Apharwat Peak, Gulmarg: Height, Gondola Phase 2 and Travel Guide

Up there you get snow for most of the year, a view down to Gulmarg's bowl of meadows and, on a clear morning, Nanga Parbat on the northern skyline. In winter the same slopes are some of the most talked-about off-piste ski terrain in Asia.

How High Is Apharwat Peak in Feet and Metres?

Apharwat Peak is 4,390 metres, or 14,403 feet, above sea level according to Wikipedia and most guidebooks, and that is the figure Google shows for the mountain. Search around and you will find three other numbers, and each has a reason.

JKTDC, the state tourism corporation, prints 13,500 ft. Incredible India gives 14,500 ft, a rounded-up figure. Dangerous Roads quotes 4,165 m (13,664 ft). In October 2026 we sampled the ridge on the two free satellite terrain models, SRTM and ASTER, and both put the highest ground at about 4,200 m. That is much closer to the JKTDC and Dangerous Roads numbers than to 4,390 m. Until the Survey of India publishes a spot height, treat 4,390 m as the conventional figure and about 4,200 m as what the terrain models measure.

The number that matters for your body is the station. Phase 2 drops you at about 3,980 m (13,058 ft) in Wikipedia's account, or 3,950 m by OpenStreetMap's station data. Either way it is just under 13,000 ft, with the true summit a few hundred metres higher on the ridge behind you.

About Apharwat Peak in Gulmarg

Apharwat Peak, also spelt Aparwath or Afarwat, is one of the main attractions of Gulmarg tourism, and the reason the Gondola's second stage exists. The ridge holds heavy snowfall from December, often more than a metre at a time, and snow lies on its upper slopes for most of the year. The Line of Control runs only a few kilometres beyond it, so you will see Army posts on the skyline and fencing around the visitor area.

Summer and winter make it look like two different mountains. In January the whole ridge is white down to Kongdoori, cabins arrive frosted and the station deck is packed snow. By June the meadows below are green, the snow has pulled back to gullies and the shaded north side, and the ride up shows you both seasons in twelve minutes.

If you have never stood in falling snow, come in winter. Build a snowman or start a snowball fight, but keep it inside the marked area around the station.

Two things Apharwat is not. It is not a beginner's ski slope, because the runs off Phase 2 are expert terrain. And there is no sledge ride to the summit; the sledge pullers work the gentler snow at Gulmarg and Kongdoori.

Gulmarg Gondola Phase 1 vs Phase 2: Which One Reaches Apharwat?

Only Phase 2 reaches Apharwat. Phase 1 stops at Kongdoori, where most families spend their day, and you need a Phase 1 ticket to board Phase 2.

The Gondola was built by the French lift maker Pomagalski with the Jammu & Kashmir government, and it is often described as one of the highest cable cars in the world. Our Gulmarg Gondola guide has queue tips and what the ride itself is like.

Gondola Tickets, Timings and Booking

The only cost of visiting Apharwat is the Gondola. Adult fares on the Jammu & Kashmir Cable Car Corporation (JKCCC) portal are:

Book on the official portal at etickets.jammukashmircablecar.com as soon as your dates are fixed. From December to February and again in May and June, slots for the morning sell out days ahead, and the cable car corporation now sells tickets online only, with no on-the-spot sales at the base station. Ignore touts at the base station selling "confirmed" Phase 2 tickets.

The Gondola runs until about 5 pm, when the last cars come down, and in season the first slots can start before 10 am, so go by the time printed on your ticket. Phase 2 stops taking passengers upward by mid-afternoon (recent reports give 3.30 pm), and it closes for preventive maintenance on the 2nd and 4th Monday of every month. Full fare rules and the tatkal process are on our Gondola Phase 1 and Phase 2 ticket prices page.

In 2026 the Gondola was shut from 25 May to 25 June after a technical fault left tourists stuck in cabins, and it reopened only after a safety clearance from its French manufacturer, Pomagalski. Check the day's operating status before you head up.

Apharwat Month by Month: Snow, Skies and Crowds

Snow is close to guaranteed at the Phase 2 station from December to April. After that it is a question of how much, and where.

Is there snow at Apharwat in July? Usually only in shaded patches near the ridge. If snow is the point of the trip, go between December and early June. Our guide to the best time to visit Gulmarg covers the town season by season, and Gulmarg in summer covers the green months.

Things to Do at Apharwat Peak

Stand in the snow and take in the ridge. The marked area around the Phase 2 station is where most visitors spend their hour. Look north on a clear morning for Nanga Parbat, and back down at Kongdoori and the Gulmarg meadows below. Cafés and tea stalls at the station sell kahwa and Maggi at mountain prices.

