Day 1
On Monday the 15th we got our first group of kids to Gulmarg. They didn’t arrive until late in the day because of complications in the valley so we weren’t able to get them on the snow. We were however able to get them all outfitted with their new Bonfire jackets and pants. It was very exciting, none of them had ever been to Gulmarg let alone had the proper equipment to play in the snow. Their English skills are zero so we have had to adjust our plans a bit. Fortunately our translator “Sam” is very good. We are going to be spending most of our time skiing and not as much classroom activities.
Once the kids were all decked out we took them on a little walk in the snow to get used to the clothing, some of it fits perfectly and some not at all. Thank god for duct tape. The smiles on their faces made all the work that we have done over the last few months totally worth it. This is on track to be a very successful program. Our first few moments in the snow we did some summersaults and had a little snowball fight. We walked down to the surface lift where we will be teaching them just to see what it’s all about. Everyone ran to the top of the hill and we had a little running race back down, lots of carnage but they were having a good time. It was almost dark so we headed back to the hut for a talk on the importance of keeping dry and hydrated. They are very polite kids and we don’t ever have to talk over them or tell them to calm down, as soon as i speak they listen. We are going to start at 10am with equipment check and breakfast then on with the skiing. I don’t know who is more excited the kids or instructors. My heart is full and i can’t stop smiling, this is amazing.
Charlie