Tibet

Well not quite Tibet, but this was the closest I could get to the Tibet border, which lies on the other side of the mountain. Just a little further on the valley there is an ITBP (India Tibet Border Police) camp and a few small villages further up, and then the Tibet Border Police. Speaking to some of the locals, it's an 8-9 hr hike to cross the border and locals need special written permission to cross it, previously only available from Delhi, but now you can get the letter of authorization from Shimla. Stuff in Tibet is apparently much cheaper, but the border police control the flow of goods across the border, limiting it to small quantities of household goods (vacuum flasks, cutlery etc). Foreigners need an Inner Line Permit, available from Recong Peo (takes an hour to get done) to travel the road closest to the border. Costs 150 Rs.