Auli, Chamoli

       Auli is nestled in the lap of the snow-caped peaks of Garwal Himalayas in the Chamoli district of western Uttar-Pradesh, near the world famous religious shrine of Badrinath. At an altitude of 2,500-3,050 metres above sea level, Auli's well-dressed slopes are flanked by coniferous and oak forests and offer a panoramic view of Mt. Nanda Devi, Mana Parbat, Dunagiri, Beethartoli, Nilkanth, Hathi Parbat and Ghori Parbat. The rugged and snowy tettain of Auli is so challenging that it used to be a training ground for India's Para-Military Forces in the 70's.

       Realising the potential of Auli as a ski-resort, the Government of U.P. had it surveyed by French and Austrian experts who favourably compared the slopes of Auli to the best in the world. Auli is today a promising ski-spot and an ideal winter resort. Apart from Skiing Festivals being held here since 1986, National Championships under the aegis of Winter Games Federation of India have been held at Auli with technical and ohter backup assistance provided by various Government and adventure related agencies.

       Auli has now become a leading tourist spot and while its slopes beckon daring and gallant skiing enthusiasts, its pristine natural beauty and the alpine atmospher lure many a tourists who come here for a variety of other reasons - for conquering their fear of heights, for savouring nature in its purest form or just to throw snowballs at each other.

How to go there:
Air: The nearest airport is at Jolly Grant (17 kms from Rishikesh, 26 kms from Dehradun and 270 kms from Auli).

Rail: Coming from any part of India, the nearest rail heads are Haridwar and Dehradun. Haridwar is connected by Haridwar-Dehradun Express (3009 Up), Delhi-Dehradun Express (4041 Up), Mumbai-Dehradun Express (9019 Up) and Dehradun - Delhi Shatabdi Express.

Road: Auli is noly a 13 kms, drive from Joshimath. State Transport and Union buses ply regularly between Joshimath and Rishikesh (253 kms), Haridwar (276 kms), Dehradun (295 kms), and Delhi (500 kms).

From Joshimath onwards, both bus and taxi service are available for Auli. Deluxe coaches can be arranged with prior notice for a group of 15 people or more.

Cable Car: The most popular way to drop in at Auli is by the famed cable car service which runs for 3 kms. Travelling by the ropeway, it is impossible to resist the captive beauty of the snow covered peaks, the alpine forest and the bracing climate.

Accomodation:
Finding accommodation is not a problem for the enthusiastic tourist headed for Auli. For those who value luxury and service, there are hotels and rest houses. GMVN has a unit at Auli with a 110-bed capacity. The tariff ranges from the budget (dormitory) to luxury (deluxe rooms). For the more adventurous, alpine cottages and log huts prove to be a more exciting choice. Also available are catering services, adequate heating arrangements, round the clock hot water supply and warm hospitality - all of which ensure a comfortable and memorable stay.

The above modes of accommodation are supplemented by a wide network of luxurious yet affordable hotels and rest-houses all along the route (at Dehradun, Rishikesh, Devprayag. Srinagar, Rudraprayag, Gauchar, Karanprayag, Nand-prayag, Pipalkoti and Joshimath).

Tourist Info:
U.P. Tourism, Director Tourism (Hills), Patel Nagar, Dehradun (U.P.), India, tel: (0135) 624147, Fax: 624147.

The Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN), a U.P. Government Undertaking, provides the following facilities at Auli for the convenience of the tourists :

• A state-of-art Ski life which has been imported from France. The Ski lift is 500 metres long which makes it the longest in the country.
• The slopes of Auli also have the luxury of an 800 m long chair lift linking the lower slopes with upper slopes.
• There are two snow-beaters imported from Germany.
• Dressed and improved ski slopes which make the slopes of Auli ideal for hosting skiing festivals and competitions.
• A 3.9km long ropeway links Joshimath with the upper slopes of Auli. It covers a track distance of 4.15 km and is the longest ropeway in Asia in zig back system. It has ten towers of self supporting steel structures with saddles and shoes. Remote controlled hydraulic and pneumatic braking system makes it the safest ropeway. Besides, most sophisticated electronics circuitry with telemetry and storm warning devices are used to minimize human error.

Food:
Enroute to Auli are a gamut of cuisines available in food-outlets, private restaurants as well as those provided by GMVN. Wholesome and hygienic meals can be savoured at these outlets at moderate rates.

Essentials:
Tourists are advised to bring woollen clothings, cap, socks, dark glasses, gloves, mufflers, pullovers, wind-proof jacket, gum/snow boots and a torch light. These accessories are a must for the tourist keeping in mind the weather conditions at Auli where the temperature drops to as low as - 8 degree Celcius in winters although it is moderately cold in the sumers.

The tourists who are interested in skiing may bring the equipment of their choice with them. Ski equipment is also available on hire.

Emergencies:
Adequate medical facilities are available at Auli and Joshimath and medical assistance can be easily obtained from Army and Civil hospitals.

Training Courses:
Auli is not only the battle-ground for experienced skiers, who come here armed with their skiing equipment, it is also a training ground for those aspiring to ski skilfullly with the help of expert guidance.

Training Courses are conducted in modules of 7 and 14 days. Training is imparted to the enrolled persons in modern skiing techniques by qualified instructors from Skiing & Tourist Resort, Auli and Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering, Gulmarg. The 7 day courses are non-certificate courses with a total of 25 seats. These courses are conducted in January, February & March. The 14-day module is a certificate course, each one having 15 seats.

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