Head Count: very very very few

The Skinny: Kalpa is known in Hinduism as the winter home of the god Shiva. The little town sits atop a small hill, dwarfed by the Kinner-Kailash massif rising 4500m from the valley floor.

What Thar Be: A very old temple to Shiva is nestled within the weathered wooden buildings and narrow lanes forming this ancient trading town along the old Hindu-Tibetan merchant route.

Digs: The Shivalik Guest House on the road up from Rekong Peo to Kalpa has cheap rooms, a slightly high fly population, but great views of Kinner-Kailash in the early morning. It's run by a friendly Nepalese guy who can cook up some simple Indian dishes.

Vittles: Choices are a bit limited, and we ate mostly in the Shivalik. If you have about two hours to spare in your day, another tourist hotel inide Kalpa proper cooks up a mean tomato soup.

Hooch Factor: a big fat zero

Navigability: There's no reason, or possibility, for driving within the city. The lanes are small and quiet and everyone walks along the steep paths leading in and out of town.

Sliding In and Out: Kalpa is accessible only through the town of Rekong Peo. The 8km drive from Rekong Peo is a beautiful set of curvy switchbacks through misty pines forest, with the occasional glimpse of Kinner-Kailash.