Original subtitles

'My name is Levison Wood.'

Oh! LAUGHTER

Woo! That was steep.

'In 2014, I walked the Nile

'from its source to the sea.'

Yeah!

'I saw the heart of Africa...

It's OK.

'..at eye level.'

This is like being on Mars.

Now I'm taking on an even tougher journey.

This is hardcore.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

I'm walking the length...

It's absolutely phenomenal!

..of the Himalayas.

My route will trace the backbone of an entire continent.

I want to walk 1,700 miles, from the western peaks in Afghanistan,

across snow-covered passes and lush tropical foothills,

past Mount Everest...

to end in the secret kingdom of Bhutan...

where the Himalayas drop into the Tibetan Plateau.

Wow. That's something.

'It will take me four million steps to reach my goal.'

Which nutcase came up with this idea?

'So far, I've scaled Afghanistan's icy peaks...'

This is brutal.

'..and discovered a hidden corner of Pakistan.'

It's just this beautiful, green paradise really.

Now I'm heading into the heart of Kashmir.

This has gotta be one of the most heavily militarised I've ever seen.

'I'll walk through stunning landscapes...'

It could almost be a ski resort.

'..step into the middle of a conflict zone...'

I tell you what, there's a very different feel here.

'..and struggle to get out alive.'

I've got an hour of light.

There's no way I'm going to get across that.

BLEEP.

'I'm walking the Himalayas with my Afghan guide Malang Darya.

'Tomorrow we begin one of the most dangerous parts of our journey...

'through Kashmir.

'But tonight we're stopping for some R and R in the serene Gilgit Valley.'

'As with all expeditions, we march on our stomachs.'

You're such a diva.

Diva? Mmm.

Diva. Demanding...

..like a pop star.

Gimme, gimme, gimme.

Your penis? Your arse!

Not your penis!

You're the biggest diva in Afghanistan.

'And I thought mountaineers were supposed to be tough.'

Aah!

BLEEP.

That is not what you wanna see inside your tent

crawling right above your face.

I've just jumped outside of my tent and poked my head back in,

and there's a spider about half the size of my hand right above my face.

There he is. Look at the size of it.

Oh! Oh!

LAUGHTER

Hold that, hold that. I'm gonna get it. I'm gonna get it.

Maybe it's your good luck guide. That's not good luck in your tent.

LAUGHTER Look at the size of the BLEEP.

Where's he gone? Arg!

Gimme the light.

Arg! Where's he gone?

There he is. His friend!

LAUGHTER

He's spinning his web.

Arg!

Has he gone? LAUGHTER

'Not my bravest moment, I'll be honest.'

Lev!

Hello.

Morning. Morning. Sleep well? I slept very well.

Where is your friend? My friend's gone. It's gone? Yeah.

My tent's full of flies though. Aw, sorry.

'Today, Malang and I will be stepping into an area

known for terrorist activity.

'Malang has never been this far from home.'

This is the place I am so scared from.

It's the Taliban place.

I'll keep you safe. OK. Thank you.

No, you are crazy. You're climbing the mountain.

What are we doing here? What are we doing here? We're walking.

The next 280 miles of the Himalayas are drawing us through Kashmir.

Control of this state has been split between Pakistan and India

ever since the British Empire left in 1947.

We must trek to the disputed border with India

known as the Line of Control.

It's forbidden for outsiders to cross it,

but I want to get as close as I can.

I must then pass through battle-scarred

Indian-controlled Kashmir...

..to make it to the region of Himachal Pradesh.

Kashmir has seen three wars in the past 70 years.

100,000 people are said to have been killed.

We're now being stopped at police checkpoints.

Salaam-Alaikum.

How are you? Fine, thank you. How are you?

Show me your passport. Passports. Yeah, my passport.

There we go.

Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

Our route is taking us through the Astore Valley.

This used to be one of Pakistan's most popular holiday destinations.

But two years ago, the Taliban murdered 11 climbers

on Nanga Parbat mountain.

Now barely any tourists venture here.

How do you feel when you come through Pakistan?

Do you feel safer here or do you think it's more dangerous for you as an Afghan?

When I cross the mountain, I see the people,

it's very friendly, happy people.

And slowly, slowly it's changing.

Day by day, we're walking, it's not friendly.

It's a different people, different culture.

But not everyone's on high alert.

