Kashmir is a region located in northwest India, with Pakistan to its west and China to its east. It is home to the Pir Panjal mountains in the Lesser Himalayan range. With the opportunity to heli ski the world's highest ski-able terrain, Kashmir Heliski has been operating from the Gulmarg Ski Resort in India since 2011. With permission from the Jammu and Kashmiri governments, Kahsmir Heliski has exclusive rights to the entire Pir Panjal mountain range and its 22,000 square kilometers of terrain.
Kashmir Heliski is most proud of its spotless safety record. It flies the 2012 model of the AS350 B3 Eurocopter using Swiss pilots who work during the summers providing Search & Rescue on Mt. Everest. Since 2011, they have had zero accidental or incidental reports.
Is traveling to Gulmarg safe? You will need to check with your government for their travel recommendations. Many have felt very safe while traveling to Gulmarg, and the local Kashmiris and the Indian military go to great lengths to ensure the safety of international skiers. The de-militarized "Line of Control" is about 20km from Gulmarg and has been peaceful since 1990.
Altitude Sickness or Acute Mountain Sickness is a concern as Gulmarg is at 2700 meters high, and some of the heli drop off summits can be as high as 5,000 meters if the weather is good.
From the sights, sounds and smells of the region, the culture in Kashmir is a very special place with many religions and many languages existing together. Kashmir Heliski founder Billa Majeed Bakshi was born in the Gulmarg area and grew up skiing the local Himalaya mountains. As a guide, he and his team know the mountains around Gulmarg intrincitly.
