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| Ambitious winter sports schedule at Gulmarg goes haywire, for want of snowfall | | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Dec 1
The ambitious plan of J&K Tourism Department of organizing winter sport activities in Gulmarg, in which various departments and institutions are scheduled to participate, has gone haywire, due to the fresh snowfall having evaded. J&K Tourism Department which has organized a two day Kashmir snow festival at Gulmarg recently, on its conclusion had released a calendar for winter sport activities. But with no snow falling for last 20 days, the same is in doldrums. The early fall of snowfall in the first week of December, had provided incentive to the department to announce holding of winter sport activities. But after the first week of December Gulmarg and surrounding mountains have not witnessed any snowfall. Then most of the settled snowfall at most of the places has melted and snow skiing can be held only at slopes.
According to the calendar release by the tourism department 19 snow skiing courses are scheduled to be organized by different departments and institutions, this season at Gulmarg. Of this about half of the courses are for the first time skiers, who would be imparted basic level training on baby slopes, on which there is no snow at present.
The Department of Youth Services and Sports, (DYSS) which was scheduled to start its first course from December 27, had to postpone it by two days, but even after waiting for two days and no snow falling, they have again decided to defer it. Since maximum of the participants in the course are first time skiers, they cannot ski on slopes where there is no snow. They can be trained only at planes or baby slopes. It is only after initial training for at least 10 days that they can ski on high slopes, according to their coach.
Similarly J&K State Sports Council which is scheduled to organize its first course from January 5 2008 is also worried about the fate of the same. With inadequate snow in Gulmarg there is no certainty of the course getting kick start as per schedule and the organizers are finger crossed, hoping for the best.
However the authorities in the tourism department are not over worried. They still expect snowfall to take place in January, when the courses can be organized with fresh scheduled. Normally snowfall happens in Gulmarg from first week of January and winter sports start after that. Further it is stressed that there is enough snow at the Upper reaches and the advance level skiers, both foreigners and locals, are having the fun. The problem is only for basic courses, which cannot be organsied on these slopes. |
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