Kashmir Solo - Day 5 - Gulmarg

To Gulmarg via Share Taxi/Bus

I bid adieu to my host Arif and started to leave after breakfast. Arif flagged down a shared taxi (Tata Sumo/Chevrolet Tavera mostly in Kashmir) and I boarded it. This was besides the Poshwan Park/Bobby House. The shared cab goes to Anantnag (or Islamabad as what the locals call) for just Rs 50/-.

The cab developed a snag half way and it took 30 minutes to resume the journey. The cab waits for people if it is not full. However, we didn’t waste much time. We reached Islamabad (Anantnag) in 1:30 hours. The journey was enjoyable. However, do not take the back seats because 4 people may have to cram in there. Take the front or middle row as that gives you good leg space unlike the back cabin.

Once I reached Anantnag, I had to walk another 50-100 metres to the Sumo stand that had cabs to Srinagar. These places are well situated in the market area. Just ask the locals for ‘Khanabal Sumo stand’. The stand was small but you will find cabs departing to Srinagar one after another as soon as they fill up with passengers. If required, they will tuck the luggage on the roof top. The fare was another Rs 50/- I believe.

Another 1:30 hours passed and I was in Srinagar. Now comes the difficult part. It was already noon. I was starving and I need to reach Gulmarg. I got down at Dal Gate (entrance to Dal Lake). You will find plenty of autos and passing buses near to it. The shared cab to Gulmarg was from Batamaloo stand. The auto fares were high. I waved down the moving buses. The good thing was that the buses were always hungry for passengers and they always stop for you just like autos. I got into a bus very soon and the ticket was just Rs 10/-. The rickety bus was fine to sit though. You can find many eateries near Dal Gate.

Hopping Across Cabs

I got down at Batamaloo stand. I wandered everywhere for cabs to Gulmarg or at least Tangmarg, which was the base for Gulmarg, but I could not find. I enquired with the taxi drivers and they suggested me to reach Narbal first. This place was en route Baramulla and many cabs ply this route. I reached Narbal junction. Meanwhile, another co-passenger, in late twenties, who sat across me told me that if it was too late, he could accommodate me in his house at Sopore. He was a very sweet gentleman. Cab costed me Rs 50/-.

From Narbal, the highway goes straight. You need to walk to the equally good road to the left, which was in the Gulmarg direction. In less than 5 minutes, I got another taxi to Magam. Costed me Rs 30/-. I got down at Magam and immediately I got a cab to Tangmarg. Costed me Rs 40/-.

I reached Tangmarg and ate some tasty Kebab in the Tangmarg taxi/bus stand area.

Tangmarg

I could not find any shared taxi or bus to Gulmarg. It was winter and in order to negotiate the frozen road, the vehicles were equipped with tires laced with strong chain. The private ones were charging Rs 800/- which I don’t want to spend. I learned that the shared vehicles go to Gulmarg before noon and after noon, they return. Since it was around 4PM, there were no shared vehicles or buses going to Gulmarg.

Anyway, I found the saviour in a Sumo that was going to deliver fuel and other food items. I sat in the middle seat. Apart from me, the driver and some one else was there. I was happy for the entire middle seat and good view for Rs 150/-. The shared taxi fare was Rs 30/- which I paid during the return.

The entire road and Gulmarg were blanketed in thick snow. What a sight! I walked to the hotel whose frontage had a snow hill.

I was freezing in the room. The damned bathroom pipes were frozen again and the giant hot water geyser laid like a brick. The temperature was lingering around -16 degree celsius.

Ate dal curry and roti and slept with the electric blanket ON. It was too cold and I was loving it! Hotel Green Park was the cheapest available out there and it costed me close to Rs 2000/- just for accommodation. During winter, the place would be filled with passionate skiers from across the country. Getting an accommodation was a challenge. One could also stay in Tangmarg which was slightly cheaper than Gulmarg.