We have said on several occasions that India is far from the stereotypical images created by the world mass media. The fact that most people are still poor doesn't preclude the existence of rich social layers and of fast growing business middle class. Still predominant agricultural society has islands of high technologies that can make envy many developed nations. The arid and semi-arid land, waiting for seasonal monsoon isn't the only possible landscape. In the north and northeast the flat valleys get transformed into huge chain of mountains, the tallest in the world. Only the political and security considerations have hitherto prevented using in full these excellent natural conditions. We can only hope to see soon the day when these considerations won't play the same damaging role, thus making these parts of India natural competitors to the Swiss Alps and to the American Rockies.

The Indian subcontinent as we know it today was created millions of years ago while a huge land mass from the Indian ocean collided with the Asian continent, turning the thousands kilometers alongside the collision zone into succeeding one another chains of mountains. By the way this geological process is still running so the mountains add inches every year. Among them the Himalayas are the most famous and tallest, although by far not the only one. Several Indian states from the northern to the eastern parts of the country offer opportunities for people looking for affordable potential alternatives to the Swiss Alps or the American Rockies. These opportunities have existed since ancient times. Pre-colonial Indian rulers have moved to these areas because of the cooler temperatures during the summer heats. Many people with enough financial background keep this tradition in our days. Given the process of modernization of the Indian society and the escalating desire to embrace the western life style, these mountainous areas can only grow in importance. Among the areas that have already been developed or are already under development there are places of interest in the northwestern part of Uttar Pradesh, in Himachal Pradesh, and of course in Jammu and Kashmir.

Unfortunately, there are problems that still play an opposite role to the desired one and they are mainly linked with security and other political considerations. The following states and union territories, some of them covering a substantial part of the Indian mountainous regions, are declared restricted zones by the Indian government:

• Mizoram
• Manipur
• Nagaland
• Arunachal Pradesh
• Sikkim
• parts of Kulu district
• Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh
• border areas of Jammu and Kashmir
• some areas of Uttaranchal
• the area west of National Highway No. 15 running from Ganganagar to Sanchar in Rajasthan
• the Andaman and Nicobar Islands; and
• the Union Territory of the Laccadives Islands (Lakshadweep).

Advanced permission to foreigners is required in order to visit these places. Outbursts of interethnic or inter-religious violence on different scale are reported from all mountainous states without exception, beginning with the northern Jammu and Kashmir and ending up with the eastern Sikkim. In addition to the Indian authorities restrictions many foreign governments have issued travel warnings to their citizens not to enter one or another state along the Indian borders. Indian mountains can be potential gold mines, but the gold rush isn't around the corner.

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