Advanced Ski Freeride

Welcome to the ultimate freeride experience with WeSkiHimalayas! Upon arrival in Gulmarg, check into your accommodation. Because this course takes you to extreme altitudes, resting and acclimatizing today is absolutely crucial. Later, you will meet your instructors for a comprehensive safety briefing, a review of backcountry protocols, and a discussion about your goals for tackling the mountain.

We start the day by getting you fitted with high-performance freeride skis and essential avalanche safety gear (transceiver, shovel, and probe). Once geared up, we head to the Phase 1 slopes and the chairlift terrain. Today acts as a vital warm-up and assessment. Instructors will evaluate your parallel turns, carving abilities, and edge control on steeper red runs to ensure you are fully prepared for the challenges of Phase 2.

Before heading to the peak, we focus on survival and safety. You will receive hands-on training on how to use your avalanche rescue equipment and read mountain safety conditions. On the snow, we will dive into powder skiing techniques on the fringes of the groomed runs, focusing on weight distribution, maintaining momentum, and finding your float in deep, untouched snow.

Today we take the Gulmarg Gondola up to Phase 2, reaching an altitude of nearly 4,000 meters. The air is thinner and the slopes are much steeper. We will focus on acclimatizing to the height while making our first descents into the massive, open bowls of Apharwat. You will learn jump turns and aggressive edge control necessary for steep, un-groomed faces.

Gulmarg is raw, natural mountain terrain. Today is entirely off-piste, focusing on how to navigate highly variable conditions. You will learn how to transition smoothly between deep powder, wind-blown crust, and chopped-up crud. Instructors will teach you how to read the fall line, spot natural hazards, and choose the smartest, safest routes down the mountain.

We take the adventure into Gulmarg's famous pine forests. Tree skiing requires rapid reaction times, tight turns, and immense lower-body agility. You will learn how to maintain your flow and rhythm while dodging natural obstacles, using the trees for visual reference, and finding the hidden powder stashes that the forests protect from the wind.

As your confidence peaks, we tackle some of the most demanding terrain Apharwat has to offer. We will guide you through steep, double-black diamond style faces and narrow couloirs. You will focus on sluff management (controlling the loose snow that cascades beside you), advanced hockey stops, and maintaining complete composure on 40-degree pitches.

Your final day is about endurance and putting every freeride skill to the test. We will aim for a massive, continuous top-to-bottom run, starting from the freezing summit of Phase 2 all the way down through the bowls, into the trees, and finishing at the Gulmarg village. It is a legendary descent that will solidify your status as an advanced all-mountain skier!