Around 11 pm two friends are packing their tent as they are not able to survive at temperatures around -5 to -10 degrees temperature. There was a high risk of losing their road as it was a dense forest with a fully snow-covered area. And there were so many animals that they knew that. But there were no other options. After midnight they reached the hotel, where their friends were present. But when they opened the door and saw only one friend was in front of the door, they were very shocked and went out of the room to find him and saw he was standing some far away. Actually, he was very much confident that they could stay in a tent without a mat, sleeping bags, or food, so feel very shy. 

Everyone knows that Auli is a very beautiful place and everyone wants to visit this place, especially in winter. There is a man-made lake at a high altitude and many international ski competitions are organized here. This tour is very very memorable in my life because from here we started the trekking after unsuccessful attempts to stay inside the tent. 

A local ski competition arranged at Auli.

This was April month of 2014, we 6 friends had decided to visit Auli on good Friday long weekend. So we took leave for two days and booked a car (Tabera) from Haridwar, and the driver should be staying with us. As this was winter, we did not include the Badrinath Temple in our plan due to the temple being closed in the winter. The Badrinath Bhagaban shifted to Joshimath.

Day 1: Our plan was ready and the final day came. After office, we went back home and around 11 pm we took a bus from ISBT, Kashmiri Gate, Delhi to Haridwar. Around 4:30 am we reached Haridwar and visited Har ki Pauri. We took a bath in the ghat, the water was very chill. Our luggage was packed into the car and around 6 am our journey started from Haridwar.

Day 2: The driver's uncle was very experienced and also he had so much knowledge about the route and the place which we covered on the trip. We took a short break at Rishikesh and finished our breakfast. Again our journey started, now we are going behind the Ganga river flow down. 

Laxman Jhula, Rishikesh around 7am.

Our driver uncle described the mythology or history of the places, like the story of how to build Laxman jhula, where Shri Ram prayed after killing Ravan. And he stayed in so many places where we could get a better place to view the scenario.

Today we should reach Joshimath and start our today’s Journey early in the morning, so we spent time looking at the view point. We requested our driver uncle to stay some place to see the Dev Prayag where Bhagirathi and Alok nanda meet. He told us to don’t worry, the car should be the best place to see the Prayag. For those who don’t know what Prayag is, Prayag is called where two or more rivers meet. 

Our car stayed at a place from where we could see the meet point and after the meeting the different colors of the water were visible, again starting our car and after sometimes we entered the Dev Prayag city, our car stayed at one place and our driver uncle told us to visit the place sangam. We crossed the river Bhagirathi and visited Sangam, here Alokananda and Bhagirathi meet. Then we visited the temple where Shri Ram prayed after killing Ravana.

Our car started and after visiting Dhara Devi Temple around 2pm we reached Rudraprayag through Srinagar, Uttarakhand. We visited the Sangam and also finished our lunch. Dhara Devi temple is situated inside Alakananda river, now there is a barrage to generate electricity. The height of the water level goes high, so engineers cut the stone and raise the temple.The local people believe that the temple is the top portion of the Nandi (cow) at the Kedarnath,and when they cut the temple, then the 2013 flood occurred, so then believe the happened occur for the cutting of the temple.

Around 8 pm we reached Joshimath and stayed the night. On this route we did not stay anywhere as we were late. Early in the morning I visited the Joshimath City, after some time back at the hotel we all visited the Joshimath Temple and the tree where Adi Shankaracharya prayed. 

Day 3: After that we leave Joshimath for Auli 14 km by road and 4km by Rope way. As we have a car so we went by car and booked the government hotel. There were two hotels only and the other one was a five star hotel. This hotel also connects with the Rope way, you can go to the starting point of the skiing by the Rope way. 

We are going there by walking, as then it was April month so less ice was there, we got first ice near the man made lake. We chose the dense forest road, as I suggested that everyone should go skiing. I saw a peak of a hill looking from the top of the tree and told my team that tomorrow is our target to visit the place. No one replied, but after some time one asked me whether it is possible or not, as we have such experience, but I ensure that we can.

Through the forest we reached the place where we started the Rope way, and we did so many activities. There is the option to rent a ski tube to enjoy the ice slope. Then we saw two guys going to the forest area for a night stay with the help of two porter and after half an hour the porters returned and we asked them. They told us the next day they should arrange for camping inside the forest. 

