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Introduction
-Skiing in India
The sheer joie de vivre inspired
by one's first successful slide down a
ski slope defies description. Once
limited to a privileged few, the
adrenalin-producing pastime of skiing
has been brought within the range of
the common man now. For the purist,
there is unsullied, powdery snow. For
the accomplished and ego-conscious,
there are punishing runs. For wobbly
beginners and confident intermediates,
there are easy slopes and
understanding instructors who soon
inspire dreams of Olympic glory....
With
a first run to buoy one under the belt,
there follows a succession of blissful
days. Each day brings a fresh challenge
to conquer and relish when you are at
any skiing resort. Mastering the twists
and turns and jumps of skiing,
completing a longer ski run, and
achieving faster speed are all part of
this process. Every winter in the Indian
Himalayas the slopes are warmed by the
excited cries and laughter of entrants
being introduced to the joys of winter
sports: the magic of the wind rushing
past as you whiz down a slope of skis,
or the sheer pleasure of gliding
gracefully, artistically cutting figures
of eight in the snow.
Skiing,
like any other high-altitude adventure
sports in India, is a contribution of
the Europeans. The summers in north
India have always been unpleasant, more
so for the Europeans who were mostly
from the cold countries. To save
themselves from this oppressive heat,
they went to the Himalayas, not too far
from major centers in north India. Many
hill stations were established, the
prominent among them being Shimla,
Manali, Mussoorie, and Nainital. These
places served not only as the home away
from home for them but also as the
center where they could participate in
recreational activities like skiing and
trekking. Some of these places still
have the best skiing slopes in the
country. Affluent Indians started
participating in this sport even before
independence. After independence, with
the efforts of adventure sport bodies,
local youths were encouraged to
participate in this sport. They took to
it enthusiastically and later helped in
training hordes of tourists coming from
other parts of the county and even
abroad.
Today,
skiing is quite popular in the hill
stations of North India and new
facilities have added up to make it more
popular among the masses.
Skiing
in India - Essential Information
Physical
Requirements
All that is required for skiing is
good health. To be on the safer side,
you should not have any heart problem,
high or low blood pressure, and should
not be an expectant mother. More than
anything else, it is the state of mind
at the time of indulging in skiing and
your challenging spirit that is tested.
Best
Time
The best time for skiing in the
Indian Himalayas is December to March.
This is the season when the region
receives the maximum snowfall. However,
since the temperature always hovers in
the vicinity of 0°C, warm clothes are
required to save oneself from this
extreme condition.
Permits
and Government Agencies
No permits are required for skiing
in the areas listed in the
above-mentioned states. If you, however,
wish to enter some restricted areas, you
need to have a restricted area permit
either from the consulate office of
India in your country, or from the
Ministry of Home Affairs, or from the
foreigners' regional registration
offices (FRRO) located in the
metropolitan cities of the country.
Skiing
Destinations in India
Auli
Auli,
16 km from Joshimath, is a popular
winter resort run by the Garhwal Mandal
Vikas Nigam (GMVN) offering good skiing
conditions. There are many slopes, which
provide excellent opportunities for
cross-country, slalom and snow-hill
skiing events. GMVN has snow-beaters and
other sophisticated machinery to keep
the slopes fit for skiing. A ropeway
from Joshimath connects Auli in 15
minutes flat, saving much time and
energy of the skiers. Auli also has the
distinction of celebrating the National
Winter Games Championships every year in
the month of February/March. You are
advised to take enough warm clothing,
dark glasses and heavy boots.
Pithoragarh in the Kumaon hill is
another site being developed as a ski.
Himachal
Pradesh
The Shimla, Narkanda, Kullu-Manali,
Chamba, Kuper and Pabber areas in
Himachal Pradesh have several ski
slopes, which are attracting a growing
number of enterprising winter sports
enthusiasts. Comfortable ski lodges,
lifts, trained instructors, and ski runs
to suit all levels have been provided at
most of these ski resorts in the state.
Serious international cognoscenti rate
the runs between Solang Nallah and
Pathru worth any good skier's time and
money. Heli-skiing facilities are
available at Hanuman Tibba, Rohtang
Pass, Deo Tibba and Chanderkhani Pass
near Manali.
Skiing
in India - Precautions
- Decide
at what level you want to
participate. Look for the level of
difficulty involved in the program
and whether your physical fitness is
up to the level of competence
required.
- Consult
the doctor to determine your
physical condition and take proper
medical precautions as per the
doctor's advice.
- Acclimatization
is an integral part to participate
in any activity in Himalayas, give
enough time to your body for
acclimatization.
- See
that you have with you all the
proper medicines and first-aid box
for any emergency.
- High-altitude
sickness or high-altitude madness is
a common phenomenon in the
Himalayas. If you are participating
in this activity for the first time,
make yourself aware of the symptoms
and methods to deal with it.
- Proper
guidelines about high-altitude
survival and first-aid techniques
should be taken.
- Sensitivity
to environment and respect for the
local culture are two of the social
issues that you should be acquainted
with. Go away from the campsite for
the morning chores. Do not attend to
nature's call within a range of 300
feet from the water source. Dig a
hole of 6¢¢ and cover it up after
the job is done. If you are using
toilet papers, remember to bury them
in the ground. Do not leave anything
back in the hills.
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