LAUGHTER

I dunno exactly what he's doing.

I think he just needs a sleep.

Yeah, it's Ramadan, you know.

People are so tired.

Well, when you've gotta sleep, you've gotta sleep I suppose.

LAUGHTER

'Although I don't think I'd fancy a nap here.'

These are some bonkers roads. They just cut straight through the cliffs.

And the cliff is like...

..maybe, 500 feet deep...

..straight into the Astore River.

You don't wanna be falling down there.

All it would take is a little landslide and you're a goner.

Bad man, Malang. MALANG LAUGHS

'Thankfully, this is a sparsely populated area.

'Yet it's not long before we encounter signs of civilisation.'

It's like the kind of crate

that you'd see full of tomatoes in Tesco...

dangling off the edge of a rope.

'If it's safe enough for the locals,

'I don't see why we can't give it a go.'

Malang, do you think this is a good idea?

It's coming.

Hold it with both hands. Don't let go.

Ah!

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

Yeah, yeah, OK.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

Don't leave me hanging!

'Malang said this was a good idea,

'but he's not dangling ten feet above a raging river.

'Luckily, help is at hand.'

It was easy!

I'm crazy? No.

You're not coming?

I'll come back!

INDISTINCT

MALANG GIGGLES

Whoa!

Woo! Thanks, Malang. You're welcome. You big wimp.

Didn't fancy that?

No, I didn't want to do that.

'Clearly this guy's had time to practice.'

LEV LAUGHS

He does make it look easy, doesn't he?

Wow.

This fella's just popped his briefcase in the basket

and got in, and pulled himself across in about ten seconds flat.

Salaam-Alaikum.

Where are you going to?

This is your car, is it? So you're on the morning commute.

Is it dangerous?

It is dangerous.

Bloody hell.

Did you make this yourself?

How long has it been here for?

20 years old!

Thank you. Shukraan.

Rather him than me. I tell you what, once was enough going across there.

I would not want to do that every day.

We'll stick to this side of the road.

'Every step is bringing us closer to the militarised border with India...

'..and it's not long before we have unwanted company.'

So...those two guys on the bikes down there...

they've been following us now for the past few hours.

But we're definitely being trailed.

I think they've gone to warn off the roadblock ahead that we're coming.

'We've no idea who they are or what they want,

'but we have to push on to the Line of Control.'

I'm walking the Himalayas in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir

with my friend and guide, Malang.

The militarised partition with India,

the Line of Control, is just 60 miles away.

No Westerner has been allowed to walk across it.

But I won't stop walking until I'm told.

Right now though, I've got a roadblock to deal with.

That's a lot of goats!

GOATS BLEAT

Seems to be a traffic jam, Pakistan-style!

Look at the size of that goat.

It's bigger than a horse!

GOATHERD WHISTLES LEVISON LAUGHS

Come on, out of the way.

WHISTLING

They keep farting as well.

GOAT BLEATS

How many goats do you have?

HE SPEAKS IN HIS OWN LANGUAGE

300 to 400. 300 to 400? Wow.

GOAT BLEATS

Up here, having a herd this big means you're seriously loaded.

I like the fact that the shepherd boy has got his favourite goat.

It's nice, isn't it?

Right, traffic jam over. Better get walking.

GOAT BLEATS

We're approaching the town of Astor.

It's close to Nanga Parbat Mountain

where terrorists killed 11 climbers two years ago.

Outsiders are met with suspicion.

Tell you what, there's a very different feel here, isn't there?

The people are nowhere near as friendly.

And everyone sort of stares at us and...

Asking questions, "What are you doing here?"

"Who are you?" "Why are you here?" "Why are you walking?"

I think it's got something to do with the fact that we're right

on the border and there's a big military presence here.

Everyone's quite suspicious.

The authorities could pull the plug on my expedition

and they seem to be everywhere.

So we've been stopped at this town, Astor,

and we've been told to come to the local intelligence agency

to find out if we're going to be allowed to pass beyond here.

The border is only a day's walk from here, so tensions are high.

Foreigners are not usually allowed to come to this area,

so we'll see what happens.

'The cops arrive within minutes.'

How're you? Fine. How are you? Very good.

How is all, yeah? All is OK, thank you.

Er, I have listened that you're not allowed for making the picture of the area.

Sorry? I'm not allowed to make a picture? Yes. OK.

