Anthropologist and travel writer Antonella Bestaggini takes a 
            meditative journey to Ladakh, India's highest and least populated 
            region. 
            Visitors to Ladakh shortly after it was opened to outsiders in 1974 
            said that much of its aura of mystery had already been lost. There 
            were fears that tourism would rob it of its claim to being "the last 
            Shangri-la". Considering its remote location, it seems they need not 
            have worried. Surrounded by a ring of mountains rising to over 7,000 
            metres, the long ice-bound winters mean that Ladakh is effectively 
            cut off from the rest of the world for up to eight months every 
            year. 
            Bordered to the north and east by China and to the west by Pakistan, 
            Ladakh's strategic prompted the Indian government to impose a ban on 
            foreign tourists. Since the ban was lifted in the 1970s, Ladakh has 
            become a popular destination especially for trekkers. 
            Taking its name from Ladags, which means "land of high passages", 
            Ladakh is one of the most spiritually rich and visually bewildering 
            places in the world. It is also something of a nirvana for trekkers. 
            When most other areas are experienceing the monsoon, Ladakh is one 
            of the few Himalayan regions in which it is possible to trek from 
            late June to mid-September. 
            Ladakh, which comprises the eastern corner of Jammu and Kashmir 
            state, is India's most remote and sparsely populated region. 
            Although politically the region belongs to India, culturally and 
            religiously it has gravitated towards Tibet. 
            The Ladakhi people are principally of Tibetan origin; and the area 
            welcomed refugees following China's 1950 inVasion of Tibet. "Little 
            Tibet", as Ladakh is sometimes referred to, represents one of the 
            last remaining enclaves of Mahayana Buddhism, its principal 
            religion, now supressed by the Chinese in its native Tibet. In fact, 
            many people believe that Ladakh is a more accurate representation of 
            Tibet before the Chinese invasion than Tibet itself. 
            Muslims, Buddhists and Christians have been crossing the Karakoram 
            and Great Himalaya mountain ranges of Ladakh for centuries. On foot, 
            horseback and camel, they have traded all sorts of goods -- pashm 
            (the raw material for cashmere), cotton, spices, tea, silk, carpets, 
            precious stones, opium and cannabis. Ladakh's capital Leh, situated 
            at 3,500 metres above sea level and half-way between the Punjab and 
            the Chinese province of Xinjiang, was an obligatory stop for the 
            traders. They would brave the two months journey through the 
            Karakoram Pass and over the Kun Lun Mountains on to the towns of 
            Yarkand and Khotan, on the southern stretch of the Silk Route 
            between China and the Mediterranean. 
            With tourism fast becoming Ladakh's major source of income, the 
            monks have capitalised on the appeal of Buddhist mystique opening 
            their gompas (monasteries) to visitors and moving some of the 
            festivals which traditionally took place in winter to the busy 
            summer months. 
            RELATED ARTICLE: PRACTICALS 
            When to go: The trekking season begins in the middle of June but you 
            may have to fly in to Leh if the roads have not opened yet and you 
            may be restricted to lower altitudes, depending on the amount of 
            snow. The peak trekking season is from mid-July to the end of August 
            when the days are hot and the nights refreshingly coo, but the most 
            popular trails get busy. September is quieter and if you visit in 
            the first half of the month you can see the annual Ladakh festival. 
            This is an immensely colourful affair in which ritual dances are 
            performed by mask-wearing monks and the local women dress in 
            traditional gonchas (long coats) and peraks (Turquoise-studded 
            head-dresses). The gompas of Lamayuru, Phyang and Tak Tok all all 
            hold festivals during the tourist season. 
            Getting there: Air India (Tel: 01753 684828) and British Aiirways 
            (0345 222111) fly regularly from London to Delhi. But shop around 
            because, from time to time, airlines offer special deals. Indian 
            Airlines fly from Delhi to Leh (128 [pounds sterling] return) four 
            days a week (Tues, Thurs, Sat and Sun) but book early because it is 
            a popular flight. Overland travellers can reach Leh by bus via 
            Srinagar or Manali during the trekking season. Both journeys take 
            two days, broken up by an overnight stop. With the political 
            problems in Kashmir, most people now opt to take the bus from 
            Manali. 
            Visas: You will need a visa (19 [pounds sterling] for a six month 
            multiple entry pass). Call India House 0171 836 8484 for further 
            information about restricted areas. 
            Recommended reading: Leh and Trekking in Ladakh by Charlie Loram 
            (Trailblazer, 9.95pb [pounds sterling]) Indian Himalaya (Lonely 
            Planet, 11.99pb [pounds sterling] The Rough Guide: India (Rough 
            Guides, 14.99pb [pounds sterling]). 
            Antonella Bestaggini is a freelance writer. Dariusz Klemens is a 
            Polish photographer based in Oxford.