Golf at Gulmarg and Goats

Living in Kashmir 1979-80: A Year of People, Places and Memories

Gulmarg

Gulmarg sits high in the mountains at an altitude of 2,650 metres, cradled among the peaks of the western Himalayas. The final section of the road from Srinagar wound up a torturous, steep 12-kilometre incline, each bend offered another breathtaking glimpse of the valley below, and another test of nerve for the driver.

We visited Gulmarg twice: once bathed in summer light, and once deep in the hush of winter snow.

Golf in Gulmarg

We set out with Irish friends for a day in the mountains with golf in mind. We were in the Volkswagen Kombi which had been used by the Royal Australian Air Force when they provided air support to the UN for four years until just before our arrival. The Australian observers now had access to this vehicle when they were not on field station. Kombis were not known for performing well on steep inclines, so we breathed a sigh of relief as it surmounted the last climb.

The golf at Gulmarg did not disappoint. At that altitude, the air is thin and sharp, and the backdrop of snow-dusted peaks entirely surreal. The Gulmarg Golf Club is one of the highest in the world.

Summer 1979 - Golf at Gulmarg

After a thoroughly pleasant day in the mountains, the voyage home had a few surprises in store. By the time we reached the outer suburbs of Srinagar, night had long since fallen. Then came that unmistakable sound, a sudden puncture brought the Kombi to a grinding halt.

 
Within minutes, we were surrounded by dozens of curious onlookers, materialising from the darkness with the particular enthusiasm that a stranded vehicle seems to inspire. Then came the discovery that the spare tyre was entirely useless. After much angst a local came to the rescue. He whisked my husband off into the night aboard one of the little three wheeler taxis, clutching the damaged tyre.

 
That left the rest of us sitting in the Kombi as the crowd pressed steadily closer. I am not entirely certain whose idea it was to arm ourselves with a golf club, but it proved a remarkably effective instrument for encouraging the onlookers to maintain a respectful distance. The sight of a golf club wielded with quiet determination, it seems, transcends all language barriers.

Our hero returned eventually, mended tyre in hand, face triumphant. After heartfelt thanks and the appropriate exchange of currency, and the tyre restored to vehicle, we made our way home through the sleeping city.

A winter visit – February 1980

Our second visit to Gulmarg came after the snows had fallen and the mountains had drawn their white blanket close. Where today's visitors find a modern ski field with all the polished trimmings of a resort, the winter of 1979–80 offered something altogether more modest.

February 1980 - The Gulmarg Chairlift

We had skied in Australia, but Gulmarg presented its own particular challenges. There were no downhill skis long enough for my husband's considerable height, and so he was issued with a pair of wooden cross-country skis. Watching him negotiate the slope on those with the focused expression of a man engaged in a silent, personal battle against both gravity and timber was entertaining, until my own inelegant spill on the slope.

Goats

No account of Kashmir would be complete without the goats. They were woven into the very fabric of life there, appearing on cliffsides at improbable angles, as though gravity were merely a suggestion. Their long spiral horns caught the light as they picked their extraordinary way across terrain that would defeat most sensible creatures.

The flocks were also accomplished masters of the road blockage. On more than one occasion, a river of goats would bring the UN jeeps to a standstill. Some goats here were apparently weighing up whether to leap from the nearest precipice, while others simply stared at the offending vehicle and its occupants with mild disdain.

A goat roadblock

The domesticated herd goats produced the ultra-fine, warm wool (pashmina) used to make luxurious shawls. Goat also known as mutton, formed the basis of many meat-based dishes. 

The goat, in Kashmir was mountain acrobat, wool merchant, and a hearty meal. 

This post first appeared on earlieryears.blogspot.com by CRGalvin