Up the down slope



State: Jammu and Kashmir,India

Location this meadow of flowers lies at a height of 8,694ft, 57 km SW of Srinagar

Route from Jammu NH1A to Srinagar via Patnitop, Batote, Ramban and the banihal Tunnel; Baramulla Road to narbal; state road to Gulmarg via Tangmarg http://www.aonetrip.com

Often treated a day trip away from Srinagar, Gulmarg, the huge grassy, cup shaped meadow ringed by fir trees and snowy peaks merits much more. Reportedly discovered by Kashmiri ruler Yusuf Shah Chak in the 15th century, Gulmarg has been a most favoured resort since the Raj. Its best feature is that from any one point, you can see the rest of the expanse with its softly undulating slopes, and breathe mountain-fresh air. No noise, no pollution, no population, save for a few villagers from neighbouring Tangmarg.

THINGS TO SEE AND DO

Plenty, or nothing at all, depends on your point of view. There's a 7-km walk called the Inner Ring Road that you can wander along on foot if the ponywallahs leave you alone, of an 11-km walk called the Outer Ring Road which takes you through stands of pine.

Skiing

If Gulmarg deserves its place in sun, it is because of skiing. Its gentle slopes are perfect for firs-timers; the more advanced have the option of slaloming down from the gondola car at Kongdor, a 3 ? -km run. There's a wealth of ski lifts to haul you to the top of a ski run, and for an instructor, and you're looking at just $15 per day. http://www.22geetravels.com

Golf

The golf course here, said to be the highest in the world, was the venue of a prestigious state championship until 1990. You can have a game of golf at he golf club here, using hired clubs. There are pros who can teach you, the weather's perfect, and in summer, playing hours are long.

Treks: Gulmarg's highest peak, the Affarwat to the west, used to be popular for a trek. High up in the massif lies a seldom-visited mountain lake, half frozen even in summer, called Alpathar. Almost 5,000 ft up steep slopes, you reach it on foot or by pony ($15), but Army permission is needed for anything deemed a trekking out of Gulmarg, so it's seldom visited. What does have a frenetic rush around it is the Cable Car from Gulmarg to Kongdor. It's $2 per person per one-way trip, so it's inevitable that pakora and tea stalls have cropped up. Most people go up for the view, as Kongdor, Seven Springs and khilanmarg overlook both Gulmarg and the Srinagar Valley. If you want to avoid the crowds, you could walk up to Khilanmarg (4km), the alpine meadow towering above the golf course. Hike through wooded fir forests along the pony track, from where you'll see Nanga Parbat.

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