Downhill skiing is being introduced in the hills of Uttar, Pradesh, but at what cost to the local society and environment? We must study the experience in the Alps, and consider cross-country skiing.
Far above Joshimath, the peach, apricot and apple trees give way to the potato-fields and bugyals (meadows) of Auli. A forest of oak and conifers separates Auli from the meadows of Gorson, where flowers bloom for a short period between mid-June and end-September.
A 13-kilometre unmetalled road winds up the mountainside from Joshimath to Auli. Here, the Uttar Pradesh government undertaking known as the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigarn (GMVN) is trying to develop the largest winter sports and skiing resort in the Himalaya. Although at present the energies of the GMVN are concentrated on Auli, it is eyeing the vast, undulating pastures of Gorson as well. If there is profit in Auli, the investors expect to make a killing with Gorson.
The idea of a winter sports resort at Auli was first floated in 1976. The Lucknow government promised to provide the needed infrastructure in the hope that private investors would take over and create a "tourist paradise" which would shame Kashmir's Gulmarg. Money would flow in from the influx of Indian as well as foreign skiers. GMVN would be able to offer 'locals' opportunities for regular employment.