Solstice campout

The drive to Auli meadows at 2,500m takes about 9 hours from Rishikesh, with stops at Joshimath along the way. You arrive to a camp already set up — tents on the grass, Nanda Devi visible to the north-east, the longest day of the year still hours away. A quiet first dinner. Music starts after dark.

Rishikesh departure 6 am. Joshimath lunch stop.

June 21st. The sun rises before 5 am and sets after 7 pm — the most light you'll get all year, at 2,500m, with Nanda Devi in front of you. Morning walks, afternoon rest, sunset viewing with the whole group. After dark: bonfire, live folk music, people who came alone ending up in conversation till 2 am. The kind of night that's hard to explain later.

Live music 8 pm–midnight. Bonfire all night. Bring a layer.

One last sunrise at the meadow — quieter than the night before, but you'll remember it. Breakfast in the open air, slow packing, and the drive back down through Joshimath and the Alaknanda valley to Rishikesh.

Sunrise 5:18 am. Return to Rishikesh by evening.