Gulmarg........

Gulmarg’s legendary beauty, prime location and proximity to Srinagar naturally make it one of the premier hill resorts in the country, in addition to Pahalgam and to some extend Sonamarg in Kashmir.

The valley of Gulmarg, a large meadow about 3-sq-kms in area, stands at 2,730 metres, 56-km south west of Srinagar . The name means ‘Meadow Of Flowers’ and in the spring it’s just that, a rolling meadow dotted with countless colourful Bluebells, Daisies, Forget Me Not’s and Buttercups. The valley itself is about 3-km long and up to a km wide.

Gulmarg's gondola, designed by France's Poma Group, ascends from the resort at 2650 metres, via a mid station and restaurant at 3050 metres, to an elevation of 3980 metres, providing lift served access to 1330 vertical metres of vast snowriding terrain.

Gulmarg is located 52 km from Srinagar. It is located at 34.05°N 74.38°E[1]. It has an average elevation of 2,690 m (8,825 ft).

Air : The nearest airport to Gulmarg is in Badgam district. 

Rail : The Jammu railway station is the closest in the vicinity.

By Road : Gulmarg is 56 kms from Srinagar. Jammu & Kashmir SRTC operates regular deluxe and ordinary bus services from Srinagar. In winter, the buses operate up to Tangmarg (11 kms from Gulmarg), the remaining distance being covered with smaller vehicles. Tourist taxis also operate between Srinagar and Gulmarg.

Leh........

Leh : 

Leh is at an altitude of 3505m (10,500 ft), and you'd be flying in from Delhi which is at roughly 0. The altitude of Leh is quite a lot for the human body to handle. Even with a gradual ascent, I know that beyond 2700m, the air feels perceptibly thin. So it is generally recommended that the first day should just be spent walking around Leh, getting acclimatised. Some people feel it perceptibly i.t.o. dizziness, vomiting, etc. In our case, there was no problem beyond initial drowsiness (which could well have just been owing to the pain of catching a 5:40a flight).

There are numerous firms in Leh who do full-services trekking support. They supply guide, cook, horses, equipment, everything. The price tag works out to roughly Rs.10,000 for a four-day trip for two. As the number of pax goes up, the price comes down somewhat.

Trekking is much harder in winter. There is one famous trekking route which works in winter. But it involves walking on a frozen river, where ponies slip, so there are more porters hired to carry stuff and the cost goes up substantially.

Hotel Lharimo
P. O. Leh 194101
Ladakh, India

Phones 52101 (off)
01982-53345 (fax) Is open May-Oct.
Rates -- Rs.2350/day for two and Rs.1950/day for one -- all inclusive including meals.
Camp Lharimo North is Rs.2000/day for two, all inclusive.