SRINAGAR: More than nine lakh tourists have enjoyed the Gondola ride at Gulmarg this year, and the figure is expected to cross the million mark by the end of this year. Tourists describe the experience as surreal and alluring.
Managed and operated by the J&K Cable Car Corporation, the Gulmarg Gondola is the flagship attraction of Kashmir tourism. It is possibly India’s most popular ropeway, and at a height of 14,000 ft, it is Asia’s highest-operating cable car.
This year, the Corporation improved and enhanced service delivery by upgrading the ticket issuing mechanism, conducting several safety tests, and overhauling the second phase of the Gondola with the latest technology.
Managing Director, J&K Cable Car Corporation, Raja Yaqoob, said the Corporation is sensitized to its role as a prominent stakeholder in J&K tourism. He mentioned that the corporation is committed to improving the tourist experience by providing an easy, hassle-free, and safe ride. He assured tourists of even better facilities in the upcoming winter season and appealed to them to book tickets online and adhere to the timings mentioned on the ticket to avoid any inconvenience.
It is worth mentioning that the Gulmarg Cable Car comprises two phases: one from the Gulmarg resort to Kongdori Valley and the second from Kongdori to Apharwath Peak. The ropeway has a total of 108 cabins and 18 towers.
The first stage transfers from the Gulmarg resort at 2,650 m (8,694 ft) to Kongdoori Station in the bowl-shaped Kongdori Valley. The second stage of the ropeway takes to a height of 3,980 m (13,058 ft) on Kongdoori Mountain, a shoulder of the nearby Afarwat Peak (4,200 m or 13,780 ft).
