Why Solang Valley is adventure lover's paradise ?

Solang Valley lies between Solang village and Beas Kund. it is a high altitude valley that lies at the top of Kullu in the Himachal Pradesh state of India.The region is 14 km northwest to the very popular hillstation of Manali. Solang features high mountain slopes that turn milky white when it snows here. Owing to the geography of the valley and its heavy snowfall prone trait, Solang valley has turned
into a major ski destination in India.It offers a beautiful view of glaciers and snow capped mountains. Since the valley has fine ski slopes,it is a perfect place for skiing. The guest house of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Manali is based here.This institute is
the venue for winter skiing festival and also offers training in skiing to the tourists. In winter, the valley becomes a skiing paradise with children of all ages slipping and sliding over the fresh white snow. When snow melts in the summer, skiing is replaced by parachuting, zorbing, paragliding and horse riding.

Another popular attraction of the valley,taking advantage of the slopes of the valley, you are likely to spot a huge transparent ball with mostly two people inside it rolling down the slope during summers, it is as much fun as it looks like. One of the most vibrant and enjoyable places in Manali, there is
no way one can possibly miss this valley.

Paragliding and other activities in Solang Valley

Solang Valley is adventure lover's paradise. There are a wide variety of activities and sports here, where you can really challenge the daredevil in you.Among these, paragliding is perhaps the most pursued activity here. In this sport, you are supposed to jump from a higher altitude such that a parachute opens up and allows to cover some horizontal distance as well. Here at the Solang Valley, ample arrangements are in place such that both freshers and experienced paragliders can enjoy this activity. Best time for paragliding varies according to seasons. In case you are planning to visit from January to May or October to December,then 09:00 AM - 05:00 PM is the time slot for paragliding. This activity is generally shut down during the monsoon season due to unfavourable weather conditions.Cost of paragliding varies from INR 500-2000. It is an extremely thrilling activity which will push you to your limits.

Another activity you can try out here is the skiing, where you are allowed to slide down a slope covered with snow with the appropriate gear and supervision.If you catch the sight of people rolling away down the valley whilst in a giant transparent ball,you have just witnessed zorbing! Zorbing can be pursued here at a price of INR 500 per head and is a definite must try. There are overhead cable car rides available as well, which gives a breathtaking view of the entire valley. 

Apart from the wide variety of adventure sports available here, there are swings at the base of the valley for the kids. Other leisure activities like Horse riding, fancy photography are the other attractions that keep tourists engaged and maintains a fair-like the atmosphere in the valley throughout the day.

Snowfall Time
The crystal snow in Solang starts making an appearance towards the beginning of October. With the onset of core winter months, the temperature can drop down to -1 °C with nights being  especially chilly, so carrying plenty of woollens is advisable. December to January is the peak time for snowfall and is the ideal time to enjoy adventure sports.

How to Reach

The closest main town to Solang valley is Manali (13.2 km away) in the state of Himachal Pradesh.

By Air: Bhuntar airport is the nearest airport to Manali town. It operates flights from various cities of India and is only 10 km away from the town.

By Rail: If you wish to travel to Manali by train, then Jogindernagar railway station in the district of Mandi will be the nearest. From there, one can
hire taxis or cabs to the hill station of Manali.

By Road: Best way to travel to Manali is definitely by road. Well maintained network of roads connect the hill station with popular cities of North India
like Delhi (540 km), Dehradun (227 km) and Chandigarh (305 km). You can make use of your own vehicle or hire a taxi/cab to reach Manali. Volvo bus service
from the major cities is also a very good option to the hill station.

Visiting Solang valley for skiing
Skiing being a winter sportitself states the best time to visit Solang valley. The cold season starts here from October and continues till March. Shadowing the entire hill station with mist and snow, it draws a lot of tourists from all over the world.Skiing lovers have to wait little more than October, as the region starts receiving the best snowfall of the season from the month of January. Temperature then
drops below the freezing point and the mountains get covered in a thick blanket of snow.Solang valley has a number of Ski agencies that offer training of this winter sport to the amateurs. Some are Government run, while other are private agencies.Prominent amongst them are the Vajpayee Institute, Iceland Solang, Skii Himalayas and Himalayan Adventurers.