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.
