A kickstart to 2020. I planned my first trip of 2020 to Auli which is located in Garhwal Himlayas of Uttarakhand at an elevation of 11,000ft. It is about 250 kms away from Rishikesh and 14 kms away from Joshimath. It is the ski destination of India. There are also few treks near Auli for those who loves trekking in snow. The famous one is the Gurson Bugyal trek which is just 3 kms away from Auli. Most amazing part of the trek is a beautiful view of the Himalayan mountains like Nanda Devi, Kamet, The Mana Parvat and the Dunagiri that will accompany trekkers throughout the trail.
The snow season is from December-march and makes it one of the top winter destination of India. Although Auli can be visited through out the year for its magnificent views.
How to reach -
From Rishikesh board a bus to Joshimath, get sure about the bus timings once you are in Rishikesh because, there are only a few buses to Joshimath.
From Joshimath you can go to Auli either by road which is around 12 km or by the ropeway which will be a much better option as it is another experience.
Stay-
There are many resorts in and around Auli but GMVN's Nanda devi eco tourist resort is a good option.
Best time to visit-
The best time to visit Auli is from December-March.
Got down from the ropeway tower. After a long walk in snow we reached our resort - Nanda Devi Eco Tourist Resort (GMVN) which was located in a very beautiful place. It was a little wooden house also covered in thick blanket of snow with a panoramic view of Auli meadows and Garhwal mountain ranges. Stretched our legs, had some rest and then we headed for skiing.
The next morning, we woke up to the view of snow capped mountains visible from our rooms, to see such beauty first thing in the morning really makes your day. Got ready and went to book the tickets for the ropeway to Auli. It is known to be the highest and longest (4km) in India. Pro tip- Get your tickets as early as possible because the waiting list is really long and you get the schedule about an hour after the booking. We booked the tickets at 10 and our cabin was scheduled at 11:45. The price of the Ticket is 1000 rs & is valid for 3 days.
The view from the ropeway's cabin was just amazing. As soon as it started going uphill the terrain kept changing. From small town to pine forest to huge snow meadows, it was such a delight. We were welcomed with heavy snowfall in Auli. Everything my eyes could see was covered in white, like a winter wonderland.
Auli is also known as the ski destination of India & often compared with best ski resorts of the world by international skiers. Skiing is gaining a lot of popularity as an adventure sport in India. The slopes here makes it the perfect spot for adventure lovers. Preparations for the national ski championship were going on which is organised by the Winter Games Federation of India. Auli offers exhilarating skiing oppurtunities to both beginners as well as skilled skier. Tourists can also take residential skiing lessons and that too at economical prices.
After the snowfall stopped, we came out of our room and went to the near by ski stall, got all geared up and was ready to roll on the snow, well I litreally rolled on the snow as I fell everytime I skied. But there was some kind of satisfaction in each fall which made me get up again, climb the slope and come downhill again. Doesn't matter how many times I fell I just kept on doing it. It was really an experience of a lifetime.
Life lesson - Failed attempts can be enjoyable sometimes.
We skiied till the evening, enjoyed the sunset in the snow covered meadows. It was truly a bliss. Sunsets are the gift of nature, They are the proofs that no matter what happens, everyday can end beautifully. It feels like everything paused for a moment and colours are flying in the sky just to paint the world.
We were exhausted. Our energy levels slowly dropped & so did the temperature. We headed back to our room. Rested for a while in the cozy bed with the heater on. The sun is down, coldness in the air can be felt. At night the lowest temperature recorded was -8°C. Woke up in the middle of the night to witness the sky full of stars in this winter haven, truly blissful.
Next morning the sky was clear and the view of the mountains was incredibly mesmerising. Time to bid adieu to this wonderful place. You are definitely going to fall in love with this destination.
This is how my trip to Auli was, adventurous and entertaining.
My journey started from the holy place Rishikesh. I have been to Rishikesh many times before so, I just wandered around the city explored cafe's and had a wonderful time by the river. Next day me and my friends took a bus to Joshimath which took almost 9 hrs to reach. Halted for a night in Joshimath, it was raining cats & dogs when we reached Joshimath, it was about 10 at night.
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