Ski the off-piste, if you really can. Apharwat's reputation comes from long, ungroomed runs off the Phase 2 ridge through December to March. This is avalanche terrain. Ski it only with a certified local guide, a transceiver, probe and shovel, and after checking the day's avalanche warning. Beginners belong on the nursery slopes at Gulmarg and Kongdoori, or on a course at the Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering. Our page on skiing in Gulmarg explains which runs suit which level, plus gear hire and lift passes.

Walk to Alpather Lake in summer. From the Phase 2 station, a walk of about 2 km over a boulder field brings you to Alpather Lake, a glacial lake in the bowl below the Apharwat peaks. It shows open water from July to September and stays frozen the rest of the year. Allow 2 to 3 hours return and read our Alpather Lake trek from Apharwat guide before you set out.

Leave sledging and pony rides for Kongdoori. Sledge pullers and pony handlers work the gentler snow and meadows at Gulmarg and Kongdoori, not on the Apharwat ridge. Do Phase 2 first while the sky is clear, then spend the afternoon at Kongdoori.

Photograph early. Clouds build on the ridge after midday in almost every month. The first two hours of Gondola operation give you the sharpest light and the emptiest station.

How to Reach Apharwat Peak from Srinagar

Getting to Apharwat means getting to Gulmarg first, then taking both Gondola phases. The usual sequence is:

1. Fly to Srinagar. Srinagar airport (SXR) has direct flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and other metros. See Srinagar to Gulmarg for taxi fares and timings.

2. Drive to Gulmarg. It is about 50 km and 2 hours via Tangmarg. In winter, the last stretch above Tangmarg can need chains or a 4x4.

3. Reach the Gondola base. It is a 10 to 15 minute walk from the Gulmarg market and taxi stand, or a short pony ride.

4. Ride Phase 1 to Kongdoori. About 9 minutes. Walk across to the Phase 2 boarding point.

5. Ride Phase 2 to Apharwat. About 12 minutes. Check the Phase 2 status at the base before you queue.

Travelling from further away? Our routes from Mumbai to Gulmarg and Chennai to Gulmarg cover flights and connections, and road, rail and air options into the valley are on how to reach Gulmarg.

Permits, ID and Army Rules Near the LoC

You do not need a special permit to visit the Phase 2 station. You do need original government photo ID, because the area sits a few kilometres from the Line of Control and is under Army watch. Foreign nationals should carry their passport.

Stay inside the marked visitor area. Do not photograph Army posts, vehicles or soldiers. Walking from the station towards the summit depends on what the Army allows on the day; JKTDC describes a 30-minute walk to the top, but it is often not permitted, and the Gondola staff will tell you at the station. Camping and overnight stays on the ridge are not allowed.

Is Apharwat Peak Safe? Altitude and Weather

The Phase 2 station is nearly 4,000 m up, and the Gondola gets you there in about 21 minutes from a town that is already at 2,650 m. That speed is the main risk.

Acclimatise in Gulmarg. If you have flown in from the plains, spend at least one night in Gulmarg before going up to Phase 2.

Walk slowly and drink water. A headache, nausea or dizziness at the top are early signs of altitude sickness. Go back down to Kongdoori if they appear; symptoms usually ease quickly at lower height.

Know who should skip it. Phase 2 is not advisable for infants, pregnant travellers or anyone with heart or lung conditions. Travelling with young children or older parents? Kongdoori gives them snow at a safer height, and our Gulmarg family packages are planned around that.

Keep a buffer day. Phase 2 shuts in high wind or heavy snow, sometimes for two or three days in January.

Dress for winter in every month. A windproof jacket, gloves, cap, sunglasses and sunscreen are the minimum, even in June. Snow boots and long coats can be hired in Gulmarg for a few hundred rupees a day.

A Half-Day Plan for Apharwat

Be at the base station 20 to 30 minutes before your slot. Ride Phase 1 and go straight to the Phase 2 queue rather than stopping at Kongdoori. Give yourself 60 to 90 minutes at Apharwat, then ride down to Kongdoori for snow play, a pony ride or lunch. Be back in Gulmarg by mid-afternoon, which leaves time for St Mary's Church or the golf course. Our list of places to visit in Gulmarg has the rest.

If you would rather have the Gondola tickets, transfers and stay sorted in one booking, compare our Gulmarg tour packages, Gulmarg honeymoon packages or wider Kashmir tour packages.

Edited by TravelTriangle