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High above the clouds...
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00:00:12,380 --> 00:00:13,740
..there are lost worlds.
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00:00:17,380 --> 00:00:19,420
Unexplored.
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00:00:24,060 --> 00:00:25,500
Unforgiving.
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00:00:27,220 --> 00:00:28,900
Wildly unpredictable.
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00:00:33,500 --> 00:00:37,740
But here, on the great mountains
of our planet,
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00:00:37,740 --> 00:00:39,340
life does exist.
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00:00:42,340 --> 00:00:43,860
Against all odds,
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00:00:43,860 --> 00:00:49,060
a few extraordinary animals
and remarkable people
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00:00:49,500 --> 00:00:54,340
make their home
on the highest places on Earth.
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00:01:07,980 --> 00:01:11,420
Time for school in the highest
village in the Himalaya.
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00:01:16,940 --> 00:01:19,740
But these pupils
have no ordinary school run.
13
00:01:28,900 --> 00:01:31,540
For those who live in the Himalaya,
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00:01:31,540 --> 00:01:34,140
every day is extraordinary.
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00:01:38,460 --> 00:01:42,260
This is the mountain range
of the greatest extremes.
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00:01:43,660 --> 00:01:45,740
And the weather harsher,
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00:01:45,740 --> 00:01:47,580
mountains higher...
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00:01:49,900 --> 00:01:53,260
..gorges deeper
than anywhere else in the world.
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00:01:55,900 --> 00:01:59,220
To survive here, the only option
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00:01:59,220 --> 00:02:03,100
is to face these daily extremes
head-on.
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00:02:08,900 --> 00:02:11,140
Only then can you carve out
a life...
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00:02:17,660 --> 00:02:19,260
..on the roof of the world.
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00:02:31,020 --> 00:02:35,100
The Himalayas stretch from Pakistan
in the west
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00:02:35,100 --> 00:02:38,300
through northern India, into Nepal.
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00:02:40,020 --> 00:02:43,620
They climb to the highest point
on Earth, Mount Everest...
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00:02:45,780 --> 00:02:50,300
..before pushing on through Bhutan
and ending in China.
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00:02:55,860 --> 00:03:01,100
Here, in the province of Yunnan,
at 2,500 metres above sea level,
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00:03:02,740 --> 00:03:04,140
is a frozen forest.
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00:03:07,780 --> 00:03:10,420
Hidden here is a remarkable animal.
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00:03:13,100 --> 00:03:14,100
Rarely seen.
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00:03:19,620 --> 00:03:21,820
The Yunnan snub-nosed monkey.
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00:03:24,780 --> 00:03:27,100
The highest-living monkey
in the world.
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00:03:33,420 --> 00:03:36,060
They have no nose
to get frostbitten.
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00:03:39,100 --> 00:03:41,940
Pink lips help them stand out
to other monkeys.
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00:03:46,620 --> 00:03:49,900
Six-inch-long fur
to protect from the cold.
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00:03:52,260 --> 00:03:53,260
And they need it.
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00:03:54,420 --> 00:03:56,980
Temperatures can drop to minus 28.
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00:03:59,940 --> 00:04:05,100
They endure this hardship to have
access to their food - lichen.
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00:04:06,540 --> 00:04:10,020
In winter, the only thing that grows
in this frozen world.
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00:04:16,460 --> 00:04:20,740
To prevent freezing to death, they
must huddle together for warmth.
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00:04:24,180 --> 00:04:26,500
For that, they need family.
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00:04:38,780 --> 00:04:41,660
This young three-year-old male
is alone.
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00:04:46,140 --> 00:04:47,300
He has no family.
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00:04:50,460 --> 00:04:53,780
He was recently thrown out when his
mother had a newborn.
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00:04:58,340 --> 00:05:01,820
Come nightfall, the temperature will
plummet.
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00:05:01,820 --> 00:05:05,500
If he doesn't find others to huddle
with he won't survive long.
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00:05:07,220 --> 00:05:08,700
He has only one option.
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00:05:11,140 --> 00:05:14,580
To be accepted into a gang
of exiles.
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00:05:20,780 --> 00:05:23,820
MONKEYS CHATTER AND CRY OUT
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00:05:26,980 --> 00:05:30,620
Like him, they have all been thrown
out of their family troupes.
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00:05:32,460 --> 00:05:35,620
They fight to decide their rank.
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00:05:40,540 --> 00:05:43,220
Huge canines, not for eating...
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00:05:44,980 --> 00:05:46,660
..but weapons.
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00:05:49,140 --> 00:05:51,900
And they're ruled over by a
ferocious leader.
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00:06:01,540 --> 00:06:04,980
If he's rejected, he'll have little
chance of survival.
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00:06:11,900 --> 00:06:15,860
His first attempt at being accepted
has not started well.
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00:06:19,980 --> 00:06:21,820
To the lower-ranking members
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00:06:21,820 --> 00:06:25,420
he's seen as a threat
to their position in the gang.
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00:06:34,380 --> 00:06:37,260
MONKEYS CHITTER
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00:06:43,140 --> 00:06:44,740
He's quickly seen off.
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00:07:00,100 --> 00:07:05,060
He faces 12 hours on his own
in a freezer.
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00:07:06,300 --> 00:07:08,460
WIND HOWLS
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00:07:10,820 --> 00:07:14,420
It's a very long, cold night.
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00:07:24,620 --> 00:07:27,500
But clouds come in,
insulating the land.
