‘Seeking Himalayas’ celebrated World Snow Day (WSD) 2015 event on 18th January 2015 at Barahan village in Himachal Pradesh, India.
This was the first time we celebrated WSD event and the only one in India this year.

We decided to organize the event in this area as there is NO snow sports happening here. For all kids it was a first time exposure to snow sports, something which until now they had only seen on TV!
A dream come true for all of them.

Bursting with joy and energy, 68 kids from nearby villages and schools participated in the event, making it a huge success and first of its kind event ever in the region.

Being actively involved in Trekking in Himalayas, we also mixed it with a short hike. The snow slopes above the village are at an altitude of ~2200 metres. We had to trek up ~4 km and gain 600 metres in altitude to reach there. Some children who came from distant places, hiked up as much as 6 km ( and 900 metres altitude gain ). The youngest participant Harsh was 3 years 10 months old! Hats off to the spirit of young kids

They were divided into 5 groups and took turns for activities like

- basic skiing lessons
- tent pitching lessons
- snow sliding
- snow ball fights.

Snow cover was quite less than what one would normally expect in mid January, but kids’ enthusiasm made it appear like a negligible constraint.

Environment Awareness:
An informal discussion on environmental awareness & healthy lifestyle was held with the kids, wherein we sensitized them about the importance of preserving nature responsibly & adopting an active and healthy lifestyle. Small leaflets for awareness on this theme were specially prepared for the occasion and distributed among the kids. (The A4 size document is attached here. We urge you to download it and spread the awareness to as many people as possible. It has been designed to be folded into 1/4th size )

Snow shaping competition was also held, where the children were divided into teams and let their imagination run free to shape the snow into any artwork they liked (not restricted just to snowman)

They were provided with wholesome and nutritious lunch (which our team cooked specially!)

12 of us from Seeking Himalayas were there to look after the event organization, lessons and food arrangements. Local villagers were extremely helpful and affectionately extended their support as well.
In addition to the kids and organizing team, some parents, school coordinators and local people were also there to witness the event with excitement, thus making the total presence to be around 95 persons.

At the end of event, certificates and prizes were given to the kids.

Event was totally free of cost to the kids.

To give to children a day full of adventure, introduce them to snow sports and bring a smile to their innocent faces was one of the best sense of contentment and achievement we ever had. Looking forward to more such events in future

Details on our website at:
www.seekinghimalayas.com/events/world-snow-day/wsd-2015-barahan
- Free skis snowboards use
- Free ski snowboard lessons
- Free entry tickets
- Free food and drink
- Free gifts and prizes
Environmental and Healthy Lifestyle Awareness SessionsKids having fun in snowLearning Basics of skiingGroup PhotographLink to event video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPzWYwvqVgQ

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