High up in the Garhwal Himalayas, Auli is covered under a blanket of snow from December to February. The slopes are fabulous for skiing and it has been developed as a state-of-the ?art ski resort, complete with ski lifts and cable cars. GMVN and the Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering have 7to 14-day ski courses between December and March. But even if skiing holds no attraction for you, Auli is still a great place for a holiday, with splendid views of the Nanda Devi peak. It's worth the trip.



The drive to Auli from Delhi takes two days. On the first day, a six- to seven-hours drive will get you to Rishikesh, 225km away. It's best to spend the night here and then leave early to drive the hills to get to Joshimath and Auli. While the drive from Delhi to Rishikesh is pretty ordinary, do watch out for the odd bullock cart or cyclist. The road from Delhi to Rishikesh is full of these. From Rishikesh to Joshimath the road runs along the Ganga River until Devprayag. The 223km stretch takes seven hours because of frequent inclines and hairpin bends.

From Devprayag, the road follows the Alaknanda to Srinagar, Rudraprayag and Karnaprayag (where the Pindar River joins the Alaknanda). After that it's Nandaprayag, Chamoli, Pipalkoti and Joshimath. From Joshimath, a cable car runs up to Auli- you can park your car in the GMVN compound. You can also drive if you wish, but be careful on the snow. Certain stretches can be icy.

Himalayan towns have a certain chaotic quaintness. When you enter a town you'll find shops on both sides of the road, a bus stand at one end, and jeep taxis parked in the close vicinity of the bus stand.

THE INFORMATION: -

DISTANCE 448 km, one way JOURNEY TIME 2 days

WHERE TO STAY the best places to spend a night in Rishikesh or further north are GMVN rest houses, which have accommodation for a range of budgets, watch for signboards on the highway.

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