Skiing

The Gulmarg Gondola provides some great in-bounds terrain for advanced to expert skiers.

Gulmarg in Kashmir is blessed with a thick blanket of snow during winters.

You can add heli-skiing with Kashmir Heliski to your itinerary.

The culture of Gulmarg is vibrant and welcoming.

If you are a beginner or an intermediate-level skier, a minimum of 5 days is advised. For an expert skier keen on exploring higher peaks, a week-long trip is more than sufficient.

The base of the Apharwat peak marks the start of the skiing experience. The mountain is split into two phases, accessible by gondola. A number of beginner’s slopes sit in the meadows of Gulmarg, making for perfect practice slopes.

Zone 1 — Poma lifts: 7 poma lifts around Gulmarg. These are beginner slopes, often crowded, with snow groomed regularly.

Zone 2 — Phase 1 Gulmarg Gondola: reaches Kongdori at 3,050 meters, with 400 vertical meters of almost flat, naturally graded terrain. With 2–3 days of beginner skiing and snowboarding, you’ll be confident to ride Phase 1.

Zone 3 — Phase 2 Gondola (3,980m) and chair lift: for advanced riders and expert skiers, the chair lift (500–900m vertical rise) provides off-piste terrain down to the gondola via narrow, usually groomed trails.

Zone 4 — Gulmarg Backcountry: accessed by Gondola Phase 2. Bowls stream off the main ridgeline north and south of Mt Apharwat (4,200m), with 900–1,500 vertical meters. Many lines to the extreme north are rarely skied.