To boost the adventure tourism around the Solang valley, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (ABVIMAS), Manali is introducing grass skiing on the slopes of the Solang valley. Capt Randhir Singh Salhuria (retd), Director of the institute, inaugurated a seven-day grass skiing course, a specially designed training programme for instructors of the state free of cost. For grass skiing, a 120-m grass skiing slope has been developed at the Solang valley. Grass ski equipment and alpine ski equipment worth Rs 1 crore has been purchased by ABVIMAS last year out of grant-in-aid received from the Central Government.
32 instructors were being trained in grass skiing, from which six females were also participating in the grass skiing course. Training would be imparted by Santosh, renowned skier who had represented India in the Winter Olympics several times and brought laurels to the state and the country. Another instructor Nirmala was also in the training team. These two instructors got their training in Iran and also participated in the international grass skiing championship successfully.
