Original subtitles

'My name is Levison Wood.'

Whoa, that was steep.

'In 2014 I walked the Nile -

'from its source to the sea.'

Yeah!

'I saw the heart of Africa...'

Take care.

'..at eyelevel.'

This is like being on Mars.

'Now, I'm taking on an even tougher journey.'

This is hard going.

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 4 million steps to reach my goal.'

Which nutcase came up with this idea?

'I'll meet the people who survive here...'

Onwards.

'..face dangers head on....'

There's a very different feel here.

Mines. Land mines?

We should get out of the water now.

'..and visit parts of the world rarely seen.'

It's almost biblical, isn't it?

'I'll experience the majesty of these mountains...'

I'm speechless.

'..and their ever-present danger.

'On the first leg of my journey...'

I'm cold and I'm wet.

'..I'll walk a part of Afghanistan the Taliban never captured...'

I've never been drinking with Afghans before.

It turns out they can polish off two bottles of whisky.

'..discover a hidden paradise in Pakistan...'

This whole area is just absolutely stunning.

'..and take on the largest mountains on earth.'

I'm just struggling to get oxygen.

This is brutal.

'My journey starts in Kabul, Afghanistan.

'I'm heading to one of the world's most remote regions.

'Travelling by road is too dangerous,

'and few guides dare venture there.

'But I've persuaded one of Afghanistan's best mountaineers to join me.'

Malang?

'Malang Daria.'

How you doing? I'm fine. All right? Welcome. Excellent.

Have you been in a helicopter before? No, the first time.

First time in a helicopter? It's too old? Yeah, it's an old one.

I hope it gets us there.

'Malang's leaving his wife and five children behind to join me

'for the first 300 miles of my journey.'

That's my village! My village!

This is where Malang lives. Right here.

I think most people, when they hear the word Afghanistan,

you think just war, you think of Taliban,

you think of all the violence that has been happening for so many years.

But when you look out across that,

you can also see just how beautiful and spectacular it is.

The Himalayas have attracted explorers

and conquerors for centuries.

I first came here when I was 19,

and now I'm returning to really discover what secrets

these mountains hold, and what life is like in their shadow.

We're flying into the Wakhan Corridor.

Tajikistan lies to the north, China to the east

and Pakistan to the south.

200 miles long and 25 miles wide,

this strip of land is so inhospitable

it's been untouched by the wars that rage around it.

Well, this is it. We've just landed in the Wakhan Corridor.

This is where it starts.

For the first 60 miles, the mountains will lead me

through barren valleys, where only nomadic tribes roam.

I must then climb a 5,000-metre wall of snow and ice,

called the Irshad Pass, to reach Pakistan.

From there, I'll descend into

an earthly paradise known as the Hunza Valley,

before the Himalayas draw me into more dangerous territory.

What do you think of my Afghan hat, Malang?

It's beautiful hat. Yeah?

You look like Afghan in it.

You look like an Australian. Really? Yeah.

The roof of the world. We are now walking the roof of the world.

'For much of the journey, we'll film ourselves.

'but for now, we have a crew with us.

'We must find some nomads and pack animals to help

'carry our equipment if we're to get any further.'

Malang stops for no man.

HE LAUGHS

Malang, where are you going?

'Malang's a member of the local tribe called the Wakhi.

'He was the first Afghan to climb the country's highest peak, Mount Noshaq.

'He assures me he knows the way through this brutal place.'

It looks really deep, and he insists that it's OK.

I'm not sure.

Ah, BLEEP.

MALANG SHOUTS IN DISTANCE

Eh?

I'm cold and I'm wet,

but we're making progress.

Eh?

Well done.

Nearly finished.

'At 4,000 metres, there's half the oxygen there is at sea level.'

HE COUGHS AND BREATHES HEAVILY

I am knackered.

The altitude just makes every step so exhausting.

'After two hours, we finally come across another human.

'And it's someone Malang recognises, even at this distance.'

So who is this, Malang?

It looks like he's got three camels.

We will go to him and say to him, "Hello."

Salaam. Salaam.

Britannia. Britannia.

'The chief's called Ear Ali Bhai.

'He may know Malang, but seems nervous about me.'

What's happening now?

Why do they have a gun here? I thought it was safe.

It is safe, but the gun they are using for wolves and the animals.

For wolves? Ah, the animals.

But sometimes Tajikistan people come and steal the yaks. Oh, really?

They come across the border and steal the animals?