Day 4: At evening we backed to hotel, and the next day morning heavy raining. But we contacted the guys to arrange all the camping and around 12pm the rain stopped. But the porter told us not to camp today as the forest department did not permit us to camp. Then we were going towards the road where they went yesterday to camp. After the skiing areas, a dense forest and heavy show. After sometimes we got a temple, 

After some time we could see the tent where they stayed that night. All of my friends went towards the tent, but my eyes were fixed toward the beautiful place. After 100 meter the forest ends and the sunlight reflects. We quickly went towards the place, it's a bugyal (later known by the name Gorson bugyal). The place was fully covered by ice, no one was there at the time one of our friends asked me to request the person who stayed here to provide their tent to us. I told him why they provide their tent to us and how we shall return their tent. Then he said that they are staging Noida, so we can tell them that we shall provide the tent to their house. Then I said that the tent is only for two people, how could we stay 6 people? He replied we shall sit inside the tent. I had tried to understand him, but when I saw his interest I agreed with him.

We went towards the person and requested for the same and they agreed and we decided to stay near the bugyal. One of my other friends told he should go back to the hotel,as many people can not stay inside the tent, so other friends also agreed to return. First we camped and then collected the dry leaf to the bonfire. All leave the place, now only we two person there, we went toward the peak to see the sunset, I think I was seen one of the best sun set for ever. Mana, Nanda Devi, Trishul, Panchachuli all were red and some cloud was on top of Nanda devi like a red umbrella covered the peak.

Beautiful Sunset on Mana, Nanda Devi, Trishul from Gorson bugyal Near Auli.

Suddenly the temperature was down, we quickly returned to the tent, tried to make a bonfire, but were unable to fire it as it was fully wetted due to rain last night. So we went towards the place where they camped and got kerosene oil, mustard oil and some potatoes. As we had no food, we were very happy. But we could not fire the bon because my friend put the mustard oil on the bon. Then we tried to sleep, but we had know mat, sleeping bags and proper clothes to stay at less than -5 degree temperature.

My friend was trembling because of the cold. I told him that if he wants to return to the hotel then we can move, but he denied. Around 10pm again I told him his condition was very tough, and I told him that we are much smaller than nature. So there is no shame in losing to nature, he told me give it some time. After half an hour he told me whether we could return to the hotel or not, I assured him yes we could return, but I knew that it was difficult. I know that there is some risk of losing the road as we have to go through high dense forest and also animals can block our road.

Then we packed our tent and started to return to the hotel, but on the road we didn't know what was waiting for us. First 2-3 km was dense forest with snow covered, so you could not guess what would happen in your next step. But now we have to return to the hotel, after sometimes we crossed the temple means we are on the right track. And after sometimes we exited the forest area and entered the skiing area, now the place is a minimum risk area. And around 12:00 am - 1am we reached into the hotel, 

Day 5: Early in the morning we woke up, today our target to go to the peak. We packed dry fruits, snacks and biscuits for lunch. Very early we reached that place where yesterday we tried to stay the night. We are going through the plain area which is fully covered by the snow, so it's very risky to go inside the snow covered whole. After sometimes started snowfalls, so enjoy lots but after sometimes we got heavy snowfalls which creates the much tough to reach that peak. The visibility goes very low, so we could not understand the target point to choose the best way. After sometimes we got some area where are the highly chance to snow bridge, so carefully going and all were using same route.

And the last point was very stiff, I was in front of the group so I created a base by hand then put my leg. So many times I went down again to climb the peak, and one by one all of my friends reached the peak to follow the trail. We finished our lunch at the top with some dry food and snacks. We could not get any views due to heavy snowfall, but we got one thing to think forward.

Now it is returning time, we are returning very fast. One of our team members walked closely with me, I told him many times to maintain some gap, but he did not do this. We returned to the hotel, driver was ready and our bag was packed and we left Auli for Joshimath. In the evening we reached Joshimath and stayed at the same hotel.

Day 6: Next day very early morning again we started our journey back home and we were discussing the whole tour. Then I was thankful to that team member who was behind me, this was his second tour with me. Remembering that his first trip with us he was nervous and angry with me, why I chose that trekking. So I thanked him for this improvement, but he replied that there was some footprint of beer and he knew that bear was attracted from the back side. So I tried to stay in front. These types of incidents are stored inside our memory.

After this tour we started to arrange all necessary material for trekking like tent, mat, sleeping bag because we understand the value of the material.