All you need to know about skiing in India

India's north is fringed by the greatest mountain range on Earth, but skiing is still an unfamiliar sport to most Indians. Put this down to the high costs of travel and equipment or to the dearth of proper infrastructure such as cable cars and chairlifts. Skiing is offered at several locations across all Himalayan states, including Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. But for the serious enthusiast, only a handful of ski resorts are worth considering.

To qualify as a ‘ski resort', the facility needs to have: a) Cable cars and/or chairlifts to take you up the mountain, and b) ‘Runs', i.e. groomed trails with signs to guide the skier down the mountain in a safe but fun manner.

Without these two attributes, the hapless skier would have to trudge up the mountain on foot (which is usually unviable with ski boots, skis and poles) and be left with no safe way to slide down the mountain. Which is why most facilities in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh do not make the cut—they are only for ‘tourist' skiers who want to take a few photos in the snow.

If you want to go skiing in India, these are the places you should be at.

Gulmarg, Jammu & Kashmir

This is, by far, the best place to ski in India and the only resort that can claim to be world-class. "Gulmarg scores on all fronts: regular flights, good road access, snow quality, luxury accommodation, lift infrastructure and availability of ski equipment," says Akshay Kumar, CEO, Mercury Himalayan Explorations. One of the best things about Gulmarg is its accessibility—you land in Srinagar, and a 90min road trip later, you are in Gulmarg. There are six bunny slopes, with different gradients and levels for beginners, and the higher slopes are for professional skiers.

Gulmarg has five international-level Poma ski-lifts on the lower slopes and one of the highest cable cars in the world, the Gulmarg Gondola, which travels a distance of 2.7km, with a vertical rise of 1,280m, and takes skiers to a point at 3,980m, almost to the top of Mt Apharwat. While it's no match for European and American ski destinations, which have 15–20 chairlifts per resort, it's still the best in India and adequate for a good experience. The ‘powder' is also comparable to the finest in the world—soft and fluffy snow (as opposed to wet snow, which restricts motion, or icy snow, which is dangerous to ski on and not fun at all). Also known as off-piste skiing, powder skiing is what the experienced skier looks out for.

Safety standards are also the best in Gulmarg. There is a Gulmarg ski patrol, managed by an American avalanche specialist and consisting of 14 highly trained Kashmiri snow scientists and rescue specialists, trained for all contingencies. The resort also has a sophisticated avalanche warning system, to flag off any trouble.

The absolute top-end place to stay in Gulmarg is The Khyber Himalayan Resort & Spa (book here), with all its five-star luxury, while being within walking distance of the gondola. All rooms have amazing views of the snow-clad mountains and the surrounding pine forests, and the superbly trained staff is efficient and friendly. The next great place would be Hotel Highlands Park (book here), with many spacious European-style cottages (and a lawn in front of each) and an old-world charm. The third option is The Vintage Gulmarg (book here), which is centrally located and has large rooms, great views and three multi-cuisine restaurants.

The premier rental shop for ski equipment is the Kashmir Alpine Ski, which has been renting out ski and snowboard gear since 1988. It stocks all the equipment you could possibly need: from skis, boots, poles and helmets to goggles and ski suits. Shop owner, Yasin, is a true-blue Kashmiri who loves to share his passion for skiing. He will also help you find instructors for beginner-level skiing—expect to pay about Rs1,000 per day. Other ways to do it are through your hotel or travel company. Do note that freelance ski training is not an organised profession in Gulmarg and that teaching methods and knowledge are often not up to international standards. On the positive side, the locals know the terrain and conditions very well.

