Auli, Alluring Always

Spring and Summer
From spring to summer (March-June), the snow melts and alpine flowers, medicinal herbs and delicious fruits come to life. It’s not only a treat to watch the sunrise and sunset that paint the mountains red, orange and yellow, but also the view of deep-blue evening skies with twinkling stars and mountains turning silver by the moonlight. You may often hear locals say, “Nanda Devi is cooking”, when the summer heat causes the molten ice on the mountain peaks to evaporate into mist. Summer is the only time when Khapal (an endemic wild berry), grows here. Now a scarce commodity, the much cherished fruit, around which several songs and folklore are written, is not found in markets, but villagers will generously share this wild berry with you on request.

Hiking, Trekking, Camping
R. R. Point — One km long, it is the easiest and shortest trek, generally undertaken by beginners to acclimatise themselves before venturing to higher altitudes.

Gorson Peak —Spanning over 4-5 km, the route to the peak takes you through varying landscapes, starting with lush meadows. Next, you enter a thick forest, and out of nowhere, fluttering red and orange flags welcome you to the local temple. Trees change with colourful vines, spiralling round their barks and closer to the peak, meadows reappear, with carpets of wild yellow flowers and a natural watering hole frequented by animals. Climbing to the top, you can see village settlements. A few hotels in Auli arrange camps here, as an activity for families.

Tali — Usually covered as part of Curzon’s Trail, from Loharjung to Tapovan, Tali offers good views of Dronagiri and Kuari Pass. If you don’t have enough days for longer treks, yet want to indulge in rigourous activities, trekking to Tali can be exhilarating.

Kuari Pass — An ancient trade route to Tibet, this 22 km trail is a combination of picturesque beauty and local culture. You need a minimum of three days to travel through the quaint villages and interact with shepherds who’ll tell you stories of the past when goat-led caravans carried Indian traders. Kuari Pass is not very high by Himalayan standards, but surrounded by the towering Nanda Devi, Chaukhamba, Hathi-Ghodi, Kamet and Dronagiri, it is an amazing vantage point of the Himalayas.

Shepherds’ trail and village  tours—
Most shepherds here, belong to the Bhotiya tribe, who live in areas around Tibet  and  have a summer and winter house. During the summer, they bring their cattle to graze at Auli’s bugyals (meadows) and towards the end of the monsoons they descend to the lower regions. You can trek with them on their traditional routes (locals can help arrange it or hotels like Devi Darshan Lodge organise it for their guests), or visit Lata (39 km from Auli),  their summer village, which was a major trade centre between India and China, until relations strained. Besides visiting these traditional houses, you can shop for handicrafts and worship at the ninth century temple of Nanda Devi, the most important deity of Garhwalis.


Image courtesy: Mithi  Mishra & Rohit Chandra

Bird Watching
With the arrival of April and May, birds start exploring the higher regions, previously laden with snow. Above Auli, one can spot the Himalayan monal and a little below, towards Sunil village, (walking distance from Auli) there’s a dense forest where you can see doves, golden eagles, mountain hawk-eagles, spotted nutcrackers, sunbirds, bablars, tits, magpies, black-headed jays, woodpeckers and Himalayan vultures.


Image courtesy: Kiran Chaturvedi

Monsoon
If you’re in a mood to sit back and relax, head to Auli between the end of June and beginning of October, when the rain gods shower their blessings. The snow settling on the Himalayan peaks is a glittering contrast to Auli’s flourescent-green landscape. The picture outside your window looks different not only everyday, but at different times during the day, as the clouds decide to hide, reveal and tease.

Head to the nearby town of Joshimath to pluck ripe apples from the orchards (in August and September), or if you’ve set your mind on action and exploration, it’s the ideal time for a trek to the much coveted Valley of Flowers. It is the only time to see certain types of flowers typical of the region and to take in whiffs of petrichor lent by the Himalayan moss. The woody, moist and dark feel created by the moss is a good base for growing orchids, creepers and ivy. Blossoming flowers, during the monsoon, also attract migratory birds from within and outside the country.

Autumn and Winter


Temple en route Gorson
Image courtesy: Pradeep Kodandaram 



Autumn announces itself by the end of October or November, in time to harvest mandua (black finger millet) used to prepare rotis that are rich in protein and give the body the much-needed heat in cold months. Brown and white are the colours of winter that starts in December, but  thick layers of snow accumulate only by January. And then it’s the time to roll in ice, make a snowman, throw snowballs and obviously go skiing! You can carry your own equipment or rent it from your hotel with an accompanying guide. It won’t be fancy, but you’ll definitely have fun. 4-10 day skiing courses are also offered. During winters, the Badrinath idol (of Badrinath Temple, one of the four important Hindu pilgrimages) is shifted to a temple in Joshimath, just a few kilometers away.

With inputs from Kiran Chaturvedi and Sunil Kainthola.