Skiing in India

Skiing in India is an activity that mostly takes place in the northern states of India, where the Himalayas are situated. Skiing is administered by the Indian Mountaineering Foundation in India. The Himalayas provide an excellent skiing experience owing to their great height which makes for long descents. Heliskiing is also gaining popularity in places like Manali and Gulmarg.[1] However skiing in India suffers from lack of infrastructure. There are also security concerns in Gulmarg which is 20 km (12 mi) from the Line of Control, however since 2002, it has been peaceful, which has led to an increase in skiing activity in the region.[2] Some of the most popular skiing locations in India are Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir, Solang in Himachal Pradesh and Auli in Uttarakhand. The skiing season in India is from January to March.

Skiing ropeway at Solang near Manali, Himachal Pradesh

Skiing in India
Gulmarg Gondola and Chairlift
CountryIndia
Governing bodyIndian Mountaineering Foundation
National team(s)India

List of skiing destinations

Chairlift in Auli

Skiing destinations in India are mostly in the Himalayas and are listed here by state (North-West to South-East):

Jammu and Kashmir
Himachal Pradesh
Uttarakhand
Sikkim
Arunachal Pradesh

Skiing in Manali

  • Though Europeans were skiing on slopes of Manali for years, it was Darjeeling’s Wangdi Sherpa’s small skiing school at Vashisht village which started giving lessons on skiing to local residents. Simultaneously Western Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (WHMI) (now ABVIMAS) started its courses in skiing and mountaineering in 1961. Winter Sports Club of Manali was founded by some local skiing enthusiasts in 1978 which instilled spirit of skiing in other youths of the region. In 1984, Winter Games Federation of India (WGFI) was formed by a group of visionaries and adventure loving individuals. When Solang ski slopes were not developed, competitions were organized at Rohtang pass in summer months.[6]

Achievements

Skiing institute in India

There are many institutes in India conducting vocational courses in Skiing. Some major institutes are,

Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering and Winter Sports: Basic skiing & Intermediate skiing courses.[8]

Nehru Institute of Mountaineering[9]

Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering[10]

See also

References


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