Srinagar, Nov 24: More than nine lakh tourists have enjoyed Asia’s highest operating cable car project, the Gondola ride at Gulmarg, so far, and the figure is expected to cross a million by the end of this year, an official spokesman said.
Gulmarg Gondola is the flagship attraction of Kashmir tourism, and the tourists describe its ride experience as surreal and alluring.
Gulmarg Gondola is Asia’s highest operating cable car and possibly India’s most popular ropeway, at a height of 14,000 ft in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
Gulmarg Cable Car comprises two phases: one from Gulmarg Resort to Kongdori Valley and the second from Kongdori to Apharwat Peak. The ropeway has, in total, 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 place at a height of 3,980 m (13,058 ft) on Kongdoori Mountain, a shoulder of nearby Afarwat Peak (4,200 m (13,780 ft)).
Managed and operated by J&K Cable Car Corporation, the Corporation this year improved and enhanced the service delivery of ticket issuing mechanisms, undertaking several safety tests, and overhauled 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 said the corporation is committed to improving the tourist experience by giving them an easy, hassle-free, and safe ride.
He assured tourists of even better facilities in the upcoming winter season and appealed to tourists to book tickets in online mode only to avoid any inconvenience.