Today you get here? Today? We just arrived now, yes.

How many days you want to stay here? We've got two more days.

THEY SPEAK IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE

We negotiate in a growing crowd.

THEY SPEAK IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE

OK, excellent.

Thank you very much. Take care.

After 30 minutes, we're finally let through

under the protection of Officer Menawar,

his AK-47 and a slightly squeaky bike.

BIKE SQUEAKS

Back on the mountain road, it's easy to see what

made the Astore Valley one of Pakistan's most popular holiday destinations.

This has got to be one of the most spectacular places.

It's certainly not what I expected Pakistan to look like,

with the pine trees and these glades and meadows and it's so peaceful.

We could almost be in a ski resort.

Yet despite the authorities' best efforts,

few foreigners visit this land.

It seems such a waste.

But I'm not here for sightseeing.

Tomorrow, we'll head towards the Line of Control.

It's seen violent skirmishes for nearly 70 years.

I'm sure the army won't let me cross,

but I plan to walk these mountains, wherever they lead me.

I can't turn back.

BICYCLE SQUEAKS

The next morning, we report with Officer Menawar

to Gorikot Police Station.

Assalaamu Alaikum.

'Our armed escort can go no further.'

So here you finish?

Finish. Finish. OK. Finish.

And do we have somebody else to come with us or not?

It seems not.

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much for all your help.

OK, goodbye. Take care.

Malang and I must push on with no escort.

At moments like this, you can run into the rarest of fellow travellers.

It's almost biblical, isn't it?

With all of the tassels and decorations,

even on the horses.

Just look how colourful they are.

I wondered if we'd run into these guys.

They're Bakarwal Nomads.

For centuries, they drove their herds freely across the Himalayas.

But the Line of Control blocked their movements,

meaning fewer now roam as they please.

Assalaamu Alaikum. Where do you go?

Deosai?

It is just the horses or do you have some other animals?

Are they already there?

He's in a hurry!

Though it appears I'm not the only one who can't keep up.

SHE SOBS

Think she's been left behind by one of the rest of the group.

She's, I think, angry. She's old, can't work any more.

Very sad.

Kind of wonder if it's...

Law of the jungle, isn't it, really?

It's the strongest survive.

Later that day, we're met by brooding clouds as we begin the final

approach to the line of control.

So, the thing with this route is that it takes me

right through the heart of the Himalayas.

But the problem is, it also takes me through

one of the most heavily militarised zones in the world -

the border between Pakistan and India.

We're walking straight into a conflict zone.

What happens now is anyone's guess.

Assalaamu Alaikum.

Assalaamu Alaikum.

Wa-alaikum Salaam.

Assalaamu Alaikum.

Assalaamu Alaikum. How are you?

Can we go that way, to India?

No. Not possible? No, not possible.

India, there's mines.

Mines? Mines. So here we're finished. Finished.

I can't quite believe we've got this far.

So close,

but not close enough.

This is the end of the road in Pakistan.

I must now return and cross into India at the official border,

1,000 miles to the southwest.

I can virtually see where I'll pick up my journey.

Just over those hills there is India.

I'm going to start again just the other side of that mountain.

But there is a downside to reaching here -

I'll be leaving my Afghan diva behind.

This is it, this is the end of the road for Malang.

Malang's going to go back to Afghanistan, back to the Pamir.

I miss you, my friend.

So I love Levison, it's my best walker friend in one month,

which is in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Now we are in the end of the world.

It is, it feels like the end of the world up here, doesn't it?

It's a very atmospheric, moody place.

Erm...

But this is where we have to say goodbye, Malang, unfortunately.

I'm so sad about this.

Take it easy. Take care. Take care, my friend. It's been good. Yeah.

Take care yourself. Take care. Long journey.

You too - you've got a longer journey than me.

Six days ago, the Himalayas led me

to the militarised border at the Line Of Control in Pakistan.

I've entered India alone

through the official crossing,

and am resuming my walk in Indian controlled Kashmir.

Over the next 50 miles, I must navigate the soaring peaks

and troughs of the Gurez Valley

to make it to Kashmir's capital, Srinagar.

Here, I'm right on the Line of Control.

It almost feels like we're caged in.

All the soldiers are wearing helmets,

and they've got their weapons ready.

It's a place that is very tense.

I can see a couple of soldiers down here, in fact.

