couple and their little daughter. On landing, I met with the rest of the group and my worry about not fitting in immediately melted away. Despite all knowing each other previously, they were incredibly welcoming and friendly and as someone who loves kids I was happy to jump into the role of fun aunty.
Unlike what I had experienced previously in Europe, this was not a ski-in/ski-out facility and after the breakfast the first morning, we were driven to our ski domain for the day and got to know our guides and instructors.
We piled into several cars and began the long drive to Gulmarg, stopping along the way for a traditional Kashmiri lunch in Tanmarg, and then in Gulmarg to get fitted for our skis, boots and helmets. In true Indian fashion, the fitting was accompanied by steaming hot cups of spiced tea and snacks before we made our way to the hotel (more of an inn really) and got settled in. Although basic, the hotel was a quaint wooden building and the rooms were big and each had en suite bathrooms with hot water and electric blankets for the beds. A large lounge with comfortable couches was the common room where we gathered to play cards, listen to music and generally relax at the end of each day.
Unlike what I had experienced previously in Europe, this was not a ski-in/ski-out facility and after the breakfast the first morning, we were driven to our ski domain for the day and got to know our guides and instructors. The morning saw us brushing up on basic skills and technique on gentle slopes and learning how to turn and manoeuvre through a slalom track.
Lunch was served to our group at one of Gulmarg’s oldest hotels, Highlands Park and featured a variety of local dishes and a few international staples as well. After a brief rest and plenty of hot tea in Highland Park’s beautiful lounge, it was back to the slopes for a few more hours of on-piste fun.
Dinner was back at our hotel, prepared by the Mercury-Himalayan in-house cook after which the whole group gathered in the lounge for some drinks, chatter and board games. While much of our week took on the same structure with slopes varying daily based on weather conditions, on the last day we were able to ride the chairlift up to Gulmarg’s famous Phase I slope and make our way down the mountain through narrow gulleys, around trees and over some steep icy patches! Along the way we saw a beautifully natural ice sculpture formed by water dropping off some pipes and freezing into an almost pyramid-like form.
Another highlight of the week was an evening spent at the stunning and luxurious Taj Khyber Resort to celebrate one of our group mates’ birthday. A fun teatime ensconced in the opulence of the resort and a walk around the grounds was the perfect end to a great week of skiing, making friends and having a good time before heading back to the airport to catch our flights back home.
Today, warm and wonderful ski trips just like these continue guided by Dilshad’s watchful and caring eye, under the name Bull’s Adventures. Named for Akshay’s late father, the gregarious Colonel Narinder “Bull” Kumar, it continues to fulfil a long-term dream of Akshay and Dilshad’s and is a fitting legacy for their beautiful daughter Saira.
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Disha
Disha is a former corporate lawyer with a flair for writing. As an avid traveller, she is always seeking new adventures and loves telling stories about her globe trotting.
