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Gulmarg army men to represent India in Olympics

According to bleacherreport.com (Anita Lobo), three Indian athletes will represent India at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games from February 12–28.

The Indian qualifiers are luge specialist Shiva Keshavan, who won Silver at the recent Asian Championship in Japan, Tashi Lundup, and Jamyang Namgyal, who are employed by the Indian Army and stationed at Gulmarg, which is the tiny-but-serving winter sports capital of India.

While this is Keshavan’s fourth Olympics, it’s the first where he has corporate sponsors (Swissair, Limca Book of records, and Reebok) and a full-time coach. There is no such support for the two Army men.

WHAT A SHAME – Update Feb 24, 2010: Overheard (from BBC actually):
Vancouver’s Indo-Canadian community has rallied to provide funding and uniforms for India’s three-man Winter Olympics team… The owner of a sports shop donated track suits for the opening ceremonies, saying the rush was on to get the Indian flag embroidered onto the gear. And a local Punjabi radio station is raising funds for the team – made up of a luger and two skiers.

The luge used by captain Shiva Keshavan is also donated – by lawyers in India. Five lawyers chipped in 450,000 rupees ($9,700; £6,200) after Keshavan’s old luge – held together by duct tape and screws – broke during training in November.

Alpine skier Jamyang Namgial and cross-country skier Tashi Lundup round out the team.

High Altitude Research Laboratory (HARL) at Gulmarg

Gulmarg has its share of high end scientific research as well. Interestingly, there is a BARC lab that could as well become an attraction for visitors.

The High Altitude Research Laboratory was established at Gulmarg, Kashmir in 1963, on the initiative of Dr. H. J. Bhabha, to provide the scientific community of the country a self contained high altitude / high latitude laboratory for scientific research. Over the years a range of scientific investigations in the field of ionospheric studies, cosmic ray astrophysics, radio astronomy, geomagnetism, atmospheric neutron monitoring, high altitude flora and fauna etc. have been conducted from this laboratory.

The Bhabha Atomic Research Center’s Astrophysical Sciences Division operates three outstation facilities at Mt. Abu, Srinagar and Gulmarg. The activities at the Mumbai and Mt. Abu laboratories are centred around high-energy Gamma Ray Astronomy, Theoretical Astrophysics and Instrumentation Development, while a low energy Neutron Monitor is operated at the High Altitude Research Laboratory, Gulmarg. Locally relevant Radiation Application studies and Instrumentation Development activities are being pursued in the Srinagar laboratory.

Amongst the work that has been undertaken at Gulmarg HARL is:

Gamma-ray astronomy activities -> SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cable Car Gondola Rates and Tariff – Gulmarg 2009

All rates are as of Dec 2009

RATE LIST OF GULMARG GONDOLA RIDE
CATEGORY SECTION – I
(Gulmarg to Kongdori)		 SECTION – II
(Kongdori to Apherwat)
Adults Rs. 300.00 Rs. 500.00
Children below 10 years Rs. 150.00 Rs. 250.00
Students on Picnic with Schools Rs. 150.00 Rs. 500.00
Army Personnel Rs. 150.00 Rs. 250.00
GONDOLA RATES FOR SKIERS
Skiers SECTION – I
(Gulmarg to Kongdori)		 SECTION – II
(Kongdori to Apherwat)
Single Trip Rs. 150.00 Rs. 250.00
Day Pass: # Foreign Skiers Rs. 700.00 Rs. 1250.00
Day Pass: # Domestic Skiers Rs. 450.00 Rs. 800.00
Weekly Pass: # Foreign Skiers Rs. 4500.00 Rs. 6000.00
Weekly Pass: # Domestic Skiers Rs. 2000.00 Rs. 4000.00
Combined Pass for both Phases (Only for Foreigners)
# Day Pass Rs 1800.00
# Weekly Pass Rs. 9000.00

NOTE : – Tickets for 2nd Phase is sold upto 3 PM only during winter months. Ensure to purchase the ticket for 2nd phase before 3 PM.

Tickets for GCC are also available at Srinagar International Airport (SIA) and Tourist Reception Centre (TRC)

This information is from J and K State Cable Car Corporation at jkccc.com

Contact Information is (’91’ is the India Country Code) Ph: 91-194-2435837, 91-194-2436405, 91-194-2441742

Email : cablecar@rediffmail.com

Kashmir Snow Festival Gulmarg 2009

The winter sports season will commence with ‘Kashmir Snow Festival’ in Gulmarg from December 24 and “Night Skiing, cultural programmes, FAM Tours and National Ice championships would be included in the three-day festival.

The season will culminate with national cross-country ski championship to be held from March 11 to 13 next year (2010).

Other competitions slated to be held at Gulmarg include National Junior Alpine Ski Championship and State Ski Championship.

Heliskiing in Gulmarg

Cross your fingers as Jammu and Kashmir government is planning to revive Heliskiing in Gulmarg. Well, at least thus as stated the Tourism Minister Nawang Rigzin Jora.

The government cannot do this directly, and is in talks with some “organizations” – presumably companies who have experience in this field. In July, the Ministers had held discussions with a renowned French heli skiing expert Mr. Sylvain Saudan.

Heliskiing comprises of being dropped by a helicopter on the summit of a high, snow-covered peak and then skiing down the slopes. Al ready some private companies are offering to take people on heliskiing trips to Gulmarg, using private helicopter and private helipad. Notable are www.gulmargheliski.com & www.gulmargpowderguides.com