'This nomadic group of Kyrgyz tribesmen are on their

'summer migration to more fertile land further up the valley.'

Can we come with you to the summer camp?

We have our own tents, no problem.

'The chief is the Kyrgyz's leader.'

I think he's on side.

'And in the Wakhan, the size of your flock is a sign of your wealth.'

It's really impressive. I mean, look.

It's just thousands of animals all on the move.

'Meeting him is our best chance

'to get the animals we need to move our gear towards the pass.

'Up here, there are no roads, no vehicles and no local villages.

'After six hours of walking, we arrive at the Kyrgyz' new home.'

So this is the summer camp.

Salaam.

I'm just trying to figure out where to park the camels.

I'm good with camels.

Down.

HE COMMANDS CAMEL IN LOCAL LANGUAGE

I think it's the pronunciation.

HE COMMANDS CAMEL IN LOCAL LANGUAGE

'The Kyrgyz are descendants of the Mongol armies led by Genghis Khan.

'They once roamed from China to Siberia, but are now cut off

'from their ancestral grazing lands by politics and border disputes.'

It's a pretty colourful camp, isn't it? Everything's red and white.

You've got the girls and the ladies over there,

who are unpacking one of the camels.

'The tribe will stay here for the next three months,

'until the snow returns.'

Where does this go? On the top? This goes on the top, yes.

It's for roof.

I mean, it is very basic.

I mean, this is one of the most remote valleys in the entire world,

and these Kyrgyz are one of the most

isolated communities of people anywhere in the world.

Imagine this place in the winter when it's covered in snow

and they just live in these yurts.

The animals die of the cold, there's nothing to eat.

I mean, there's no trees.

Some of these people have never seen a tree in their entire lives.

'The Kyrgyz have one of the lowest life expectancies is in the world.

'Only half their children make it past their fifth birthday.'

What age do people normally live to?

Most of them is dead at 40. 40?

And the women, most women dead at 30, 32.

32?

And there is no hospitals, there's no medical facilities.

So if somebody gets ill, they die. They die, yes.

When they get sick, they die.

A lot of men doesn't have wife...

Because there is not enough women?

Not enough women.

One woman, if marry, she's 100 sheep.

So that's expensive.

Chief, is this your boy?

MALANG INTERPRETS

Yah. Yah. This is. How old?

MALANG INTERPRETS

One year. One year old. What's his name?

MALANG INTERPRETS

Mustafa Zahir.

'The chief has been married four times.

'His first three wives all died young.'

This is your daughter?

Hello. Salaam.

'These are his children from his fourth marriage.'

So one day he will be the chief?

MALANG INTERPRETS

One day.

It's such a harsh and unforgiving place,

especially in the winter.

This place is below zero for about seven or eight months of the year.

It's hard.

'Tomorrow we will leave the Kyrgyz behind

'and continue towards the Irshad Pass.

'The chief's yet to lend us any pack animals,

'but has invited us for a meal.'

There's the speciality there.

There's a head on a plate.

Oh.

That's gruesome.

'The Kyrgyz only eat meat on special occasions.

'Tradition states that guests must dine on the most prized parts.

'I'd better not offend our host.'

So which bit do I eat?

Oh, this is the eye, is it? Yes, it's the eyes.

So here we've got the ultimate delicacy.

I'm not sure I can handle this.

'Eyeballs are followed by brains.'

Uh. It's just cream, isn't it?

It's really creamy.

Thankfully, the chief's pleased,

and Malang's persuaded him to lend us some donkeys.

But it comes at a price.

He says he doesn't like him - "I'll kill him."

Now he start to beat me.

'I'm in a remote corner of Afghanistan on a journey to

'walk the length of the Himalayas.'

Urgh.

'We're aiming for the Irshad Pass -

'a 5,000-metre-high trading route into Pakistan.

'It's still closed due to heavy snow,

'and right now, just getting there is going to take everything I've got.'

I'm feeling rough today, actually. The altitude's suddenly hit me.

Just feel like somebody's sitting on my chest all night long.

Your whole lungs feel as though they're just collapsing. Not good.

'I have all the symptoms of altitude sickness.

'Not something you want to be dealing with

when you've got a four-day walk to the nearest doctor.'

We seem to have a lot of bags left, and only two animals.

'Chief Ear Ali Bhai has provided us

'with five small donkeys to help carry our equipment...'

Come on.

'..but they'll be useless on snow.'

So will we change these over when we get to the next village?

Yeah, we have to change it. So we can get some yaks at the next place?

