Srinagar, Mar 9: The District Winter Games Association, Srinagar is jointly organizing a ski-mountaineering expedition with a five member Bavarian (Germany) team from March 13th in Kashmir.
 The Bavarian team, led by Oliver Alefeld, comprises three male and two female experts, Petra Rimbeck, Traudi Schonwetter, Helli Schonwetter, and Ali (Jumbo) Ried, who have arrived in Srinagar on Tuesday.
 The Kashmiri team will comprise of five experienced ski-mountaineers, who include Muhammad Yusuf, Firdous Khan, Javed Ahmad Bhat, Gulzar Ahmad and Umar Farooq. Firdous has extensively toured in the area and has climbed Kolahoi peak, a statement issued by the Association said.
 The five member German team after reaching Srinagar left for Gulmarg on the same day to undergo weeklong acclimatization there.
 The Association President and CEO, Gulmarg Development Authority (GDA) Mahmud Ahmad Shah received the team at Gulmarg.
 “The expedition, after starting their venture from Pahalgam, shall undertake ski-touring in Mount Kolahoi and Sekiwas regions. Skiing down the treacherous Sunmous Pass will be most difficult task for the team. On switching across to Sindh valley, the team shall undertake ski-mountaineering in the upper reaches of Thajewas Glacier,” said expedition Co-coordinator, Muhammad Yusuf.
 He further said that they will try to ski down the Hapatnar Col, Glacier 3, Valehead and Umbrella peaks there.
 The team will use the sophisticated mountain skis fitted with seal skins and ski crampons. Besides, they will be having communication, safety, map, weather, altitude reading gadgets. The Tourism Department has assured the Kashmiri team to provide them the equipment and other necessary assistance.
 The President, DWGAS Mahmud Ahmad Shah said that it is after nearly 22 years that such a major ski-mountaineering expedition is being undertaken in Kashmir valley.
 He further said that the main aim of the expedition is to celebrate the “Adventure Tourism Year”.
 The Tourism Department has assured the Kashmiri team of its full support. The team shall switch across from Lidder valley to Sindh valley and shall attempt to zoom down some virgin mountains and ridges in these valleys.
 Pertinently in 1980 the first reconnaissance expedition to Lidder valley in Pahalgam was undertaken by two Kashmiri explorers, Muhammad Yusuf Mandu and Mehraj-ud-Din.
 The Highland Excursions latter played a commendable roll in its development by organizing several Indo- Austrian, Indo- Swiss and International ski expeditions in association with J&K Ski & Mountaineering Association.
 This segment of tourism was in fact going parallel to Heli-Skiing those days but could not be popularized due to non-availability of shelter huts in Lidder valley.
 Pertinently the winter sports activities at the moment are confined to Gulmarg only. “Zooming down virgin steep and challenging slopes and ridges or swishing across valleys and passes in winter on mountain skis is one of the winter adventure sports which the Jammu and Kashmir can offer to an intended tourist. However, we are yet to fully exploit the potential of this sector of tourism” said Muhammad Yusuf. There is need to develop this kind of winter sports which involves the least investment, compared to fixed ski resorts as no lifts, cable cars, snow beating machines, hotels and snow clearing machines etc are required”, he said.
 The team would be seen off for Lidder valley by the Director Tourism, Farooq Shah on 13th of this month.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 9 Mar 2011 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 9 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 10 Mar 2011 00:00:00 IST