Written and photographed by Rinchen Angmo

Of the few complete winters I have spent in Ladakh, in the winter of 2020-2021 I finally tried ice skating. When I was younger, I’d often been envious of ice skaters; back then, Karzu zing was the ice skating hub of Leh.

Winter in Ladakh can get dreary, but for many young Ladakhis ice skating has been quite the winter activity. However, since ice skates are expensive, it is not an activity that many can afford. 

Many years back, when I came across Auden’s “Musée des Beaux Arts” I looked up the associated paintings and somehow Pieter Bruegel’s depiction of ice skaters really reminded me of the ice skating scene in Leh. I’m not sure whether or not the figures in his paintings don modern ice skates; regardless, the connection remains, because even before modern ice skates arrived in Ladakh, activities on ice like “sikiting”-skating on a small sledge like structure- were prevalent. So, it’s the overall ethos of the portion of the paintings which depict ice skating which resonated with me. 

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