Day: 16th November Thursday
I have heard a lot about Auli and especially about its main
attraction the 4-kilometer long Ropeway which also happens to be Asia's
second-largest ropeway. The strange thing about Auli is that there is no
roadway to reach the place directly. The only mode of transport is the ropeway
which you can board from Joshimath also known as Jyotrimath.
.
My layover at Auli was unplanned; I came down directly from
Badrinath after completing the Vasudhara trek about which I have posted in my
earlier post (Click the link here to read that post). I decided to spend a
night at Joshimath before actually heading to my next destination.
I stayed at Joshimath that night and fortunately found some
non-vegetarian restaurant after a long time. Let me point out something
here, for your information if you are a
non-vegetarian like me and have a big tour schedule in Uttarakhand then I must
warn you that have to go vegan for a couple of days. Although there are few
places which serve non- vegetarian meals I must advise you eat at your own risk
because the taste could be horrible. So after my stomach thanked me for providing
it with what it was looking for the past couple of days, I decided to end that
night on a happy note. The next morning I decided to visit Auli. I was already
in Joshimath so I packed my bags locked it and kept it at the hotel from and
decided to book tickets of the Ropeway or cablecar which will take me to my
destination.
I decided to catch the first cable car that reaches Auli at
9 AM and come back to Joshimath before 12 PM and also before my checkout time
at the hotel. For all your information the tickets for the ropeway will set you
back Rs.750. The ropeway which will take you to Auli has a total of 8 points,
and it takes about 15 to 20 minutes to reach the destination. Once you book your tickets, they will give
you 1 hour to visit the place, and once the time limit is over, you have to
catch another ropeway and which will take you back to Joshimath. Fortunately
because the middle of November was an offseason I got to spend an extra hour in
Auli. After clicking some images, I
boarded the next ropeway and decided to head back to Joshimath.
What Is So Special About Auli
Auli is also called the Auli Bugyal, in Garhwali, which
means "meadow." It remains
covered in snow towards the end of the year, but if you decide to visit there
in offseason, you might miss out the winter activities but can watch the green
meadows which remain covered under the snow during winters. Unfortunately, I
was there in the middle of November and thus have not received any snowfall and
unfortunately neither could enjoy skiing. However, the green meadows were
something which was worth watching alongside all the peaks while sipping on a
hot cup of coffee. Quite honestly you
should visit Auli only during the winter season when there is snowfall
otherwise you won't be able to enjoy the real beauty of the place. Now keeping
the facts aside if you love photography and watching snow-covered peaks then
you will love the view once you reach the area.
You can watch a total of 8 peaks from there as the person
who operates the ropeway said. The 8 peak includes Chaukhamba which is also the highest peak standing at 7138m,
Neelkanth (6597m), Gauri (Ghori, Ghoda) Parbat (6708 m), Hathi Parbat (6727 m),
Dunagiri (7066 m), Nanda Devi (7817 m), Trishul (7120 m), Nanda Kot (6861) and
Panchchula (5904 m). Auli also offers
few trekking routes as well which includes treks to Nanda Devi, Kamet, Mana
Parvat, Dunagiri. The trekkers assemble at Auli and before heading for their
next destination.
ACCOMMODATION IN AULI
There are plenty of accommodations available in Auli for the
tourists, but things get expensive especially during winters. You can find
lodging in Joshimath if you do not want to spend a considerable amount of money
on accommodation. For your information, their accommodation tariff options
start from as low as Rs. 800 and can go all the way upto 10, 000 and above.
NEAREST AIRPORT AND HOW TO REACH AULI
The only nearest Airport in Auli is Jolly Grant Airport in
Dehradun which is about 270 km away from the place. The nearest railway station
is Rishikesh which approximately 250 kilometers and Dehradun railway station
which is about 290 kilometers.
In my case, I started my journey all the way from Haridwar
and visited a couple of other places before reaching Joshimath.
If you want any further information, about Auli, please
leave your message in the comment section below, and I will get back to you
soon.
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