Here’s the teaser for White Silk Road: a film about a crew of Australian snowboarders exploring the war ravaged and dangerous mountain lanscapes of Afghanistan. Earlier this year Clint Allan, Nick Gregory and Mitch Allan set out to snowboard the Hindu Kush mountain range that extends from central Afghanistan to northern Pakistan. Very few riders have attempted to ride mountains that sit in the heart of such a war torn region and as one of the the most landmined countries in the world, the risk in Afghanistan is very real. It’s no Val Thorens that’s for sure (where the biggest risk is probably snowboarding back down to the town after a few too many Après beers!). To make matters even more daunting, a crew of Germans passing through a similar route had been kidnapped and beheaded a few months prior, presenting a kind of danger that is simply a world away from any kind of risk that we can experience on the enclosed slopes of modern resorts.
In contrast to many of the pictures painted by our Western media, the crew actually experienced an incredibly optimistic and hospitable civilisation, with local villagers who were doing the best they could to get on with their lives amongst the conflict. By the looks of it, a few of them even tried their hand at snowboarding! Living in the town of Bamiyan, an area that has explored the possibility of using snowsports to generate tourism, the crew was able to hike up and ride what look like some pretty amazing mountains, many of which would never have been ridden before. Check out the teaser and see for yourself: this one’s going to be a real eye opener.
Share