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Eyes on ice: On snowy Gulmarg slopes, this ski-patrol team provides a blanket of safety
During the skiing season, which usually begins in December and lasts till March, they save dozens of skiers who lose their way while skiing, some even during late hours. At times, the patrol team members end up saving the lives of tourists who go missing while trekking on snowy slopes of the ski resort.
For them, it’s not just a job, it’s about saving human lives on a daily basis. At Gulmarg, where hundreds of tourists, including foreigners, visit to take part in adventure sports, a 15-member ski-patrol team keeps close watch to prevent any mishaps, especially during avalanches.
Though two Polish lives were lost in the recent avalanche here, the casualty could have been higher had it not been for this team, which alerted the skiers and reached the spot minutes after the avalanche.
Stationed at a height of 3,500 metres at Kangdoori, overlooking the entire Pirpanchal range, where temperatures fall below minus 25 degrees Celcius, the ski patrol keeps a 24x7 watch on vulnerable spots on Gulmarg slopes.
“For us, this is not just a job. It’s what gives us an opportunity to save human lives every single day,” says 43-year-old Mehraj Ahmad Dar, who heads the 15-member ski patrol team and has been on the job for the last 18 years.
The patrol team is monitored by a foreign expert, snow safety officer, hired every year for three months. “The patrol team members are from the tourism and cable car department. Initially, there were 18 members but now only 15 people are part of this patrol team and most of them are from neighbouring villages of Tangmarg.”
Dar said that during the skiing season, which usually begins in December and lasts till March, they save dozens of skiers who lose their way while skiing, some even during late hours. At times, the patrol team members end up saving the lives of tourists who go missing while trekking on snowy slopes of the ski resort. “We work in teams and remain stationed at an elevation of 3,500 metres. The job is full of risk but every time we successfully bring skiers and tourists out of danger, it gives us immense satisfaction,” says Fayaz Lone, another member of the patrol team. “We work as a team and always escape the deadly avalanches. So far, none of our members faced any injury or casualty during rescue operations.”
Another member of the team said the difficult part is when an injured skier or tourist needs to be rescued. “We rescued tourists with femur fractures, spinal injuries. Our energetic team members always give priority to the safety of the injured.”
The meadows of picturesque Gulmarg are also known as the skiers’ paradise, thanks to the powdery snow which is considered the best for skiing.
Officials say every day, 200 to 300 skiers are up in the mountains enjoying skiing while ski patrol members keep a close eye on them. This winter hundreds of skiers and thousands of tourists enjoyed snow and skiing at resort.
Dar said that many times they trigger avalanches for the safety of skiers. “We begin our operations early in the morning and after every fresh snowfall above 30 cm, we trigger the avalanches to prevent a bigger one from snowballing. At times, we use explosives, especially near weak spots, to trigger avalanches.”
Equipped with rescue sledges and other life-saving equipment, these brave men patrol the vast snowy areas in the skies. “Without these bravehearts, skiing isn’t possible in the upper ridges. They have carried out dozens of rescue operations and saved lives. These men are the lifeline for skiers and tourists,” says Tariq Ahmad. a skier who spends his winters in Gulmarg.
