Auli – The Ski Retreat
With nature’s blessing of having picturesque view of the magnificent Himalayas and having hills to ensure full on thrills, Auli is very often considered as one of the perfect skiing destination India. A popular hill station now, Auli is all covered with the greenery of the coniferous trees and the oak forest. Also known as Bugyal – meaning a meadow in the regional language, Auli has a predominance of snowfall in the winters and a lush greenery in the spring seasons. Located in the Chamoli district of the state of Uttarakhand, this hill station has become one of the venues for winter sports especially skiing. It has also organized the inaugural SAF Winter Games – 2011, proving out be few of the best ski resorts in the world. It must be also kept in mind that this place have left no stones unturned in attracting the foreign community here and specifically the professional hikers and the skiers.
The SAF Winter Games, 2011 was held in Auli; which saw the participation of many prominent faces in the skiing world.
The period from January to March is the best time to come here for skiing. People rushing to this destination are those lots who are enthusiastic for winter sports. Anyone coming here can easily observe the mountain peaks of Mt. Nanda Devi, Hathi Parbat, Nilkanth, Nar Parbat, Dunagiri, Ghori Parbat, Mana Parbat and Beethartoli.
The panoramic stretch of the Himalayan chain.
Apart from these leisure and family time activities, this hill station also holds paramilitary drills for the Indian Territorial Army as well as for the armed forces of many foreign nations. Adding shine to the pride, many acclaimed winter sport experts have adjudged Auli as one of the best skiing and winter sport venue. This remote hill station is away from the buzz of the busy Joshimath, from where all the other Indian cities are well connected through roadways. Joshimath is well connected with the cities of Rishikesh (260 Kms), Haridwar (290 Kms), Dehardun (300 Kms) and the national capital New Delhi (490 Kms).
Apart from opting for rented vehicles, one can grasp the better version of the scenic view of Auli by its ropeway services. The cable cars here are Asia’s longest and is one of the highest ropeways in the world. These cable cars runs for about a stretch of 3 Kms, which gives the passengers a magnificent view of the Himalayas and its snow covered peaks. Providing an unsurpassed experience in the cable cars, passengers are also assured of their safety. Fitted with storm detection and warning devices and controlled by both hydraulic and pneumatic braking system, the ropeways here are very safe to travel.
The cable cars in Auli never misses out to deliver the magnificence of the view of the Himalayas
Best suited for Camping, Christmas & New Year eves, Honeymoon destination and skiing; Auli is surely a place to look out for.
Camping grounds in Auli.
One minor concern for the people coming here are seen while going for cash transactions and refueling their vehicles. There are no ATMs nor any Fuel depot in Auli. One needs to go to Joshimath to do the necessary and hence Joshimath acts as the lifeline of Auli. Also for accommodations, try opting to stay at Joshimath as the prices and stay homes are much reasonable as compared to Auli.
Eco-homes at Joshimath provides much fairer price.
