Gulmarg – Winter Season
Lack of snow in the beginning of the season and overbooked quality hotels presented the biggest challenges this past winter in Gulmarg. Perfect weather and excellent snow conditions in March were the biggest surprises and many happy customers the biggest joy – this is my summary of a successful and instructive 5th winter season in Kashmir.
Upon my arrival in Gulmarg by the end of December I was confronted with a very unusual snow situation. Instead of being covered by the typical solid snow layer the ground was nearly bare, despite a snowfall of over one meter in the beginning of November. As my first guests were set to arrive only by mid January there was no reason to panic yet. Fortunately it started to snow a little in the beginning of January and because of the roughly 30cm of fresh powder the first program participants already had an opportunity to enjoy some runs in untracked terrain. The snow conditions were, however, still far away from what we were used to and from what our guests expected. Luckily we had warm and sunny weather during most of January which contributed a lot to our guests’ happiness with their vacation in the Himalayas.
A very positive experience in the past season was the snow condition in March. In previous years I left Gulmarg always at the beginning of the month, however, this year I decided to stay on till the end of March to get my own impression of the situation in order to make an educated decision on whether to propose my programs in this period too. I was positively surprised by the snow conditions and can now tell from personal experience that it is also possible to ski the whole day till mid March too, often still with good powder snow on north facing runs and even later in the month snow conditions remained good till the early afternoon. For people interested in “Free Touring” March is the perfect month offering many possibilities to ascend up to 4’500m by starting early from the cable car’s top station and to enjoy long descends to the valley floor. Another much appreciated factor of March skiing is the limited number of people on the mountain which means we have the terrain to ourselves more or less all time (at least up to now!).
The valley of Gulmarg, a large meadow about 3-sq-kms in area, stands at 2,730 metres, 56-km south west of Srinagar. The name means 'Meadow Of Flowers' and in the spring it's just that, a rolling meadow dotted with countless colourful Bluebells, Daisies, Forget Me Not's and Buttercups. The valley itself is about 3-km long and up to a km wide.
All around are snow-capped mountains, and on a clear day one can see all the way to Nanga Parbat is one direction and Srinagar is another. It's a popular day trip from Srinagar to Gulmarg, although many people extend their stay or use it as a base for trekking. The road from Srinagar rises gently towards the lower slopes of the range, passing through rice and maize fields.
Sonmarg
In Winter - November To FebruaryThe drive to Sonamarg is through the Sindh Valley which presents yet another spectacular facet of countryside in Kashmir.
Situated at an altitude of 2730 m, Sonamarg (‘The meadow of gold’) has, as its backdrop, snowy mountains against a cerulean sky. The Sindh River that meanders through the valley abounds with trout and mahaseer. Ponies can be hired for the trip up to Thajiwas glacier, which is a major local attraction during the summer months.
One of the most popular short walks from Sonamarg and a major attraction during the summer months is the 4-km route to Thajiwas, a small valley at the foot of the Sonamarg glacier. A path leads up to the Shakhdar hill, overlooking the glacier from the northeast. It is dangerous to climb the steep slope leading up to the glacier. Ponies can be hired for the trip up to Thajiwas glacier. Often in early summer one will meet groups of Gujar passing through Sonamarg on their way to the alpine meadows for the summer.
Lack of snow in the beginning of the season and overbooked quality hotels presented the biggest challenges this past winter in Gulmarg. Perfect weather and excellent snow conditions in March were the biggest surprises and many happy customers the biggest joy – this is my summary of a successful and instructive 5th winter season in Kashmir.
Upon my arrival in Gulmarg by the end of December I was confronted with a very unusual snow situation. Instead of being covered by the typical solid snow layer the ground was nearly bare, despite a snowfall of over one meter in the beginning of November. As my first guests were set to arrive only by mid January there was no reason to panic yet. Fortunately it started to snow a little in the beginning of January and because of the roughly 30cm of fresh powder the first program participants already had an opportunity to enjoy some runs in untracked terrain. The snow conditions were, however, still far away from what we were used to and from what our guests expected. Luckily we had warm and sunny weather during most of January which contributed a lot to our guests’ happiness with their vacation in the Himalayas.
