Friday, November 23, 2007

Winter Sports in Kashmir

Kashmir Hub offers you details of winter sports that are extremely popular in the state of Kashmir. The winter sports that attract tourists to Kashmir from far and wide include skiing, heliskiing, ice-skating and snow boarding.
Gulmarg and Khilanmarg are the skiing hot spots in Kashmir, India. Skiing here usually begins around the beginning of December and goes on till the end of March. Gulmarg has earned the distinction of being the best ski resort in the Himalayas. This resort was established in the year 1927 by two British Army officers who set up the first skiing club in Gulamarg, Kashmir. Festivals like Christmas and Easter are occasions for organized skiing races. The first National Winter Games were held in Gulmarg in the year 1998. Gulmarg is situated at a distance of 56 kilometers from Srinagar. Gulmarg has the reputation of being the highest lift-served ski resort in India. Ski lifts and chair lifts take skiiers up to the top of the ski slopes from where skiiers can choose the beginnners, intermediate or more advanced slopes.

Gulmarg also offers heliskiing for winter sports lovers. It is Asia's only heliskiing resort and in fact after Canada, Kashmir is the best option for those inclined towards heliskiing. Heliskiing comprises of being dropped by a helicopter on the summit of a high, snow-covered peak and then skiing down the slopes. Heliskiing in Kashmir can be a breathtaking experience. Heliskiing is the ultimate winter sports thrill for the adventure sports lover. This extreme winter sport has some element of risk but the thrill experienced while indulging in heliskiing is said to be unequalled by any other winter sport.
Other activities you can enjoy in Kashmir are ice-skating, ice-hockey and cross country skiing. Pahalgam and Srinagar in Kashmir are extremely popular sites for ice-skating. Ice skating and ice-hockey which involves playing hockey while wearing skates on an ice-rink or on the frozen surface of a lake, is a popular winter sport played by two teams who try to manoeuvre a smooth puck, (instead of the ball used in ordinary hockey) to score goals against the opposing team. A game of great swiftness and dexterity, ice hockey is a popular spectator sport among winter sports in Kashmir.
Kashmir Hub provides details on travel packages for winter sports to various places in Kashmir.
Skiing

Skiing in Jammu and Kashmir is a thrilling and exciting experience for any adventure enthusiast. The Ski Club of India was established in Gulmarg in 1927, which is now considered as the ski paradise of India. Just 50 km from Srinagar, situated at an altitude of 2,730 m, Gulmarg changes its scenery from a flowery meadow to that pf a small ski resort in winters. Ski-lovers from all over the country flock to the place because it is the only ski-resort in the mighty Himalayas where you can ski with a magnificent view of the Karakorams and also the cheapest one in the whole world to learn skiing. Gulmarg provides an altitude difference of over 1,500 m with lengths of more than 10 km. However, only a ski-mountaineer can reach these higher slopes. The beginners may hire any of the four ski lifts or a chairlift. Here, the latest Austrian and French equipment is available on hire and the ski school known as the Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering, which conducts 10 day and 21-day short ski courses for beginners and advanced skiers. The best season for skiing is mid-December to mid-April and the road is kept open to Gulmarg with the help of powerful German machines throughout the winter. There are cross-country runs apart from downhill skiing and there are delightful excursions to the shrine of Baba Reshi through the 'powder chute'. Heli-skiing is the recent addition to the place and there are numerous possibilities of finding new tracks throughout the winter season. A look for a helicopter is even more majestic. There are other places apart from Gulmarg, where one may find the pleasure of skiing including Srinagar. Ski tours from Pahalgam to Sonamarg through high mountain passes are not only demanding but also exciting. Wardwan Valley of Ladakh also attracts some ski-enthusiasts during the season.

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Tourist Destinations in Jammu



Jammu is an important tourist destination in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. According to ancient history the King Jambu Lochan discovered this area while on a hunting trip. Jammu is situated close to the Shivalik ranges on the banks of the Tawi river. This tourist destination lies at a height of 305 meters above the sea level.Tours to Jammu must include a trip to the important tourist destinations in and around Jammu. These include travel to the Vaishno Devi temple, the Raghunath Mandir, the Dogra Art gallery and the Amar Mahal Palace.
The most frequented and important is the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine. Tours and Travel to the panoramic region of Jammu offer you an opportunity to visit the Buddhist monasteries. The monks living in these monasteries along with the local people who live in the nearby regions have a distinct lifestyle of their own. Jammu serves as a base for those who trek to Kargil and for pilgrims to Vaishno Devi. Travel packages to Jammu invariably include trekking trips for both amateurs and professionals.

Tours to the Amar Mahal Palace situated near Ramnagar is a special treat for tourists who travel to Jammu, as it showcases Pahari paintings and other ancient artifacts that shed light on the lifestyle of the rulers of Kashmir. The Dogra rulers patronized the Pahari paintings in ancient Jammu. This travel destination was the residential palace of Raja Amar Singh at one point of time in history.
Jammu is popular among tourists for its water sports, especially rafting and canoeing. Other adventure sports for tourists are mountaineering and trekking. Water sports are a special attraction to those who travel to Kashmir on holiday tours and most tour packages offer facilities for these outdoor activities.
There are various resorts and hotels that provide accommodation facilities for visiting tourists

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