Sky above!
This was one thing that I never imagined that I would do in my life. But the magic of the snowfilled mountains was such that Skiing became an integral part of my visit to Uttaranchal. “Auli will be the best place to Ski” informed my guide Pinku. Situated amidst snowy mountains and flanked by conifers and oak forest, Auli is situated 16 km from Joshimath on Badrinath route.

Well, when I visited the place, skiing competitions were going on. I was quiet scared intially when I saw those experienced skiers making their way through snowcapped mountains. As I visited Uttaranchal in the month of March, Winter Games Federation Of India were holding their National Championship. An 800m long chairlift connects the lower slopes with the upper slopes in Auli making it easy for skiers to zip in moments.

One interesting thing that I found in Auli was that those experienced skiers were actually training amateurs like me. I was taught Skiing in the morning session from 9 am to 1:30 pm. Well there are coaching institutes that conduct classes to teach the tourist who are new to this game. GMVN conducts seven days and a 14 days skiing course in the month of January and March.

Gliding on Snow!!
While it draws boards of skiers in winters, the natural beauty of Auli ensures that summer are not less busy. Well I also tried the cable car rides and rope lift that enabled me to feel the high of the sky. I purely had a lot of fun making a snowman. In fact, I was quiet impressed by the natural scenic beauty as it was unspoiled by the wrath of urbanization.