Auli is a ski resort in the Himalayan mountains of Uttarakhand, India. Auli, also known as Auli Bugyal, meaning meadow, is located at an altitude of 2,500 meters to 3,050 meters above sea level.
Perched at a dizzying altitude in the foothills of the Himalayas, the ski resort of Auli is unlike any other in the world. It is a domain where the majesty of the mountains surpasses the imagination and our European reference points. The breathtaking view from the alpine meadows of Nanda Devi, India’s second highest peak, will enchant you.
In winter, you can even ski here surrounded by a natural backdrop, where the snow-capped peaks stretch as far as the eye can see. Whether at sunrise, tinting the mountains with a rosy glow, or under the starry night sky, the view of Nanda Devi from Auli is a transcendent experience, a communion with the wild grandeur of the Himalayas.
Another top attraction of Auli tour is the cable car here. Traveling to Auli by ropeway is magical. The Himalayan peaks can be seen clealry after Tower No. 5. Slowly as the number of towers increases, Nandadevi, Dronagiri, Trishul, Nandakote, Panchchulli will come before the eyes. Seeing one after another peak open in front of the eyes, one has to fall in love, it is more beautiful than a dream.
Two days can be spent in lazy mornings and afternoons wandering around the winding mountain paths, watching the changing colors of the peaks from the lodge balcony in the early morning and watching the birds return home in the magical light of the golden sunset in the evening.
Auli's famous 'Gorson Bugyal' is an ideal destination for winter skiing and ice skating. There are even schools here to teach skating. Winter clothing, skiing equipment and guides are available for hire.
Auli can be reached by ropeway from Joshimath which is the main attraction of Auli tour. It will take about 25 minutes to reach by ropeway. The fare is Rs 750-1000 per head. This service is open from 8 am to 6:30 pm. These cable cars leave every 25 minutes. Children below 5 years are free of charge. A cabin can accommodate 25 people, including a driver. There is no seating inside. The whole thing is transparent glass from the knees to the ceiling, so there is no obstruction to the outside view.
A total of 10 towers on the route of the ropeway. If you want to go to GMVN SKI RESORT or AULI RESORT (Alpine Hut) you have to get down at tower no.8. Then descend the spiral iron stairs of the tower and take the chair lift again to reach GMVN in a 5 minute journey. You can also walk without taking the chair lift, but in that case you have to trek about one and a half km. It is best to go to Auli Top at Tower No. 10 first.
A thrilling journey of about 25 minutes. Snow shoes, sticks, etc. can be rented here. There is no fixed rate – you have to bargain. There are food shops, but the prices are quite high. After spending time in the ice kingdom, you can go back to Joshimath or if you want to spend the night in Auli, walk near Tower No. 8. From there take the chair lift to GMVN Resort. 300 rupees extra for this chair lift.
This beautiful resort is surrounded by coniferous and oak forests and offers panoramic views of the Himalayan peaks. On the skiing side, the slopes are designed for all levels of skiers. The resort is equipped with a 4-kilometer cable car, chairlifts and ski lifts, but also maintained hiking trails.
A small Hindu temple, connected to the Ramayana, the famous Indian classic "epic novel", is a good first place for a walk.
The days follow one another and are not alike, this morning the air is transparent and the mountains are close, very close. Below at the GMVN Lodge, contented travelers bask in warm comfort beneath curtained lighted windows. The gate closes at 8 o'clock and we have a light dinner. The force of the wind gradually increases. An unintelligible metallic dialogue goes on between the tin roof and the rustling of pine branches.
I turned off the light in the hall. The night grows Through the glass window lights came and fell on the floor. The shadow turns elsewhere. In the soft light of the lamp on the altar and the light of the scattered lamps, the mace and Gandhamadan holding Marutinandan seems unearthly.
The aurora-washed glaciers glinted like silver. Black darkness in the distant silver oak forest. Shadows of trees on white snow. No matter how long I stood outside, ignoring the minus seven degrees, frigid Auli embraced her deep warmth.
Although mildly uncomfortable in deep solitude, the prospect of human presence in that environment seems undesirable. I went to bed by 10 o'clock. Consciousness gradually fades away naturally. The night was very cold and we slept quite well but dressed.
We have breakfast outside in the sun and take the opportunity to hang our laundry on the smallest line to dry it.
We start from 3400 m, we will climb to 3700 m at the highest point. Today's trek will be 12.26 km to reach Auli, a ski resort where we have an appointment with our driver. Positive elevation gain 385 m and negative elevation gain 1055 m. It will take us 6 hours.
We leave around 8:30 am under such blue skies, the day promises to be magnificent. We walk through a beautiful forest of mainly conifers, and fear wild boars. The path is well marked but very stony and not particularly easy to walk.
We come across magnificent trees that we are not always able to identify. In the background of the mountain range, we finally see the Nanda Devi which resembles a sphinx with a point and a long back.
We leave the woods to walk on a meadow of short grass, we go along a small lake and we come across buffaloes roaming free, one of them comes curious to see what is this Indian file of bipeds passing through his meadow, then he goes down quietly to take a dip in his small lake.
We start a beautiful climb which offers us some very beautiful views and beautiful photos against a blue sky. We leave the wide meadow for a narrow path that winds along the mountainside. Below villages and rivers that have carved out the mountain.
At the highest point we make a short film with the drone, the view is superb and it's such a shame not to be able to offer you a slightly longer film but with the cold the batteries don't allow more. It's extraordinarily beautiful!
We arrive at a vast pasture, below it looks like a gently bumpy golf course. There is a cute little heart-shaped lake and stone walls that divide the pasture. During our lunch break, a buffalo invited itself to our picnic. A big beautiful bull watches us pass by, it is impressive but the surprise is that it follows us and invites itself to our picnic.
In fact he wants to eat at our table, we give him pieces of watermelon, he likes it. Since I am not very hungry, I give him my club sandwiches, he likes it so much that he even tries to eat the aluminum foil that surrounded them. He spits it out very quickly and continues to try to see what he could eat, as we distract his attention by putting salt on a stone, we leave and leave this surprise guest there.
We continue our way down through the woods, on our way we find a temple and we come across Indian tourists out on horseback. We quickly arrive in sight of the small ski resort of Auli where many tourists wander around.
We are quite surprised because many young people are overweight, which we have never seen in all the small mountain villages. Auli is a resort where top athletes prepare for the Olympics and other national and international competitions. The cable car is in operation to take up tourists who come to get some fresh air. There are also snow cannons and a large water reserve to make it.
It is in the village below that we have an appointment with the driver. There are hotels and accommodations in the small winter sports resort. All along the stairs, there are delicate purple and white cosmos, flowers from Beryl's bridal bouquet, a lovely tribute.
The truck is here, we have a chai while waiting for the horse men, we will also leave them here. We have prepared a small envelope for each one to thank them, it is a very moving moment because we have formed bonds with them. We have tears in our eyes.
They leave as soon as the mules are unloaded and will return to their village in 3 days where it took us 6 days. They will sleep again in the caves.
We take the small bus to Joshimath for a 2 hour journey, we are accommodated in a guest house. The city is lit up for Diwali and we still have no network.
Lovely scenery
Greetings from Sweden
/Ingemar