SNOW SKIING And then there was snow. A white world of undulating slopes, heights, and trees adorned to look like Christmas trees. And you, racing down a snow covered mountain side, the wind rushing through your hair, the blood rushing through your veins, the distances sweeping by in the blink of an eye. From the top of the world at top speed. Welcome to some the thrills of skiing. The picturesque Alpine resorts, the sweeping slopes. Perish the thought. The glorious Himalayas can rival anything any sphere skiing and other snow sports included . True not too many have yet been inducted into the thrills of these spot in the West but you have to only experience it once to know you wouldn't have missed it for the world . An exhilaration, a blood rush that is real, not something out of movies and picture postcards. The equipments used to ski are very elementary. Two long, flexible and narrow runners with the tips curved up and... more on equipments Nested in the high reaches of the Garhwal Himalayas is an idyllic hub of winter excitement - the resort of Auli, among the highest of its kind in the world. Auli serves as base for treks to Rushnanath, Kuari Pass, Joshimath , etc. and makes for great winter sports, fishing and cycling on the slopes. In the Chamoli district of Uttaranchal, Auli is located near the religious shrine of Badrinath. Auli offers spectacular view of mighty peaks like Nanda Devi, Kamet, Mana Parvat and Duna Giri all around. The slopes provide ideal conditions for cross country and downhill skiing events. So much so that various skiing festivals and even three official national championships have taken place here . Auli offers the pure thrill of almost 20 kms. of virgin slopes . A 3 kms. long stretch from 3049 mts. to 2519 mts. is a big draw. A 500 mtrs. long ski-lift and an 800 mtrs. long chain lift, links the upper slopes to the cover ones, carrying skiers back to the top. Snow beaters and snow packing machines are used to keep the slopes smooth and maintains conditions conducive to the sport at all times. The coniferous and oak forests flanking the slopes impart them grandeur as well as aid skiing by cutting wind velocity to lowest levels. So this winter, grab those woolens and head out to Auli with us for the time of your life, pickup a pair of skis and scream in delight as you whoosh down the white, white slopes of the Garhwal Himalayas. There are few things in our lives that arouse as much intrigue and fascination and hold out as much gut wrenching allure, or appear as much to our deepest instincts at the call of the wild. We recommend Auli and Solang Valley as two of the finest Snow Skiing destinations in India.