1. Agreement to these terms
These Terms & Booking Conditions apply to every package, guiding day, or lesson you book with Gulmarg Snowkings ("we," "us," "our"), whether arranged through our website, WhatsApp, or in person. Paying a deposit or full payment means you've read, understood, and accepted the terms below, so please read them before you pay, and ask us anything that isn't clear first.
2. About Gulmarg Snowkings
Gulmarg Snowkings has been guiding skiers and snowboarders in Gulmarg, Kashmir, since 2006, co-founded by Shafat and Mir Bashir, and registered with J&K Tourism under permit no. JKAT00005678. We offer beginner instruction through advanced freeride and backcountry terrain.
3. What's included & not included
Each package page and your final booking confirmation set out exactly what's included, this is the version that governs your booking, since packages vary. As a general guide, our packages typically include guiding or instruction for the days booked and any lift/rental arrangements we've explicitly confirmed.
Unless your confirmation says otherwise, they don't include:
- International or domestic airfare
- Lift passes bought independently
- Alcohol
- Tips for guides and drivers
- Personal gear rental beyond what's listed
- Travel insurance
4. Prices & currency
Prices are quoted in Indian Rupees (INR) and are valid for the dates and group size confirmed at booking. Prices may vary season to season for new enquiries, but once you've paid a deposit and received written confirmation, your price is locked in, we won't raise it on you afterward except in the rare case of a government tax or fee change introduced after your booking, which we'll always flag before asking you to cover the difference.
Solo travelers or groups with an odd number of people may see a small per-person adjustment where accommodation or transport is priced by pair, we'll show this clearly on your quote rather than add it as a surprise later.
5. Booking & payment
Confirming a package with Gulmarg Snowkings follows three simple steps:
| Step | What happens | |
|---|---|---|
| Step 01 | Confirm hotel & dates | Tell us your hotel choice and arrival date. We hold the room and your guide for 72 hours while you decide. |
| Step 02 | 25% deposit | A 25% deposit confirms the booking. Balance is due 30 days before arrival, by bank transfer to our registered company account. |
| Step 03 | Pre-trip call | A call with your guide before you fly: gear list check, insurance details, current snowpack and what to expect on day one. |
Quotation valid 14 days from the date of issue. Prices are per person for a solo traveller and subject to hotel availability at the time of confirmation.
A booking is only confirmed once we've received a 25% deposit of the package price and sent you written confirmation. The remaining balance is due 30 days before your arrival date; for bookings made closer to your arrival date than that, full payment is due at the time of booking. If a balance isn't paid by the due date, we may release your dates and treat the booking as cancelled under section 7.
We accept payment by bank transfer, UPI, or PayPal. Any bank charges on international transfers are the sender's responsibility, please arrange for the full quoted amount to reach us.
6. Changing a confirmed booking
We'll move your dates once, free of charge, with at least 15 days' notice and subject to guide/instructor availability. A change requested with less notice, or a second change to the same booking, is treated as a cancellation and rebooking under the cancellation schedule below.
7. Cancellation policy & fees
The table below is the standard schedule for the 2026–27 season. Full detail, including how peak-season dates and weather-related closures are handled, is in the Cancellation & Refund Policy section below, which forms part of these terms.
| Notice before your start date | Refund |
|---|---|
| 21+ days | 100% |
| 15–21 days | 50% |
| Less than 15 days | 0% |
All amounts are in INR. This schedule applies to cancellations for any reason, including illness, changed plans, or concerns about weather forecasts, see section 9 for how confirmed road/gondola closures are handled differently.
8. Late arrival, no-shows & early departure
If you arrive late or don't show up for a confirmed guiding day or lesson without telling us in advance, that day is forfeited with no refund. If you choose to end a multi-day package early once it's underway, the unused portion is non-refundable unless section 9 applies.
9. Snow, weather & conditions beyond our control
Gulmarg's weather can shut the access road or the gondola with little warning. If an official closure prevents your guiding day or lesson from going ahead, we'll first try to reschedule you within your trip where possible; if that's not possible, the affected days are refunded in full. This doesn't extend to a personal decision not to travel based on a forecast alone, or to normal terrain/lift limitations that are part of backcountry skiing.
Beyond weather, we're not responsible for disruption caused by government restrictions, strikes, or other events outside our control, though we'll always work with you to find the best available alternative.
10. Travel documents & guest eligibility
You're responsible for having the identification and travel permits needed to visit Jammu & Kashmir and for meeting any requirements that apply to your nationality. We're happy to point you toward general guidance, but obtaining and checking your own documents is on you.
11. Fitness, health & the guiding waiver
Please tell us before your trip about any medical condition, injury, or fitness limitation that could affect your ability to ski, snowboard, or tour safely, this helps your guide plan the right terrain and pace for you, not to gatekeep who can join. Before any guided or backcountry day, you'll be asked to sign a waiver acknowledging the risks of skiing in avalanche terrain and confirming you'll follow your guide's instructions. We can decline to guide someone whose fitness, ability, or gear isn't suited to the terrain booked, for everyone's safety.
12. Guest conduct
We ask every guest to treat guides, instructors, and fellow travelers with respect, and to follow safety instructions in the mountains without exception. We can end a guiding day or package without refund for a guest whose behavior puts themselves or others at risk, or who is abusive toward our team.
13. Travel insurance
We strongly recommend travel insurance that covers trip cancellation, medical treatment, and emergency evacuation, backcountry skiing carries real risk, and mountain rescue and repatriation can be costly. Confirming your coverage is your responsibility; we're glad to answer questions but don't provide insurance ourselves.
14. Liability
Skiing and snowboarding, especially off-piste and in the backcountry, carry inherent risks that no amount of guiding experience can fully remove, variable snow and avalanche conditions, altitude, cold, and mountain terrain among them. Our guides follow recognized safety practices, but by booking a guided day you accept these risks as part of the activity.
To the extent the law allows, our liability for any claim is limited to the amount you paid for the affected booking, and we're not liable for losses caused by circumstances outside our reasonable control, weather, road or lift closures, or the actions of third-party suppliers such as hotels or transport providers. Nothing here limits liability that can't lawfully be excluded, including for death or injury caused by our own negligence.
15. Complaints
If anything about your trip falls short, please tell your guide or contact us directly as soon as possible, most issues are easiest to fix in the moment. For anything you'd like formally reviewed afterward, email us within 14 days of your trip ending with details, and we'll respond properly rather than leave it hanging.
16. Governing law & jurisdiction
These terms are governed by the laws of India, and any dispute is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Baramulla, Jammu & Kashmir.
17. Changes to these terms
We may update these terms as our services or the law change. The version in effect when you confirm a booking is the one that applies to it, and we'll update the date at the top of this document whenever we make changes.
18. Contact us
Questions about these terms or an existing booking:
Gulmarg Snowkings Gulmarg, Kashmir, India Website: gulmargsnowkings.com Phone / WhatsApp: +91 95963 00570 Email: info@gulmargsnowkings.com (general), booking@gulmargsnowkings.com (bookings)