Pithoragarh, Feb. 5 -- The state tourism department will organise two skiing training camps at Khalia Top in the Munsiyari region from February 5, after a fresh spell of snowfall has resulted in over three feet of snow cover in the area, officials said on Wednesday. District tourism officer (DTO) Kriti Chandra Arya said the camps were being organised to train locals in skiing, enabling them to develop adventure sport activities for tourists. "Both the sessions will be of four days each, and each camp will train 30 locals," Arya said. According to the department, the first camp will be held from February 5 to 9, while the second camp will run from February 9 to 14. Arya said similar skiing camps were organised in 2024, but could not be held in 2025 due to insufficient snowfall and lack of adequate snow thickness in the region. "After the recent snowfall in Munsiyari, tourists from Delhi, Bengaluru, Maharashtra and Gujarat have started reaching the region to enjoy the snow and view the snow-clad Himalayan peaks," he said. The DTO said that for regular skiing activities and tourist camps in Munsiyari, the region requires an average dense snow layer of 2 to 3 feet from December to March every season. If more snowfall occurs this month, the possibility of organising skiing camps for tourists in March will also improve. However, for sustainable snow-based tourism, we need consistent snow layers that do not melt till March," he said. Expressing concern over climate trends, Arya added that global snowfall has reportedly reduced by nearly 50%, creating uncertainty about the future of snow sports and winter tourism in the Himalayan region. "This changing pattern of snowfall poses long-term challenges for snow-based adventure tourism," he said....