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00:07:29,660 --> 00:07:32,260
They keep temperatures
from dropping too low.
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00:07:35,780 --> 00:07:37,700
It gives the young male a lifeline.
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00:07:41,220 --> 00:07:42,660
At least for another day.
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00:07:45,780 --> 00:07:48,420
If he's allowed to groom
the dominant male
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00:07:48,420 --> 00:07:51,300
he could secure a place
for himself in the group.
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00:07:53,900 --> 00:07:55,260
He spots his chance.
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00:07:57,340 --> 00:07:58,860
The boss is on his own.
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00:08:14,980 --> 00:08:17,140
He lets the young male
clean his fur.
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00:08:19,020 --> 00:08:20,980
It's a sign of acceptance
in the group.
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00:08:27,300 --> 00:08:31,580
The youngster's gamble has paid off
and saved his life.
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00:08:42,980 --> 00:08:45,980
He can now huddle
with his surrogate family.
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00:08:51,300 --> 00:08:54,940
A safeguard against the extreme cold
of his Himalaya home.
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00:08:58,860 --> 00:09:02,660
As harsh as the conditions at this
altitude seem,
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this is just the beginning.
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00:09:08,580 --> 00:09:12,700
The higher you climb in the
Himalaya, the tougher it gets.
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00:09:15,620 --> 00:09:18,940
They contain some of the harshest
weather ever recorded.
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175mph winds.
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00:09:25,660 --> 00:09:27,460
And minus 40 degrees.
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00:09:30,780 --> 00:09:33,820
They are the highest peaks
on the planet...
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..stretching almost nine kilometres
high.
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00:09:48,620 --> 00:09:52,420
Between these giants lie
some of the most inaccessible
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00:09:52,420 --> 00:09:54,820
valleys in the world.
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00:09:54,820 --> 00:09:59,820
Completely isolated, it can take
weeks of trekking to reach them.
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00:10:04,020 --> 00:10:07,060
Astonishingly, people live here.
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The village of Kibber,
in northern India.
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00:10:15,340 --> 00:10:17,980
One of the most isolated villages
in the Himalaya.
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00:10:20,900 --> 00:10:24,140
In winter,
snow and ice block the roads.
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00:10:25,580 --> 00:10:27,900
It cuts the village off
from the rest of the world.
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00:10:30,060 --> 00:10:31,940
They must be completely
self-sufficient.
94
00:10:41,940 --> 00:10:45,220
All they have to keep them alive
are their livestock.
95
00:10:50,660 --> 00:10:54,540
But a mysterious beast
is taking their animals.
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00:11:01,380 --> 00:11:03,100
The villagers call it
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00:11:03,100 --> 00:11:05,300
the Ghost of the Himalaya.
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00:11:08,020 --> 00:11:09,380
MAN SPEAKS IN HIS OWN LANGUAGE
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00:11:12,060 --> 00:11:14,140
Everyone has their own tale to tell.
100
00:11:49,660 --> 00:11:54,300
Come evening, the villagers are
forced to lock their livestock up
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in their own homes.
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00:12:08,740 --> 00:12:10,380
SHEEP BLEAT
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00:12:18,260 --> 00:12:19,780
Everyone is on edge.
104
00:12:26,860 --> 00:12:27,900
When night falls...
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00:12:30,300 --> 00:12:33,100
..the creature may come
into the village looking for food.
106
00:12:40,220 --> 00:12:41,820
COW LOWS
107
00:12:51,820 --> 00:12:53,020
HORSE WHINNIES
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Dawn, and villagers
can breathe a sigh of relief.
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00:13:23,100 --> 00:13:25,100
Their defences have held.
110
00:13:30,900 --> 00:13:34,460
But the mysterious creature is never
far away,
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00:13:34,460 --> 00:13:36,580
keeping an eye on its prey.
112
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Snow leopard.
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Mountain specialists.
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Thick fur to tackle the cold.
115
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Enlarged lungs for the thin air,
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and huge paws to spread their weight
as they navigate the cliffs.
117
00:14:22,220 --> 00:14:25,380
They've no desire
to be close to people.
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00:14:25,380 --> 00:14:29,940
But in winter, the weather's so bad
it pushes them down to the village.
119
00:14:41,180 --> 00:14:43,580
It's hard to turn down an easy meal.
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00:14:43,580 --> 00:14:45,940
SHEEP BLEAT
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For this isolated community,
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00:14:49,860 --> 00:14:53,900
each animal lost is the equivalent
of two months' salary.
123
00:14:56,740 --> 00:15:00,500
Yet remarkably, they don't want
the snow leopards gone.
124
00:15:02,860 --> 00:15:04,980
Here, the Buddhist philosophy
of acceptance
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00:15:04,980 --> 00:15:06,900
stretches beyond the village walls.
126
00:15:08,860 --> 00:15:10,300
HE SPEAKS IN HIS OWN LANGUAGE
127
00:15:19,300 --> 00:15:20,820
SHE SPEAKS IN HER OWN LANGUAGE
128
00:15:29,660 --> 00:15:32,500
With the help of local conservation
groups,
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they've come up with a simple
but ingenious plan.
130
00:15:41,540 --> 00:15:44,980
They have made their own local
wildlife sanctuary.
131
00:15:46,900 --> 00:15:50,380
They've set aside areas where they
won't graze their livestock.
