Special info on skiing / snowboarding in Gulmarg
Gulmarg is known as a Powder Snow Paradise. If you’re a winter sport fan, not only in watching, but also in practicing, Gulmarg is a “must go” place in India. The possibility of skiing down from 3950 meters above sea level, and over a distance of maybe 1300 m, should speak for itself!
What is the best time for travelling to Gulmarg for skiing?
For the months of January and February we can give a 95 % guarantee that you will experience the best snow you can get up there. But depending on the weather, the skiing season in Gulmarg can already start in November and lead up to April.
Can I rent ski equipment in Gulmarg?
In case you’re a beginner or just do not want to carry along your ski equipment, there are locations in Gulmarg where you can rent your entire ski or snowboard set. We recommend the “Government Ski Shop”, which is about 600 m away from the main Gondola building. Depending on your needs you can get ski equipment for Rs. 300/- per day as an Indian National (IN), Rs. 400/- per day as a Foreign National (FN). Special powder ski are around Rs. 700/- per day , and a snowboard Rs. 500/- per day. Students can get a 50% discount. As far as we know ski helmets cannot be rented – we highly recommend to bring one along.
Skiing infos for beginners:
there are two T-bar lifts at the already mentioned “Government Ski Shop” which provide a very good first-step training field (Rs. 200/- per day and person).
Beginners can get skiing instructors on site (Rs. 600/- per day a person).
Skiing infos for experts:
depending on how much or how long you plan to ski, there are a variety of tariffs available, and you have the two phases of the gondola and one chairlift to choose from. We recommend to start with the Phase 1 Gondola (Gulmarg to Kangdori) if you know how to ski but haven’t done so for a while. A next step from there is the Kangdori chairlift to “Mary’s Shoulder”, and if you’ve managed that well, the next possibility for going up even higher is the Phase 2 Gondola (Kangdori to Apharwat). If you do not need to worry about money: Gulmarg offers heli-skiing, though this may be situational.
Coming back to tariffs, a day pass for Phase 1 costs around Rs. 740/- for IN and Rs. 1210/- for FN, a day pass for Phase 2 is Rs. 1210/- for IN and Rs. 1900/- for FN. Weekly passes for Phase 1: Rs. 3150/ IN, Rs. 5350/ FN; weekly passes for Phase 2: Rs. 7130/ IN, Rs. 9490/ FN).
If you want to powder ski outside of the prepared slopes and have never been to Gulmarg, you can get a local ski guide for about Rs.2500/- per day a person.
If you are an expert, we recommend you get a Phase 2 day/weekly pass. This will usually permit you to use Phase 1 for one trip up to Kangdori station. In addition it permits you to use the Kangdori chairlift (KCL) as often you like, and the Phase 2 gondola of course. At the end of the day you can ski down all the way to Gulmarg, back to your hotel. Phase 2 may get closed due to heavy storms and/or other reasons, if this is the case, your Phase 2 ticket would very likely be valid for Phase 1 “until further notice”.
An important info regarding avalanches:
if you ski between Kangdori and Apharwat (Phase 2) we highly recommend to carry along an “avalanche airbag” backpack for backcountry trips, and to check regularly with the local staff how the situation is. At best don’t go alone and don’t drink alcohol during skiing.