Yeah. Because when we go to the Irshad Pass we'll need yaks. Yeah.

'For now, though, donkeys will have to do.'

Let's go.

Towards Pakistan.

Navigation in the Wakhan is pretty straightforward

because it is just one really long, straight valley.

As long as you've got some mountains on that side,

and some mountains on that side, we're good to go.

Donkeys, this way.

The hard part is making sure the donkeys don't run away.

Uish is what? Stop. Stop. Ich, go.

Ich. Ich.

Ich is go. Uish is stop.

OK, I've got it.

Right then. Naughty donkey. Let's go.

Uish! Well done.

That's donkey talk sorted.

It's a nice, simple language.

Ich and Uish.

'Not far out of camp is a reminder of how hard life is up here.'

Oh, wow.

You can see this is a very basic graveyard.

This is obviously one for a baby, and there's a lot of these.

There's another one there.

Another one here.

That another baby's one.

There's another baby's one here.

Life is short out here.

HE BREATHES HEAVILY

Uish!

HE BREATHES HEAVILY

'In five gruelling hours, we've only managed to cover ten miles.'

Glorious sunshine one minute, sleet and snow the next.

Now I've finished my water, I have to drink from sky.

I can imagine in the winter this place is gruesome.

Yeah, the weather turned really quickly.

One minute it can be really hot

and you're sweating just by moving,

and as soon as the clouds come in, that's it, it just goes

to almost freezing in a matter of seconds.

Malang tells me the next tribe aren't too far away,

but I can't see any signs of life.

Chief Ear Ali Bhai's men also have doubts,

and think we're heading into the middle of nowhere.

I told them, "What are we doing here? There is nothing."

The Kyrgyz are complaining that it's too late for them now

and they want to go home.

If they leave us, we've got no way of carrying our bags to the next place,

so we need to get to a village where we can exchange the animals.

THEY CONVERSE IN OWN LANGUAGE

'Malang persuades them to keep going for one more hour.

'If we don't find help after that, we'll be stranded.'

We've been walking for six and a half hours.

We're looking for another village, we've not seen a single one.

Malang, where's the village?

I think Malang is underestimating the distances.

Then, at the bottom of the valley, we spot them.

THEY SHOUT AND CHANT

'These guys are members of Malang's tribe - the Wakhi.

'They've spent five months living alone up here,

'and seem to be as pleased to see us as we are to see them.'

What do you want me to do with that?

Why are they dancing, Malang?

And why has he given me this sheep?

'The Wakhi tribe are semi-nomadic.

'In the summer, they cross into Pakistan to trade livestock

'for essentials like rice, salt and flour.'

The Wakhi people are very friendly.

They love guests.

When there's guests coming, these people are happy.

All Wakhi are the same.

Very nice people.

'These are just the guys we needed to meet.

'They're the gatekeepers of the Irshad Pass,

'and have the yaks to get us there.'

Right, it's four o'clock.

We need to put our tents up before it gets too cold.

'Malang's already working his magic.

'He's tracked down the leader of the tribe, Chief Mirza.'

Is this the chief?

Salaam.

Salaam.

We are going to the Irshad Pass.

'I'm on the first leg of my journey to walk across the Himalayas.'

That's our next form of transport right there.

So we've upgraded from donkeys and now we're on the yaks.

They're hard as nails.

'Despite telling us the Irshad Pass is still closed by snow,

'Chief Mirza has given us the yaks we need to carry our equipment.

'But he's decided to come along to keep an eye on us and his animals.'

It's a steep start.

HE COUGHS

When the wind comes in and you've got a massive mountain to climb,

it does make you wonder what on earth you're doing.

'The Wakhi have used the Irshad Pass for hundreds of years.

'But as far as they know, no-one has ever tried to climb it

'so early in the season.'

The yaks just glide over this.

They must have lungs like bin bags.

I just want to jump on and ride one.

My heart rate is over 100, which is not good.

I'm just struggling to get oxygen.

'The mountains are relentless.

'I'm not sure what's worse,

'going up...or coming down.'

Whew, that was steep.

'At night, temperatures drop well below freezing.

'Mornings are spent warming up around the fire,

'where the only way to defrost our bread is to burn yak dung.'

Yeah, it's making me warm.

Mmm.

The taste is cow shit Yeah, from the smoke.

'Finally, two days after leaving the Wakhi camp,

'and 47 miles into the walk, our route reveals itself.'

The foot of the Irshad Pass should be just around the corner.