WHISTLE BLOWS

He's blowing his whistle at me.

Should probably stop filming.

I'm in the middle of one of the world's biggest

territorial stand-offs.

The Indian Army regularly exchange gunfire with Pakistan

across this zone.

They're wary of militants infiltrating the border.

Tulail village sits right against the Line Of Control,

but the locals could hardly be more welcoming.

So, we're the first tourists ever to come to this place?

Yes, you are first.

The first ones, wow.

Because I'm the first foreigner in the valley,

the locals are sitting and staring -

I don't think they've had any tourists here before.

Kashmir may be a Muslim majority state,

but many people seem happy living under a Hindu government.

Do the Indian Army make you feel safe here?

Is it a good thing that they're here?

The Army will help.

These guys may not mind having Indian soldiers for neighbours,

but, as I'll discover, not everyone here feels the same.

Without Malang to help me, I've asked Mehraj Mir,

a local Kashmiri in a smart shirt to guide me through the Gurez Valley.

And, with the TV crew gone,

my mate from the British Army, Ashwin Bhardwaj,

has offered to come and be my cameraman.

Hello, Ash.

Hello, everybody.

Where we're going, there are no roads,

so we've hired some mules to carry our gear.

Right, let's go.

These mountains have been closed to foreigners for nearly 70 years.

Few, if any, outsiders have seen these views.

So down there behind me is the Gurez Valley,

and the little settlements you can see are right on the Line of Control

where I've just come from.

And beyond that, the mountains over there,

that's Pakistan.

That is one BLEEP climb.

This is not going to be enjoyable.

I'm trying to climb over 1,000 metres, on ice.

The snow is so slippy,

and you probably can't see just quite how steep it is.

But trust me, it's steep.

Four hours later, I'm at 3,600 metres.

The air's so thin I can barely breathe.

HE COUGHS AND PANTS

It's already five o'clock,

and there's no way I'll make it to the top tonight.

It's still another half mile of almost vertical climbing.

Wow, that is hard.

But...

..worth it, even after all that,

for the view.

So, there seems to be some sort of a shepherd's hut over there,

so it looks like that is tonight's hotel,

and I can't wait to get in it.

Although the penthouse suite in this particular hotel

has already been taken.

Charmed life if you're a goat, isn't it?

Sitting down enjoying the view.

We've stumbled across the rare summer home

of a nomadic Gujjar tribe.

How long have these houses been here for?

HE SPEAKS IN LOCAL DIALECT

He says seven generations have passed.

Seven? Yeah, yeah. Wow!

So, the people buried here are the original,

so these are their relatives? Yes.

The Gujjars bring their goats here to graze each summer.

When winter comes,

they'll begin a six week walk back down to warmer climes.

They've been making this journey for hundreds of years.

This is one of the newer houses.

It's only 15 years old.

This is a new build.

Some of Mohammad Latif's ancestors could date back to the sixth century.

Thank you.

So, you consider the mountains, these are your home?

And what's it like living so close to the Line of Control?

And what about your children?

Will it be the same lifestyle for them?

Or if they go to school, will it change?

What do you want to do when you finish school?

You want to be a doctor?

Oh, wow!

Do you like coming to the mountains?

No. No, ha-ha!

Meeting people living off the land,

with just a few goats to their name, is humbling.

I can't say goodbye without a thank you.

This is a head torch. You put it on your head.

Since they've no electricity, one of these might come in handy.

You press this, big.

What would you like from him?

Oh, nothing. Nothing.

I have your photograph!

Thank you.

Goodbye! Bye!

I wonder how much longer this ancient way of life will remain.

I know it's a shame to lose the traditions,

but would you really want to be coming up here

when it's freezing cold, looking after sheep,

and bringing your two-year-old kid with you?

Probably not.

It seems like the mountains never change, but the cultures do.

So, as you can see the entire landscape is pock-marked

by these holes, which is a result of artillery bombardment

over the course of three wars between India and Pakistan.

But you've got to wonder,

what on earth the Pakistanis were trying to hit in this valley.

My own enemy right now is the unpredictable terrain.

Soon, I'm bringing up the rear on my own expedition.

There's the horses over there.

Been trying to keep up with them all day, but it's just impossible.

The two shepherds that have come with us are just hard as nails.

They seem to be able to walk twice the speed that I do

without so much as breaking a sweat.

