Gulmarg - India HillTop Trips - Splendid hills and Majestic retreats

Gulmarg also has one of the world's highest green golf courses, as well as a clubhouse that is a historical building in its own right. For the amateur golfer, there are golf sets on hire, pros to instruct one in the game, and temporary memberships, including one-day memberships. For a fun-filled ride of a most unusual kind, Gulmarg's newly constructed gondola lift through pine-clad slopes is an experience of a lifetime.

Hill Resort | Elevation | Travel | Season | Tourist places | Accommodation | Location | Gulmarg Map

The Hill Resort

Gulmarg Often treated as a day trip way from Srinagar, Gulmarg, the huge grassy, cup shaped meadow, ringed by for fir trees and snowy peaks merits much more. Gulmarg has been a most favored resort since the Raj. The best feature about Gulmarg is that from any point here you can see the whole undulations and breathe fresh mountain-fresh air.

Asia's only heli-skiing resort is at Gulmarg, The gentle slopes, having runs of up to 200 meters, are best for beginners while the steeper runs of 500 meters are meant for intermediate-level skiers, and other stretches of over 2,000 meters, precipitously steep, are for top-level skiers. A helicopter takes the tourists to the Apharwat peak from where one can choose one's own descent route. As far as the statistics of Gulmarg go, it has a vertical drop of 1400 meters (4,592 feet) and a top elevation of 4,138 meters (13,576 feet). The Gondola Cable Car that allows a ski run of 2,213 meters provides the longest ski run in Gulmarg.

Gulmarg ski-lifts and chair-lifts provide basic utilitarian facilities with a simple link-up .Those who enjoy the exhilaration of height will therefore have to make their own way up. However, what is of a particularly high quality is Gulmarg's ski-shop with professional equipment imported from Australia and France that are offered for hire. Facilities are also being provided for skiing at Pahalgam and work on an institute of mountaineering and winter sports is already underway.

With the first fall of snow, the highlands are transformed into a glittering winter wonderland, the country's premier arena for action-packed skiing. Gulmarg has slopes varying between 8,700 and 10,500 feet with the highest ski runs in

Ring Roads

Gulmarg has plenty and nothing to watch at the same time. There is a 7 km walk called as Inner Ring Road that you can stroll on foot.

Treks

Gulmarg's highest peak, the Affarwat to the west, used to be popular for trek. High up in the massifs lies a seldom visited mountains, lakes half dozens called Alpathar. You might come across the frenetic rush of Cable Cars from Gulmarg to Kongdor.

Temples

One distinctive rooftop in Gulmarg is the Maharani Temple,seen peeping out of the Hindi Film Songs of the sixties. Next to that there is a hugely popular shrine called as Baba Reshi where you can catch out the daily sights of people of Kashmir.

Facilities Available

For an amateur, Gulmarg is the ultimate destination for skiing. While outfits like slacks and salwar kameez will suffice for skiing, other accessories like skis and sticks, snow boots, woolen socks, mufflers, windproof jackets, goggles, and caps are available on hire. Ski instructors are readily available to assist during skiing.

Precautions

Although, Gulmarg is a perfect skier's heaven, it has been torn apart by recent bouts of terrorism. While there have been many reports of foreign tourists being kidnapped, local tourists are also at the danger of the extremists. One is therefore advised to check out the law and order situation before making any plans for visiting the area.

The Flowery Slopes

Gulmarg derives its root from the meadow of flowers and is indeed a picturesque location. Known for its unparalleled beauty, Gulmarg's virgin forests are a welcoming sight to all tourists. The lush green slopes, their silence broken by the occasional tinkling of cowbells, have been the locale for several films. The rich verdure with the snow-capped tips provide an ideal ambience for the skiing and winter sports.

Elevation

Gulmarg - 2730 meters.

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Location Details

Located in the northernmost state of Jammu and Kashmir, Gulmarg is in the Baramulla district, 57 km southwest from the capital city of Srinagar. It is perched at an altitude of 2730 meters above sea level and is not very far from the Indo-Pakistan border. It has a gently sloping topography generally identified with European skiing of the 1940s and 1950s.

