If It’s Magical, It Must Be Auli.

With memories of the last trip to the Triund mountains, this time, while my friends were pondering over our next destination — Auli — a silly thought, as it sounds to me now, kept knocking on my fancy: to what extent can nature surprise us? After all, it will be the same trees and mountains, the same solitary cafes and the same solitude that the Himalayas offer.

However, leaving the entirety of my thoughts behind, we proceeded on our journey to reach Joshimath via Rishikesh first, and then Auli, by HRTC.

By the time we reached Auli, I was compelled to recall my silly thought — but this time, to laugh at it. And while I pitied my own existence amid these Brobdingnagian mountains, a lavish white carpet of fresh snow, expanding to infinity, lay there to bless us. Sleeting, lush-green oak and pine trees welcomed us. It was magical and breathtaking. With wide open eyes, trying to seize the panoramic view, “And here it is!” — whispered I to myself, and moved forward to embrace it all in one breath.

Sun set the stage for us

To start with, Auli Bugyal is a ski destination in the Chamoli district of the Uttarakhand Himalayas, located at an elevation of 8,200 ft. to 10,010 ft. above sea level. With Asia’s longest ropeway of 4 kilometres, along with a manicured trek route and the highest man-made lake, Auli is the perfect amalgamation of natural and man-made wonders.

Auli lies on the way to the Hindu pilgrimage destination of Badrinath and is connected via Joshimath. The ropeway from Joshimath to Auli takes you to the Ski Resort of Auli, passing the beautiful slopes of the Garhwal Himalayas.

The View from Auli Skiing Point

Before the skis and the sledges came out, we walked over to the point right above the ski slopes, and this is where Auli truly earns its name. On a clear morning, the whole Garhwal range seems to have gathered itself just for you — no haze, no clouds, just peak after peak standing shoulder to shoulder.

Nanda Devi is the one your eyes go to first — India’s second-highest peak, with Dunagiri standing quietly beside her like an old companion. To the left, Trishul rises with its three-pronged crown, named after Lord Shiva’s own weapon, and on the far side the Chaukhamba massif holds up the sky along with Neelkanth, Mana Parvat, Kamet and Hathi Parvat. It is close to a 270-degree wall of white, and you will find yourself turning in circles trying to take all of it in.

Auli is an assortment for adventure seekers and has trekking, skiing, riding, water-sports, ski lift, chai-Maggi and pleasant stay options.

The Stay

May God bless you all with friends who can help you with such stay options. Yeah, this was our stay in Auli — at the ITBP Base Camp. After exchanging welcoming salutations with the jawans and a breakfast served with so much love and royalty, we headed for our route to Auli Ski Resort, which was only 15 minutes away from our stay.

The Ski Resort at Auli provides the best conditions for skiing and is regarded as having one of the best skiing planes in the world. I ask you, how can somebody miss a skiing experience at its best destination? No, one cannot. So we too tried our hands at skiing and tasted our share of snow.

What Next

After the refreshing skiing morning, our next move was to do some trekking. Apart from skiing, Auli provides many trekking options in the hills of the Garhwal Himalayas — Khulara (12 kms), Kuari Pass (11 kms), Tapovan (9 kms) and Tali (6 kms) — and all of them can be picked up right from where the ski slopes end.

Kuari Pass is the one most people have heard of, called Lord Curzon’s Trail after the British Viceroy who once walked it and could not stop talking about it. The trail moves from Auli through Gorson and Tali before climbing to the pass itself, opening up views of Dronagiri, Hathi Ghoda, Kamet and Neelkanth along the way — it usually takes a few days, and most trekkers continue onward to Khulara and then down to Tapovan, closing the loop back near Joshimath.

Tapovan is the quieter one of the lot, known for its meditation caves and hot water springs said to carry healing properties. The route drops through dense forest and alpine meadow before reaching the village, and by the time you’re there, the mountains have already worked their spiritual angle on you a little.

Tali sits in between — mostly used as a resting meadow on the longer route to Kuari Pass — vast and empty in that way only a high-altitude meadow can be. We did not have the days on hand for any of these this time. What we did have time for was Gurson.

We opted for Gurson Bugyal — being the nearest one from the ski resort, just 3 km’s away and barely 1.5 kms from the last tower of the ropeway. It is at a height of 3056 mts above sea level, with a panoramic view of the snow-covered peaks of the Himalayas. Our journey for Gorson followed…

(For anyone reading this to plan their own trip — the Gurson Bugyal trail starts right from the Auli skiing point, so there’s no separate transport needed, you simply walk out from where the slopes end. It’s an easy, well-marked route through the forest, taking about 2 to 3 hours up and roughly the same coming down, which makes it a comfortable half-day trek. March to June brings the meadow alive with wildflowers, September to November gives you the clearest mountain visibility, and if you go anytime after December, expect the whole meadow under snow. A small forest entry fee is collected at the start of the trail, and remember — there is nothing up there in the way of a stay, so plan your day accordingly.)

Here we started…

With a ski resort as the entry point for the trek, Gurson Bugyal is a huge meadow spread along the huge mountain peaks, and the route takes you through a mixed forest of snow-laden oaks and conifers.

You will meet a few fallen trees on the way, which serve as the narrators, reciting the stories of ‘Wood and Snow.’ Try to listen and share some with us.

The route takes you deep into the forest. Keep walking and keep admiring the scenic, lush green woodland. The most admirable thing about the route is its solitariness and rawness, which keep you fresh and alive all the time.

The route takes you through this

As you leave the woodland behind, you enter the wonderland with endless snow-covered slopes. Enjoy the spellbinding 270-degree view of the snow-draped Mana Parvat, Nanda Devi and Kamet Dronagiri as you move forward.

The Wonderland

From here, it is a matter of your choice only to set an endpoint for your expedition, as it’s free, open ground now. We went along with our nomadic spirit, leaving the route behind and freeing us to explore ‘off the trek’.

Yun hi chala chal raahi, kitni haseen hai ye duniya…

After attaining every slope-peak, we kept on selecting another one as our next possible stopping point, and went on wandering. This kept our motivation level high and our wandering lust higher. And see what we were up to…

The Nowhere Land

Choose a peak, as it’s time to sit and experience the Auli evenings, as they are no less than a spiritual spree. As the radiant sun goes down, the sky, like a chameleon, changes its colour every minute, and drifting clouds take shapes of your imagination.

You can see the magic happening, and then you can only understand why Shiva opted for the Himalayas for meditation and his abode. The feeling of tranquillity and oneness with nature fills you and leaves you with lingering memories for life. You get the true “peace of mind.”

Try to return before it gets too dark, as there are no accommodations except at Auli Ski Resort. A trek guide is suggested for convenience and safe wandering.

Ever try to meet yourself at Auli!