5 popular winter sports you can enjoy in India
The chilly winter season is here and the hills are already calling us! Winter is all about going on vacations with your family and enjoying the picturesque surroundings while sipping on a comforting cuppa and hogging warm food. Various snow activities are popular in different hill stations across the country. Check out five enjoyable sports you can try during the winter months in India.
Skiing
One of the most popular winter sports, skiing uses skis as equipment to travel over snow. Some well-known skiing destinations in India include Mundali, Munsiyari, Narkanda, Gulmarg, Auli, Dayara Bugyal, Shimla, Manali, and Yumthang valley in Sikkim. If you are an amateur, there are instructors and trainers who would help you learn skiing on slopes that range from mild to steep.
Snowboarding
Gaining popularity in recent times, snowboarding involves using a fiberglass board attached to the rider's feet which uses a specially mounted shoe, to zoom down the mountain slope. Free-ride snowboarding is the most popular style where you will slide down from any kind of snow-clad landscape. You can also try freestyle, alpine, and boardercross snowboarding, in Auli, and Gulmarg.
Ice skating
Popular in Shimla, ice skating is a fun winter sport where you get to glide across a frozen lake or an ice surface on blades fixed to the bottoms of shoes or skates. You can visit the Ice Skating Carnival in Shimla, organized by the Ice Skating Association of India. At the carnival, in January, you can enjoy ice hockey and figure skating.
Ice climbing
If you are up for a more adventurous winter sport, try ice climbing. It requires you to climb up slippery ice walls in sub-zero temperatures in the large belts of mountain ranges. Ice climbing requires proper training and equipment like boots, goggles, crampons, ice ax, hammer attachments, waterproof garments, mittens, etc. You can enjoy ice climbing in Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Himachal Pradesh.
Snow sledding
Snow sledding, one of the most popular and fun winter games, involves sitting on a wooden sled and sliding down the snow-covered hills, riding through twists, turns, and bumps. You can also lie down on your stomach to slide down easily without any effort. You can enjoy this exhilarating and joyous activity in Rohtang, Gulmarg, Auli, and Nathatop.