Solang Valley, Himachal Pradesh

Located 14km northwest of Manali, this is the next best skiing destination in India. Snow conditions are equally good, and access isn't bad either—a 2hr drive from Bhuntar airport brings you here. However, Solang lags in infrastructure—the cable car covers a much smaller distance (1.3km), with a vertical rise of only 500m to the top of Mt Phatru (3,200m) and only one Poma ski-lift. Unlike Gulmarg, there is no standalone equipment shop here, so if you need skis, you will have to rent them from travel companies such as the North Face Ski School and the Himalayan Extreme Centre. The only luxury accommodation here is the Solang Valley Resort (book here) on the banks of River Beas, with river- and valley-facing rooms. Otherwise, it is recommended to stay in Manali, 30min away, where the top-end option is The Himalayan (book here), built in Victorian Gothic Revival-style, with both the main ‘castle' and cottages set amid apple and cherry orchards. Other high-rated luxury hotels in Manali include the secluded Manuallaya Resort & Spa (book here) and the colonial-era Negi's Hotel Mayflower (book here).

Auli, Uttarakhand

A distant third on our list is this Uttarakhand ski resort. While it is the most pristine and scenic of spots, with a spectacular view of the Garhwal Himalayas, the obstacles it presents as a skiing destination are daunting. For starters, the nearest airport is at Dehradun, a tiring 8hr drive over mountain roads. To get to Auli during the peak skiing season of Jan–Mar, one has to alight at Joshimath and take the 3.5km cable car ride, as the road itself is often closed due to snow. Also, Auli presents very limited options to stay, and even using Joshimath as your base and going up and down by cable car is not recommended, as the system could break down in bad weather.

The ski slopes here start at a height of 3,000m and stretch for 3km, with a drop in elevation of 500m. But the powdery snow conditions last for only a short time because the direct sun leaves behind an icy surface. Auli has south-facing slopes, unlike Gulmarg and Solang, so the actual skiing season is limited to a month—from 15 Jan–15 Feb, when the snow cover is deep enough. Moreover, there's only one Poma ski-lift and one chairlift to take you up the slopes. Worse, rescue facilities are limited and dependent on paramilitary personnel posted there. Equipment rental is restricted to local small-time operators.

The only places to stay in Auli are the government-run Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam hotel and the private Cliff Top Club (book here), both of which are firmly in the base category and not very well maintained. This is another drawback for those looking to be pampered after a hard day's skiing.

Besides these three, there's Narkanda, with a beginner's slope of 500m. This Himachal town also has a portable ski-lift, but it gets wheeled out when the season begins—not for serious skiers at all.

Heli-skiing, anyone?

Gulmarg and the Kullu–Manali valley rank among the foremost heli-skiing destinations on Earth, and top skiers from around the world arrive here for this unique experience. Experienced skiers are always in search of ‘fresh powder'. As it is obviously impossible to get virgin stretches on a ski slope, one needs to go ‘off piste', i.e. off groomed trails and into unchartered territory. This is where helicopters come into play, because they help the skier access such remote locations high up on the mountain.

Gulmarg and the Kullu valley are the best places for this because nowhere else in the world can you get up to heights of 5,000m for heli-skiing. It helps that the powder-snow conditions are fantastic and comparable to anywhere else in the world. Also, the Himalayas in both Gulmarg and Solang have large, smooth slopes without excessively steep drops or cliffs. This is critical when skiing in unchartered territory. Crucially, the combination of international chopper pilots, off-piste guides on the mountain and Indian hospitality on the ground is a compelling proposition.

Of course, heli-skiing is expensive: a week-long session at Solang valley will cost you US$9,000 (Rs6.2 lakh), including all flights, food, accommodation, and travel to and from Manali.

There are only a few places in India for the serious skier to look at.  All things considered, Gulmarg should be your first choice. If you want to look further afield, Solang would be a decent option, especially for heli-skiiers, and closing it out would be Auli, which may prove to be more pain than gain in terms of an overall skiing experience. Nothing else even makes the cut in terms of the basic ski-resort criteria we have outlined.

When to go

In Gulmarg and Solang, skiing season lasts until 15 Mar on the lower slopes and 15 Apr on the upper slopes.

Where to begin

There are very few professional operators of the requisite experience, knowledge and training when it comes to skiing in India. Two recommendations are Mercury Himalayan Explorations and Himalayan Heli Adventures.

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