There it is. Right there. Whoa.

Oh, it's beautiful.

And beyond that, Pakistan.

And how long does it take the chief to go up there?

My heart is going quickly.

I would like to move quickly to the top to see the other side,

what happens on the other side.

Lev's strong. Lev is strong.

Enough strong.

Tomorrow we see what happens.

'In the morning, we'll say goodbye to Chief Mirza

'and take on the Irshad Pass.'

Thank you for all your help for the past few days.

It's been very good and we couldn't have done it without you.

It's a very remote and very isolated place,

but the people that live here make it worthwhile.

THEY SPEAK IN WAKHI

Thank you very much.

Cheers. Cheers. Cheers.

I've never been drinking with Afghans before.

Turns out they can polish off two bottles of whisky.

MEN SING:

THEY ALL LAUGH

It's just coming light.

'It's 3:30 AM.

'We need to reach the snow line before the sun hits.

'Four years ago, three Wakhi tribesmen were killed

'when an avalanche swept them away as they scaled the Irshad Pass.'

Will we get to the top?

We shall know in three and a half hours.

'The chief's two strongest shepherds, Muhammad and Mirza,

'have agreed guide us up to the mountain until we reach the snowline.'

Right, ready? Yeah.

Let's go.

'After that, it's just me and Malang.'

Higher, higher, higher, high.

Higher, higher, higher.

We're at 4,250 now.

Meters.

And we're going up to just under 5,000 metres.

So, an intense climb.

It's really important we get to the top before the sun comes up

and loosens the snow and melts it,

because then it becomes dangerous.

So we've really got to get to the top of the pass...

in good time this morning.

Whoa.

'The higher we go, the thinner the air becomes.'

Just takes it out of you, just the energy, you know?

Just out of breath.

I'm trying to walk ten paces and then stop,

have a breather, another ten paces. It's all you can do

at this sort of altitude.

'It's 7AM.

'We should have hit the snowline two hours ago.'

Just when you think it's going to get easy.

Wow, we're going to have to go across this really steep scree slope,

where there's quite a lot of dangerous rock fall.

You can see all these boulders.

Avalanches have happened, landslides have happened.

So there's absolutely no trail,

so we're having to make one.

Malang's upfront cutting some steps into the slope.

But even the yaks are going to struggle with this, I think.

MALANG WHISTLES AND SHOUTS

Malang?

Tell them that we'll go first, and they follow on.

After four hours walking, we've still got the hardest part to go.

There's another 500 metres to climb on snow and ice.

The higher you get, the harder it gets.

Every step is...

..difficult. But, er...

We've finally made it to the snow line.

Muhammad and Mirzar will wait here with the yaks,

while Malang and I see if it's safe to climb to the top.

Let's go.

HE PANTS

Malang, what does that mean?

Yeah, we'll need to stay away from that avalanche.

It's fresh.

That's this morning, isn't it? Maybe last night.

Maybe last night or this morning.

OK. No yodelling!

We need to get up there. We can see better, I think. Yeah.

THEY COUGH AND SPLUTTER

If that sun heats up that overhanging cliff that's right above us...

We're all gonners.

How are you? Good? Yeah.

HE BREATHES HEAVILY

HE SIGHS

This is brutal.

This is hard-core.

And you've got to be so careful.

There's so many hidden dangers.

I thought I was coming up to the top.

And then...

HE PANTS

I should know better.

It's a false peak.

And there's still another few hundred metres to go.

MALANG SHOUTS LOUDLY

You're going to cause an avalanche, you are.

One down!

THEY CHEER

'Six hours after leaving base camp...'

Wow, look at that!

'..we arrived at the top of the Irshad Pass.

'Ahead of us is country number two.'

THEY SHOUT

Nothing is simple on these walks.

Having conquered the Irshad Pass, Malang and I were

blocked at the Pakistan border and had to go the long way round.

But we've been able to pick up our trail a few

miles from where we left off.

There it is, right behind us.

We can see the snow-capped peaks of Afghanistan.

We're now in a part of Pakistan the world rarely sees.

Over the next 100 miles, the Himalayas will lead us

through the lush Hunza Valley.

We'll trek the only roads across these mountains,

then mighty Karakoram Highway,

and then head to the outskirts of Gilgit, where Islamic extremists

are known to have a strong presence.

You know, I'm going into this new country with a sense of trepidation.

I've heard stories about this area, that it was

one of the routes that the Taliban came to try to recruit new people

from Pakistan, to take them back over the high passes into Afghanistan.

