Three Australian snowboarders mesmerised by Gulmarg's snow-clad slopes on maiden Kashmir visit

The recent avalanche at Kongdoori in the higher reaches of Gulmarg in which two Polish skiers were killed could not dampen the spirit of three Australian snowboarders Aerian, Mark and Adam. ETV Bharat's Sajad Bhat and Zulqarnain Zulfi report from Gulmarg.

Srinagar: On February 1, two Polish skiers were killed in an avalanche in Gulmarg of north Kashmir. The incident, which happened during the 3rd edition of the Khelo India winter games at the ski resort, was expected to dampen the rush to the snow-clad meadow. But, it was not to be, especially for the three Australians Aerian (32), Mark (33) and Adam (35).

Arian is a carpenter by profession, Mark is an architect and Adam is a builder. In a special conversation with ETV Bharat, the three said they have specially travelled to Gulmarg all the way from Australia for snowboarding. The enthusiasm of the Australian trio can be gauged by the fact that they travelled for nearly 30 hours from Sydney to Gulmarg and right away started snowboarding on the snow slopes at the higher reaches of Gulmarg. Asked about the motivation to travel such a long distance, Arian said, "Gulmarg's slopes are the best. We have been here for only two hours and we can't stop ourselves”. Over a question, if whether the recent avalanche at the higher reaches of Gulmarg killing two Polish skiers dampened their spirit, Arian said, “Accidents keep happening and it's unfortunate.

But, it's fun doing what people say is not easy. "Those who come here for boarding or skiing very well know what they are doing and how to face the dangers,” he added. The trio said that they have cricket and beaches in Australia, but no snow sports adding it motivated them to visit Kashmir even more. Traveling to Europe is quite expensive. This is our first visit, but seeing the atmosphere here, it seems we should come here once every two years," Arian said. Although there is a lot of scope for skateboarding and surfing in Australia, the Australian trio said that there is no such basic infrastructure for snowboarding back home. We came here for untrodden tracks."

"Tomorrow we'll go back to the country with our boards," they said. They also praised organisers for the recently concluded Khelo India Winter Games. When your administration is providing you with such a platform, you should take advantage of it. From such events, sportspersons can not only make their careers but can also bring laurels to the country," they said. The snow-clad slopes of Gulmarg are considered to be one of the best and remain a favourite destination for foreign skiers and snowboarders.