Snow less spell shortens ski seasons in Gulmarg

Srinagar, January 9

Gulmarg, a premier ski resort, is facing a challenging start to its 2024 winter season. Since December, the absence of snowfall and ongoing dry conditions in the Valley has cast uncertainty over the prospects for skiers here.

“I find it hard to explain this pain. It’s like a farmer toiling for an entire year, growing a crop in his land and when it was time to reap harvest, a tempest hits,” says Irfan ul Rahim, an adventure operator at Gulmarg. He is hoping for snowfall as it is crucial for his foreign ski tourists’ bookings.

Foreign skiers rely on the Gulmarg Snow Forecast, a Swiss website providing continuous updates on snow conditions. “Once a heavy snow forecast arrives, they will start coming,” says Irfan.

The dry spell and freezing temperatures have also curtailed the duration of the winter ski season, a concerning trend for those whose livelihoods depend on winter sports.

“The ski season in Gulmarg starts from December 15, and one month has been wasted with the current dry spell,” Irfan says.

Despite overnight temperatures plummeting to -4°C, the daytime temperature is hovering around 6°C, which is nearly 5 degrees above normal.

“If this dry spell persists, skiers might be compelled to explore unconventional options like skiing on the ice which some tourists are do for fun. It is dangerous, however,” says a skier.

According to data, Gulmarg has experienced its lowest rainfall this season since 2019. The lowest recorded in the last decade was 1.6 mm in 2014, followed by 7.4 mm in 2016, 24.8 mm in 2018, and 26.0 mm in 2023.

Irfan says once heavy snowfall graces Gulmarg everything would change. “Even Heliski was officially opened today. We are all waiting for snow.”

The lack of snowfall though has dumped the spirits of domestic tourists visiting Gulmarg, it has not impacted tourist footfall and bookings remain unaffected except for foreign ski tourists. Last year, 17 lakh tourists visited Gulmarg while around 15 lakh visited the tourist destination in 2022.

“Gulmarg is a perfect tourist destination, be it in winter or summer, even when without snow,” says a senior official of the tourism department. He says any tourist, who visits Kashmir, visits Gulmarg. “Domestic tourists visit the place to enjoy winter. So we are not seeing any decline in tourist footfall in Gulmarg.”