HANIEF, LORD OF KASHMIR

Living high

An episode from the series TRIBES OF THE HIMALAYAS

Synopsis

Mohamad Hanief shares his life between the valley of Kashmir, where his family resides, and Gulmarg, a mountain resort perched at an altitude of 3,000 meters on the slopes of the Himalayas. Despite being located in one of the most militarized area in the world, Gulmarg is very popular year round with affluent Indian tourists.

Mohamad has a very contrasted lifestyle over the course of a year. He is a farmer in the valley in spring and autumn and becomes a horse and ski instructor as well as mountain guide during summer and winter. Indeed, nobody knows these mountains better than him.

Torn between his aspiration for a traditional lifestyle close to nature and the necessity to adapt to the changing economy of his region, Mohamad has developed his own philosophy which, intertwined with his passion for the Himalayas, has made him a figure for people around him.