Why tourists are flocking to Razdan pass in late April

Shafat Malik
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27 Apr 2026

Bandipora-Gurez link was meant for essential supplies; instead, at 11,000 feet, it has become hotspot for visitors

Srinagar, Apr 26: The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has deployed snow cutters on the Razdan Pass. At nearly 11,000 feet, the machines are chewing through several feet of accumulated snow. The Bandipora-Gurez road has been closed for months. Every year, the BRO clears it. Every year, it closes again.

This year, something unexpected has happened.

Hundreds of tourists from outside Jammu and Kashmir have started arriving. Not when the road opens. Now. While the cutters are still working. They are coming to see snow in late April, a phenomenon that has disappeared from Gulmarg and Pahalgam but lingers stubbornly at Razdan.

"We came expecting greenery," said Rohan Mehta, a tourist from Delhi. "But witnessing snowfall in late April at Razdan is unbelievable."

Ayesha Khan, a visitor from Mumbai, put it differently: "The snow here feels fresh and untouched. Gulmarg had less snow. Razdan gave us the perfect winter experience even in April."

For a tourism season that has been uneven — with early spring and patchy snow cover, Razdan has become an accidental draw. The administration has allowed tourist movement this year after keeping the area restricted following the Pahalgam terror attack in 2024 that killed 26 tourists.

Now, the same road that carries snow cutters also carries visitors chasing a winter that will not let go.

The BRO's snow clearance this year ranks among the earliest in recent memory. The road is typically opened around March. This time, the machines reached the toughest stretch at Razdan Top only in the last week of April.

"Snow accumulation is around six to seven feet at the pass. It is a herculean task given the terrain and weather," an official said.

The stretch between Razdan Top and Zaidkhushi is highly avalanche-prone. Sub-zero temperatures and strong winds complicate the work. Snow accumulates again even after clearance, slowing progress.

Despite this, officials said the road could be opened from both sides soon if weather conditions remain favourable.

The Bandipora-Gurez road is the only surface link connecting the remote Gurez Valley with the rest of Kashmir. Its restoration is critical for essential supplies and services. But this year, the BRO is not alone on the road.

Social media posts of fresh snowfall at Razdan have gone viral. Tourists from Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru are booking taxis to Bandipora, then hiring local vehicles to take them as far up as the snow allows.

"It is not a comfortable journey," said Mehta, the Delhi tourist. "The road is rough. The weather is cold. But that is the point. It feels like an adventure."

Though overall precipitation has been comparatively less this season, Razdan Top has retained significant snow accumulation. This is due to its altitude and geography, which create a microclimate distinct from the rest of the Valley.

Meteorologists say the late April snowfall is not unprecedented but has become rarer over the past decade due to shifting weather patterns.

For now, the BRO continues its work. The snow cutters keep moving. The tourists keep coming, and the road remains caught between its two identities, a lifeline for Gurez and a playground for travellers chasing a disappearing winter.

Officials said the road could be opened fully within a week if the weather holds. Once open, the tourist influx is expected to increase further.