Ask anyone who has been to Auli what comes to mind first, and skiing is almost always the answer. It makes sense: Auli is one of India's most well-known winter sports destinations, and for a lot of people the entire trip is built around learning to carve their way down a snow-covered slope for the first time. But here's the thing nobody really tells you before you go: skiing is just one chapter of what Auli actually has to offer. Spend even a couple of extra days there, and you'll realise this little Himalayan town has a lot more going on than just its slopes.
Where TrekNomads Fits Into This
If skiing is the reason you're heading to Auli in the first place, it helps to have the whole trip handled by people who know the mountain well. TrekNomads runs its Basic Ski Training program in Auli with beginners specifically in mind, pairing hands-on coaching from government-licensed instructors with comfortable stays and all the equipment sorted out for you, so the only thing you really need to show up with is the willingness to learn. And once your training sessions wrap up, you'll find Auli has plenty more to offer, which is exactly what we'll get into in the sections below.
The Auli Ropeway: A Journey Before You Even Reach the Slopes
Before you get anywhere near your first ski lesson, there's a good chance you'll already be sold on Auli, and that's because of the ropeway. Connecting the town of Joshimath up to Auli, this cable car ride is often talked about as one of the longest and highest of its kind in Asia, and once you're sitting inside that swaying cabin gliding over dense oak and deodar forest, you'll understand why people rave about it.
What makes the ropeway special isn't just the altitude; it's the change in scenery happening right below you. One moment you're looking down at thick forest canopy, and the next the trees thin out into open snow fields with a wide horizon of Himalayan peaks. By the time you step off at Auli, you've already had one of the best views of the whole trip, and you haven't even strapped on a pair of skis yet.
Gurson Bugyal: Beautiful, But Not So Easy to Reach in Winter
Not far from Auli's main slopes lies Gurson Bugyal, a wide-open meadow that people often describe as one of the prettiest short walks in the area. In autumn or the milder months, it's a fairly easy stroll through pine and oak forest that opens up into rolling green grassland with the mountains lined up behind it.
Winter changes that picture quite a bit, though. Once heavy snowfall sets in, the meadow gets buried under a thick blanket of snow, and unless you're on skis or wearing proper snowshoes, walking there can turn into genuinely hard work. In peak winter, Gorson Bugyal can be covered in deep snow, which may make the short trail from Auli more difficult than it appears. Snow conditions can change the pace and visibility of the route, so it is worth checking the conditions beforehand and taking local guidance if you're unfamiliar with the trail.
Chattrakund: A Quiet Lake Just Past the Meadow
Keep walking a little further past Gurson Bugyal, and you'll reach Chattrakund, a small lake tucked into a clearing surrounded by oak and coniferous forest. It doesn't get nearly as much footfall as the meadow it sits next to, mostly because a lot of visitors turn back once they've seen Gurso Bugyal and don't realise there's more just ahead.
What makes Chattrakund worth the extra bit of walking is how still and untouched it feels. The water is calm, the tree line around it is thick enough to block out most of the noise from the main ski area, and on a clear day the surrounding peaks reflect nicely off the surface. It's less about spectacle and more about finding a quiet corner to sit in for a while, away from the crowd that usually gathers around the slopes.
The Auli Artificial Lake
Auli also has a man-made lake that serves a very practical purpose, storing water that's used to power the snow guns when natural snowfall isn't quite enough to keep the ski slopes in good condition. It's often mentioned as one of the highest lakes of its kind, and despite being built for a functional reason, it's turned into a scenic spot in its own right, with the surrounding slopes and forest giving it a fairly striking backdrop.
It sits close to the main ski area, which makes it an easy stop if you're already up there for training or just walking around between sessions. Worth a quick visit if you're curious about how the resort actually manages its snow through the season, and pretty enough to justify the short detour even if you're not.
Joshimath: More Than Just the Starting Point
Most people treat Joshimath as nothing more than the town you pass through on your way up to Auli, but it deserves more credit than that. It's home to old temples and monastic sites connected to figures from Indian religious history, and there are natural hot springs nearby too, a genuinely welcome idea if your legs are sore after a few days of ski practice.
It's also worth remembering that Joshimath is where the ropeway ride begins, so if you're staying down there before or after your training, you already have a solid excuse to wander through the town on foot rather than rushing straight up to Auli.
Bringing It All Together
Auli earns its reputation as a top winter sports destination fair and square, but reducing it to just a ski town does the place a disservice. The ropeway ride alone is worth experiencing regardless of whether you ever put on a pair of skis, and the meadows, lakes, and nearby town of Joshimath round out a trip that ends up being about a lot more than snowy slopes. Whether you're there purely to ski or planning to explore a bit of everything, having a program like TrekNomads' Basic Ski Training as your base gives you a solid starting point to build the rest of the trip around, so you can spend your free hours discovering the town rather than sorting out logistics on your own.
FAQ
Is Auli only worth visiting for skiing?
Not at all. While Auli is best known as a ski destination, the ropeway ride, nearby meadows, Chattrakund lake, and the town of Joshimath below it all offer plenty to see and do, whether or not you're there to ski.
What's the difference between Chattrakund and the Auli artificial lake?
Chattrakund is a small, natural lake just past Gurso Bugyal, known for being quiet and scenic. The artificial lake, on the other hand, is man-made and mainly used to store water for the snow guns on the ski slopes, though it's become a scenic spot in its own right too.
Do I need prior experience to join TrekNomads' Basic Ski Training in Auli?
No, the program is built specifically for beginners, though it also works for those with some experience looking to sharpen their technique. Training progresses gradually from balance and basic turns to more advanced skiing on steeper slopes.