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How to Reach There and Distances

The nearest airport is in Srinagar. This airport is connected with major cities of the country. The nearest railhead is at Jammu. The journey from Srinagar to Gulmarg via National Highway 1 takes about 2 hours by bus and an even shorter time by chartered conveyance. The road is lined with poplar trees all through.

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Best Season to Visit/Weather

In Summer - May to September
In Winter - Nov to February

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Tourist places near Gulmarg

Sites To Visit

From Gulmarg, a pony track leads upwards to Khilanmarg, Kongdori and Seven Springs. It takes a couple of hours by pony, and slightly longer on foot. Khilanmarg offers an unparalleled view of the great Himalayan range. From here, across the Apharwat-the peak that looks up from this point-is Alpather Lake, a picturesque alpine lake that remains frozen until late June. It is located at a distance of about 13 km from Gulmarg. For horse riding freaks, Alpather Lake makes an exciting day's excursion, and one has to start early morning and return by late evening. Slightly lower than Gulmarg is the shrine of Baba Reshi (a Muslim mystic saint), which is visited by people of all faiths.

Skiing & Heliskiing

Asia's one of the most famous Heli-skiing resort is at Gulmarg, Kashmir. Come December, and the verdant green slopes of Gulmarg are blanketed with snow, forming some of the finest natural slopes for ski runs of all levels.

Golf Courses

Gulmarg also has one of the world's highest green golf courses, as well as a clubhouse, which is a historical building in its own right. For the would-be golfer, there are golf sets on hire, pros to instruct one in the game, and temporary memberships. Naturally, these facilities are available to players as well, except that serious golfers usually carry their sets along. Gondola Lift For a fun filled ride of a most unusual kind, Gulmarg's newly constructed Gondola lift from high above Gulmarg, through pine clad slopes, is exhilarating.

Khilanmarg

This smaller valley is about a 6-km walk from the Gulmarg bus stop and car park. The meadow,carpeted with flowers in the spring,is the site for Gulmarg's winter ski runs and offers a fine view of the surrounding peaks and over the Kashmir Valley. It's a 600-metre ascent from Gulmarg to Khilanmarg and during the early spring,as the snow melts,it can be a very muddy hour's climb up the hill. The effort is rewarded,if it's clear,with a sweeping view of the great Himalayas from Nanga Parbat to the twin 7,100-metre peaks of Nun and Kun to the southeast.

Alpather Lake

Beyond Khilanmarg,13-km from Gulmarg at the foot of the twin 4,511 metre Apharwat peaks,this lake is frozen until mid-June and even later in the year one can see lumps of ice floating in its cold waters. The walk from Gulmarg follows a well-graded Pony track over the 3,810 metre Apharwat ridge,separating it from Khilanmarg,and then up the valley to the lake at 3,843 metres. The more adventurous trekkers can climb straight up the boulder-strewn slope of the ridge and descend the other side to the path. For horse riding aficionados,Alpather Lake makes an exciting day's excursion,starting early morning and returning late evening.

Shrine Of Baba Reshi / Ziarat Of Baba Reshi

This Muslim shrine is on the slopes below Gulmarg and can be reached from either Gulmarg or Tangmarg. The Ziarat,or tomb,is of a well-known Muslim saint who died here in 1480. Before renouncing worldly ways he was a courtier of the Kashmir King Zain-ul-Abidin. Every year thousands of devotees visit this shrine regardless of the faith they believe in.

Pahalgam- 153 km

A humble shepherd's Village at the confluence of two streams at 8,975 ft. Pahalgam grew to be one of the most popular tourist resort through seventies and eighties. Every year Pahalgam plays host to thousands of pilgrims to the natural ice lingam in the Amarnath Cave.

Srinagar- 57 km

Mughals emperors called it paradise and no songs in Hindi films of the sixties and seventies were considered incomplete without a prance through Srinagar's gardens and lakes. Some of the famous gardens of Srinagar is Chasmashahi, Nishat and Shalimar Garden.

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