Srinagar, Feb. 14 -- "The beauty here is overwhelming," says Melania Anderson, a yoga instructor from the United Kingdom based in Hong Kong.

Anderson, who works with the Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) through her charity 'Yama', is enchanted by the double appeal of Kashmir as both a sporting challenge and cultural treasure.

"The Kashmiri cuisine alone would have made the journey worthwhile," she said.

Ben Hurst, an Australian commercial prawn fisherman, has swapped the spray of the Pacific for the powder of the Himalayas.

"Standing in the mountains of Kashmir is safer than walking across the streets of Sydney," he says.

"What we have experienced is just gorgeous and beautiful. It's unlike most skiing resorts around the world," he s...