7 March 2023 | 1209 | Kathmandu, Nepal | 1400m (4344ft)
Just closed out a month in the Kashmir Himalaya. I was able to scout new ski terrain in south Kashmir, ski more in the Pir Panjal and definitely learn a lot of exciting news that will eventually become part of the Winter infrastructure for skiing in Kashmir. When I arrived the Pir Panjal was locked in a typical persistent weak layer period. Early season storms brought in a fall of snow, and then the skies remained clear and cold before the onset of Winter snowfall. A mattress on top of ball bearings, early February kept me skiing in the forests of treeline and below treeline. As the month progressed, warm days and cool nights alongside warm storms put the persistent weak layer into a secondary problem. This allowed us to ski bigger terrain with a need to manage only surface instabilities (wind slabs, storm slabs). Great fun and enjoyed by all. It was great to be in Kashmir again skiing after a three year hiatus.
There’s so many tourists here (!). Luke Smithwick on Dal Lake in Kashmir.
Check out video of the skiing: Luke Smithwick powder skiing the Kashmir Himalaya
