It is certainly advantageous to be fit before you head off on this trip, given the altitude. The fitter you are, the quicker you will acclimatise to enjoy your adventure. No ski hiking or ski touring is required for any of the 'Wild Snow' tours (you are welcome to do it, but its not required).
Trip participants will require a tourist visa to enter India, and this should be obtained prior to departing from home. (follow link to page on the WS website)
Wild Snow can make reservations for you and can often make recommendations for attractions you can enjoy while waiting for your trip to begin. Please let us know your specific plans. If your just a couple of hours ahead of the other guests, we will pick your up and go sight seeing or chill out on our house boats.
The groomers generally only groom the golf coarse poma lifts ( beginner area - we wont be skiing this area), and the trail from the gondola mid-station down to the load station 1.7Km approx. The second phase or the upper mountain is not groomed (Apart from occasionally the chairlift).
The average snow fall is 10 - 15 mtr (only 15 years of data). The quality or type of snow depends on the storm/s and the preceding cycles.
Avalanches are a part of skiing on any mountains with large amounts of snowfall. Gulmarg’s famous steep slopes are no exception to the possibility of an avalanche. A daily,” Back-country Avalanche Advisory” is posted by Gulmarg Snow Safety. Our Wild Snow guides monitor the weather, snow conditions and avalanche danger daily.
January - March temperatures at the mid station are around -6.5 degrees and at the top of Mt Apharwat about -10 degrees. Compared to NZ North Island only slightly colder, yet it doesn't have the same 'wind chill' issues so no special gear is really required.
This is a time to pull out the wide powder skis, yes 110mm width under foot is ideal to ski. As most of the skiing you will do is 'off-piste' and in powder you will want something that will keep you afloat. Talk to us about your options for rental or NZ rental / purchases.
Please arrange travel insurance and, in particular, medical evacuation and repatriation insurance that covers skiing outside of ski area boundaries. Read your policy's fine print to make sure it covers you for off-piste skiing and that it covers you for helicopter evacuation. Wild snow has several options for you to look at for out of bounds insurance.
Yes, it is very important. In the unlikely event you get sick, you want to get to good medical care ASAP.
Trip cancellation insurance is an option that may allow you to cancel your trip without losing the total cost of the trip. Wild Snow highly recommends cancellation insurance for all of our trips. If circumstances cause us to cancel a trip (e.g. minimum numbers are not reached) then we refund your fees paid but trip cancellation insurance covers your airfare and any other costs you may have incurred.
Most travelers fly to Delhi India and transfer on a domestic (Air India is the most popular - flight 825) 1.5 hour flight to Srinagar. You will be greeted by Wildsnow at the airport and all transfers will be taken care of from this point!
Given that we choose to stay in a hotel for this entire trip, washing facilities are available every day and laundry can be done by the hotel for a nominal fee.
Kashmir is known for their delicious dishes though not as spicy as Indian curries. If you are a non-vegetarian then you are in for a treat. Some of the popular Kashmiri non-vegetarian cuisines that you will see during your visit are Rogan Josh (lamb cooked in spices), meatballs known as rista or Gushtaba, Mutton curry, Tabak maz, fried red meat ribs. Vegetables are a bit sparse in the Kashmir winters, but there are dishes like Hakh (a spinach like leaf), paneer and cooked potato dishes for vegetarian options.
The water as in all small ski villages comes fresh off the mountain and many people drink it without any problems, there is bottled water available in the village if you prefer. Bottled water in the cities is highly recommended. Most people enjoy the local Kashmir food without any issues but like traveling to many countries, its not uncommon for some people to have a spell of digestive disturbances with a change to their diet.
Yes.
No, our trip programmes all have an arrival day and a departure day built into them. You are welcome and encouraged to arrive a bit earlier to explore your arrival and departure city, if you have the time.
'E' tickets are the standard practice these days and are now acceptable in most locations. Do ensure you print your itinerary and have your booking number with you, as this allows you to change your flight in the event that this is required.
We will be staying in the Gulmarg village at an elevation of 2700 meters (About the same as the crater lake at Mt Ruapehu), altitude illness is not a serious concern at this level. As your body adjust to acclimatize you will notice that the air is a little thinner while out skiing over the next few days (especially the top gondola). It is rare for anyone to suffer from severe altitude illness, if you are concerned speak to your doctor before coming to Gulmarg. In the first few days drink a lot of water, take it at your speed and avoid alcohol and tobacco as it reduces oxygen exchange-- at least at first.
We generally ask you to wait until 120 days prior to your trip start date to ensure your trip has met the minimum numbers and will operate. If you see a good deal and want to book your flights, then ensure you can make changes to your tickets and it is a good idea to purchase trip cancellation insurance, in the event that you need to cancel.
The problem with these tickets is that you usually end up having to pay quite a lot more if you have to make any changes to your ticket. Some of the places we go to aren't straight-forward, and we highly recommend using a travel agent for such travel as there are many intricacies that they can help you with. In the long run they save you money!
The trip fee includes airport transfers, and you will be met by a driver who will drive you to us.
