Who We Are
Let me start by introducing our group…
From left to right - the currently single – Hari, Chutki – a.k.a. Aashritha (my sister-in-law), the husband and wife duo – Ramesh and Binkal, me and my partner-in-all-crimes since 2005 – my lovely wife Shreyata and Hemel sans wife (his wife was away in Canada).
The Plan
It all started with an Instagram pic of a couple in an infinity pool with a jacuzzi, overlooking stunning snow-covered peaks and surroundings in Shimla; #couplegoals indeed. We checked the resort rates and found it to be way out of our budget (you know…aukaat ke bahar!) We started looking for other nearby options but didn’t find anything we liked. Someone in our group suggested Auli for it is covered with snow throughout the year. We checked out the location online and really liked it. Binkal and Ramesh did a LOT of the research to get us the details of the stay and of ski-training at Auli.
While discussing the dates, modes of transport and other logistics of the trip, Hari came up with the idea that we could return via Rishikesh and include a bit of rafting. To our itinerary, we added a 26 kms rafting session with Red Chilli Adventure at Rishikesh.
The Itinerary – 15th to 23rd February 2020
· 15th – 16th Feb -- Train from Mumbai to Delhi – Overnight journey.
· 16th Feb -- Train from Delhi to Dehradun
· 16th Feb -- Stay at Hotel Ashrey
· 17th Feb -- Tempo Traveller to Auli
· 17th – 20th Feb -- Stay at Himalayan Eco Resort and Ski Adventure school
· 20th Feb -- Tempo Traveller to Rishikesh
· 20th – 23rd Feb -- Stay at Blue Jay Hostel
· 22nd Feb -- Rafting on the Ganga with Red Chilli adventures
· 23rd Feb -- Return flight to Mumbai
The Experience
We started the trip with an overnight train journey by Rajdhani (Mumbai to Delhi), then another train from Delhi to Dehradun. A train journey of one and a half days can be exhausting and my advice to anyone who’d want to make a similar trip is to avoid this. If your budget allows for it, book a flight instead. We wanted to have the Rajdhani experience but came away unimpressed.
Anyway, we stayed the night in Dehradun at Ashrey (a budget hotel, very basic.) We left at 7:30 the next morning but on hindsight, we should have left by 5:30 or 6, because the roads throughout were laden with heavy traffic due to construction work for some expansion. At night, in places it was a bit scary as there were no streetlights and the terrain was unfriendly, and the headlights of the vehicle were the only available illumination. We had quite an experienced driver whose expertise got us safely to our destination by 10 in the night.
We had to settle for temporary rooms because of the delay but were served dinner soon enough. Fresh hot food when the weather is really cold outside is an amazingly satisfying experience. We called it a day after that. The next morning, we woke up to this.
We were soon allotted our proper rooms all of which had these stunning views. The day was warmer, and we quickly got ready, had breakfast, had a few fun photo sessions and headed for ski training. Our Dehradun to Auli driver chauffeured us for the entire trip till Rishikesh. The drive to the ski training school was as scenic as they get. We got to the training grounds, put on our fancy boots, climbed the stairs that literally took our breath away in more ways than one and finally got to the top – the most scenically breathtaking part of the entire trip – the location for the ski training.
At the ski school, we had to replace our fancy boots with ski-boots and gear up for the training. The ski-boots are heavy-duty, and you really need to start learning to walk in them first. The training started with the basics and soon we were all falling on our asses. In time many of us could stop without falling over.
After the training for the day was done, it was suggested that we take the ski-lift to the artificial lake as the day was pleasant and views of the snow-covered vista, fantastic. Photos cannot do justice to the surreal views, but here are a few…
Back in the hotel we relaxed for the rest of the day. The night sky was clear and filled with twinkling stars. After dinner, the group split into two, one opting for stargazing and the other, astro-photography. I just wanted to sit back and enjoy the gorgeous ‘starry starry’ night. After a while, I got a bit irritated with both groups and thought I should show them that a decent phone camera (Galaxy S10, in this case) can take good enough astro-photos without wrestling with your DSLR to get a shot right. Of course, unless you are a hardcore photography enthusiast, that is. You can see both below for comparison.
