More than a ski resort: what the Auli Alpine Trek offers
Auli is best known as a winter ski destination, but for most of the year it is one of the easiest places in Garhwal to walk into a high-altitude meadow without a hard climb. The Auli Alpine Trek makes use of that: a short two-day, roughly 12-kilometre round trip from Auli at about 2,900 metres up to the open grassland ridge around Gorson Bugyal at close to 3,000 metres and back. It is graded easy, the gradients are gentle, and the reward is out of proportion to the effort, with a skyline that includes Nanda Devi, the second-highest mountain in India.
Because it is short and undemanding, this trek works well as a first Himalayan walk, as an add-on to a sightseeing trip to Auli and Joshimath, or as an acclimatisation day before a longer route. If you are still choosing between trails, our overview of trekking in Uttarakhand gives the wider picture, and you can compare it against the rest of our guided treks.
Where the trail goes
The route climbs out of Auli through a belt of oak and conifer forest, passing the small pond of Chattrakund on some variations, and opens onto Gorson Bugyal, a broad rolling meadow that runs along a ridge. In spring the grass is dotted with wildflowers; in autumn it turns gold; under winter snow it becomes a gentle snow walk. From the top of the ridge the trail can be extended along open ground toward Tali and the Chitrakantha area, and this is the direction the longer Kuari Pass trek continues in. For a two-day trip, Gorson Bugyal and the ridge above it are the natural turnaround point.
The walking surface is mountain trail rather than paved path: uneven ground, roots and rocks in the forest, soft turf on the meadow, and packed snow in winter. Trekking shoes with grip and ankle support make a real difference, especially on the descent.
How easy is "easy"?
The easy grade is genuine. There is no exposure, no scrambling, and the total ascent over the two days is modest. What the trek still asks of you is a few hours of continuous uphill walking at altitude, in air that is thinner than most people are used to. If you can walk briskly for two to three hours on a hill at home, you will be fine here. Children who are used to walking and reasonably fit older travellers manage it comfortably at a relaxed pace.
The one thing not to underestimate is the weather. At 3,000 metres the temperature can drop quickly when cloud rolls in, and a clear morning can turn to sleet by afternoon. Carrying a warm layer and a rain shell even on a good forecast is standard practice, and in the colder months you need proper winter clothing.
Who the trek suits
This is a good fit for families with school-age children who already enjoy day hikes, for first-time trekkers testing whether multi-day walking is for them, and for travellers who are visiting Auli for the scenery or the skiing and want one proper walk in the hills rather than only cable-car rides and viewpoints. It also works as a gentle acclimatisation day for anyone heading onto a longer Chamoli-region route afterwards. It is less suited to trekkers looking for solitude in peak season, when the lower trail can be busy, or to anyone specifically after a hard physical challenge, which this route is not designed to be.
Where you stay
Unlike a tented trek, the Auli Alpine Trek is usually run from fixed accommodation. Most trips base themselves in Auli itself, in one of the resort-style hotels or the state tourism property near the ski slope, or a little lower in Joshimath, which has a wider range of budget and mid-range options and better connectivity. Staying up in Auli means you wake already at altitude with the peaks outside the window; staying in Joshimath means a shorter, cheaper stay but an extra transfer each day. Either way, book ahead in the April-June and December-February peaks, when both the trekking and skiing crowds compete for the same rooms.
The two-day plan
Day 1 — Arrive in Auli and walk the lower trail
Most trekkers reach Auli from Joshimath, either by the ropeway or the connecting road, and settle in at around 2,900 metres. An afternoon walk on the lower forest trail toward Chattrakund helps you get used to the altitude and stretches the legs after the long drive up. Evenings are cold even in summer, so this is a good time to check that your warm layers are within reach.
Day 2 — Trek to Gorson Bugyal and return
The main trekking day climbs steadily through forest to the Gorson Bugyal ridge, with the mountain views opening up as the trees thin. You spend time on the meadow, walk as far along the ridge as time and conditions allow, and then descend the same way back to Auli. Depending on the operator and the road situation, the drive back toward Joshimath and onward begins the same afternoon or the next morning. Groups with more time sometimes extend this day toward Tali or add the short walk to Chattrakund, and the same trail continues, over several more days, to the Kuari Pass.
Daily life and food on the trek
Because the Auli Alpine Trek is run from fixed accommodation rather than tents, daily life is more comfortable than on a camping trek. You sleep in a hotel or the state tourism property at Auli, or a guesthouse in Joshimath, with hot meals, running water and beds. Breakfast is early on the trekking day so you are on the ridge before the midday cloud; a packed lunch or snacks go in the daypack, with a proper meal back at the hotel in the evening. Food is standard North Indian and Garhwali fare — dal, rice, roti, sabzi, rajma, parathas, eggs — plus whatever the hotel kitchen offers. Charging and, at Joshimath, mobile signal are reliable, so this is an easy trek to do without disconnecting entirely, though the point of the ridge morning is to put the phone away.