132
00:15:53,420 --> 00:15:55,940
This provides food
for wild blue sheep...
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..the natural prey
of the snow leopards.
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00:16:09,860 --> 00:16:12,060
This enterprising community
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00:16:12,060 --> 00:16:15,300
has reduced the number
of livestock lost...
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00:16:18,340 --> 00:16:22,220
..whilst increasing the number of
critically endangered snow leopards.
137
00:16:24,660 --> 00:16:27,740
Normally an elusive animal,
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00:16:27,740 --> 00:16:32,940
Kibber is now a safe haven for one
of the rarest big cats in the world.
139
00:16:48,300 --> 00:16:53,540
The mountain peaks surrounding
Kibber stretch up for 6,000 metres.
140
00:16:55,580 --> 00:17:00,180
Clouds, heavy with rain, arriving on
the southern slopes,
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00:17:00,180 --> 00:17:02,260
cannot climb over this barrier.
142
00:17:04,300 --> 00:17:06,700
They are forced to dump their rain.
143
00:17:10,260 --> 00:17:12,020
THUNDER CLAPS
144
00:17:15,060 --> 00:17:16,460
The Indian monsoon.
145
00:17:19,140 --> 00:17:24,340
In just four months, 3,000 billion
tonnes of rain falls.
146
00:17:26,900 --> 00:17:32,020
High in the mountains, the rivers
swell, gouging deep valleys.
147
00:17:43,900 --> 00:17:49,100
In the River Ganges alone, 40,000
tonnes of water can rush past...
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00:17:50,500 --> 00:17:51,540
..every second.
149
00:17:55,940 --> 00:17:58,140
With devastating consequences.
150
00:18:08,300 --> 00:18:12,340
In the foothills of
Mount Machapuchare in Nepal,
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00:18:12,340 --> 00:18:15,100
the water is so powerful
152
00:18:15,100 --> 00:18:18,620
it bores a hole into the mountain.
153
00:18:32,660 --> 00:18:35,540
Here, the rock is mainly limestone.
154
00:18:40,740 --> 00:18:42,700
It's easily eroded by the water.
155
00:18:51,380 --> 00:18:55,340
It creates a labyrinth of caves
and tunnels under the mountain.
156
00:19:00,660 --> 00:19:05,340
Giant stalactites build up
over tens of thousands of years.
157
00:19:13,620 --> 00:19:17,340
This water has created the only
place in the Himalaya
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00:19:17,340 --> 00:19:19,580
where nothing ever changes.
159
00:19:23,460 --> 00:19:28,340
Winter to summer, the temperature is
a constant five degrees Celsius.
160
00:19:30,860 --> 00:19:34,620
Ideal for the most unexpected
of Himalayan creatures.
161
00:19:44,540 --> 00:19:48,140
Greater horseshoe bats can only
flourish in the mountains
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because of these caves.
163
00:19:52,620 --> 00:19:54,740
Down here, it never freezes.
164
00:19:55,780 --> 00:19:57,980
It never snows.
165
00:19:57,980 --> 00:19:59,340
There is no wind.
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00:20:02,020 --> 00:20:05,500
These bats are perhaps
the one Himalayan animal
167
00:20:05,500 --> 00:20:08,540
that deals with extremes
by avoiding them.
168
00:20:24,380 --> 00:20:25,780
A perfect sanctuary...
169
00:20:27,380 --> 00:20:29,820
..created by the water...
170
00:20:29,820 --> 00:20:31,140
from the monsoon.
171
00:20:41,900 --> 00:20:47,100
But 3,000 metres up on the northern
slopes, there is no water at all.
172
00:20:51,380 --> 00:20:53,900
This is the driest place
in the Himalaya.
173
00:20:56,260 --> 00:20:58,220
The Indian province of Ladakh.
174
00:21:04,020 --> 00:21:07,140
The rain clouds struggle
to reach here,
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00:21:07,140 --> 00:21:09,420
kept out by the towering peaks.
176
00:21:12,980 --> 00:21:16,180
The result,
a high-altitude desert.
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00:21:21,060 --> 00:21:25,940
For centuries, the famous
trading path, the Silk Route,
178
00:21:25,940 --> 00:21:30,900
ran through this hostile desert as
traders went from Persia to China.
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00:21:36,060 --> 00:21:39,900
To transport goods, they depended on
a mountain specialist.
180
00:21:44,620 --> 00:21:46,140
The Bactrian camel.
181
00:21:54,180 --> 00:21:57,420
Coming from Mongolia,
it's toughened,
182
00:21:57,420 --> 00:22:02,620
splayed feet can tackle both
sand dunes and rocky passes.
183
00:22:05,540 --> 00:22:09,980
Thick hair can grow a foot long
for winters in the deep freeze.
184
00:22:14,900 --> 00:22:18,700
And Bactrians have not just one
but two humps...
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00:22:20,620 --> 00:22:25,660
..each holding up to 45kg
of fat for food storage.
186
00:22:36,820 --> 00:22:41,500
They're so well adapted they became
the ultimate mode of transport
187
00:22:41,500 --> 00:22:43,500
over these Himalayan paths...
188
00:22:45,340 --> 00:22:47,820
..and are even sometimes used today.
189
00:22:55,340 --> 00:22:57,620
There are some travellers
in the Himalaya...
190
00:22:59,140 --> 00:23:02,180
..who wish to go even deeper
into the mountains.
