Auli is located at an altitude of (alt. 2915 mts-3049 meters) in the Chamoli District of Uttarakhand, India. It is an important destination in the Himalayan Mountains in the state and is known as "Bugyal" in the regional language which means meadows.
As a matter of fact, some of the Australian and French experts consider Auli to be one of the best ski resorts in the world. Auli is a lesser known ski destination than Gulmarg, Shimla and Manali. It was actually in the recent times, after the creation of the state from Uttar Pradesh, Auli was marketed as tourist destination. As there are important and popular pilgrimage destinations, so the state is known as "Dev Bhoomi" which actually "Land of Gods". The main pilgrimage spot happens to be the Char Dham (Gangotri-Yamunotri-Kedarnath-Badrinath). Auli is situated on the way to Badrinath Peak.
Auli is blessed with breathtaking panoramic view of the high peaks of the beautiful mountain range in the world, the Himalaya Mountain. The slopes here offer enough thrill and happiness to the novice and professional skiers as well. The government agency here, known as Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam Limited (GMVNL) takes care of the resort and have imported snow beater to maintain slopes. The place also boasts of Asia`s longest- 4 km- cable car (Gondola). It also has a Ski-Lift and Chair Lift. Apart from the Skiing there is also an interesting trek route as well. There is a training school of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police. A small temple having connection to great epic Ramayana is also present in Auli. Though, the weather in Auli is highly unpredictable, but the best time to visit is the place is last week of January to first week of March.
Auli enjoys a cool climate all through the year. Summers are very pleasant with moderate climate, with average climate around 15 degrees Celsius. Summer season is ideal for entire sight seeing, skiing and also for visiting nearby attractions. Monsoons are accompanied with scanty rains with a sharp drop in temperature to 12 degree Celsius. Winters are characterized by chilly days with average minimum temperature touching near 4 degrees Celsius. December to February is snow bound and chilly. Keep winter clothes to cover up the body if opt for a visit during this period. The main attraction of the place is snow skiing. The period between March and April are very perfect and pleasant for all the sight seeing and outings. The month of September is gorgeous here with Mata Mruti Ka Mela, which is renowned in nearby Badrinath with many rituals and festivities.
English and Hindi are the languages spoken by the people of Auli. In the initial days Auli was a famous trade center. The trails of Auli were frequently traversed by the semi-nomadic Bhotia tribes who maintained barter trading with Tibet for centuries. As per the legends, the reversed Guru Adi Shankaracharya visited Auli during 8th century AD. He built a Joshimath, which still is intact and is known by the name Sankaracharya Tapastali.
