Gulmarg, known as Kashmir’s winter wonderland as snow falls heavily, is unable to open its famous ski slopes this year, disappointing enthusiasts from India and abroad. A tourism favourite at an altitude of 8,694 feet, Gulmarg’s bare hillsides are now a barometer of changing global weather patterns and their impact on Kashmir.
The meadow, usually teeming with skiers enjoying training sessions in January, is empty and silent. Chairlift and snow-beaters are not functioning. Patches of melting snow are seen where once four to six feet of accumulated snow delighted visitors.
Tauseef Rathore, training in-charge at the Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering (IISM), Gulmarg, is upset. “There are no ski training sessions in the main bowl this year so far. We are using slopes of Bota Pathri (about seven kilometres from the main bowl) for training as snow has not completely melted there in the shade of the tree line,” Mr. Rathore told The Hindu.