Photography from Gorson Bugyal
The ridge is one of the more accessible places in Garhwal to photograph big mountains. Nanda Devi dominates the eastern skyline, with Kamet, Dunagiri, Hathi and Ghori Parvat, Nilkanth and the Chaukhamba wall around it. The best light is the first hour after sunrise and the last hour before sunset, which is an argument for staying up at Auli rather than commuting from Joshimath. In spring the meadow foreground is green and flecked with flowers; in autumn it turns gold; under winter snow the whole scene simplifies to white and blue. The cable-car ride up is itself worth shooting on a clear day. Carry a spare battery, since the cold drains them, and a polariser for the snow glare.
Best time to go
April to June is the classic window: the snow has mostly melted from the meadow, the wildflowers are out, and the days are long and mild. September to November brings the clearest air of the year and sharp, haze-free views of the peaks, with cold nights. December to March turns the trek into a short snow walk, which is beautiful but colder and dependent on the road and ropeway staying open; this overlaps with the ski season, so Auli itself is busier. Our guide to winter trekking and skiing in Auli covers that season in detail, and the snow destinations guide puts it in context with other options. The monsoon, from July to mid-September, is best avoided for landslide risk on the approach roads and poor visibility.
Getting to Auli
Auli sits above Joshimath in Chamoli district, roughly 250 kilometres from Dehradun and about the same from Rishikesh, a drive of nine to twelve hours on mountain roads via Devprayag, Rudraprayag and Chamoli. From Joshimath you reach Auli either by road, around 12 kilometres of switchbacks, or by the cable car, one of the longer ropeways in Asia, which climbs directly from the town. Nearest airport is Dehradun's Jolly Grant; the nearest major railheads are Rishikesh and Haridwar. Because the approach is long, most people build at least a night in Joshimath or Auli into the trip rather than treating it as a quick in-and-out. If you have spare days at the start or end near the plains, our guide to adventure activities around Dehradun is worth a look.
What to pack for a short alpine trek
Even for two easy days, pack as though the weather will turn. The essentials are trekking shoes with grip, a windproof and water-resistant jacket, a warm mid-layer such as fleece or light down, a hat and gloves for the ridge, sunglasses with good UV protection, high-SPF sunscreen, and a one-litre water bottle. Add a small daypack, some high-energy snacks, a basic personal medical kit, and a headtorch. Trekking poles help on the descent but are not essential on this gradient. In winter you also need insulated boots, gaiters, waterproof trousers and heavier gloves. A rain cover for your pack is cheap insurance.
The views from the ridge
On a clear day the Gorson Bugyal ridge gives you one of the most accessible big-mountain panoramas in Garhwal. Nanda Devi, at 7,816 metres, dominates the view to the east. Around it you can pick out Kamet, Mana Parvat, Dunagiri, Hathi and Ghori Parvat, Nilkanth above Badrinath, and the long wall of the Chaukhamba massif. Sunrise and the hour before sunset give the best light and the sharpest definition, which is one reason spending a night at altitude rather than rushing up and down is worthwhile.
The ride up adds to the trip too. The cable car from Joshimath climbs around 500 metres of vertical over roughly four kilometres, and in clear weather the views from the cabins are a preview of what you get from the ridge. Near the top station sits Auli's man-made lake, built to feed snow guns for the ski slope and now one of the highest artificial lakes in the country, which most itineraries pass on the walk in.
Combining Auli with other treks
The Auli Alpine Trek shares its opening section with the Kuari Pass trek, which continues past Tali and Chitrakantha to a 3,800-metre pass with an even wider view; if you have four to six days, that is the natural step up from this route. For another gentle meadow trek elsewhere in Garhwal, Dayara Bugyal above Barsu is a close cousin. If you want a first taste of a summit climb, Kedarkantha and Brahmatal are the standard beginner choices, and for a weekend-length walk near Dehradun, Nag Tibba is hard to beat.
Permits, altitude and trekking responsibly
The core Auli–Gorson Bugyal section does not require a special trekking permit for Indian nationals, though local and forest fees may apply and rules change, so a registered operator will handle whatever is current and carry the right identification. Foreign nationals should check the latest requirements for the Chamoli region before travelling. Altitude sickness is unlikely on a trek that tops out near 3,000 metres, but you are still gaining height quickly from the plains, so drink plenty of water, walk at a steady pace on day one, and mention any persistent headache or nausea to your guide.
Choose an operator the same way you would for a bigger trek: reasonable group sizes, a guide who knows the trail and basic first aid, and a clear plan if the ropeway or road closes. Our guide on choosing a trekking operator in Uttarakhand lists the questions worth asking, and the travel insurance guide explains why trekking cover is worth having even on an easy route. On the trail itself, the meadows around Auli are fragile and heavily visited: carry all your waste back down, stay on the established path rather than cutting across the turf, and keep noise to a minimum so the walk stays what people come here for.