A very positive experience in the past season was the snow condition in March. In previous years I left Gulmarg always at the beginning of the month, however, this year I decided to stay on till the end of March to get my own impression of the situation in order to make an educated decision on whether to propose my programs in this period too. I was positively surprised by the snow conditions and can now tell from personal experience that it is also possible to ski the whole day till mid March too, often still with good powder snow on north facing runs and even later in the month snow conditions remained good till the early afternoon. For people interested in “Free Touring” March is the perfect month offering many possibilities to ascend up to 4’500m by starting early from the cable car’s top station and to enjoy long descends to the valley floor. Another much appreciated factor of March skiing is the limited number of people on the mountain which means we have the terrain to ourselves more or less all time (at least up to now!).The valley of Gulmarg, a large meadow about 3-sq-kms in area, stands at 2,730 metres, 56-km south west of Srinagar. The name means 'Meadow Of Flowers' and in the spring it's just that, a rolling meadow dotted with countless colourful Bluebells, Daisies, Forget Me Not's and Buttercups. The valley itself is about 3-km long and up to a km wide.
All around are snow-capped mountains, and on a clear day one can see all the way to Nanga Parbat is one direction and Srinagar is another. It's a popular day trip from Srinagar to Gulmarg, although many people extend their stay or use it as a base for trekking. The road from Srinagar rises gently towards the lower slopes of the range, passing through rice and maize fields.
Sonmarg
In Winter - November To FebruaryThe drive to Sonamarg is through the Sindh Valley which presents yet another spectacular facet of countryside in Kashmir.
Situated at an altitude of 2730 m, Sonamarg (‘The meadow of gold’) has, as its backdrop, snowy mountains against a cerulean sky. The Sindh River that meanders through the valley abounds with trout and mahaseer. Ponies can be hired for the trip up to Thajiwas glacier, which is a major local attraction during the summer months. Sonamarg is the base of a major trek that passes along several mountain lakes –Vishansar, Kishansar, Gadsar, Satsar and Gangabal. Sonamarg is also the take off station for the drive to Ladakh across the Zojila, a major pass in the Great Himalayan Range, through which the Srinagar-Leh Road passes.
The Meadow Of Gold
At a height of 2,740m, Sonamarg is the last major point in the Kashmir valley before the Zoji La pass into Ladakh . At the pass the green, lush Kashmiri landscape abruptly switches to the barren, dry landscape of Ladakh. Sonamarg is thus not only a good base for treks but also a jumping off point for trips into Ladakh.
The name means 'Meadow of Gold' and although this could be due to the profusion of flowers that carpet the meadow in the spring it is also possible that the name derives from Sonamarg's strategic trading position in the days when this was a major route into central Asia. The Sindh River meanders along here and abounds with Trout and Mahseer.
Sonamarg's Importance Is Two Fold:
It is the starting point of a major trek passing several mountain lakes - Vishansar, Kishansar, Gadsar, Satsar and Gangabal. One trek leads all the way to the Amarnath cave . The other reason for Sonamarg's importance lies in the fact that it is the last halt on the Kashmir side for the drive from Srinagar to Leh .
At a height of 2,740m, Sonamarg is the last major point in the Kashmir valley before the Zoji La pass into Ladakh . At the pass the green, lush Kashmiri landscape abruptly switches to the barren, dry landscape of Ladakh. Sonamarg is thus not only a good base for treks but also a jumping off point for trips into Ladakh.
The name means 'Meadow of Gold' and although this could be due to the profusion of flowers that carpet the meadow in the spring it is also possible that the name derives from Sonamarg's strategic trading position in the days when this was a major route into central Asia. The Sindh River meanders along here and abounds with Trout and Mahseer.
Sonamarg's Importance Is Two Fold:
It is the starting point of a major trek passing several mountain lakes - Vishansar, Kishansar, Gadsar, Satsar and Gangabal. One trek leads all the way to the Amarnath cave . The other reason for Sonamarg's importance lies in the fact that it is the last halt on the Kashmir side for the drive from Srinagar to Leh .
Walks From Sonamarg
One of the most popular short walks from Sonamarg and a major attraction during the summer months is the 4-km route to Thajiwas, a small valley at the foot of the Sonamarg glacier. A path leads up to the Shakhdar hill, overlooking the glacier from the northeast. It is dangerous to climb the steep slope leading up to the glacier. Ponies can be hired for the trip up to Thajiwas glacier. Often in early summer one will meet groups of Gujar passing through Sonamarg on their way to the alpine meadows for the summer.
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