Annapurna Ski Touring - February 2018

In February 2018, I made two trips into the Annapurna Sanctuary for ski touring. We accessed the Sanctuary by flying with Siddarth Gurung, an excellent pilot with Simrik Helicopters in Pokhara. We met Siddarth at the Pokhara airport with our skis, touring packs, and a change of clothes. He flew us into the Annapurna Base Camp lodge, about a 20 minute flight. When we landed, we had ski touring access right out our door and had 4 spectacular days of ski touring before flying in the helicopter back to Pokhara. Jen Lukacic and Anna Fridlyanskaya joined me for this adventure, and on the second trip Bryan Fox, Austin Smith, and Bob Plumb for another week.

Snowboarding fresh snow in the Annapurna Sanctuary of Nepal. February 2018 / rider: Austin Smith // photo: Luke Smithwick

Skiing powder in the Annapurna Sanctuary. skier: Luke Smithwick / photo: Bob Plumb

Ski touring in the Annapurna Sanctuary. // skier: Jenn Lukacic // photo: Luke Smithwick

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My next ski trip to the Annapurna region is February 2019 (click here)

Ski touring Himalayas gear list

More about Luke Smithwick

Luke's current global ski offerings

What is backcountry skiing?

Himalaya Rescue Insurance

Ski Touring Ladakh Indian Himalayas in June 2019

Kishtwar Backcountry Skiing and Snowboarding - January 2018

During the dry January of 2018, I traveled to the Kishtwar region of Southeastern Kashmir to quest for first ski & snowboard descents with snowboarders Neil Provo, Nick Russell, and Gray Thompson. The three of them brought splitboards with them, which are a style of snowboard that splits in half, allowing you to walk uphill on the two parts of the board. More about that here.

The trip went as well as it could have with the low amount of snow. We accomplished a descent of a nice couloir in the region, found a lot more for the future, and caught a nice powder day in Gulmarg to cap off the trip.

If you'd like to learn more about ski touring, splitboarding, ski mountaineering, and snowboard mountaineering in Kishtwar and in the Himalayas, send me a message.

Information page about me-Luke Smithwick
Luke Smithwick athlete: instagram.com/luke_smithwick)
Himalaya Alpine Guides: https://www.instagram.com/himalaya_alpine_guides/

Some images of the trip:

Gray Thompson cutting hot pow in the birch trees of Gulmarg, Kashmir.

Nick Russell on a cold morning of fresh pow in Gulmarg.

Neil Provo flowing through Kashmiri powder.

A tea stop in Kishtwar.

Touring in Kishtwar National Park

Booting a couloir in Kishtwar National Park

Big terrain for ski and snowboard mountaineering in Kishtwar, India.

Self-supported backcountry skiing and snowboarding carrying everything on your back

 More of Luke Smithwick's Himalaya #skiing projects:

Ladakh Ski Mountaineering: http://ascentbackcountry.com/exploratory-ski-touring-in-the-himalayas/.
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Annapurna Snowboarding: https://www.instagram.com/p/BmtFftvHFYj/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
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Tibet Ski Mountaineering: https://www.instagram.com/p/BjxKvt8AtKJ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
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