191
00:23:04,660 --> 00:23:07,700
Down ancient routes
even more remote.
192
00:23:20,060 --> 00:23:22,940
3,500 metre up.
193
00:23:24,420 --> 00:23:26,580
Lama Dorje is a Tibetan monk.
194
00:23:27,860 --> 00:23:32,060
He travelled high into the
Himalaya in search of solitude.
195
00:23:36,780 --> 00:23:39,980
He was guided here
by ancient scriptures.
196
00:23:39,980 --> 00:23:43,820
CHANTING
197
00:23:45,860 --> 00:23:49,580
HE SPEAKS HIS OWN LANGUAGE
198
00:24:08,820 --> 00:24:12,100
Behind this door is a cave
in the side of the mountain.
199
00:24:20,020 --> 00:24:23,060
For eight months,
this was Dorje's home...
200
00:24:26,660 --> 00:24:28,340
..with only candles for heat.
201
00:24:29,580 --> 00:24:33,220
Totally alone, he spent every
waking hour meditating.
202
00:24:38,940 --> 00:24:42,700
Every month, food was left
at a drop-off down the mountain.
203
00:24:48,420 --> 00:24:49,460
He saw no-one.
204
00:24:53,340 --> 00:24:57,180
Dorje used the solitude
of this extreme land
205
00:24:57,180 --> 00:24:59,820
on his quest for enlightenment.
206
00:25:12,820 --> 00:25:15,460
Tibetan Buddhism was born
in the Himalaya.
207
00:25:19,380 --> 00:25:22,420
In the Phyang Monastery in India,
208
00:25:22,420 --> 00:25:26,300
rituals rooted in the mountains
go back thousands of years.
209
00:25:30,300 --> 00:25:34,180
At the centre of one ritual
is the very rock of the Himalaya.
210
00:25:37,100 --> 00:25:38,820
This is calcite...
211
00:25:40,260 --> 00:25:44,300
..forged deep under the mountain
millions of years ago.
212
00:25:51,220 --> 00:25:54,060
Tibetan monks collect it
from the mountain slopes.
213
00:26:03,620 --> 00:26:05,980
It is crushed into a fine sand...
214
00:26:08,740 --> 00:26:12,940
CHANTING AND RINGING OF BELLS
215
00:26:12,940 --> 00:26:15,180
..and mixed with coloured dyes.
216
00:26:27,980 --> 00:26:33,060
Grain by grain, the ground up
mountain rock is precisely placed.
217
00:26:42,420 --> 00:26:44,620
The monks go into a state
of meditation.
218
00:27:46,100 --> 00:27:51,220
It has taken over 60 hours of work,
and a lifetime, to master the craft.
219
00:28:00,820 --> 00:28:06,060
The humble calcite has been
transformed into a masterpiece,
220
00:28:06,860 --> 00:28:08,460
called a sand mandala.
221
00:28:18,380 --> 00:28:21,940
For Buddhists, it is
a symbolic representation
222
00:28:21,940 --> 00:28:23,820
of the entire universe.
223
00:28:25,300 --> 00:28:28,380
The centre running right
through the Himalaya.
224
00:28:37,780 --> 00:28:38,780
Climb higher...
225
00:28:40,260 --> 00:28:45,500
..and at 4,000 metres, on the slopes
of this mountain, is a burrow.
226
00:28:51,180 --> 00:28:54,140
Inside is a tiny animal...
227
00:28:55,460 --> 00:28:58,900
..who's about to take
his first-ever glimpse
228
00:28:58,900 --> 00:29:00,460
of the outside world.
229
00:29:07,380 --> 00:29:10,140
A baby Himalayan marmot.
230
00:29:10,140 --> 00:29:12,500
HE SNIFFS
231
00:29:15,780 --> 00:29:17,900
He has one big task ahead.
232
00:29:22,660 --> 00:29:25,900
He has to triple his weight
in the next 12 weeks.
233
00:29:30,100 --> 00:29:33,860
When winter arrives, he will
hibernate for eight months,
234
00:29:33,860 --> 00:29:37,460
and for that he needs to build
big fat reserves.
235
00:29:42,980 --> 00:29:44,580
He has a lot of grass to eat.
236
00:29:46,820 --> 00:29:48,100
But there's competition.
237
00:29:50,300 --> 00:29:53,100
There are 50 other marmots
living here,
238
00:29:53,100 --> 00:29:55,780
all facing the same challenge.
239
00:30:00,860 --> 00:30:03,300
On this, his first day outside...
240
00:30:04,460 --> 00:30:06,140
..he must stake his claim.
241
00:30:09,180 --> 00:30:12,700
THEY SQUEAK
242
00:30:16,540 --> 00:30:19,460
The fight starts with a ritual pose.
243
00:30:27,660 --> 00:30:29,780
Then the rule book gets thrown out.
244
00:30:59,100 --> 00:31:02,980
Securing a patch of grass
is just the first challenge.
245
00:31:05,100 --> 00:31:08,860
Up here, marmots are
on everyone's menu.
246
00:31:11,660 --> 00:31:13,020
Tibetan fox...
247
00:31:15,020 --> 00:31:16,580
..Himalayan brown bear...
248
00:31:22,580 --> 00:31:24,020
..and golden eagles...
249
00:31:26,780 --> 00:31:28,820
..all feed on marmots.
250
00:31:30,940 --> 00:31:33,220
It's hard to concentrate
on eating...
