Life is so unpredictable, just like this journey, read on to find out how a failed journey got converted into a mesmerising travel tale.
It was a bright day, the sun slowly and steadily adding warmth, the thick carpet of snow everywhere, as far as eyes could see, the pine forest adding pigmentation glow to the whole scene, the dream of being in the lap of nature without any intervention from anyone is a reality, a real-time visualization of these four lines, an impossible dream, a journey of ~2000 KM and a wait of 144 hours leads to this vast expanse of snowy land…the ultimate goal.
Impossible is nothing if one really trust the dreams from within and work relentlessly in making them a reality – with a smile, standing in 3 feet deep snow I was soaking every inch of this beautiful place while remembering moments from the last 90 days – the dream, seeing it breaking up into pieces, re-creating it all over and finally every bit of this getting reloaded. This post is all about re-living dreams – here goes the tale.
Destination Auli - A little back story
My first acquittance with Auli happened in 2008 during a search for an offbeat yet beautiful destination for my travel website. Those days the place wasn't that popular, the reach was difficult.
Fast forward ten years, a rather usual day of November 2018, comfortable at my Hyderabad home, more than 20 days of quitting the so-called Mumbai-based IT job. A start-up idea, a couple of more IT job offers, and the urge to travel – with so many uncertainties around I made a promise to myself that will embark on a week-long snow trek after a couple of months. I floated this idea to one of my close friend’s group. The idea got instant like. We decided on a place & date – booked two-way tickets to base Delhi and were eagerly waiting for the big day. In the interim, I signed up for yet another Mumbai-based job – supposed to join this in 1st week of December.
Things were going fine including the new job. With every passing day the excitement of doing a 5-day long snow trek was getting higher and higher. It was like dreaming with eyes wide open. There was a sudden jolt with the group unexpectedly backing out – personal emergencies – one seldom has control over them.
Our travel idea was doing the Kedarkantha summit climb. Though the peak is 12500 feet high, the ascent is rather flat, it was an easy trek. Due to snow settling from 10000 feet this is one of the favourites. Things get booked a lot early – stay, potters, guide, transport. With very little planning done, doing this solo looked a little risky. I blocked a week’s holiday while accepting the new job offer, so backing out wasn't an option. Tickets now stand canceled. Tens days holiday and no clear sight of any destination.
Snow trek was still bouncing back in thoughts. This helped in restricting destination search to the states of Himachal & Uttarakhand. The weather report on harsh winter and good snowfall drew my attention to the destination of the past Auli - a ski and hiking destination surrounded by pine & oak forest, laden with snow from mid-January.
Without a second thought, Auli was locked. The itinerary was set for Joshimath – 10 days, 3802 KM – Mumbai - Delhi - Rishikesh - Joshimath - Haridwar - Delhi - Mumbai.
The journey
The 24 hours of non-stop journey started boarding an evening flight from Mumbai to Delhi and then catching the UPSRTC Volvo bus from Kashmiri Gate ISBT to Rishikesh.
The bus reached Rishikesh 30 minutes early. This helped me grab a seat on the state transport bus to Joshimath. This is a ten-hours long journey so only one service at 530 AM. It was rather cold when the bus departed from Rishikesh – Mumbai was 33°C whereas Rishikesh 7°C.
The town of Joshimath, 12 KM before Auli, is a better option for both transport and accommodation. The govt. run Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) provides a good option for an affordable stay, they're always located on strategic vantage points offering astonishing views of the surroundings. Luckily there were two of them at Joshimath. The newer one called the Joshimath TRH (Jyothir Tourist Complex) is slightly better. I stayed in the dormitory priced INR 200 per night. GMVN has online booking, link to this property here.
The Auli Day
Precisely there are three ways to reach Auli from Joshimath - one by taking the ropeway, two via road till the GMVN Auli Ski Resort followed by a 1.5 KM trek or via the chairlift, and thrid a 5 KM trek. The first option is indeed the hassle-free, quick, and, environment-friendly mode to witness the 360° view of the astonishing surroundings, filled with snow (if travelling in winters) and bounded by the lofty Himalayan peaks.
A few important points about the Auli Ropeway
The cable car or the Gondola is the second highest in Asia (first being Gulmarg, Kashmir) and covers a distance of 4 KM in 22 minutes.
The ropeway caters to the need of two types of tourists – one visiting Auli Top and returning the same day; two for ones with a booking at one of the resorts in Auli top.
For the tourists returning same day return journey usually will be 4 hours after the onward. If you wish to stay longer make sure you request the ropeway attendant at Auli station to adjust you in the next available ride.
