Himachal has it all — rivers, lakes, forests, alpine meadows, high passes and snow peaks. No special training is needed for most of it; a reasonable level of fitness is enough, and equipment, training and instructors are available locally.
Be it fishing for the mahseer, heli-skiing at sub-zero temperatures, ice-skating at a hill station, a round of golf, gliding, or camping on a meadow beside a stream — the outdoors person will not be found wanting in Himachal Pradesh, at a fraction of what it would cost elsewhere.
Mountaineering & rock climbing
The area around Manali is the core of mountaineering in Himachal. The Beas Kund region, the lower reaches of Hanuman Tibba (5,930 m) and the Deo Tibba (6,001 m) area suit first expeditions; the Chandra–Bhaga ranges, the Pir Panjal and the Dhauladhar are for experienced climbers. Rock climbing is the first step towards mountain climbing, and a sport in its own right — a rock face climbed with hands and feet and a safety rope. The Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports in Manali, and its branch at Dharamshala, run courses and mountaineering tours.
Mountain cycling
The lower districts — Kangra, Una, Hamirpur and Bilaspur — have gentle routes; the trans-Himalayan roads of Lahaul, Spiti and Kinnaur are for the strong. Summer and autumn suit the high country. A cycling trip can be combined with camping for days or weeks; milder rides start from any hill station.
Water sports
The Maharana Pratap Sagar reservoir at Pong in Kangra, 42 km long, and 2 km wide, has swimming, water-skiing, surfing, kayaking, rowing, canoeing and sailing through the year, with courses at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. Gobind Sagar near Bilaspur, the Chamera lake near Dalhousie and the Pandoh lake on the Mandi–Kullu highway offer the same on a smaller scale.
From our own adventure guide, unchanged in substance since our first website.