251
00:31:34,940 --> 00:31:37,140
..when you might get eaten yourself.
252
00:31:45,580 --> 00:31:49,140
DISTANT GRUNTING
MARMOT SQUEAKS
253
00:31:49,140 --> 00:31:53,460
When the alarm is sounded,
there's only one course of action.
254
00:32:05,140 --> 00:32:08,540
This time, it's a herd
of Himalayan yak.
255
00:32:10,140 --> 00:32:12,300
They may be intimidating in size...
256
00:32:15,140 --> 00:32:16,940
..but they're not here
for the marmots.
257
00:32:21,860 --> 00:32:26,300
The meadow has become the staging
ground for the yaks' annual rut.
258
00:32:28,900 --> 00:32:31,220
Males compete for the right to mate.
259
00:32:41,980 --> 00:32:44,300
One-tonne bulls
fighting near you...
260
00:32:48,220 --> 00:32:50,100
..is not good for the digestion.
261
00:32:58,020 --> 00:33:01,220
Luckily, the yaks quickly
exhaust themselves.
262
00:33:05,220 --> 00:33:08,100
And, in fact, their visit actually
helps the marmots.
263
00:33:15,380 --> 00:33:19,540
They provide plenty of
fertiliser for the grass.
264
00:33:22,060 --> 00:33:26,580
But also, their grazing creates lots
of new grass shoots,
265
00:33:26,580 --> 00:33:28,820
rich in energy and protein.
266
00:33:32,020 --> 00:33:34,780
Far more nutritious
for a growing marmot.
267
00:33:43,100 --> 00:33:46,780
He can now start to pile on
those precious calories.
268
00:33:50,420 --> 00:33:54,060
It's given him a fighting chance
to be ready for winter
269
00:33:54,060 --> 00:33:56,060
and his eight-month hibernation.
270
00:34:03,220 --> 00:34:08,260
4,200 metres up, to the west
of the marmot meadows,
271
00:34:08,500 --> 00:34:12,980
is the most barren and unforgiving
lands shaped by the Himalaya.
272
00:34:15,980 --> 00:34:17,580
The Tibetan Plateau.
273
00:34:19,540 --> 00:34:24,540
It runs for 1,800 miles along
the north of the Himalaya.
274
00:34:24,540 --> 00:34:28,180
Incredibly vast, larger than
Western Europe.
275
00:34:31,820 --> 00:34:34,300
Frost for six months of the year.
276
00:34:37,140 --> 00:34:38,300
Dry as a desert.
277
00:34:41,860 --> 00:34:44,380
But creatures do make
their home here.
278
00:34:53,580 --> 00:34:54,580
The chiru.
279
00:34:55,900 --> 00:34:59,420
With the finest and warmest wool
in the animal kingdom...
280
00:35:01,140 --> 00:35:03,940
..it copes with minus 40 degree
winters.
281
00:35:07,620 --> 00:35:11,020
The kiang,
an ancient relative of the horse...
282
00:35:12,260 --> 00:35:14,900
..it can survive without drinking
for weeks.
283
00:35:19,580 --> 00:35:21,860
But the strangest creature
of them all...
284
00:35:24,900 --> 00:35:27,460
..is the Tibetan hot-spring snake.
285
00:35:29,420 --> 00:35:32,060
The highest living snake
in the world.
286
00:35:37,260 --> 00:35:41,940
Here, on the Tibetan plateau,
there are thermal pools
287
00:35:41,940 --> 00:35:44,100
heated by magma
deep under the Earth.
288
00:35:50,020 --> 00:35:51,660
Snakes are cold-blooded.
289
00:35:55,740 --> 00:35:59,180
So what better way to warm up
than to sit in a hot tub?
290
00:36:05,700 --> 00:36:09,940
Living and feeding in these pools
sounds like paradise.
291
00:36:13,940 --> 00:36:19,100
But outside these springs,
the snakes are surrounded
292
00:36:19,300 --> 00:36:22,340
by hundreds of miles
of frozen wilderness.
293
00:36:29,260 --> 00:36:32,860
Bathing in these heated pools
isn't a choice.
294
00:36:34,020 --> 00:36:35,820
It's the only way to stay alive.
295
00:36:38,220 --> 00:36:42,820
A haven, but also a prison
they can never leave.
296
00:36:54,620 --> 00:36:57,900
On the very edge
of the Tibetan Plateau,
297
00:36:57,900 --> 00:37:03,180
there is an enormous mountain,
so high it towers over all others.
298
00:37:06,820 --> 00:37:10,540
It sits on the border
between Nepal and China.
299
00:37:12,220 --> 00:37:17,460
The route to its summit is guarded
by an ever-changing river of ice.
300
00:37:19,020 --> 00:37:24,260
The Tibetans know it as Chomolungma,
meaning "mother of the universe".
301
00:37:26,660 --> 00:37:30,580
To most, it is known
as Mount Everest.
302
00:37:33,900 --> 00:37:36,460
The tallest mountain on the planet.
303
00:37:40,580 --> 00:37:45,220
Today, an elite group of athletes
are gathering on its slopes
304
00:37:45,220 --> 00:37:48,260
to take part in
the highest race in the world.
305
00:37:50,260 --> 00:37:51,900
The Everest Marathon.
306
00:37:58,860 --> 00:38:03,820
For Mira Rai, a Nepalese runner,
this is her first attempt.
