The pretty hill station of Gulmarg in India’s Kashmir state, is already high enough for many people who fly into Srinagar. The first day can leave you a little breathless from the altitude – 2699.6 m/8856.9 ft.
So wait a day or two before taking the gondola up to Apharwat. This French-built lift takes you up to 3,979m, just below the summit of Apharwat, making it the world’s highest ski lift. The latter is a fact we were told many times. The locals are very proud of their gondolas.
The system is in 2 stages, and you buy separate tickets, so if you only want to experience one stage, you can do so.
Gulmarg-Kongdori is the first stage and costs Rs 300 per ticket, while the second stage, Kongdori-Apharwat, costs Rs 500, so the trip isn’t cheap by Indian standards. But it is well worth it. (These are round trip tickets, obviously)
The views are lovely, as you climb ever higher, the gondolas are clean, perhaps thanks to the cute sign inside each cabin :
We went in the summer, and the queues were long, but surprisingly orderly (this is India, after all) and move pretty quickly.