Missing the last down journey ride can make things difficult – there are very few stay options at Auli top; most of these are priced high and heavily booked in snow season. The road option will only be available after a 1 KM snow trek to GMVN Ski Resort. Cab availability reduces post dusk, drop charges will be anywhere between INR 1500 and 2500.
Things to do at Auli
Admiring and romancing the beauty of nature is the best thing to do at Auli. The first sight once you reach the top is that of the magnificent Garhwal Himalayan peaks of Nanda Devi, Trishul, and Mana Parvat. The slopes of Auli are considered amongst the best skiing destination in Asia/world and offers an exhilarating opportunity for the novice as well as experienced skiers.
Auli is a meadow or as per local Garhwali language a bugyal; bounded by oak and coniferous forests. The bonus is a magnificent view of the snow-clad Himalayan peaks. Heavy snow accumulation and slopes all around make Auli a perfect ski and hiking destination. The state tourism department in the form of GMVN has done a tremendous job in the overall development of the area. The two most notable things – the cable car from Joshimath to Auli and a sprawling ski resort.
Auli hosted the first South Asian Winter Games in 2011. The Uttarakhand Tourism department (GMVN) conducts 7/14-day skiing courses. Winters range from November through March. The place wears a blanket of snow during December-March. Mid-January sees heavy snow deposit and hence the ideal time for skiing and snow trek.
If visiting during monsoon do embark on the trek to Valley of Flowers, a high-altitude Himalayan valley hugely famous for its alpine flowers such as the Brahmakamal, the Blue Poppy, and the Cobra Lily. The national park is situated at a distance of 34 KM from Joshimath. The 14 KM trek starts from Govindghat (Joshimath - Govindghat 20 KM by road then Govindghat - Ghangaria, 14 KM trek to the base camp).
If visiting in winters then day hike to Gorson Bugyal, trek to Kuari Pass are worthwhile options. Places after Joshimath turns into ghost towns during the winter season. This provides enormous opportunities to soak into the calmness of the larger-than-life surroundings of the region. I spent almost a day at one such gorgeous place called Vishnuprayag (12 KM from Joshimath). This is where mighty rivers Alaknanda & Dhauliganga meets, a sight one falls in love instantly. A glimpse below
Talking about the activities, the snow trek (rather a hike) transpired on the 5th day to Gorson Bugyal. The hike was gentle, 1.5 KM away from Auli top. The route passes through dense pine forest. The path is well marked, however, it gets completely hidden due to heavy accumulation of snow. It was a good decision to go with a local guide. First and foremost no getting lost in the convoluted jungle. Second, listening to the stories of the Himalayan life. We finished the hike in almost 2 hours. Uphill it took 45 minutes (thanks to small stops for pictures), descend was rather fast, a modest 25 minutes. Cost for the guide service INR 700.
Auli - Destination at a glance
Location: Auli is a hiking and a skiing destination located at an elevation of 2,800 meters (9,200 ft) in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand.
How to reach: By road NH-7 through Rishikesh - Devprayag - Srinagar - Karanprayag - Rudraprayag - Pipalkoti - Joshimath. Nearest international airport Jolly Grant (IATA: DED) at Dehradun 270 KM. Nearest railway station Yog Nagari Rishikesh (IRCTC Station Code: YNRK) and Dehradun (IRCTC Station Code: DDN) at a distance of 250 KM and 290 KM respectively. Private buses/shared taxis to Joshimath available from Haridwar and Rishikesh costs INR 600 - 900 (Private cab INR 5 - 7K). Uttarakhand State Transport service Rishikesh - Pandukeswar departs at 530 AM every day, cost INR 530 (confirm before planning, UTC website link here).
Joshimath to Auli Top: The best option is to take the ropeway from Joshimath (near Taxi Stand). Tourists are given a 4-hour window before taking the ride back, which costs INR 750 (as of January 2019). By road take a cab to the GMVN Ski Resort (drop charges INR 500 - 800, two-way INR 1200 - 1500) then either by chairlift (cost INR 300) or by 1.5 KM trek. There's a 5 KM trek route to Auli, which takes one to the ski resort and thereafter as described above.
Where to stay/eat: Auli has got a handful of premium resorts and best for all-around snow experience. These are heavily booked during the peak snow season of late December to early March. Joshimath, 12 KM away, is a commercial town with cheaper hotels, restaurants and provides connectivity to the rest of Uttarakhand. Govt. run GMVN has two properties at Joshimath and a beautiful ski resort and two other luxury properties at Auli, highly recommended.
I was awake the entire night before catching the early morning bus to Haridwar. Places like these often cast a magical spell! Spent a night at Haridwar and then boarded an early morning train to Delhi, thereafter boarding another for the final journey to Mumbai.
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The traveller signs off – keep exploring!!
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