307
00:38:06,340 --> 00:38:09,060
SHE SPEAKS HER OWN LANGUAGE
308
00:38:31,820 --> 00:38:36,980
The start of the race is at
5,200 metres, by Everest base camp.
309
00:38:39,460 --> 00:38:42,860
It takes ten days of trekking
just to get here.
310
00:38:44,540 --> 00:38:48,180
But that's not the biggest problem
in this extreme place.
311
00:38:50,740 --> 00:38:53,940
As altitude increases,
the air pressure drops.
312
00:38:58,180 --> 00:39:02,780
Here, each breath contains only half
the amount of oxygen
313
00:39:02,780 --> 00:39:04,020
than at sea level.
314
00:39:06,180 --> 00:39:11,300
Mira and the other athletes are
about to starve themselves of oxygen
315
00:39:11,740 --> 00:39:15,780
whilst running down the side of
the tallest mountain in the world.
316
00:39:18,140 --> 00:39:21,700
Here, even while resting,
the body is suffering.
317
00:39:21,700 --> 00:39:26,700
There's headache and nausea,
blood vessels start to burst,
318
00:39:26,700 --> 00:39:29,660
the pulse rate doubles.
319
00:39:29,660 --> 00:39:32,420
And that's before they even
start running.
320
00:39:36,540 --> 00:39:40,580
The advice doctors give
is not to push your body.
321
00:39:46,940 --> 00:39:48,500
START GUN FIRES
322
00:39:48,500 --> 00:39:50,940
CHEERING
323
00:39:58,900 --> 00:40:03,060
Immediately, the athletes feel
the full force of this altitude.
324
00:40:07,820 --> 00:40:12,060
Normally, this level of oxygen
starvation happens when someone
325
00:40:12,060 --> 00:40:13,460
is critically ill.
326
00:40:19,780 --> 00:40:23,620
The mountain's tough terrain force
the pack to quickly thin out.
327
00:40:27,860 --> 00:40:30,340
HEAVY BREATHING
328
00:40:40,900 --> 00:40:42,940
Mira takes an early lead.
329
00:40:47,860 --> 00:40:50,140
Like all who live high
in the Himalaya...
330
00:40:52,700 --> 00:40:55,700
..her body has transformed
to tackle the conditions.
331
00:41:02,460 --> 00:41:05,860
She has up to 50% more haemoglobin
in her blood...
332
00:41:09,140 --> 00:41:10,820
..allowing her to carry more oxygen.
333
00:41:16,420 --> 00:41:18,980
Boosting her ability
to keep running.
334
00:41:45,220 --> 00:41:48,300
All those who live in these
mountains know that
335
00:41:48,300 --> 00:41:51,220
one wrong step could
end in disaster.
336
00:42:12,020 --> 00:42:16,380
In this race, the first
seven runners are all Nepalese.
337
00:42:18,980 --> 00:42:21,700
Even though some are local farmers
338
00:42:21,700 --> 00:42:24,900
competing against
highly trained Western athletes.
339
00:42:27,540 --> 00:42:31,860
Many Himalayan people have genetic
adaptations allowing them
340
00:42:31,860 --> 00:42:34,820
to cope with critically low
oxygen levels.
341
00:42:37,340 --> 00:42:40,100
Mira, too, was born
in the mountains.
342
00:42:43,260 --> 00:42:45,780
She is a natural master
of this world.
343
00:42:58,980 --> 00:43:00,980
The end is in sight.
344
00:43:00,980 --> 00:43:04,060
Namche Bazaar, the highest
town in the region.
345
00:43:04,060 --> 00:43:06,340
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
346
00:43:18,980 --> 00:43:23,180
She's not only made it,
but won the women's race.
347
00:43:38,860 --> 00:43:42,900
Ascending past Everest base camp,
the mountain becomes
348
00:43:42,900 --> 00:43:44,100
a desolate world.
349
00:43:45,980 --> 00:43:49,860
It seems like an impossible place
for anything to live.
350
00:43:52,860 --> 00:43:54,660
But there is life.
351
00:43:56,140 --> 00:44:01,420
At 6,700 metres lives the
highest animal in the world.
352
00:44:06,140 --> 00:44:08,700
The Himalayan jumping spider.
353
00:44:10,140 --> 00:44:13,540
At just four millimetres long,
he may be tiny...
354
00:44:14,780 --> 00:44:17,460
..but he has gigantic superpowers.
355
00:44:19,300 --> 00:44:24,060
Eight eyes that give
him 360-degree vision,
356
00:44:24,060 --> 00:44:27,740
his body can be super-cooled
to minus 20.
357
00:44:33,740 --> 00:44:37,740
And tiny hooks on his feet help grip
358
00:44:37,740 --> 00:44:41,420
as he leaps from rock to rock.
359
00:44:44,940 --> 00:44:45,940
He can jump...
360
00:44:48,260 --> 00:44:50,060
..50 times his body length.
361
00:44:54,620 --> 00:44:58,460
But his greatest asset is his size.
362
00:45:01,540 --> 00:45:05,180
Being so small,
he hugs close to the rocks.
363
00:45:07,620 --> 00:45:09,660
They are charged with
the sun's heat,
364
00:45:09,660 --> 00:45:13,300
creating a one-inch layer
of warm air.
365
00:45:13,300 --> 00:45:15,780
The perfect microclimate
366
00:45:15,780 --> 00:45:17,340
for a tiny hero.