I've agreed to meet the team at the next village of Naranag.

Though it's hard not to be distracted by the scenery.

What's incredible about being in the Himalayas

is just how quickly the landscape can change.

Only two hours ago, I was on a snow-capped plateau,

where there was just nothing, it was so barren and bleak,

and yet now,

here I am amongst this incredibly lush

Montane Forest filled with pine trees.

With the most spectacular river running through it.

Sitting enjoying the view has come at a price.

There's no sign of the mules,

though the route down looks easy enough.

BLEEP

HE PANTS AND GASPS

So much for it being an easy ride downhill,

I seem to have lost the trail.

I seem to have lost the trail and I'm stuck on this pretty epic cliff.

It's not looking good.

My cameraman Ash and I can only scramble to the river

to try and find a trail.

What makes it a million times worse

is this place is full of stinging nettles.

Bollocks.

Mehraj and the team must be close by, but I can't see them.

So I've almost made it to the bottom,

I can see the river but the problem is it's 6:15pm,

I've only got 45 minutes left of light and, down here,

if I'm stuck out here...

BLEEP

If I'm stuck out here at night, then it's game over.

This place is full of bears and wolves.

So, um, there's about two miles left to go, which isn't very much,

but doing that through this thick jungle,

and the fact there's a river to follow, is quite difficult.

Crossing the river to reach the flatter ridge

seems to be the only way out.

I've got no idea how I'm going to get across that.

It's now 6:30pm.

I've got 30 minutes of light,

and I need to find somewhere to camp.

There's no way I'm going to get...

BLEEP

How am I going to get across that?

I'm in the middle of a gorge in Kashmir,

after being separated from my guide and all my supplies.

Well, it's gone dark and I should have met up with Mehraj,

but he's probably really worried now

because I've not made it to the campsite.

But, luckily, I did find a shepherd's hut,

well, an abandoned shepherd's hut.

It's basically just a pile of planks,

but at least it's a roof over my head tonight.

Got no food.

It's going to be a hungry night.

I've sent a message to my team,

but I've no idea if it's reached them.

Thankfully, I have another soldier for company.

How do you feel, Ash?

I wish we'd gone over the ridge.

I was pretty nervous for a little while there

when we were trying to go around the river.

Tomorrow, we're going to have to climb all the way

back to the top of the mountain to go over the ridge

to find Mehraj and the horses.

It's almost six o'clock,

and it's time to leave, so...

Let's have a look at what it looks like outside.

Yeah, it definitely rained last night.

I'm very glad I didn't sleep outside.

And that's where I've got to go, right to the top of that.

And hopefully make it to Naranag.

Right, the only way is up.

From here, it's a steep thousand metre scramble.

If Mehraj received my message,

he should be waiting for us in the village.

16 hours late, we finally make it to Naranag.

How was it?

How are you doing? Yeah, fine.

The whole village was searching.

I know, I heard.

It's taken me four hours just to come down off the mountain,

but I'm glad to be off.

Still in one piece,

a bit bruised and battered after that climb, but alive.

Your clothes tell the story!

THEY LAUGH

Yeah, we're a bit dirty.

Come on, let's go and get some food and a shower.

Finally. Luckily, we have.

Yeah, OK. Thanks.

The next day, the mountains guide us 27 miles to the Vale of Kashmir,

and the region's capital, Srinagar.

Thousands of Muslims and Hindus have died in the civil unrest here.

The exact death toll is still disputed.

For a city that's been a battleground

in Kashmir's struggle for independence,

I'm amazed at just how peaceful Srinagar is.

And this is the dazzling jewel in its crown, Dal Lake.

This morning, Mehraj has offered to take me on a romantic boat ride.

So, this is what Srinagar's famous for, hey? The houseboats?

Yeah, the houseboats.

Everyone told me it's too dangerous to come here.

No, you can see it's safe.

It is! No tension.

And it's busy! Look at all the people on the lake.

Yeah, very busy.

And it's mainly Indian tourists?

Yeah, mainly they are Indian tourists.

Before, it was like a conflict,

the situation was not feasible for tourists,

and they are also from two, three, four, five years now,

the Indian tourists are coming in large numbers.

It's almost like a floating town, all these people selling...

There's a floating restaurant over there!

It's hard to imagine how such a charming place

could be home to so much bloodshed.

Walking in town, it's clear there's still tension

below Srinagar's placid surface.

