As I had traveled to a lot of scenic destinations like Sikkim, Himanchal and Ladakh, I thought that Kashmir will also be quite similar. But No, it is absolutely gorgeous and has its own beauty. You cannot compare it with any other destinations. Kashmir offers you ultimate natural beauty, wildlife life encounters, deep thick snow covered mountains, beautiful landscapes and beautiful weather throughout the year. The icing on the cake is the attitude of the people there. Kashmiri’s are very warm, fun loving and hardworking people.
On my 3rd day in Kashmir, we arrived at Gulmarg after a 5-6 hours drive from Pahalgam.
To see Gulmarg and Khilanmarg at their best and to take in the natural splendor of the Himalayas, there is nothing better than enjoying a ride in the second highest cable car network in the world – the Gulmarg gondola!
Recommended for: As everyone wants to keep their inner child alive; visiting the Gulmarg gondola is the best way to do it. Regardless of their age, everyone who takes the gondola ride in Gulmarg turns into a child while playing in the snow, riding a horse at the top of the mountain or skiing.
It affords a magnificent view of Nanda Devi, LOC, and Pir Panjal range. Apart from cherishing the beauty of Himalayan ranges, tourists can enjoy other activities like horse riding and snow skiing.
The Gulmarg gondola is recommended for nature lovers, adventure seekers, fun lovers, photo fanatics and anyone who is looking to have the time of their lives while they are in Gulmarg. It is also big amongst ski lovers.
Stats for nerds: Divided into two phases, it ferries almost 600 people per hour to and from the Apharwat Mountain, which is where most of the winter sports happen in Gulmarg.
Phase 1 of Gulmarg Gondola ferries people from Gulmarg Resort to Kongdoori Station (middle station). It starts at 2,990 m and has a vertical rise of 400 m. Every hour it ferries 1500 people to the height of 3100 m from where several easy runs for skiing are accessible. Phase 2 of Gulmarg Gondola connects Kongdoori Mountain to Apharwat Peak. The cable car ascends 1,330 vertical metres to a height of nearly 4,000m and carries 600 people per hour. After arriving at the station, you can further have a 30 minutes trek to reach the mountaintop. From here the LOC or the Line of Control is visible.
Pro Tips: After reaching Gulmarg you have to walk 1 KM on flat road to reach the boarding point of Gondola. After reaching the parking area you will be approached by horse owners offering you drop at boarding point or take you to different places. Horse is not required here and you can easily walk upto the Gondola. After reaching Gondola counter, first take the boarding pass from the counter if you already have the ticket. Otherwise you can buy ticket here (subject to availability). Avoid agents offering you to buy ticket for you. Guides are also not required here. If you are a group or one family then one person with identity proof can take the boarding pass while other members can continue in the queue.
There is a long queue system for boarding the car. In tourist seasons the waiting time will be one hour or more in the queue.
Cable care will take around 12 to 15 minutes to reach one phase to other phase.
If you have ticket for the 2nd phase then without wasting time it is better you try to be in queue after reaching 1st phase (Kangdoor) to board cable car for Aparwath as it is advisable to spend more time at the top. On return you can visit Kangdoor the 1st Phase.
The day passes for the different phases can be purchased at the ski station itself. A ski pass can cost between Rs740-Rs950 a day depending upon the phase one is going to. The government equipment rental shop is right next to the beginners’ slopes, and one can rent out a pair of good quality skis, boots and poles for Rs800 per day.
The ski instructors are all local Kashmiris. They usually hang around ski slopes and charge approximately Rs2,500 a day. While all of them are experienced skiers, not every one of them is a certified instructor. Most of these instructors, however, speak basic English, are good at what they do and know those mountains intimately. It is advisable though to go with a seasoned instructor who is certified as well.
Closing time for Section 1 ( 1st Phase ) is 5 PM
Closing time for Section 2 ( 2nd Phase ) is 3 PM.
The operation of cable car depends on the weather condition. Sometime the 2nd phase gets cancelled due to bad weather. Restaurants are available in at Kangdoor ( 1st Section ) but nothing is available at Aparwath ( 2nd Section ) .
Toilet facility is available in all places ( at Gulmarg, Kangdoor & Aparwath ) in the cable Gondola station. You will get chips, biscuits, water bottles etc at all places but price will be 50% more than the MRP. Ice will be there throughout the year in 2nd phase but you have to climb for 15 minutes after getting down from cable car to reach the peak to get ice during July to Nov months.
