evidence: Nelong Valley (aka Nelang Valley) is a cold desert mountain area in Uttarakhand, very close to the Indo-Tibet border. Truly the Ladakh of the Uttarakhand state, the region opened up to domestic tourists in 2015, after being shut from the outer world since the 1962 India-China war. [...] Long before Tibet was occupied by China, Nelong Valley was an essential trade route between Tibet and India. In fact, you will be taken aback by the sheer similarities between the valley and Tibet – if you’ve ever been there. This parallel is also common between the cold mountain deserts of Lahaul-Spiti and Ladakh. [...] Situated at an elevation of 11,400 ft., the Nelong Valley is only 45 KM before the Indo-Tibet border. Very close to Harsil, the valley is an integral part of the Gangotri National Park and is well connected by road from Dehradun, Rishikesh, and Haridwar.