Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering and Winter Sports is one of the outstanding institutes of adventure sports in Jammu and Kashmir. The institute was set up in 1983 at Gulmarg with an aim to impart training in skiing and mountaineering at one place since the other two national institutes at Darjeeling and Uttarkashi impart training only in mountaineering.

The institute commenced training courses with Col SS Kahlon as the first Principal in 1984. Many enthusiastic youth, especially those from Jammu and Kashmir and West Bengal, thronged to this centre to learn the art and science of mountaineering. Ambitious plans were drawn to make this institute a model institute of international standards in the arena of winter sports. However, plans for further development of the institute received a big setback due to escalating militant activities in the area and severe financial constraints. The activities of the institute remained dormant till 1995.

After 1995, activities at the institute picked up momentum as a result of a media campaign to enthuse youth to join the training courses. Within no time, the institute became popular with the youth who were eager to enrich their mountaineering skills. Since then, the institute has been regularly conducting Basic and Advance Mountaineering Course and Adventure Course for children for 26 days and 15 days respectively. In addition to them, it has also been conducting short-term courses to suit the requirements of the adventure- seekers.

The institute has started adventure courses for poor students, physically handicapped and blind persons free of cost. This is the first time that such training courses for the differently able persons have been started. In the recent past, the institute has conducted a special rock climbing and adventure course for 20 blind students of Delhi Blind Relief Mission, an adventure course for handicapped children of Jammu Red Cross Home and a special course for poor students of Doda district. The institute has earned accolades for such unique courses.

The institute, in coordination with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Department of Environment, educates the masses on environment and ecology. It also organises polythene cleaning campaigns, environment quiz, nature treks, inter-school debate on environment and national integration camps. Last year, more than 1000 youth participated in such programmes.

Recently, the institute has conducted an unique "Nature Trek" in which students from schools in Jammu and Barkatullah University participated. Hundred children from slum areas and handicapped children also took part in this "Nature Trek". The trek left a satisfying experience for all the participants.

In spite of acute resource crunch, the institute has drawn ambitious plans for expanding the horizon of the institute’s activities. There are plans to open centres of the institute at Sonmarg, Patnitop and other places in Jammu and Kashmir to groom more and more mountaineers through its training programmes.