The snow-covered Yumthang Valley on January 1. Telegraph picture

Gangtok, Jan. 5: Heavy snowfall in Sikkim’s Yumthang Valley since New Year’s Day has spurred plans of launching commercial skiing in February and March.

Tour operators say if the snowfall continues for another 10-12 days, there will be sufficient snow deposits to conduct skiing along the valley slopes.

“There was heavy snowfall in the Yumthang Valley on January 1. The snowfall is persisting. If it continues for another 10-12 days, there will be sufficient snow to introduce commercial skiing from mid-February to March-end. January is too cold for tourists to take to the adventure sport,” said Paljor Lachungpa, a tour operator.

Lachungpa had earlier tried to introduce commercial skiing in Yumthang Valley, 145km from Gangtok, in collaboration with the Sikkim Mountaineering Association (SMA).

Local youths had been given training in skiing by experts from Manali with support from the state tourism department in March 2008 and March 2009. The youths will guide tourists on skiing expeditions. “We had planned to launch the skiing expeditions from March last year but could not do so because of lack of sufficient snowfall,” Lachungpa said.

“This time, we have had heavy snowfall. We are optimistic about launching the sport for tourists this year,” he added. Lachungpa said his travel agency and the SMA had jointly submitted a proposal to the state tourism department to develop Yumthang Valley as a skiing destination. “We need to landscape the slopes and develop the gradient. We also need ski lifts.”

SMA general secretary Kazi Sherpa said: “Yumthang is ideal for skiing as it has a natural easy slope. It is good for beginners. We expect more snowfall in January and February.”

State tourism secretary S.B.S. Bhadauria said his department was exploring the skiing potential of Yumthang and Kupup in East Sikkim, close to the India-China border.

“We are in talks with the tourism ministry to include skiing in the list of adventure sports it plans to promote in Yumthang Valley. Skiing will be possible only for a limited period of time. Therefore, the ministry is also considering mountain biking and trekking,” Bhadauria said.

Eight Thais were part of a group of tourists who experienced the heavy snowfall in Yumthang this year.

“The Thai group had gone to Lachung on December 31 to celebrate New Year’s Day and was keen on enjoying the snow. Fortunately, light snowfall started at night and by morning, there was a six-inch white blanket spread all over the valley,” Lachungpa said.