Srinagar, Jan. 20 -- Riza Alee carves through the fresh powder on the upper slopes of Gulmarg calmly. As he glides past a bend, the scene jars - heaps of plastic bottles, food wrappers, and discarded packaging lie half-buried in the snow.

Alee, a mountaineer and snowboarder, pulls out his phone and begins recording. "Now, we shouldn't complain: Why is it not snowing in Kashmir?" he posts the video on his social media with this message.

Posted on his social media handles, the clip quickly circulates, striking a nerve in Kashmir's winter sports community and beyond.

Athletes, environmentalists, and adventure enthusiasts share it widely, using Alee's message to draw attention to the growing ecological stress on Gulmarg - Kashmir's premier...