Backcountry

1/25/10
Gulmarg

My snowboard splits in half to make skis. this allows me to traverse long distances, and when I apply skins (an adhesive strip of fabric with short, unidirectional fibers that allows movement only in one direction in snow) I can actually go uphill. This is primarily how we get around to the backcountry bowls. Two days ago the weather was looking nice and sunny so we decided to do some filming. Since it was a very long trek to the drop in spot, I volunteered to film because it meant less of a skin. Wes also volunteered to film and show me the roped of skinning. He’s a pretty good teacher. At 14,000 feet, the air is incredibly thin. At first, I seemed to be doing fine and started off with a steady pace, but soon I was gasping for air and had to stop to catch my breath. The trick is to find a pace where you don’t have to stop and catch your breath. This means smaller steps and slower breathing. Sometimes I could only make half a dozen steps before I had to lean on my ski poles and focus my breathing.

The morning light was hitting the adjacent ridge creating distinct shadows and a approaching weather supplied a dramatic background. The surrounding mountains stretch as far as the eye can see and were constantly in and out of light with small snow flurries accenting different features of the massive mountains.

Unfortunately the lighting didn’t hold by the time the group got their stuff together to ski down. By the time Wes and I skied down, it was snowing and nearing total white out conditions.

We’ve made friends with some other foreigners. James is a Kiwi and is renting the room two doors down the hall from us. He’s quite a good telemark skier. He is only here for another week and has to go back to his job as a mineworker. He has a very mellow demeanor spotted with moments of witty humor.

Amet is from Sweden and is half Indian- half Swede. He is renting a room at a nicer hotel up the hill from us. He’s been here the longest and is staying for the whole season. He’s got long wavy black hair and a trimmed beard and mustache that surround his unusually white teeth.

The community here is quite interesting with many people coming and going and a few here for the whole season.