Today is supposed to be our first day in the fresh, untracked Kashmir powder. We meet our guide Mamout, who immediately tells us that the gondola won't be running today... ...The avalanche commission, consisting of the Indian ski patrol and two Americans, have the opportunity to blow up avalanches for the first time today. As the mountain is located in the border area with hostile Pakistan, it was forbidden to carry out any kind of blasting for safety reasons. This is now apparently permitted and the avalanche commission is not sure whether the whole mountain, including the huge cornices that frame the ridge at over 4,000 m, won't come hurtling down into the valley. Safety comes first, so the gondola stands. Mamout suggests we take the forest slopes next to the pass road down into the valley. We are more than rewarded and shoot down into the valley in meters of powder snow. There we are picked up by a cab that takes us back up to the starting point. This remains our activity for the whole day and the forest runs are incredibly good. Belly-deep in powder, we plough through the winter forest and then ride back up to the starting point in a cab that is far too small and partly sitting on the roof.
Today is Sunday and many Kashmiris want to spend the day off in the mountains. Vehicles in the most miserable condition are struggling up the road, some without snow chains or with homemade makeshift solutions such as ropes tied around the wheels. Snow shovels are on the roadside, shaping the entire pass road once again where the brand new snow blower made in Germany has not managed to clear everything away. The total chaos is spiced up by unbelievable scenes, but with combined forces the cars are pushed to the top.
The time has finally come...
The next day should finally be our day. The sun should be shining and the gondola should be open. When blasting the day before, none of the expected cornices moved and all the snow in the gullies remained where it had fallen despite the blasting. We are the first at the gondola, but again nothing. The avalanche commission wants to assess the mountain again and we stand waiting at the ticket office. After an endless wait, the ticket seller comes but still doesn't sell any tickets as the final OKAY is missing. An hour later, relief - the FINAL OKAY! The ticket man sells the first tickets, closes his till and leaves. What's wrong now? But no problem, he just wasn't happy with the sales booth and moves a table and chair to another spot and continues selling. "Relax this is Kashmir!"" The gondola finally takes us up to 3950 m in bright sunshine. At the top, a strong wind blows from Pakistan, which lies at our feet. In the Kashmir valley to the east of Mt. Aphawart, the fog hangs and the mighty Himalayan mountains provide a fitting backdrop to the panorama.
The Gulmarg ski area is not groomed...
...only a tow path leads from the middle station to the valley. The only official, but also unprepared run from the mountain station is the bowl directly below the gondola. To the right and left of it, there are countless gullies and ridges that drop 1000 meters into the valley. We decide to take the back of the "Hapat Khued Bowls" straight away. The start passes an approximately six-metre-high cornice and the following ridge leads us down in the finest powder. At around 3400 m above sea level, we are greeted by a sparse birch forest into which we plunge and shortly afterwards we pass the first weather-beaten spruce trees, which grow here up to 3300 m above sea level. What a descent? at the end of which we stop at a small kiosk. The landlord bakes us delicious Indian nan with vegetables to fortify us. We sit on plastic chairs in front of the hut in silence and enjoy the food; the plastic tables have plastic tablecloths and there are vases of plastic flowers on the table and Mt Aphawart glows a cheesy red in the evening light. After three more beautiful days, snow has been announced again, 'heavy snow' to be precise, which means there is a lot of snow coming and the possibility of the gondola running is almost non-existent.
Bad weather alternative - Dal Lake
Srinargar and Lake Dal are available as an alternative. That same evening, we drive into the valley to spend the night on a houseboat. It is furnished in colonial style: crystal chandeliers, wood carvings and Persian carpets. The lavishly furnished bedrooms have their own bathrooms with beautiful old tiles. It's like a little palace from the Arabian Nights. With a Marsala tea in hand, we enjoy the view from the veranda over the smooth, velvety black Dal Lake. In summer, countless lotus flowers bloom on the islands and the floating gardens. The next morning, we are picked up by a longboat and the ferryman takes us through the old waterways, past markets and stores that can only be reached from the water. Traders who cross our path with their boats take the opportunity to sell their wares. They want to sell us jewelry, antiques and, above all, cashmere sweaters and scarves. The price of up to 600 dollars for a cashmere scarf leaves our wallets in our pockets, even in the adverse weather conditions of minus 5 degrees. With beautiful weather, the snow-covered mountains in the background and mild temperatures, Dal Lake must be a dream place. We can well imagine that this used to be the famous stopover for hippies on their way to India.
It's snowing again...
and we make our way back up the snow-covered pass road to Gulmarg late in the evening. In the meantime, 60 cm of fresh snow has already fallen in one day. When I look out of the window in the morning, it is still snowing. A short time later, we realize that nothing works anymore, we are snowed in. In 30 hours, 120 cm of fresh snow had fallen and the pass road was blocked by a fallen tree shortly after our ascent last night. The road is closed, the gondola is not running, so we walk a short distance up towards Mt Apharwat on snowshoes. Just as we are descending into the valley in waist-deep champagne powder, the sun comes out - and so this day was well worth it.
