Gulmarg's History
Two British Army officers first established a ski club in Gulmarg in 1927. After a long wait Poma installed their first lift in Gulmarg in 1998.
"Gulmarg," translates to "Meadow of Flowers". Dating back to the 2nd century BC, it was a favorite summer retreat for Mughal emperors who sought respite from the sweltering Indian plains. During British colonial rule, it gained further popularity as a hill station and a hub for sports like golf and winter sports. In the mid-20th century, Gulmarg continued to evolve as a tourist destination, attracting visitors from around the world. Today, it remains a picturesque haven for travelers, celebrated not only for its stunning landscapes but also for its historical significance in the annals of India's tourism and leisure culture.
The resort
Gulmarg is a ski resort geared primarily towards skiing off-piste. Do not worry if you have never skied off-piste before. Gulmarg, with its constant snow and our great instructor to student ratio (2 students to 1 instructor), is the perfect place to learn. The resort has only two Gondolas and a chairlift, the second gondola takes you to a height of 4000m and gives you a huge amount of backcountry access, and even more if you want to ski tour. The village is at an altitude of 2600m. The first Gondola takes you to phase one which is at a height of 3050m, the second Gondola takes you to phase two at a height of 4000m. In between phase one and two there is a chairlift that takes you up to Mary’s Shoulder at a height of 3400m. From Phase 1 to the village there is a long groomed run. Phase two and the chairlift give you access to the wide and ungroomed main bowl, this bowl is patrolled by the Gulmarg Ski Patrol team led by Brian Newman. A short traverse from the drop off point of the phase two gondola gives you access to various other bowls of untouched deep powder. There are some brilliant runs up there including one all the way down to the village Drung at an altitude of 1577m. Although these bowls are not patrolled by Ski Patrol, Ski Patrol monitors the Avalanche possibility on each one and tells the guides which ones are safe to ski. The guides are also trained in avalanche protection.
"The highest Gondola in the world and its just a massive mountain with a ton of backcountry access" Cody Townsend
Kashmir and Gulmarg Safety
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Kashmir is a widely loved tourist destination. In 2022 even with the effects of COVID-19 16.2 million tourists visited Kashmir. In the first 8 months of 2023 30,647 foreign tourists visited Kashmir. Tourism is a huge part of the Kashmiri economy and the people are extremely friendly and hospitable to tourists.
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For many years there were political tensions between India and Pakistan about the Kashmir region, over the past decade the tensions have subsided.
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Gulmarg is a remote ski town and has historically been isolated from the unrest. Further the locals are very keen to keep their resort attractive to the world and have kept it safe. Incidents have historically happened in other parts of Kashmir, but only once every few years. Currently the Indian government is also ensuring high security and protection for all tourists.
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Overall, we would recommend checking your government's travel advice and getting some good travel insurance. Keep in mind that Gulmarg is completely safe for tourists and a significant amount of global investment is being poured into Kashmir to turn it into a full fledged Ski destination.