Winter bestows icicles on Shimla, snow envelops hills
After a gap of several years, icicles — long pointed sticks of ice — are appearing in Shimla.
“It’s a welcome sight,” said Randev Sharma, who lives in Jakhu hills, the highest point in Shimla.
Sharma said icicles used to be a common sight every winter some years ago. “We are seeing icicles now after a gap of six years,” he said.
His wife Sushma Devi said icicles grew up to six feet some years ago. “Icicles were once a common sight at every building as they hung from the slanting roofs. We would caution kids from going near icicles as the pointed end may hurt them,” she added.
Icicles are indicative of a harsh winter, say weather experts. Tourists are also enjoying the sight.
M R Kaundal, who settled in Shimla in 1945, said till the late 1990s appearance of icicles in the town was normal in winter. “But now we see icicles only in Jakhu hills,” he added.
Environmentalists blame deforestation and pollution for the change in Shimla’s climate.
Snowy slopes invite skiers
Powdery snow slopes near this picturesque tourist resort in Manali have once again started attracting skiers who are in no hurry as the hills will remain blanketed in white till March end.
Skiing organisers say more spells of snow are expected and will keep the Solang slopes, just 13 kilometres uphill from Manali, covered in white for over two months. “At present, the Solang Valley has more than a three-and-a-half feet snow cover. The region will continue to experience fresh snow till February,” said Randhir Singh Salhuria, director of the state-run Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports here.
The institute is conducting skiing courses - for professionals and amateurs - in Solang in the western Himalayas.
This season the courses began from Wednesday and will continue till the slopes have snow. Salhuria said a large number of skiers and snowboarders have come to the slopes for the first time in the season as the snow stopped and road links from Manali reopened.
According to the Shimla Met office, it snowed heavily in Solang and nearby areas during January 5-9. “What a nice powder,” remarked local skier Vineet Joshi, who had come here with his friends.
“As the news flashes, Solang will pull in more skiers and snowboarders across the country,” he added. District Tourism Officer Balbir Thakur said: “There are a large number of private tour operators in Solang who are providing ski equipment as well as instructors to tourists. We have fixed rates and the department is monitoring them.
“According to him, the fee ranges from Rs 300 to Rs 1,000 depending on the time booked and ski kits sought. Besides skiing, the tourists can also enjoy snow scooter ride and sledging. Private ski instructor Mohan Verma said like last year, snow on the Solang slopes was quite timely this year too.
“Till February we can easily hold skiing sessions in Solang. After that, the higher slopes of Marhi and Gulaba can be used,” he added.
The mountaineering institute, which boasts of ski instructors of international fame, is charging a fee of Rs 5,300 for a 14-day basic ski course in Solang that includes board and lodging.
The other attraction in Solang’s snowy peaks is a multimillion-rupee ropeway-cum-ski project that was inaugurated by Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal in January last year.
