Sylvain Saudan, the Impossible Skier, popularly known in France as Le Skier de Impossible, was once again in the international news regarding the narrow escape he and his group had while skiing in the Gund area. His helicopter crashed due to snow dust which is very common in winter powder conditions at such altitudes. The pilot had landed too fast and could not see the landing well due to the cloud of snow dust and this caused the helicopter to slide into a gorge. Unfortunately, Sylvain did not have his satellite phone with him and was unable to relay news of the incident and his location to the support group at the hotel. They walked some distance on foot and then skied all the way to Dachigam via the ridge and the pilot who was unable to join them because he had not brought skis was left behind and was later picked up by an Air Force helicopter.

It is not the first time that he has faced an ordeal of this type. Previously, also a few years ago, he had a similar situation twice while skiing in the same area. In the 1999 accident he nearly crushed his ribs. Sylvain’s relationship with Kashmir is long and it is a persistent history. It would be interesting to tell the story of this man with an indomitable spirit and a tremendous love of adventure. He is a Swiss skier in his 70s who lives in Chamonix, France. He is considered the father of extreme skiing and that has earned him the nickname of impossible skier. He has the 18 hardest descents to his credit. In the mountains, people are usually known for the first ascent of high and difficult peaks, but he is famous for the first descents. He has skied down Mount McKinley, the highest mountain in North America; Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe; Monja Peak in Kargil; and a number of other peaks in Nepal and Karakorum. He has three entries in the Guinness Book of Records to his credit. Getting in and out of dangerous situations is Sylvain Saudan’s daily lifestyle.

He has faced the worst episodes during his long and eventful life full of adventures. I have had the pleasure of flying with him to almost every possible place to ski in the valley. It’s a joy to watch him ski deep powder with extreme agility, even at this age. A person his age in our part of the world usually stays at home and prays for a peaceful end in his cozy home. Not Silvano. He is always behind the adventure in almost every part of the world. Whether it’s skiing the Grande Jorasse; heli-skiing in the Himalayas; mountain biking in Switzerland; or go for a high altitude marathon in the Karakorum. He is everywhere! His association with Kashmir is very fascinating. He first came to Kashmir in 1976, more than 30 years ago. I had the privilege of bringing him to Kashmir and that was also an interesting coincidence. In 1975 I was invited to Chamonix in France by its mayor, Maurice Herzog, the most famous French climber who had made the first ascent of Annapurna. During my visit he introduced me to Sylvain Saudan as the most famous and crazy extreme skier in France.

Sylvain was at the time looking for a 7,000 meter peak in the Himalayas to ski, having already skied the 6,000 meter Mount McKinley. I offered him the 7,135-meter-high Nun Peak in the Suru Valley of Kargil. Sylvain came to Srinagar in 1976 with a small team to climb and ski Nun. However, he had underestimated Nun and had to back off halfway. There was extensive media coverage in Paris claiming that the impossible skier had been first defeated by Nun Peak. He gave worldwide publicity to Nun, which has become one of the best-known peaks in the Himalayas and is frequented by a large number of foreign expeditions each year. In his press conference in Paris upon returning from Nun after his first failure, Sylvain stated that Nun is a challenge for him and that he will not rest until he climbs and skis the mountain. He returned in 1977 but this time he was well prepared and determined. He successfully climbed and skied down the mountain.

Then he went to Nepal and Pakistan and tried the 8,000 meter mountains; Dhaulagiri and broad bill. I was always in contact with him and saw him a couple of times in Chamonix during my European visits. In 1986 I met him again in Chamonix and asked him about his latest adventure. He had started heliskiing. This is a sport that involves the use of a helicopter to reach high mountain ridges to ski down virgin slopes. Some of the best skiers prefer to ski in different unexplored areas, as the traditional ski areas are very crowded and the slopes are beaten up. They like to ski in new areas on powder snow. Kashmir has the best ski slopes in the world with ideal snow conditions. With the use of a helicopter you can ski every day on a new track in totally different areas. I offered Sylvain the chance to start a regular heli-skiing program in Kashmir.

He immediately accepted and started his project in 1987. Initially he used a helicopter rented by heli-union from France that he had brought to Kashmir. Despite the difficult public order conditions, he continued with his project during the worst years. It was a real challenge to bring European tourists to Kashmir against the most adverse travel warnings issued by almost all European countries. In a way, Sylvain kept the flag of foreign tourism flying in Kashmir against all odds. However, the rental of the European helicopter was too expensive and he did not find it viable. Afterwards, he used the state helicopter for some time. However, there were some problems with the state helicopter and he was forced to discontinue his project. It was a pity that the project was not suspended because of the situation here but because of administrative problems between the local pilots and the organizer of the program. He again approached the state government last year and reported that he had now bought his own helicopter that he brought to Kashmir this winter after he was given permission to restart the program. It is very unfortunate that his latest effort to revive heliskiing in Kashmir has suffered a setback. But Sylvain is not the person to give up easily.

His friends in France had asked me over the past few years to dissuade him from his heli-skiing project, as he had suffered heavy losses. It wasn’t the money that attracted him. He had been completely bewitched by Heaven on Earth. He would always find an excuse to visit Kashmir. Tourism in Kashmir could not dream of a better advocate in the face of adverse travel advice from European governments. We must appreciate his persistence in promoting Kashmir as an unrivaled destination for adventure tourism. It is very rare that one sees a person going to such extremes for the love of a place. In fact, Kashmir tourism can use it as a mark for adventure. Kashmir, the land of the ultimate adventure is the impossible skier’s first love.

The central and state tourism departments and the tourism industry at large should honor the indomitable spirit and love for Kashmir of this world-renowned adventure sportsman. It would be very useful to be made a brand ambassador for adventure tourism in Kashmir. There is no better way to promote Kashmir to the world’s various adventure tourism markets than by sending you on a series of roadshows featuring their dramatic Kashmir heli-skiing footage. It is certain that, despite the recent incident, Kashmir has not seen the last of Sylvain. He will keep coming back and bringing groups of heli-skiers and other adventure seekers here!