[2] The Niti Pass was an ancient trade route between India and Tibet, and it was sealed after the 1962 Sino-Indian War.
The villages in the valley include Lata, Kaga, Dronagiri, Garpak, Malari, Bampa, Gamshali and Niti.
They are mostly inhabited by Bhotiyas of Uttarakhand of Chamoli district ,namely Marchas, a community of Mongoloid origin, and Tolcchas, both known as Rongpa.
[4] Various medicinal plants and herbs grow in the valley that have been mentioned in the Charak Samhita, an ancient treatise on Ayurveda.
[5] Between the villages of Gamshali and Niti, there is a cave temple dedicated to Lord Shiva known as Timmersain Mahadev.