Is it because of the religious divide,

because most people here are Muslim -

they would prefer to be with Pakistan? Yeah, yeah...

No, we want freedom. We want freedom from India.

Freedom from India.

Kashmir is the head of India, it's the crown.

All else is very close - China, Afghanistan, Pakistan.

If not India protected those areas,

any country can enter into us.

It creates a problem.

Nobody want Pakistan, nobody want India, nobody want China.

People, they want freedom. Peace.

What was before 1947.

We want our own rules in Kashmir.

Is it like living in a prison here?

No, it's nothing like that.

India promise everything we ask.

But we're not happy by our hearts, to be within this certain...

Country? Yes.

Thank you.

God bless you.

While the villagers I met in the Gurez Valley

welcome the Indian Army,

these Kashmiri city folk see things differently.

It seems like opinion is divided

as to where the blame is for the problems here.

Kashmir is 99% Muslim.

They don't have much affinity for the rest of India,

and a lot of people here don't even see themselves as Indians.

Having said that, there is a difference of opinion.

I have 120 miles left to make it out of the Kashmiri mountains.

I must descend into the Jammu foothills,

and traverse the Bhaderwah Valley

to enter the region of Himachal Pradesh.

The Himalayas are five miles to my left as I walk out of the city.

So, this is the Vale of Kashmir, leaving Srinagar,

and on both sides of the road you've got these enormous saffron fields.

I think Kashmiri saffron is meant to be the best in the world.

Weight for weight, it's actually a lot more expensive than gold.

Shall we go have a look?

Saffron is said to relieve depression,

improve circulation,

and can even act as an aphrodisiac.

This is the Kashmiri saffron. You can have a taste.

Like this? Yup.

So, what's so good about Kashmiri saffron?

It's strong.

Yeah? So, is this the best in the world?

Yeah, it's best in the world. How do you process it? By hand.

Where are you from? England.

England. Whereabouts?

London. London. Main. Nice city.

London.

Pat, Mary... I have so many customers from there.

Pat and Mary? OK. I'll keep an eye out for them!

Which movie it is?

Channel 4 in England.

Channel 4? Yes.

It's news or it's documentary?

It's a documentary about life...

In Kashmir?

In the Himalayas.

So, Afghanistan, Pakistan...

You go by air or train?

Walking. Walking?!

Walking. Everywhere!

Ah, no, I can't believe.

It's called Walking The Himalayas.

Walking The Himalayas. Oh, Walking The Himalayas.

You go by car or train?

Walking!

LAUGHTER

These'll come in handy.

I need to leave Kashmir immediately

because it's turning into a massive shopping trip!

I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to do with my saffron,

but maybe I'll add it to my ration packs in the mountains.

Well, I only went in for one gram of saffron

and I've come out with two kilograms of stuff I really don't need.

As I press on south,

signs of Hindu spiritualism emerge along the mountainside.

A couple of weeks back, I was dodging cops with AK-47s.

Now, the only people in uniform are kids on their way to school.

So, I've reached this place now, it's called Bhaderwah.

It's absolutely stunning.

This is the real edge of Kashmir and Jammu state,

and it's incredible.

Just stunning pine forests and these lush paddy fields.

We're going to walk over the border, into Himachal Pradesh.

My main concern right now is the soaring temperature.

I really don't blame them.

It's so much hotter.

It's the first place I've seen people swimming in rivers,

on the journey so far.

I wouldn't mind a dip myself.

Even the goats enjoy a swim around here.

For thousands of years, people have revered the mountains.

This is really a crossroads of faiths,

civilisations and cultures,

but the one thing that they share

is this deep sense of respect for the mountains.

Only a fool would underestimate the awesome power of the Himalayas.

I'm relishing these few days of calm,

as the mountains are about to put me to the test once again.

I've started to notice a lot more wildlife.

Certainly, as I push east, there's a few real wilderness areas

where there's leopard, there's tigers,

so you've got to keep your eye out.

'Next time:

'In India and Nepal, I'll be hit hard by the monsoon.'

I've never seen rain like it.

This is horrible!

'I'll run into the Himalayas' deadliest wildlife...'

We should get out of the water now.

'..be joined by millions of pilgrims...'

It makes my walk look quite easy when you see these guys.

'Before a terrifying accident stops me in my tracks.'

Help! Please help!