The next day was cold and harsh; we went for the ski-training and after we returned stayed indoors for the remainder of the day and night. The next morning, we had to leave early (around 6 AM, after breakfast) if we were to make it to Rishikesh by 6 PM in the traffic. Despite leaving early, we reached Rishikesh only around 8 PM. At about 200m from Blue Jay Hostel, where we were to check in for our Rishikesh stay, we got stuck in the traffic for over a half hour.
The stay at Blue Jay was an awesome experience to say the least. The hostel has an excellent way of space management and the hosts were just amazing.
Rishikesh is a unique combination of interesting aspects – a holy place of worship, an aspiring yoga teacher’s delight, a vegan café paradise and an adventure destination with the Ganga as its veins.
A café tour was the first leg of our Rishikesh journey. We had breakfast at the Eat Story Café and dinner at the Little Buddha Café across the Laxman Jhoola. Next on the agenda was a visit to Triveni Ghat for the Ganga Aarti. It was a good experience but not a very engaging one.
We wanted to check out the famous Beatles Café for dinner but the café was full and we had to find someplace else to eat, which we did at TAT café just next door. We had the rafting session planned for the next morning and needed to be rested for it back at the hostel.
The next morning was exciting as we got ready for our Red Chilli rafting adventure. They were supposed to pick us up from the hostel but couldn’t because the main road was under repair. It was a short walk to the parking lot which had the vehicles ready with the rafts up in their carriers. Next stop was Marine Drive where we were to start our 26 km long rafting session on the Ganga, ending at Tapovan.
We geared up for this do-not-miss experience with our raft-leader Ankit. It is one of those things you should do at least once in your lifetime, if you can. The rafting session had a pitstop for snacks and another for cliff jumping (three of our group did this.)
Every little incident along the journey was an experience, one that all of us enjoyed thoroughly… making the session worth every penny. After the rafting, we were dropped off near our hostel and we had lunch at the Beatles Café and lounged there until sunset.
Post sunset it was time for a bit of shopping around the town and then back to the hostel for dinner. Later that night we celebrated Chutki’s birthday. The day may have been packed with activities, but it was all good fun and we were all pretty relaxed at the end of it.
The last day of our trip started with a few of us not feeling quite well; could be the food, could be exertion but it was not too bad. We had breakfast at Pure Soul Café and Organic Kitchen and then we were off to Dehradun airport in the Tempo Traveller we had arranged.
As we headed back to Mumbai, we could not but feel delighted at how amazing and satisfying the whole trip was – one of the best we have taken as a group.
Pros:
Auli:
Beautiful location.
Awesome skiing experience.
Good arrangements for stay and food.
Great hosts.
Good arrangements for transport.
Rishikesh:
Good hostel options for budget stays.
Wonderful rafting experience.
A wide range of cafés.
Great food options at these cafés.
Hostel’s location was walking distance from most cafes and the Laxman Jhula.
Great hosts.
Okay experience at the Ganga Aarti.
Cons:
Auli:
Getting to Auli takes a long time
Dogs shit. All over the place. So, watch where you step.
It’s cold out there, but the rooms weren’t heated.
Rishikesh:
Holy cows shit too… and you need to watch your step. Again.
The food at the hostel was average.
Food at the cafés was expensive, perhaps aimed at the firang traveller.
Tips from our trip:
For a more relaxed trip, avoid taking a train to Dehradun. Flying in is best.
Auli is cold. Get your gear right, you’ll need it.
Lots of sunscreen and/or moisturizer. If you don’t want peeling skin.
Wear a wetsuit if you have one when you go for rafting. The Ganga is cold, and a wetsuit will offer some extra protection.
These places are gorgeously scenic, a phone with a good camera can help freeze a few delightful memories. It is also a great place for a photography enthusiast.
Get an action cam if you can for the Rafting experience.
If you can get your hands on a telescope, it would be great, for the night skies are usually clear and there’s a lot of stargazing you can do.