Treks in Himachal by length and month — an hour's walk to a five-day crossing
Himachal treks by how long they take and which months they open: short walks, Triund in a day, Kheerganga overnight, Bhrigu, Beas Kund and Sar Pass.
ArticleVerified 2026-10-23
Skiing in Himachal — Solang, Narkanda and Kufri, and when the snow holds
Where to ski in Himachal: Solang above Manali, Narkanda and Kufri above Shimla, the state institute's courses, and the January–February snow.
Three places, one short season
Himachal has three places where skiing happens in an ordinary winter, and all three depend on how much snow has fallen that year. None is a big resort with lifts across a mountain; they are beginner slopes, a ski area on a ridge, and a track through fields. That is the honest picture, and it suits a first try on skis well.
Photos: Bleezebub (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Biswarup Ganguly (CC BY 3.0) · Jeyasree S.B (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Solang, above Manali
Solang, about 12 km and 24 min up the valley from Manali at 2,560 m, has short, gentle beginner slopes that run down to the car park when the snow holds, with hire counters and instructors on the spot. The state's Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports runs formal ski courses from its centre here. January and February are the weeks; a warm spell can strip the meadow. The skiing guide for Manali has the detail.
Narkanda, above Shimla
Narkanda stands at 2,708 m on an open ridge, about 59 km and 113 min beyond Shimla on the Rampur road, and Wikipedia describes it as a ski resort in winter. The same institute has had a centre here since 1987 and lists skiing among its courses, though it publishes no dates or fees. See Narkanda in winter.
Kufri, nearest Shimla
Kufri, about 15 km and 29 min from Shimla at 2,720 m, is the easy option: in a deep winter a path through the potato fields becomes a ski track for the season. Outside the snow it is just a walk. See snowfall in Shimla for which weeks bring it.
When to go
January and February are the reliable weeks across all three. Shimla's IMD record puts 42 cm of snow in January and 43 cm in February, against a few centimetres either side, and the higher slopes follow the same pattern. Watch the forecast, keep your dates loose, and confirm on the slope that the snow is good before you hire.
More to read
Where to see snow in Himachal covers the snow months by place, and Manali in January and February the coldest weeks in the Kullu valley.
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Vajreshwari Devi Temple, Kangra
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Vashisht Temple and hot springs
Dhanaulti — the pine-forest hill station between Mussoorie and Tehri
Kedarnath Temple — the Shiva shrine above the Mandakini
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Questions people ask
Where can you ski in Himachal Pradesh?
At Solang, 12 km above Manali, where beginner slopes run when the snow holds. At Narkanda, 2,708 m on the ridge above Shimla, a ski area in winter. And at Kufri, 15 km from Shimla, where a path through the potato fields becomes a ski track in a deep winter.
When is the ski season in Himachal?
January and February are the reliable weeks, when the snow lies deepest; late December can work in a good year and March rarely does. Shimla's own record shows why: 42 cm of snow in January and 43 cm in February. Every slope depends on how much has fallen that winter.
Can you take a ski course in Himachal?
Yes. The state's Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports runs ski courses at its centre at Solang, and its Narkanda centre, set up in 1987, lists skiing among its courses. Neither page publishes dates or fees, so contact the institute for the season.