Snow
skiing in Jammu and Kashmir is like a dream come true to any adventure
sports enthusiast. The snow capped mountains in Kashmir offer great
opportunities for snow skiing. The best place for skiing in Kashmir is
Gulmarg. Infact, Gulmarg is the best ski resort in the Himalayas. Two
British Army Officers, Maj. Metcarp and Maj. Hadow set up the Ski Club
of India at Gulmarg in 1927. Snow Skiing has been popular in the state
of Jammu and Kashmir since then. Before independence, two skiing events
used to take place annually at this ski resort during both Christmas and
Easter. The skiing season in Gulmarg starts around mid-December and ends
around the mid-April. One of the draws of skiing tourism in Kashmir is
the friendly atmosphere of the valley. Also, it is probably the cheapest
ski resort in the world, making it quite suitable for learning purposes
too. Gulmarg boasts of being one of the highest lift-served ski resorts in the world. A Gandola (cable car) Lift has been built to travel from Gulmarg to Apharwat top. However, at present, only the first section of the Gandola, from Gulmarg to Kongdori, is operational. This ride to Kongdori provides a downhill ski run of about 3 km. The other services available in the Gulmarg ski resort are three ski lifts suitable for beginners and one chair lift suitable for intermediate-level skiing. Gulmarg ski resort has achieved many accolades in the past. The first National Winter Games of India were organized at Gulmarg Ski Resort only, in January-February, 1998.
