Auli

From WikiSki

Overview 

A big resort by Indian standards, small one by international standards. A fairly remote location not easy to get to with great views. 2 ski lifts (chair & poma) giving a vertical of around 500m. Reasonable for beginner & intermediate skiers although somewhat limited. Seems mostly frequented by middle class Indians visiting snow for the first time and the odd western backpacker travelling through the region. Certainly not the place for a quick day trip. The nature of the road from Haridwar to Joshimath is a significant disincentive.

Contents 1 Location 2 Pros 3 Cons 4 Contacts 5 Planning 5.1 Getting There 5.2 Accommodation 5.2.1 On Mountain 5.2.2 Off Mountain 5.3 Lift Tickets 5.4 Ski School 5.5 Equipment Hire 6 Resort Facilities 6.1 Getting Around 6.2 Parking 6.3 Activities 6.4 Dining 6.5 Bars & Entertainment 6.6 Shopping 6.7 Children 7 Ride Guide 7.1 Beginner Areas 7.2 Groomed Runs 7.3 Off Piste 7.4 Out of Bounds 7.5 Cross Country 7.6 Parks & Pipes 7.7 Bumps 7.8 Powder Zones 7.9 Sheltered Runs 7.10 Snowplay 8 Other 8.1 Weather 8.2 Geography 8.3 History 9 Resources 9.1 Maps

Location

Auli is located in the region of Garhwal in the state of Uttaranchal approximately 500km northeast of Delhi. Not all that far from the Tibetan & Nepalese borders to the east. The village of Auli is at around 2500m. The town of Joshimath below is at around 1900m.

Pros

- One of the few ski resorts in India with ski lifts.

- Great views of Nanda Devi (approx 7800m).

- Reasonable skiing for beginner and intermediates.

Cons

- Road to get there is quite treacherous.

- Limited on piste skiing for advanced skiers.

- Power somewhat spasmodic, blackouts fairly common.

Contacts

Phone: PLEASE EDIT

Fax: PLEASE EDIT

Postal: PLEASE EDIT

Planning

Getting There

Train from Delhi to Haridwar (approx 4-5 hours). Then by road via Rishikesh, Deoprayag, Srinagar(UA), Rudraprayag to Joshimath (approx 270km). The road section cvan take anywhere from 7 to 10 hrs or more depending on vehicle, road conditions etc, but most significantly by the number of landslides you encounter on the way. The road follows some very steep narrow gorges with some very loose sedimentary rock. This aspect is usually overlooked by sites promoting the area. Tour operators doing this will organise a car with a driver for this and normally do the trip over 2 days, sometimes combining it with some rafting near Rishikesh. From Joshimath there is a road of another 15km to Auli which is normally closed in winter, so you need to catch the cable car (Ropeway) up.

Accommodation

On Mountain

A few lodges in the lower part of Auli, then the Cliff top resort near the top of the chair lift and just down from tower 8 of the Ropeway. The Cliff Top resort is probably one of the better accomodations in the area and is quite nive looking. Unfortunately there is no insulation or double glazing. Heating is by small electric bar radiators and power is somewhat flakey in these valleys, so it can get cold at times.

Off Mountain

Hotels and lodges in Joshimath.

Lift Tickets

2005 prices. Currently (2007) 1AUD = 34INR. These are purchased as you go. The Ropeway is R200 return. The chairlift is R100 for 2 rides and the Poma is R25 a ride. Lifts tend to operate on a bit of an ad hoc basis. Although it states that the Ropeway operates 8am to 5pm in reality it is when there are enough people to justify it. Similar for the chairlift - the operator will wait until there are enough (10?) people waiting - this may take a while.Dont forget to book your Ropeway Tickets as soon as possible because the runs are limited. Ticketing window opens at 9am. Ropeway runs at an interval of half an hour starting from 9am to 12noon. and come back from 3 to 4:30.

Ski School

There is a small one, primarily aimed at first time Indian skiers.

Equipment Hire

Limited and very old.

Resort Facilities

Getting Around

Ropeway for getting from Joshimath to Auli and back, otherwise foot power.

Parking

In Joshimath at base of Ropeway.

Activities

Limited.

Dining

Usually in house.

Bars & Entertainment

No

Shopping

A few market stalls in Joshimath.

Children

PLEASE EDIT

Ride Guide

Beginner Areas

Alongside Poma lift or base of chairlift.

Groomed Runs

Don’t expect corduroy, but skiers left of the Poma is groomed.

Off Piste

Potentially yes.

Out of Bounds

PLEASE EDIT

Cross Country

No trails, but I guess you could do the road.

Parks & Pipes

No

Bumps

No

Powder Zones

Potentially anywhere of the trails.

Sheltered Runs

PLEASE EDIT

Snowplay

PLEASE EDIT

Other

Weather

PLEASE EDIT

Geography

In the fairly remote northeast of Uttaranchal with great views of Nanda Devi at around 7800m and several other 6000m+ peaks. Nanda Devi is a spectacular peak and was the highest peak in India before Sikkim was annexed.

History

PLEASE EDIT

Resources

http://www.clifftopclubauli.com/index.html

http://www.indialine.com/travel/uttaranchal/auli/auli-skiing-resort.html

http://www.gmvnl.com/newgmvn/districts/chamoli/auli.aspx

http://www.thegarhwalhimalayas.com/skiing/skiing_nandadevi.htm

Maps

http://www.clifftopclubauli.com/images/uttarakhand-map.jpg