In 1987 work on the gondola car of Gulmarg began. After some delay, the first phase was completed in May 1998 and today, this is one of the main attractions of the place. The first of two sections of the cable car rises from the cable station at Gulmarg at an attitude of 2699.6 meters (8856.9 feet) to Kongdori at an altitude of 3099.6 meters (10169.2 feet) – a vertical rise of 400 meters (1312.3 feet) and length of over four kilometers. The system can transport up to 1500 persons per hour.
The boarding station at Gulmarg has a small park and a restaurant. It is a thoroughly enjoyable experience taking the ten minute ride up to Kongdori. The movement is smooth and there is just a little jerk and tug when the cable car goes by one of the towers. At this raised vantage position and with the easy movement, the view all around can be enjoyed to its fullest. The first section of the trip goes through tall fir trees and then the landscape opens quite dramatically. Below are the grassy slopes speckled with wildflowers – or with snow in winter. There are smatterings of the huts used by migrant shepherds.
At Kongdori, depending on the time of year, you will step out of the cable station on soft green turf or into knee-high snow. If there is no haze or cloud, the view is absolutely magnificent. You can see the towering Nanga Parbat, the western extremity of the Himalayan chain – and if you are interested, a local should be able to point out the direction of the Line of Control, the de facto border between India and Pakistan. Below Kongdori, the valley flows out in a steadiness that one would associate more with water than with land. The snow peaks seem close enough to touch and this rich serving of nature’s bounty seems more than can be digested in a single visit.
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