Backcountry Skiing is one of the most sought-after winter activities in Gulmarg. It is a skier’s dream in Gulmarg. The unbeaten tracks, traversing lofty mountains, and sliding down in your skis is an elite experience.
For a beginner, backcountry skiing begins in areas that are outside the control and patrol of the ski resort. However, depending on your expertise, you can aim higher and delve into the far reaches, unbeaten slopes of Gulmarg as far and wide as you like.
The higher altitude areas are a skier’s paradise and a great number of them love to come every year and explore the adventurous gene in them. Some of the most popular backcountry regions are
Backcountry Skiing Regions
Gondola Top
It provides a massive 1,500m vertical drop to challenge the adventurous ski bum in you. Gulmarg Gondola, one of the highest-operating cable cars in the world allows you to descend down the vast alpine bowls through perfectly aligned trees directly into the meadows of Gulmarg.
With never having to repeat any run, one can ski from the top every day of their two-week-long trip. An experienced guide is necessary who will guide you through the route as backcountry terrains are not patrolled and avalanche-controlled by the ski patrol team.
Gondola Mid-station
It is about 400 meters above the Gulmarg town and operates in almost all weather conditions. The runs make for half a day trips down to the Drung Valley and a further 10-15 km to the closest town Tangmarg on an almost horizontal plane through the villages.
Baba Reshi Trees
A unique and exhilarating experience. Skiing the Baba Reshi can be done two ways, where you can consider renting a taxi for the day. The taxi can be driven to the top and one can ski down 400-500m of vertical runs and be picked up again at the bottom for another run. Another option is Skin Tracking and Booting where you hike up Monkey Hill, 250-300 meters high behind the town, and ski down as many times as your body allows.
Skiing down, one can either ski to the road that leads back to Gulmarg or all the way to the town.
Triple Peak
Kashmir Heliski offers adventures to the remotest basin. One can fly up to the nearby Triple Peak and tour the day, requiring skinning for up to 2-3 hours before dropping into Drung Valley and further to Tanmarg. The experience is one of a kind offering plenty of scenic places to get lost into.
