Winter vacation.

“Saurabh!! Don’t throw the snowball; it’s really cold out here.”

These are the words that were going through my head as one day over coffee I insisted we go to Auli. Well snow can be found in more hospitable places, so why take the pain of doing an 18 hour journey with a bunch of people I just became friends with in office? The true answer to that will come in a little while, depending on you reading speed, but for now let’s just say Auli is one of India’s best ski-resort. With slopes that give novices hope and nightmares to orthopaedics, Auli was the perfect place to give us ppt junkies some much needed adrenaline rush. Actually all this is a lie, Auli was decided because it has a wow inducing 3 K.M long cable car ride. As soon as it was decided where to go, someone with intent to do an MBA popped the question “How to get there?” and then proceeded to stare at her computer screen, like MBA’s usually do. The bombshell was severe enough to take shelter in Google bunker. A few clicks and keystrokes later we discovered www.GMVNL.com, which stands for Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam Limited but is more commonly known as Garhwal Mandal Bubblegum. The site, though little basic to look at, is quite easy on the brain. A few clicks and a credit card number later we could proudly say “Look ma without being an MBA we now own two wooden huts for 3 nights and 2 days.”

Only one thing remained between us and Auli, 530 kms. One ticket later we were just 300 kms from Auli. A few phone calls later, we were now a week away from Auli. After jumping like Energizer bunnies in office for a whole week, letting the whole office know of our plans, the D-day finally arrived. Only that it was night. We boarded a train from Nizamuddin and some restless hours later were deposited at Haridwar railway station. From there we took a pre-booked cab and we were off to Auli.

A few centuries passed before we reached Joshimath. The road till Joshimath is actually a myth. It exists if you believe in it. Ok fine, it does exist, but is horrendous in places. There are stretches where it just seems suspension in cars is still a millennium away. The Border Road Organization which maintains this road, we were told, is actually expanding the road. Someone also told us that the parts, where the road existed only in the driver’s imagination, were prone to landslides. That clarified the myth a little. But what no one could or can describe is the feeling that you got when the road was flowing. Mountain on one side and the Alaknanda river on the other, it was a treat to watch.

Joshimath was about to call it a day when we reached there. From Joshimath you can either take the road to Auli or take the cable-car. Though you might suspect dictatorship but there was no need to call the Election Commission, everyone agreed to go by cable-car. We settled for the ride up the hills. After a few minutes of silence there was pride on our faces. Because we were dangling by a few clamps and watching, with our mouths wide open, white, pristine white, whiter than white snow. Euphoria died down when we were told that we are there. No it seriously did. Because it was cold. How cold? Well colder than the stare your mom gave when you went to your uncle’s place and didn’t stop at one gulab jamun. It was colder than Mr Bean’s sex life. Saurabh Yadav lost his mind. And if that wasn’t bad enough, we were now almost 10 storeys high. With a ton of luggage and more stairs than girls in a rap video, we were well and truly stuck up there. Oh yes there was a lift, only thing is it was only good for some horror movie. We somehow managed to get down. And we were greeted by cheerful snow. What started off as “We always plan, we never go” banter over coffee in college was now a “Just did it” moment. A few snowballs in the face later we took another lift to our resort. This one was an open-air lift. Basically four people can sit in them and down you go. We were now a 5 minute walk away from our booked-without-a-MBA-degree rooms. A few falls in the snow later, we were there. The rooms, frankly at first glance, were a let down. They were devoid of any major creature comforts, but before we could think of filling CAT forms, someone shouted “Look there is TV. And a Bukhari too.” Bukhari for the un-initiated is a metal drum connected with a pipe. You put wood in the drum and a little kerosene and voila there is life. Before you could say something funny we were all asleep. Or so I thought. Because in the morning they told me I was snoring and they couldn’t sleep. Rubbish I said, hiding my ecstatic male ego. In the morning we were feeling a little better. Warm soup and warmer food later we went for a trek in the snow. A billion snowball fights later we went a little up the hill and were promptly told to leave as there is a BSF/ITBP camp there. Dejected that there was no filmy-style chase we went to the other hill. Good for us, because there was un-touched snow there. Houses abandoned by the shepherds in winters were now covered with snow. A few photos were clicked and then we peacefully decided to end peace. Snowball war was declared, which continued till the time sun decided to call it quits. And you don’t need an MBA to know that in these parts as soon as the sun switches off, so should you. And so we did. Warm soup and warmer food later, we retreated to our huts. Inside out huts conversation about geo-political situation of office were cut short by a few more snowballs.

Next morning we decided not to worry about our limbs and go get some rush. We tried our hand at skiing. After falling and falling and then falling some more we discovered that it was not that difficult. Then we fell again. This continued till the time sun fell off the scene and it was again time to go back. One thing I couldn’t stop thinking while sitting on the ski-lift was that what a waste of money it is to go abroad for winter sports, when a few hundred kms away we have this pick of a place. Sure abroad you will get better facilities but the trouble it is to reach this place only adds to the charm.

Before we could represent our country in the winter Olympics it was time to leave Auli. The drive back was a little quiet and quite fast. Also since we left a little late from Joshimath and the roads here are closed for traffic after 8 pm, we had to take a night halt in Srinagar. No, this Srinagar is not the one Arunadhiti Roy knows about. Here also we decided to stay at Garhwal Mandal Bubblegum. But here we decided to book beds in the dorm. At Rs 60 a bed it was dirt cheap. And since the dorm was empty the manager gave us the whole dorm. So the huge room with 8 beds in it was ours for the night. It was quite a riot. The drive back in the morning from Srinagar to Haridwar was a little sombre. It was a little sad that the trip has ended so early. We thought we will be there at least till the war against terror got over. Sadly the bully he is, Bush won.

No he didn’t but Auli did. The small place enchanted us, enthralled us, but above all it was much closer to our expectations than our current salaries. More than that the trip made me believe, now even more strongly, that no matter who you go with on a trip, you always come back with friends.

So, should you go to Auli? Without a doubt, yes. Only one question remains now “How to make the perfect snowball?” I don’t know the exact composition, but what I surely know is that you don’t need to be an MBA to make it.