Matthew, what a moving and awesome story. Good work you are doing. You might find this incredible, but I hiked the trail from Leh to Markha (and then over the Stok Mountains to Hemis Gompa) in the summer of 1984! I was 25 years old, and did not know how dangerous this was, all on my own, with only a sleeping bag and a pup tent for a week. Luckily, friendly families at remote camps along the way took me in, fed me for a few rupees and sometimes let me stay the night. Ah, the invincibility of youth. Thanks for bringing back the memories.