TRAVEL

Of snow and ski

B V Prakash discovers the fun of skiing in the 
snowclad locales of Himachal Pradesh

What As we drove into the pleasant town of Manali recently, we discovered that though this is known to be a popular hill station thronged by tourists in summer, it has its own charm even during winter and early spring. As it dawned I looked around in wonder the thick blanket of pure white snow that had covered the whole township. Housetops, shops, parked vehicles and every other thing had a crest of snow on it. The tall deodars and firs with their branches richly decorated with snowflakes lent a heavenly ambience to the surroundings. 

This was indeed the most appropriate time, I thought, to be in Manali to try my hand, or legs rather, at skiing! Skiing, often pursued as an allied activity of mountaineering, is basically a winter sport, possible in the snowbound areas of Kashmir, Himachal and Garhwal Himalayas. For professional skiers it is a full-fledged independent sport offering innumerable opportunities for adventure and adrenaline rush. More common in the colder countries, especially the Nordic, it is still in its nascency in our country. Nevertheless, many of our young boys and girls have made it to international levels. 

Many mountaineering expeditions prefer to ski down from the summits of not so vertical peaks. But for doing such a downhill run, a high level of expertise and a good exposure to the intricacies of skiing are essential. However, for a beginner, it would be worthwhile to undergo basic training at one of the institutes. The Skiing Training Centre of the Directorate of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Manali, is one such institute offering different levels of training - Basic, Intermediate and Advanced courses. Run by the State Government of Himachal Pradesh, the institute boasts of the latest in imported equipments. Competent instructors spare no effort in imparting good training and by the end of a 14-day course, you can ski downhill independently on moderate slopes at speeds of 60 kms an hour or more! There is also a good hostel for the trainees. The ski slopes are located at Solang Village, nearly an hour's drive from Manali. On the way one can stop over at Vasisht Hot Springs for an exhilarating bath. 

The gently undulating ski slopes here, set in the background of the Pirpanjal Range of the Himalayas, serve as the playground for skiers, snowboarders and even paragliders. With numerous tourists and skiers in colourful outfit all around, the whole place comes alive with a festive spirit. For the not so adventurous, a joy ride on the snow scooter up the slope or a downslide on inflated rubber tubes can be equally exciting. One can take a stroll plodding the snow or just sit back at a vantage point and watch the fun sipping a hot cup of tea. Inspite of buzzing activity all around, time seems to stand still here and a couple of weeks in this salubrious climate can be a rejuvenating experience. In the first few days of the training session we were introduced to the use and maintenance of various equipments like the skiis, ski-shoes and other paraphernalia. Ski-shoes, which are quite heavy, are worn first and then clipped on to the skiis. 

The skiis, made of fiberglass, are flexible with sharp edges on the sides. Most of the movements are carried out by proper positioning and shifting of body weight in the required direction. Ski poles or sticks, as they are called, are clasped in the hands through the wrist loops merely for support and they do not play any vital role in our movement. Of course, the sticks come in handy while recovering from a fall, especially an awkward one. Incidentally, the falls are quite frequent, but we get used to them in a day or two. And generally they don't cause serious injury. By the end of the first week we are able to ski downhill on our own, in different positions like 'standing', 'semicrouch', in which the body is half bent forward, and the 'egg' position, wherein the body is curled up forward and great speed is picked up instantaneously. Similarly, there are different ways of going up the slope, like ‘sidestepping’, i.e. walking up sideways with the skits, and the ‘Herring Bone’ method wherein we walk up facing the slope with the skiis outstretched. 

The imprints of the skiis on the snow form a series of patterns in the shape of 'V’ which look like the bone formation of the Herring fish and hence the name. Alternatively, the skiis can be removed and carried on the shoulder while walking. But this can leave you panting and puffing after a few rounds. To our great relief, ski-lifts were operated and we soon learnt to use them to go up. As a diversion from the daily schedule, on one of the days we trekked up about 3 kms to the Shiv Mandir, where the ice lingam is formed naturally by the dripping droplets of water. Our routine was also broken on some occasions when it snowed all through the afternoon and we had a forced respite. The last few days saw us learn techniques such as ‘snow-ploughing’ by which the speed of skiing downhill can be reduced by narrowing the front trips of skiis and edging them inwards. 

‘Stem turning’ is the method of turning towards right or left while skiing down, by shifting the body weight to the opposite side. With lots of practice one can ski downhill at great speeds and turning right or left exactly at the required points and come to a halt with a reverse swing towards the slope. Experienced skiers also use the same slope and it is great fun to watch professionals doing practice runs at terrific speeds whizzing beside us, yet with great control. By the time the course came to an end, we had almost picked up the basic techniques and had developed the confidence to ski independently. As the snow melted with each passing day and the snowline receded, we packed our bags and headed towards Manali, looking forward to another skiing season in the following year.