India: exploring the Kashmiri mountains.

January 7th. 

 It was time for us to fly out to a new country on our will to discover wild places. Our destiny, Gulmarg, an Indian ski resort on the Kashmiri Himalayan mountains. I couldn't be more excited for this trip even though the Alps where getting hitted by the biggest snow fall in years.

The ski field was basically two gondolas, one that lead us to the base of the ski field and another one that, when open, bring as up to 3.980mts and a 6km reage full of couloirs with the beautiful Nanga Parbat, the ninth highest mountain on the world 8.126mts) in front of us.

It was still early on the season, and the snow conditions weren't the best, but still we could find here and there pitches of deep snow without cathcing many rocks, overall in an area called Paper Threes. We could also experience the feeling of literally being totally alone on the whole mountain.

We spoke with the patrol boss, a Canadien guy who advise us to take it easy because it was really rocky still and if something bad happened to any of us, the medical resourses there where extremly basic. This made me change my mind regarding to one of my expectations from the trip, training for my freeride competitions. From that point on it was more about exploring the mountains on a chill mode, and I really enjoy it.

A big reward of this trip for me was to know a bit more from their culture; experience what was living on a original Kashmiri house, hitted by a fireplace, shower with a cube and a cup with whater hitted on the fire place, indian spicy food, the "maybe" that rules the area and the good hear of the guys that where running the Himalayan Guest House, or the entertainment games the local people where playing.

I expected this are to be hindú, but far from that muslim religion was the most extended on the area.

We ended the trip with a visit to one of the most beautiful temples on the world, the Taj Mahal in Agra, a mausoleum bild by the Muslim emperor Shah Jahan In honor to his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to his fourteenth daugther.

This trip was totally amazing, friends, snow and a new culture to explore. I can't wait for more of this!