India Ski Snowboard Camp

Our accommodation starts in Gulamrg on February 26. Check out is March 5.

Our accommodation is a very comfortable slope side lodge (with excellent reviews) in the heart of the town and a short walk/ski to the main gondola. This is where our breakfasts and groups dinners will be. The rooms will be shared with a mix of shared arrangements.

To get to the best terrain, Gulmarg requires a certain amount of hiking beyond the main ‘in-bounds’ terrain.
Be prepared to do some uphill hiking at a potentially high elevation.Much of the high alpine terrain is outside the ski area boundary. That’s why we’re hiring professional local guides who know the mountains and snow-pack very well, are certified and have plenty of local guiding experience.Things do go wrong in Gulmarg. Some days the gondola will open late or not at all, or it will snow 120cm in two days and the avalanche danger will be extreme in the high alpine. This is all part of the Kashmir adventure. Regardless of the gondola and avalanche hazard level, there should always a place to ski and snowboard and have some fun (closer to the village). During blizzards, great gladed terrain can be skied below to the town of Gulmarg leading to local shrines. Local taxis can bring us back up. Our guides will be with us.

Gulmarg is situated on a high forested plateau (over 2500 meters) at the base of Mt Apharwat (4200 meters). The base area of Gulmarg Resort has several lodges and some restaurants. There is a market approx. 1km from the base of the gondola. The journey can be walked, skied, sledded or driven. A taxi to the village is reasonably inexpensive. Walking the journey will expose you to all sorts of fun shenanigans!

Our destination is Srinagar on February 26 (airport code is SXR).
Flights to Srinagar: Srinagar is the transport hub of Kashmir. Flights are easy to arrange via Delhi or any other major Indian center.

Jeep transfers from Srinagar airport to Gulmarg are included.
There will be three jeeps for our group of 12 on February 26. We will coordinate jeep transfer times through the day time.
Gulmarg is 56km (about 1.5 to 2 hours drive) from Srinagar.
Please book your flight to arrive in Srinagar before 3pm.

Departure is on Friday, March 5. Hotel check out is 11am
Again – three jeeps for 12 people. 4 people per jeep.
Please book your flights to depart Srinagar after 12pm.

Work on your cardiovascular and be ready to hike on some of the days. The peak of of the mountain is approx 4000m.

Bring all of your regular ski/snowboard gear (as you would for Whistler). A split-board is not required. Touring skis are optional, but not required.
Bring your avi safety gear (transceiver, probe, shovel). This is required. Or you can rent this gear by adding it to your camp well in advance.
Before this camp, complete an AVI safety course. we very highly recommend this.
You can add an ABS Airbag Avi Backpack rental for $240 CAD for the 6 days. We highly recommend it and everyone has said yes so far.

Free but slow WIFI is available at our ski lodge. Roaming on your SIN card or most SIN card from outside Kashmir will not connect.

Breakfasts and dinners are included at our lodge, however you are welcome to explore the other restaurants in the town if you prefer something different. There are also several places to go for a drink in the evenings. Group dinners are at our lodge – big tables, great food and our group talking about each day’s big adventure just had…

In short, yes. Check your government’s website for the latest information. The websites will generally recommend “do not travel” to Kashmir due to the possibility of terrorism. However if going to Gulmarg is your primary goal (which it is), it can be fairly easily and safely achieved. The local Kashmiris and the Indian military go to great lengths to ensure the safety of international skiers and snowboarders visiting Gulmarg. You’ll feel safer here than in Whistler on a Saturday night (from what I’ve read…).

An ATM exists in the tourist office in the market area of Gulmarg. It works periodically and should in no way be relied upon as a cash source. Cash is king in India. Credit cards should be used sparingly and only when confident the vendor is trustworthy. ATMs in Kashmir are unreliable and few and far between, so you’ll need to cash up before you go. Try and get some cash in small denominations (Rs50 and Rs100) as it assists with tipping and getting the right change.

Nationals of ALL countries require a visa to enter India. They are simple and quick to obtain.
Many 3rd party agencies offer visa services for an inflated fee. Simply visit the Indian Consulate website of your country for details.

Your deposit is non-refundable and non-transferable.
A cancellation inside 120 days of the camp start date is not entitled to a refund.
We do not offer refunds after a camp start date.

Because of our cancellation policy above, we HIGHLY recommend that you purchase Trip Interruption / Cancellation Insurance as part of your travel insurance. This will cover the cost of your camp (and/or deposit) in case you need to cancel or cannot finish your camp for any reason at all. It’s easy to purchase and very good peace of mind. Make sure you carry the appropriate travel insurance which covers off-piste skiing in Gulmarg. Three insurance companies (who cover off-piste skiing in Kashmir) have been recommended to us. They are: IHI Buba    Travel Guard    Austrian Alpine Club

Flights, travel insurance, lunches, visa fees, airport fees, local taxis (if we ski lower trees on blizzard days)