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in India
Skiing in India
Skiing at Auli
Auli
, 16km from joshimath is an ideal winter resort. The natural advantages of auli
's slopes, coupled with state - of the -art facilities provided by gmvn have
made it comparable to the best in the world. The snow capped slopes of auli
are flanked by stately coniferous and oak forests which cut wind velocity to
the minimum .
Auli offers a panoramic view of Himalayan peaks like Nanda Devi (7817 mts.),
Kamet (7756 mts), Mana Parvat (7273 mts.) and Dunagiri (7066 mts.) Seemingly
only a snowballs throw away, Auli offers perfect skiing conditions. Seasonal
skiiers have clean streches of absolutely virgin slopes to sport on . These
slopes provide excellent opportunities for cross country, slalom and downhill
skiing events. Winter skiing in Garhwal is now being professionally run at the
Auli slopes.
A 3 kms. long slope ranging from a height of 2519 mts. to 3049 mts. is a major
attraction. The Auli resort has snow beaters which beat the snow to keep the
slopes fit for skiing at all times. A 500 mts. long ski-lift carries skiiers
back to the slope top, thus saving them the trouble and time to bridge up wearing
long skis. Apart from annual skiing festivals, three official National Championships
have also been held here.
General Information
Altitude : 2915 mts. to 3049 mts. expandable to Gorson 3400 mts.
Area: 5 Sq. kms.
Temperature: Summer-Ranges between 13° C and 29° C Winter-
Ranges between 9° C and 2° C
Rainfall: 180 cms.
Average yearly Clothing Summer-Light woollen Winter- Heavy woollen
Facilities Available:
Simple hotel accommodation and tourist Rest House available at Joshimath and
Auli.
· A 3.9 kms. long cable car linking joshimath ( 1906.3 mts.) with the upper
slopes at Gorson ( 3016.3 mts.)
· 16 kms. motorable road from Joshimath to Auli.
· A 500 mts. long ski-lift and 800 mts. long chair-lift linking the lower
slopes with upper slopes.
· Two snow beaters imported from Germany.
· Ski equipments available on hire.
· Assistance of ski instructors and skiiers from Garhwal Mandal vikas Nigam
( GMVN).
·
Efficient communication available in Auli.
· Easy accessibility of medical assistance from Army and civil hospitals
including emergency rescue.
Season :
End of December to March.
Equipment : provides modern ski equipment . Participants are advised
to bring heavy woollen clothing like caps, socks, gloves, mufflers, pullovers,
trousers, wind proof jackets, dark glasses, gum/snow boots and a troch for personal
use.
Travel Information:.
Road : local trnsport union and state transport buses operate regularly
between joshimth to rishikesh (253kms) , haridwar (277kms. ) dehradun (298kms)
and delhi (500kms)
Rail : the nearest railhead is haridwar (299 kms)which is 24 kma.frim
rishikesh. Connecting trains howrah-dehradun, delhi-dehradun and bombay -dehradun
Air: jolly grant airport ( Dehradun ) is 270 kms. from joshimath and 17 kms.
from rishikesh.
Other Areas:
Besides auli, numeros places in Garhwal & Kumaon are full of potential for
skiing where and individual or a group can enjoy this winter sport on their
own. In garhwal, kush kalyan & kedar kantha in distt. Utarkashi; panwali
&matya in distt.
Tehri garhwal and bedni bugyal in chamoli and chiplakot valley in distt. Pithoragarh
in kumaon are well known potential skiing resorts where professionals can do
skiing.
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at Uttaranchal
» Skiing
at Auli
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Skating in Shimla
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Himalayas - - -› People
& Tribes of Himalayas
People & Tribes of Himalayas
The
population, settlement, and economic patterns within the Himalayas have been
greatly influenced by the variations in topography and climate, which impose
harsh living conditions and tend to restrict movement and communication. People
living in remote, isolated valleys have generally preserved their cultural identities.
However, improvements in transportation and communication, particularly satellite
television programs from Europe and the United States, are bringing access from
the outside world to remote valleys. These outside influences are affecting
traditional social and cultural structure.
Nearly 40 million people inhabit the Himalayas. Generally, Hindus of Indian
heritage are dominant in the Sub-Himalayas and the Middle Himalayan valleys
from eastern Kashmir to Nepal. To the north Tibetan Buddhists inhabit the Great
Himalayas from Ladakh to northeast India.
In central Nepal, in an area between about 1830 and 2440 m (between about 6000
and 8000 ft), the Indian and Tibetan cultures have intermingled, producing a
combination of Indian and Tibetan traits. The eastern Himalayas in India and
nearby areas of eastern Bhutan are inhabited by animistic people whose culture
is similar to those living in northern Myanmar and Yunnan province in China.
People of western Kashmir are Muslims and have a culture similar to the inhabitants
of Afghanistan and Iran.
The economy of the Himalayas as a whole is poor with low per capita income.
Much of the Himalayas area is characterized by a very low economic growth rate
combined with a high rate of population growth, which contributes to stagnation
in the already low level of per capita gross national product. Most of the population
is dependent on agriculture, primarily subsistence agriculture; modern industries
are lacking.
Mineral resources are limited. The Himalayas has major hydroelectric potential,
but the development of hydroelectric resources requires outside capital investment.
The skilled labor needed to organize and manage development of natural resources
is also limited due to low literacy rates. Most of the Himalayan communities
face malnutrition, a shortage of safe drinking water, and poor health services
and education systems.
Agricultural land is concentrated in the Tarai plain and in the valleys of the
Middle Himalayas. Patches of agricultural land have also been carved out in
the mountainous forested areas. Rice is the principal crop in eastern Tarai
and the well-watered valleys. Corn is also an important rain-fed crop on the
hillsides.
Other cereal crops are wheat, millet, barley, and buckwheat. Sugarcane, tea,
oilseeds, and potatoes are other major crops. Food production in the Himalayas
has not kept up with the population growth.
The
major industries include processing food grains, making vegetable oil, refining
sugar, and brewing beer. Fruit processing is also important. A wide variety
of fruits are grown in each of the major zones of the Himalayas, and making
fruit juices is a major industry in Nepal, Bhutan, and in the Indian Himalayas.
Since 1950 tourism has emerged as a major growth industry in the Himalayas.
Nearly 1 million visitors come to the Himalayas each year for mountain trekking,
wildlife viewing, and pilgrimages to major Hindu and Buddhist sacred places.
The number of foreign visitors has increased in recent years, as organized treks
to the icy summits of the Great Himalayas have become popular. While tourism
is important to the local economy, it has had an adverse impact on regions where
tourist numbers exceed the capacity of recreational areas.
Historically, all transport in the Himalayas has been by porters and pack animals.
Porters and pack animals are still important, but the construction of major
roads and the development of air routes have changed the traditional transportation
pattern.
Major urban centers such as Kathmandu, Simla, and Srinagar, as well as important
tourist destinations, are served by airlines. Railways link Simla and Darjiling,
but in most of the Himalayas there are no railroads. The bulk of goods from
the Himalayas, as well as goods destined for places within the Himalayas, generally
come to Indian railheads, located in the Tarai, by road. The pack animals and
porters transport goods from road heads to the interior and back.
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