Walks in India: Auli, Uttarakhand
This post is part of a series on ‘Walks in India‘.
Place: Auli, Uttarakhand
Highlights: Views of Snowy Peaks, Walks in Snow
Season: December to March, when there is snow.
Time of the day: Morning – 9am to 12pm
Distance: Approximately 4kms
Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult
Map. This is an interactive map of the walk. Zoom in to get a closer look. Click on the blue markers to identify of each location. The walking line in the map is approximate. It should be easy to find the walk-way once you are at Auli. In a good winter, entire region in the map will be covered in snow.
View Walks in India – Auli in a larger map
The Walk.
Notes.
1. It is important not to stray away from the path or go too far from sight of other people on the slopes. There are chances that you can get stuck in snow, or get lost in the forest.
2. The nature of walk varies considerably with the amount of snowfall in the season. You would be walking in several feet high snow or tiny grass on the ground depending on snow conditions. Either way, it is a pleasant walk.
Auli has ski slopes, besides which you can walk in the snow. There are cable cars from Joshimath, the nearest town, that can take you to Auli.
Begin the walk from GMVN Lodge in Auli. Make sure you have a good breakfast before you leave, and preferably pack something to eat and drink. Walk parallel to the ski slopes, on the left side of the track as you walk up. Pause often and look back north to enjoy the views of the snowy peaks on the other side of the valley. You can see Trishul and Dronagiri ranges to the North and Nanda Devi to the east.
As you walk up, you can watch amateur skiers coming down the slope in the initial slopes. Make sure you stay away from them – they could loose control and head towards you anytime!
A 20 minute walk should take you to the base of the ski lift where skiers would have lined up to get on the lift. Continue walking up along slopes, which is now filled with more experienced people. All along the way, you can relish the views of the mountains surrounding you. If you are lucky, you will have plenty of snow where walking can be fun initially, and a little tiring later. But take your time – there is no reason to hurry. You can make snowballs and play with your friends, or jump on the snow and feel good sinking into it.
In case of heavy snow, the last point of the walk will be the topmost tower where the cable car goes. The region beyond this would be under heavy snow and hence out of reach. Sometimes a restaurant will be functioning here, where you can have some tea, snacks, or even lunch. If you are staying in GMVN lodge, trace back the path you walked. If you have arrived from Joshimath, you can take the cable car back from here to reach the town.
If there is not much snow, and provided you are still feeling fit, you can walk higher and get into woods(this is not marked in the map). Make sure you don’t stray away from designated path or go out of sight from other people on the slopes. You can walk as high as possible depending on the time of the day and your fitness level. Naturally, higher you go the better are the views, and you are likely to find more and more snow. But make sure you keep enough time in hand to be able to get back.
++ More about Auli on paintedstork.com
* The backbreaking journey to Auli
* Skiing in Auli – 2005, 2006
* Spending time in Auli
* Trekking and Walking in Auli
* Auli Information
* Auli Images – 2005
* Auli Images – 2006
