The nearest airport to Auli is the Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun which is 273 km away. Dehradun is connected to Delhi by air with regular flights operated by Indian Airlines and Air Deccan. Due to construction work going on at the airport regular flight services to Dehra Dun airport have been suspended with effect from 21st february 2007 till the end of 2008.
• Snow covered mountains.
• Auli is linked to Joshimath by a 4 kms cable car.
• One can enjoy shopping here. There are variety of blankets, shawls, woolen clothes, and other artifacts and gift items at the local shops.
Auli is nestled at an altitude of 2500 to 3050 meters above sea level in the snow-capped peaks of the Garhwal Himalayas, in the Chamoli district of Uttaranchal near Badrinath. The Auli slopes descending from 3049 meters to 2915 meters are flanked by stately conifers and oaks which cut wind velocity to the minimum. Joshimath is at a distance of 16 Kms from Auli. Skiing is a thrilling sport here and one can have a180 degree view of Himalayan peaks which include Nanda Devi (7817 meters), Kamet (7756 meters), Mana Parvat (7273 meters) and Dunagiri (7066 meters). The conditions for skiing are perfect at Auli. A 500 meters long ski-lift and an 800 meters long chair-lift link the upper and lower slopes and snow beaters and snow-packing machines maintain the smoothness of the slopes. Skiers can enjoy almost 20 kms of virgin slopes which provide excellent opportunities for cross-country slalom and down-hill skiing events. Auli has now become a leading tourist spot. A haven for those who want to escape the humdrum of everyday life, conquer their fear of heights, savour nature in its purest form or just throw snowballs at each other.
In the 8th century AD, the great Guru Adi Shankaracharya is said to have tread on these fields. The temple built by him at Joshimath still exists. For hundreds of years, the colorful semi-nomadic tribes of the Bhotiyas, of the Mongolian stock, traversed the trails at Auli, locally called ThatAuli. Their longhaired yaks, laden with an assortment of goods, assisted them in conducting a flourishing trade with nearby Tibet.
Before Auli was developed as a ski resort, its slopes were the training ground for men of valor and courage-the ski-equipped men of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force. Among the awesome, legendary peaks ranged round Auli, the 23,490-feet-high Trishul (literal meaning, the strident of Lord Shiva) was the scene of a unique expedition in 1958. The mountaineers took four days to climb the peak and only 90 minutes to ski down to the base camp.
There are few restaurants around the place but most accommodations have their personal catering facilities available too. Hotels serve both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. One can enjoy the snacks at small joints located on the road sides found all over for the tourist and residents of Auli.
Temperature is as low as 13 degrees Celcius and goes much below zero degrees during winter. The best time to visit this place is in the summer around June when the temperature is more tolerable and the tourist can check out the tourist spots. The season extends from January to March during which time skiing festivals and the National Championships are held
