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Our crew at Alterna recently uncovered a rumor that there was amazing snow and terrain to be found in India. We consulted some reliable sources that confirmed this issue before deciding that we should probably assemble a group to check this matter out. Myself (Eric Greene), Matt Belzile, Travis Williams, John Scarth and Carlo Wein recently made the trek across the globe to experience some of the best riding and strangest cultural adventure we could have imagined.

Scoring good conditions in the Himalayas is apparently tricky, but to say that we hit it perfectly would be putting it modestly. After riding 8 days of blower powder on steep ridges under blue skies, we declared the riding portion of the trip a complete success and moved on to become tourists for a week. Anyone who has been to India can attest that the food, people, and visual attractions are worth the trip alone. As a well-travelled crew considering ourselves culturally open-minded, this trip was extremely foreign.

Like any international snowboard trip, we did experience a few hiccups. Lost baggage, missed flights, missed connections, security issues, access to running water and financial malfunctions were a mere introduction to the challenges that would keep us on our toes at all times. Fortunately our crew was bonded as tight as the Delhi airport security and we collectively worked together to succeed against all the tests of India and make this trip incredible.

Carlo's original vision was to produce a two-minute segment on the trip for the upcoming film. However, after returning home and reviewing the countless hours of golden footage, the segment will realistically be about 3 minutes and followed by an extensive DVD extra. Be sure to check it out in Alterna's fall 2008 video release, along with the full story in Snowboard Canada Magazine next winter. As for advise on India? -Pack your patience, embrace the cultural differences, eat everything you can get your hands on, and go with your best friends because it's guaranteed to be one of the greatest adventures of your life, full of a lot of fun and a lot of laughs.

Words Eric Greene