Waiting For Powder

A mountain changes many colours as it experiences spring, summer, monsoon and autumn. But in winter it changes shape.

Snow – a rain of dazzling ice crystals – is what gives shape to the Himalayas – ‘him’ is the Sanskrit word for snow, which shapeshifts as it reacts to meteorological vagaries. It is soft and fluffy when it first hits the hard surface of a mountain, like powder, smoothing the jagged edges of the landscape. To glide on powder is to dance with gravity. For a modest but passionate community in the Kullu Valley of the Indian Himalayas, the arrival of this powder heralds the season to ski and snowboard down peaks above 4,000m.

In a cricket-obsessed nation like India, Skiing has miles to go before it's even recognised as a legit sport. This, however, does not faze the handful of folks determined enough to dream of snowy days to glide on despite the odds.

This series of photos depicts these winter sportsmen at their daily jobs, while the long wait for Winter

and fresh powder continues.
This project is a work in progress.
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