Shimla on thin ice

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Ice-skating is a very popular winter sport in the mountains of Himachal Pradesh. It is popular at Kufri, at Manali, and many other hill stations in the region.

If, however, you've never skated before, it's best to start on a natural rink. The only natural ice rink in the state (and, in fact, the country) is in Shimla.

It is India's oldest natural outdoor skating rink, and it is at the Shimla Ice Skating Club, started by the British in 1920.

The rink is open between the months of December and February, when the ice freezes over naturally, making the ice smoother and less tiring for beginners to skate on.

There are classes held there as well, almost daily, and this is frequented by visitors from all across the country, and many international tourists as well.

Thanks to global warming and deforestation, however, officials are planning to install artificial refrigeration to the rink, thus breaking an 85-year-old tradition.

In the bigger picture, it's perhaps a small side effect of global warming, but there's a lesson in there nevertheless, of the value of taking care of our planet.

Fly like an eagle

Literally not for the faint hearted. But if you've always wondered what it means to soar like a bird then here's something you can try out. There are two organisations in Mumbai that organise paragliding courses.

The Western Paragliding Association (WPA) operates out of Virar "" a distant suburb "" while Nirvana Adventures operates from Kamshet "" 110 km from Mumbai. WPA charges Rs 15,000 for 20 flights on their equipment which includes the training as well.

Once that is complete you are expected to buy your own equipment and help out with the team to train new people. Second-hand paragliding equipment costs Rs 50,000 while a brand new glider costs a lakh.

"When people are just starting out, we discourage them from investing too much, and typically four or five people pool in for one glider," says Sidney D'Souza, trainer at WPA.