Ski in the neighbourhood

Gaurav Kanthwal

As one comes out of the Manali town and moves along the Manali-Rohtang highway, one gets to see countless tinsheds with snow-suits dangling above and gum boots neatly lined-up for several kilometers. Stop over and peep inside these cramped 12x12 feet makeshift shops and you will see winter gear, skiis, snowboards, fancy goggles, snazzy gear and woolens occupying the space. 

This, however, is the time — to enjoy snowfall, slip into a snowsuit and learn some basics of skiing. Tourists and locals in Manali are eagerly waiting for the upcoming winter sports festival (February 2-6). It was scheduled to be held in January along with the winter carnival, but again, dry weather dulled the enthusiasm. A minimum of three feet of snowfall is required at the venue to conduct games successfully.. 

In India, winter sports are normally associated with Auli in Uttarakhand and Gulmarg in J&K, but now Himachal Pradesh is also putting in efforts to get popular as the next ‘snow destination’. The Solang valley near Manali, with some near-perfect slopes, has been hosting state winter games for past some years. 

This year is even special. The five-day National Alpine Skiing and Snowboarding Championship to be held under the supervision of Indian Olympic Association (IOA) will mark the state’s formal entry into the winter games. Former secretary general of Winter Games Federation of India, Roshan Lal Thakur says, “The state championship is slated from January 21 to 25 to be followed by the national meet. We are hoping that the event turns out to be successful. The local tourism industry has pinned its hope on it for a better season.” 

As many as 11 teams, including Himachal Pradesh Winter Games Association, Indian Army, High Altitude and Warfare School, Gulmarg, Uttarakhand Winter Games Association, Punjab Winter Games Association, Indo Tibetan, Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering, Gulmarg, Winter Games Association, Jammu and Kashmir, Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam and Delhi Ski Association have been invited for the competition.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Manali, deputy director Ashwani Kumar says, “It is an effort to promote skiing and winter tourism. The winter sports will attract tourists in large number, which will boost the tourism industry in Kullu and Manali.”  

Lure of snow

To a first-time visitor, snow gear on rent makes for a wise decision. It hardly snows for more than a week or two in winter here. So, no point investing in the paraphernalia. 

Yet, all round the year, one can see tourists from as far as West Bengal, Delhi, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu enthusiastically trying out snow-suits in hope of an impending snowfall. To them, it does not matter whether the sun is beating down mercilessly and there is no sign of rain, forget snowfall. It also does not matter whether tourists are actually feeling stuffy inside these snow-suits, they just want to get a feel of it. The excitement of seeing a snowfall for the first time, fuelled by some expert peddling, convinces the tourists to go for it. 

If this also does not work out, fake news of weather vagaries in the mountains make the tourists optimistic. Authorities have put up tourists’ information boards at various places displaying government-approved rates for each item, but are these taken seriously?