A Slippery Slope

My verdict will await an update since my ski experience has just started and I cannot but recall the words of Lord Mancroft who wrote,There are really only three things to learn in skiing: how to put on your skis,how to slide downhill,and how to walk along the hospital corridor. My fears are somewhat put to rest when Altaf takes a tumble himself. Admittedly,he was going backwards trying to control my erratic descent. But then,as part of his instruction manual,he informs me that the easiest way to stop when you are careening down the slopes is to fall to one side. Along with learning to ski,you need to learn how to fall properly. The trick,however,and the fun part is staying upright. Easier said than done,but this is,after all,an adventure sport,so you learn to take the highs with the lows.

Which pretty much describes the bunny slopes,the gently sloping hill on a ski area where novices like me are taught to ski. Looking down from the top,it looks deceptively easy. The adrenalin rush of speeding down a slope can blind you to the dangers,and you could slip and slide the 46-km distance to Srinagar,or so it appears,when everything is draped in white. Its also a sport with well-defined rituals,starting with what you need to get going. Ski equipment can be elaborate,bulky and time-consuming to get kitted out and get used to. Gulmarg has ski shops,private as well as the ones run by the tourism department,where you can rent all the equipment you need from ski suits to goggles,helmets,ski poles,boots and skis. Hotels also arrange equipment as well as expert guides for beginners. The boots resemble the ones that astronauts wear but the difference is that they prevent you from slipping and sliding on the ice. They also slot into the binding on the ski to keep you stable and give you control of movement,along with the ski poles used to improve balance and timing as well as propulsion.

Propulsion is what it all comes down to; the rush as well as the risk. Instructors are well aware of this,so the initiation is gradual and cautionary. Once you get the hang of moving with the skis pointing downwards,its almost like learning to fly without wings. The skis can move over the ice at what feels like breakneck speed but is actually not. There is something very uplifting about conquering new skills at any age and about being on a mountain,with snow all around,professionals whizzing past as if they are out for an evening stroll. The starting point is called snowplough which describes the first skiing technique a beginner needs to learn. It allows a novice skier to descend and navigate the ski slope using the ski poles to push oneself along while leaning forward. Of course,such instructions are easy to forget when you are on the move but trust me,the spills and falls are all part of the learning process and the real thrill awaits on the intermediate slopes where you can navigate faster,and with more freedom and confidence. I am fortunate to have Altaf around,who has the patience and persistence to keep reminding me of the techniques and the A-frame,the part where you want to stop or slow down by gently bending your legs and spreading them outwards at the rear so the outside edges of your skis dig into the snow.

Despite that,its easy to get carried away. At some point,the skis will face directly downhill and you start to pick up speed. Theres an equal mix of panic and exhilaration. Your throat is dry,your heart is pounding and the mind blanks out all sound except the hiss of the skis over the snow. I envy the skiers on the higher slopes who are doing all sorts of crazy twists and turns and cartwheels. They have come from Germany,France,Italy,Switzerland and America,which have the worlds most celebrated ski resorts,to be in Gulmarg. The town is a paradise for tourists in summer but also a hot ski destination in winter,which is between December and March-end,depending on snow conditions. There are ski lifts,among the highest in the world,to get you up and down and offer a stunning view of the Pir Panjal mountains,as well as a gondola and helicopters for heli-skiing. The cluster of hotels are all grouped around the ski area,ranging from the oldest,Nedous,to the latest,the ultra-luxe Khyber,Gulmargs first five-star property.

I ask Deiter,a German enthusiast,what brings him to Gulmarg when he has such terrific ski spots in and around his country,and he breaks into ski-speak: a skiable vertical of 2,000 metres,awesome tree skiing,fresh powder and great runs for skiing. Even for non-skiers,Gulmarg is quite spectacular in winter with the famed meadows and the forest of pine trees,some 60-70 feet high,blanketed in snow. The introduction of a luxury resort has changed the dynamics of tourism here. At Khybers restaurant,I bump into Bollywood film crews talking about lighting,locations and camera angles.

Its been a while since a tipsy Rajesh Khanna serenaded Mumtaz with Jai Jai Shiv Shankar around Gulmargs local temple,now a certified tourist attraction,but the locals are gearing up for the second invasion,and being quite blasé about it. You are in the same chair that Deepika Padukone occupied when she was here last week, says a waiter,while the buzz in the lobby is about the exact dates when Katrina Kaif is expected. I can envy them,not for being film stars,but Im pretty sure that the movie will have a ski scene with the male lead tearing down the slopes to rescue Katrina from a fate worse than death.

He,unlike me,will have a double doing the scene while I am still nursing my bruises. The ego is fine,it will pass,but there are others that come from being over-ambitious and foolhardy,quite normal with beginners who are past their to-do-by date. The manager is used to such people and calls for an ice pack to ease the swelling. Just how ironic is that?