How do you get there? For example, with Lufthansa from Munich to New Delhi, departing in the evening and landing 8 hours later in the morning. Onward flight with Indian Air to Srinargar, approx. 1 hour. From there, you will be picked up at the airport and drive about 2 hours up to the ski resort of Gulmarg.
The ski resort
Gulmarg has long been a well-known vacation resort for Indians who want to enjoy the cool mountain air in summer. The village is located at an altitude of around 2600 m, on a plateau surrounded by mountain forest, but there are only a few small, very basic hotels and a golf course in summer. Supposedly the highest in the world! The ski resort and the two old lifts have long been known as "India's ski resort". In the early 1990s, a gondola was built up to Mt. Aphawart 4200 m with French help. However, the project was interrupted due to the unrest and the precarious political situation and was only resumed in 2004. The gondola was only completed last year and leads up to 3950 m. The powder possibilities are phenomenal and the snow is perfect. In the week before our arrival, three meters of snow fell within seven days, and after four days of sunshine, another 120 cm of snow was added. Gulmarg is sure to become one of the new "freeride spots", and the international freeride scene is just discovering it.
The situation on the ground (February 2008):
..Is now less tense and the last unrest was in 2005 further north in the impassable mountain regions towards the Pakistani border. The Indian army is present everywhere in Kashmir and monitors all activities. Slowly tourism is returning and apart from Indian tourists, mainly Australians, New Zealanders, Russians, English and Americans are coming. It is advisable to plan and organize your trip with a local agency. A guide is then present in the ski area as well as on all excursions to Dal Lake, Srinargar etc. We had no problems on site and only met very friendly and helpful people.
