Auli Trip, Day 2

Day 2, 1 Feb 2011:

The plan was to spend the entire day at Auli, which is a 14 km drive from Joshimath. We were advised to start after 10 AM, as the road will be covered with ice and it will be very difficult to drive the vehicle.

8.00 AM: It was chilly outside, none of us in a mood to come out of the warmth of the quilt. But somehow we got up one by one and were all set and ready to explore Auli. We had a heavy breakfast and were good to go.

10.00 AM: We were on the way to the top. The first 8 kms was very easy. Then slowly we started sighting snow here and there. 2 more kms ahead, the road was filled with snow and it was getting more and more difficult to maneuver the car. There was a kind of track on the road that was free of snow, due to friction created by many vehicles plying on the same place. Turn a little left or right from that track and the car skids, such was the road. At one point, the car almost lost control and started turning when it stopped. My heart was in my mouth for a second. The road was just wide enough for a car to pass. I wonder what would have happened if a vehicle comes in the opposite direction. Somehow we reached the top!

11.00 AM: We were greeted by few ski instructors who gave us a brief background about the place and the surrounding mountain ranges. Then we got down to the business of bargaining for renting the ski equipments. They started at 300Rs and finally settled for 100Rs/person, thanks to advice from my college friends who had already been there before. First they put on the Ski boots which gave me the feeling of being clamped to the surface. They were so tight and heavy. Then the actual Ski was attached to the boots and then finally I was handed the Ski sticks and asked to slide/walk on the ice. One step forward and I was sliding few steps back thanks to the slippery ice. The instructor then taught me how to stop using the sticks. Slowly but steadily I was walking on the ice. Now the instructor asks me to ski down the small ramp. I did promptly, half way through I realized I didn’t know how to stop after I reach the end of the ramp! Ahead of me I see muddy water and was sure and prepared to fall into it. But luckily I was able to balance and the ski just stopped as I bumped into the muddy water. All my friends fell on the first attempt and they were amazed when they saw me still standing. I went back and repeated the exercise and again and again. I fell a few times, and could not get up on my own, without removing the skis. So I had to shout “Bhaiya, Utha do! Bhaiya, Utha do!” and someone would come and help me stand up. Once I did a matrix stunt, when I lost balance in the muddy water and was on four legs but I made sure I dint fall and dirty my clothes. :D

12.30 PM: We were asked to return the equipments and that’s the end of my adventure with skiing. Then there was a cable car for advanced skiers that takes them to a place from where they can ski down to the initial point. We went up the car to explore the place. The ski ramp looked so scary from the top, don’t know how people ski from that point!

We got to see some great views from the top, 360 degrees view of the place. The place was full of snow, we were randomly clicking pictures, playing with the snow, making snowmen, writing our names on the snow and what not.

3.30 PM: Fully tired and with a heavy heart, we started the descent to our hotel lest it get dark. The descent wasn’t as bad as the ascent as most of the snow had melted. We freshened up, had a quick meal and were ready to visit the nearby temples. We visited the Narsing Temple and then Kalpavriksha which is supposedly 2500 years old, where Adi Shankaracharya used to meditate and attained salvation. This place was actually called Jyothirmath for the same reason but somehow the name is now Joshimath. The Shankaracharya rest place was on top of a mountain from where we had a clear view of the entire town and we spent some time there, enjoying the scenery, the calmness of the place and the cool breeze.

6.30 PM: Getting colder by the minute, we started back to our room with great memories to savor in our minds and satisfaction in our hearts. Dinner at 8 and we hit the bed by 9.30 PM, planning to leave the place by 7 AM in the morning.

This is where the actual fun starts .. Stay tuned!!

Day 3 Here