Back in trend: 5 freezing winter sports of India

The beautiful hill stations of India like Shimla, Darjeeling, Nainital, Gulmarg and Srinagar are not just tourist spots, but also snow sport hubs. The pandemic forced an almost zero activity year in 2020, but this winter, the hill slopes are already beginning to ring with eager sports enthusiasts, serious players and adventure seekers. Here are 5 sports that are already back with a bang.  

Skiing  
Probably the most popular snow sport, skiing started off as a mode of travelling on snow. Skiing has categories such as alpine, freestyle, and military. It’s also popular with adventure sports holiday crowds and curious tourists. Usually, a guide accompanies the novice skier and chooses easy terrains where a fall will invite laughs rather than injuries. The ski slopes of Gulmarg, Auli, Pahalgam, Manali, Narkanda, Uttarakhand and Sikkim are very popular.  

Skating  
Ice skating requires some balance, but continues to be both a serious sport and a tourist attraction in India. Major destinations for ice-skating in India are mostly in the state of Himachal Pradesh, though the sport exists in Uttarakhand and Kashmir too. The Ice Skating Association of India offers courses in ice skating too.  

Snowboarding  
Snowboard is less popular among tourists than the above two sports, but as a winter sport, it’s very popular in our country. Sports persons not only use mountain slopes, but also man made slopes to show off their skills as they tackle dizzying drops, steep slopes, and scary twists and turns. The Himalayan states have snowboarding facilities with trainers.  

Sledding  
Sledding or riding the sledge is a delightful winter sport and recreational activity, very popular with kids. Holiday crowds in Himachal and Uttarakhand can have fun sledding down gentle slopes lying on the sledge. Serious sport persons take sledding as an event and tackle difficult terrain.  

Ice climbing  
A comparatively new snow sport for India, ice climbing has scope for growth in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir once the situation stabilises there. Climbing solid chunks of ice, especially near glaciers, is an adventure sport whose challenge would be welcomed by many.