367
00:45:26,300 --> 00:45:28,940
But he's missing
just one crucial thing.
368
00:45:31,020 --> 00:45:33,820
Up here, there's nothing for him
to eat.
369
00:45:39,100 --> 00:45:43,940
He relies entirely on stray insects
blown up on the wind.
370
00:45:51,380 --> 00:45:54,420
Little to eat, and terrible weather.
371
00:45:57,380 --> 00:45:59,220
It seems a strange place
to make a home.
372
00:46:02,260 --> 00:46:03,460
But there's a good reason.
373
00:46:06,140 --> 00:46:08,900
As nothing else can live up here,
374
00:46:08,900 --> 00:46:10,660
there is nothing to eat him.
375
00:46:14,580 --> 00:46:16,900
He might be tiny,
376
00:46:16,900 --> 00:46:21,780
but up here on Everest he's
the top of the food chain.
377
00:46:34,340 --> 00:46:37,820
Above the spider, at 8,000 metres,
378
00:46:37,820 --> 00:46:40,660
there is a realm where nothing
can live.
379
00:46:49,020 --> 00:46:51,180
Climbers call it the Death Zone.
380
00:46:56,100 --> 00:47:00,780
The only living things that can
climb this high are humans,
381
00:47:00,780 --> 00:47:02,580
aided by modern technology.
382
00:47:05,860 --> 00:47:09,660
Past this point,
the oxygen levels drop so low...
383
00:47:11,380 --> 00:47:12,940
..the body starts to die.
384
00:47:19,860 --> 00:47:22,060
Battling relentless exhaustion...
385
00:47:25,780 --> 00:47:28,980
..the climbers summon their
last piece of courage...
386
00:47:31,420 --> 00:47:33,220
..and get their prize.
387
00:47:41,140 --> 00:47:43,100
Woo!
388
00:47:45,260 --> 00:47:50,500
To stand at 8,848 metres,
389
00:47:51,340 --> 00:47:53,540
the highest point on the planet.
390
00:47:57,460 --> 00:48:01,140
But bound by the mountain's
extreme conditions,
391
00:48:01,140 --> 00:48:04,140
they can only remain here for
15 minutes.
392
00:48:22,220 --> 00:48:27,460
For many, the climbing of Everest
is their greatest achievement.
393
00:48:30,860 --> 00:48:32,980
But for those that live here,
394
00:48:32,980 --> 00:48:36,660
there is perhaps an even
greater achievement.
395
00:48:38,860 --> 00:48:42,260
To live amongst these mountains and
to face their extremes
396
00:48:42,260 --> 00:48:44,860
every single day.
397
00:48:45,980 --> 00:48:51,020
To do that is to face a world
of constant challenge...
398
00:48:51,140 --> 00:48:55,260
where every day
you must find the resolve
399
00:48:55,260 --> 00:48:58,340
to start all over again.
400
00:49:23,580 --> 00:49:27,020
Sometimes,
in making the Mountain series,
401
00:49:27,020 --> 00:49:30,460
the film crew was most surprised by
how mountains
402
00:49:30,460 --> 00:49:31,900
affect the people they met.
403
00:49:35,300 --> 00:49:37,580
Filming Mira Rai,
the marathon runner...
404
00:49:39,060 --> 00:49:42,620
..showed more than anything
the impact mountain life can have.
405
00:49:46,660 --> 00:49:51,100
It quickly becomes clear
how well-adapted Mira is to
406
00:49:51,100 --> 00:49:54,220
the extreme altitude during
the walk in to the start
407
00:49:54,220 --> 00:49:55,660
of the marathon race.
408
00:49:57,500 --> 00:50:00,220
It's a ten-day trek
to Everest base camp.
409
00:50:03,780 --> 00:50:07,700
As they climb higher, in every
breath there is less oxygen.
410
00:50:08,980 --> 00:50:14,140
By 4,000 metres, there's already a
third less than at sea level.
411
00:50:14,540 --> 00:50:16,540
OK, this altitude...
412
00:50:16,540 --> 00:50:19,820
You take two steps
and you're like, "Whoa!"
413
00:50:19,820 --> 00:50:22,500
I'm very tired. Very out of breath.
414
00:50:24,900 --> 00:50:29,180
I've kind of lost track of how many
days it's taken us to get this far.
415
00:50:29,180 --> 00:50:31,380
And I notice that Mira
is not out of breath.
416
00:50:31,380 --> 00:50:32,980
SHE LAUGHS
417
00:50:36,140 --> 00:50:37,940
Oh, my God.
418
00:50:37,940 --> 00:50:43,100
Mira has 50% more haemoglobin
in her blood, so she feels fine.
419
00:50:44,060 --> 00:50:47,220
She's even got the energy to
make her own film.
420
00:50:54,020 --> 00:50:56,380
Me? Yeah. I feel very tired.
421
00:50:56,380 --> 00:50:57,860
Really? Yeah.
422
00:51:03,300 --> 00:51:06,060
Yeah? Yes.
Do you like going uphill?
423
00:51:09,420 --> 00:51:10,460
Why?!
424
00:51:13,700 --> 00:51:15,820
Without any roads
in these mountains,
425
00:51:15,820 --> 00:51:19,500
everything has to be moved
by either pack animal
426
00:51:19,500 --> 00:51:20,980
or by hand.
427
00:51:22,620 --> 00:51:27,660
The 300 kilos of BBC equipment
is carried up by six yaks.
