Gulmarg Gondola
Gulmarg Gondola in Gulmarg, Jammu and Kashmir is the world's second highest operating cable car since the closure in 2008 of the Mérida cable car in Venezuela.
Background
Gulmarg boasts Asia's highest and longest cable car project, the Gulmarg Gondola. The two-stage ropeway ferries about 600 people per hour to and from Kongdoori Mountain, a shoulder of nearby Afarwat Peak (4,200 m (13,780 ft)). The ropeway project is a joint venture of the Jammu and Kashmir government and French firm Pomagalski. The first stage transfers from the Gulmarg resort at 2,600 m (8,530 ft) to Kongdoori Station in the bowl-shaped Kongdori valley. The second stage of the ropeway, which has 36 cabins and 18 towers, takes skiers to a height of 3,747 m (12,293 ft) on Kongdoori Mountain, a shoulder of nearby Afarwat Peak (4,200 m (13,780 ft)). The second stage was completed in a record time of about two years at a cost of 180,000,000 Indian Rupees (i.e. some US$4.5 million) and opened on May 28, 2005. The French company had also built the first phase of the gondola project, connecting Gulmarg to Kongdoori, in 1998.
The timing of the gondola is 10 AM (IST) to 5 PM (It's highly dependent upon the weather at both stages). A gondola can carry six people at a time. The price is 600 Indian Rupees (10 US$) for the first stage and 800 Indian Rupees (14 US$) for the second stage. Also offered is Chair Cars for phase-II for 300/- INR. It takes approximately 9 minutes to reach the first stage and 12 minutes for second stage.
Gallery
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Gulmarg gondola base station in May 2013
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Gulmarg Kungdoor gondola station in May 2013, 2nd stage gondola and chairlift seen on right
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Boarding passes
References
Coordinates: 34°02′43″N 74°23′04″E / 34.04528°N 74.38444°E