Apharwat Peak Tips: 13 Things to Know Before You Go

Yes, for visitors who stay inside the marked area at the Phase 2 station, dress for the cold and go down if altitude symptoms get worse. The real risks are the altitude of about 3,980 m, high wind and the off-piste avalanche terrain beyond the rope line, not the Gondola ride itself. Phase 2 stops whenever the wind picks up, and the area is under Army watch because the Line of Control is a few kilometres away.

Wear waterproof gumboots or snow boots, a windproof or down jacket, gloves, a woollen cap and UV sunglasses in every season, plus thermal layers from December to March. Boots and jackets can be rented near the Gulmarg Gondola base for a few hundred rupees a day per item. Bring your own gloves, socks and sunscreen, because rented gloves are often damp and snow glare at the top burns quickly.

Yes. The Phase 2 station is about 3,980 m (13,058 ft), and the Gondola lifts you about 1,300 m in roughly 21 minutes. Mild breathlessness is common and harmless if you slow down. A headache that does not ease in 15 to 20 minutes means you should ride down to Kongdoori. Severe headache, vomiting or confusion means descend at once. Spend a night in Gulmarg first and stay hydrated.

Healthy older children and seniors usually manage a short visit, but Phase 2 is not advisable for infants. Keep children warmer than yourself and come down at the first sign of crankiness. For seniors, grippy boots and a short walk matter most. Anyone with a heart, lung or blood-pressure condition, or who is pregnant, should take medical advice first. Kongdoori at Phase 1 is a good alternative.

Reach the Gulmarg Gondola base by about 9 am, 20 to 30 minutes before your slot. Ride straight to Phase 2, because cloud usually covers the Apharwat ridge after midday and Phase 2 stops taking passengers upward by mid-afternoon, recently around 3:30 pm. The last cars come down at about 5 pm. Visit Kongdoori on the way back down.

No. The Jammu & Kashmir Cable Car Corporation sells Gulmarg Gondola tickets online only, on etickets.jammukashmircablecar.com, with no on-the-spot sales at the base. Book as soon as your dates are fixed, especially for late December to February and May to June. A tatkal quota for the next day opens online at 5 pm at a higher fare. Ignore anyone at the base selling tickets.