428
00:51:31,940 --> 00:51:33,580
Here's the rest of our camera kit.
429
00:51:33,580 --> 00:51:35,540
Luckily, we don't have
to carry this stuff.
430
00:51:37,140 --> 00:51:40,900
Do you think it's OK to hold some
people once this lot comes through?
431
00:51:40,900 --> 00:51:43,900
Just hold them there, that would be
great. This is getting heavy.
432
00:51:51,980 --> 00:51:53,620
Good.
433
00:51:55,940 --> 00:51:59,820
But keeping up with Mira
on her daily training is tough.
434
00:51:59,820 --> 00:52:02,580
HEAVY BREATHING
435
00:52:06,460 --> 00:52:10,300
Each day, the crew's bodies make
more and more red blood cells,
436
00:52:10,300 --> 00:52:13,140
slowly enabling them to acclimatise.
437
00:52:14,260 --> 00:52:16,620
Mira is always a step ahead.
438
00:52:17,620 --> 00:52:19,060
Oh...!
439
00:52:22,540 --> 00:52:27,420
The secret to Mira's sporting
success lies in her upbringing.
440
00:52:27,420 --> 00:52:30,780
She was born and bred
in the mountains
441
00:52:30,780 --> 00:52:35,380
and her ancestors have lived at high
altitude for at least 3,000 years.
442
00:52:37,780 --> 00:52:40,780
Her family home is a village
in eastern Nepal.
443
00:52:48,140 --> 00:52:51,380
There's no electricity
or running water
444
00:52:51,380 --> 00:52:53,860
and it's a day's trek to the
nearest shop.
445
00:52:55,260 --> 00:52:57,460
It's a life of hard,
physical labour.
446
00:53:00,500 --> 00:53:04,100
To collect water, the community
must climb down to a spring...
447
00:53:05,580 --> 00:53:07,420
..400 metres down the mountain.
448
00:53:09,660 --> 00:53:13,260
Mira's been doing it since
she was just five years old.
449
00:53:32,980 --> 00:53:37,940
Living at altitude fine-tunes
the body, making wider arteries,
450
00:53:37,940 --> 00:53:40,700
more capillaries and bigger lungs.
451
00:53:45,180 --> 00:53:48,020
But mountain life was also
her biggest obstacle.
452
00:53:52,700 --> 00:53:57,580
Like many women in rural Nepal, she
was destined to a life of housework.
453
00:54:21,180 --> 00:54:23,980
But her mother dreamed of a
better future for her daughter.
454
00:54:39,420 --> 00:54:43,220
Aged 14, Mira left home
looking for adventure.
455
00:54:47,780 --> 00:54:50,580
She ended up in the capital
of Nepal, Kathmandu.
456
00:55:06,860 --> 00:55:10,540
It was here, in a forest on the edge
of the city,
457
00:55:10,540 --> 00:55:12,580
that she entered
her first-ever race.
458
00:55:14,540 --> 00:55:16,620
50km long.
459
00:55:16,620 --> 00:55:19,660
She'd never run such a
distance before in her life.
460
00:55:39,940 --> 00:55:43,020
But she didn't just complete
the race, she won it.
461
00:55:44,420 --> 00:55:49,740
From that day on, Mira went on to
win race after race across Nepal.
462
00:55:51,140 --> 00:55:54,140
There is just one race
she has yet to attempt...
463
00:55:56,140 --> 00:55:57,220
..the Everest Marathon.
464
00:55:58,700 --> 00:56:01,260
And the exhausted film crew
has finally
465
00:56:01,260 --> 00:56:03,100
reached the start to film it.
466
00:56:13,300 --> 00:56:15,340
And you ready, Mira?
Yes, I'm ready.
467
00:56:27,100 --> 00:56:28,940
Good luck, Mira. Oh, yes, thank you.
468
00:56:36,980 --> 00:56:38,500
START GUN FIRES
469
00:56:38,500 --> 00:56:40,700
CHEERING
470
00:56:42,140 --> 00:56:43,980
In just a few years,
471
00:56:43,980 --> 00:56:48,220
Mira has gone from a tough life
in her remote mountain home
472
00:56:48,220 --> 00:56:51,060
to the biggest sports star in Nepal.
473
00:56:54,900 --> 00:56:57,220
Winning every race there is
in the country.
474
00:56:57,220 --> 00:56:59,140
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
475
00:57:09,260 --> 00:57:12,980
Now she also trains children
from other mountain villages...
476
00:57:14,420 --> 00:57:16,460
..helping them to become athletes.
477
00:57:39,420 --> 00:57:41,220
Since Mira started,
478
00:57:41,220 --> 00:57:46,060
the number of girls signing up to
racing equals that of boys,
479
00:57:46,060 --> 00:57:47,500
for the first time.
480
00:57:49,500 --> 00:57:51,780
For those born in these mountains...
481
00:57:54,140 --> 00:57:56,060
..there are many obstacles in life.
482
00:57:58,300 --> 00:58:02,980
But they are also the perfect
training grounds for success.
483
00:58:07,860 --> 00:58:13,140
Next time, the longest mountain
range on the planet
484
00:58:13,340 --> 00:58:16,420
is full of extraordinary
hidden worlds
485
00:58:16,420 --> 00:58:21,660
and even more extraordinary animals,
with the most surprising lives.
486
00:58:24,140 --> 00:58:25,220
The Andes.
38749
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