Whether
you are looking for thrilling expeditions and mountaineering and heli-skiing
are the sports that interest you more, then head towards the northern part
of India, plushed with some of the best extreme sports destinations of the
world. Worth checking out are Manali in Himachal, Garhwal region in Uttar
Pradesh and Ladakh in Jammu & Kashmir. So what are you waiting for! Just
pack your sports gear and get going!
Winter sports are not just about snow skiing, there are plenty of
activities one can try out. If you are scared of heights and skiing is not
exactly your cup of tea! Then how about skating? Or Ice Skating? You just
need to smooth up your balancing act on skates and leave the rest to the
snow.
Ice Skating is just like skiing except that instead of swooshing down from
snow covered slopes you just glide along a wide skating arena wearing
ice-skates. Whether you want to have a skating partner or whether you want
to do it alone, ice-skating is a sport, which needs a much better balancing
act than in ordinary skating.
The best options to try out ice-skating in India is Shimla, where every
year a winter sports festival is held and this sport is one of the major
attractions of it. If you are an amateur or a bit naïve about skiing,
just try the simple rules of agility, stability and steadiness and no one
will be able to beat you.
Mountaineering & Ice Climbing
Mountaineering is a sport that
has challenge in every step. The Indian Himalayas yield every kind of
challenge a climber could ask for, unparallel in scope for high mountain
adventure. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal are India's
major mountaineering states, while Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh offer
restricted climbing.
Among the Indian Himalayas, the most challenging peaks that climbers crave
to climb are Nanda Devi and Kanchenjunga. For the biggest mountaineering
challenges in India, a climber can opt the Garhwal Himalayas, the Zanskar
range in Jammu & Kashmir, Kullu & Lahaul in Himachal Pradesh and the
eastern Himalayan range of Sikkim & Darjeeling.
The hills of India have all the ingredients for adventure packed with
excitement and thrills and lots of unexplored valleys, towering peaks and
snow-capped mountains and glaciers. A splendid combination of flora &
fauna and vast tracts of virgin snow awaits you. Gulmarg is known as
Kashmir's premier upland hill resort at the the altitude of 2, 730m and
offers one of the largest and best equipped winter sports opportunities in
India.
Auli in Garhwal Himalayas in Uttaranchal is also counted as another major
skiing resort of India.The Manali Region in Himachal Pradesh also offers
scope for winters as well as summer skiing. It has excellent natural
slopes and in the summer months has limited skiing possibilities at
Narkanda. Last but not the least is Kufri, which has always been a
favourite among ski lovers who visit Shimla in winters.
If you just don't care about the risk part of high altitude skiing and
have got the courage against all odds then, Heli Skiing is just for you.
The helicopter is going to leave you at the top of a snow capped peak and
from there you just have to criss-cross your way downward. This sport
challenges the risk-taking explorer in you, as you have to ski down
through unknown routes and ridges. Indian Himalayan region is just the
best way to start off this thrilling sport. Some of the best choices
include Hanuman Tibba, Deo Tibba, Rohtang Pass and Chandrakhani Pass near
Manali.
Manali