There's also a rumour that Osama Bin Laden himself came over

one of these passes when he was escaping Afghanistan,

but it's such a spectacular place.

The contrast between the barren landscapes of Afghanistan

and these fertile valleys is striking.

And this whole area is just absolutely stunning.

There's lush green fields, you can smell the herbs growing,

the wild onions and the garlic, the jasmine and the roses.

It's just like... This beautiful, green, lush paradise, really.

These are the first ladies we've seen.

Are they good potatoes here?

The best.

HE SPEAKS THE LANGUAGE

The Hunza has been described by writers

and explorers as the most beautiful valley on earth.

If the Wakhan Corridor was the roof of the world,

then this must be its window into heaven.

Assalaamu Alaikum.

The people here are is Ismaili Muslims,

a liberal sect of Islam, whose spiritual leader is

the British millionaire, The Aga Khan.

In these rich valleys, life expectancy is remarkably high,

creating a geriatric oasis.

What is the secret to the happiness of the people that live here?

How old are you? 84. 84? Ah!

And you're still climbing mountains? Ah!

That's impressive.

Hunza water, yeah.

The water this gentleman is alluding to isn't your normal H2O.

That's the secret, I understand, OK, right.

It's a potent Moonshine they tell me is the key to a long life.

Nice old man.

Fancy a cup of tea?

Stopped off for a cup of tea

and we're treated to a bit of a boogie from the proprietor.

Despite the rumours, this couldn't feel further from the jihadi

badlands we were warned about.

The biggest dangers seem to be the bridges.

Oh, my God!

It is going like this.

Yes, it's a bit wonky, to say the least.

This one is broken, this one.

Don't fall, Malang. Huh? Don't fall.

So scary. This is unbelievably terrifying.

These pieces of wood are just so thin and...

What nutcase came up with this idea?

Keep going.

Woo! We made it.

That bridge is hell.

I think I'd rather swim across, than try that again.

After that, I'm in need of a drink.

With our tents pitched,

Malang and I venture into the village of Hyderabad.

I mean, this is incredible.

It looks like the whole village has come out to sit around the bonfire.

The crew driver, Bashir,

tells us that a mysterious Shaman is due to appear.

This is not very common.

Shaman normally is very few times on special occasions.

So this gentleman is the Shaman? Here's the Shaman.

He's the real deal.

Mr Masroof is a bit of a hero in these parts.

He's gained a reputation for telling the future by entering

a hypnotic state and talking to the fairies.

He's been inhaling juniper. He's just lost it. Whoa!

I've got no idea what's going on, but he's really getting into it. Wow.

He is fully in a trance.

The rhythm of the music pushes him to jump and run around the ground.

It has to be... Perfect. Boom, boom, boom. It has to enter him. OK.

What is that?

Somewhere, a goat's head has just been given to the Shaman

and he's now drinking the blood straight from the goat's head.

Once Mr Masroof is under his trance,

the conversation with the fairies begins.

HE CHANTS

DRUM SOUNDS

Whoa!

I think he's done. I don't think he's got anything more to give.

I've never seen anything like that.

Is he OK?

How are you feeling? Are you OK?

He said, I had connections.

Finally, I was connected with fairies.

Do you have any predictions for my journey?

(TRANSLATES): The news I got from fairies is every step

you are going to take, it will be successful

and you have good news from the ferry direction

and you may continue your journey.

Thank you very much.

The Shaman then offers us a drink. This is Hunza water.

Hunza water, yeah.

'The secret to happiness and a long life.' Cheers. Cheers.

'The infamous Hunza Moonshine.'

Now I would like to dance.

MUSIC PLAYS

Next morning, having tested more Hunza water than

we should have, we press on.

We're moving deeper into Pakistan, leaving the Hunza Valley behind

and pushing on to a place where both man and nature are more of a threat.

This next stretch of the Karakoram Highway

shadows the ancient silk route.

The tarmac road is part of a ?4 billion

investment from the Chinese government to improve trade

links with the Pakistani ports on the Arabian Sea.

It's a deal that not everybody here is pleased about.

There are groups like the Taliban that don't want development

in these areas, so, the Taliban have issued threats against the Chinese.

It's very controversial.

And lots of people have got their own stakes on this area.

'The Pakistani Taliban are known to have influence around here.

'We're entering the outskirts of Gilgit.'

MAN CHANTS IN THE DISTANCE

Look, the mullah starting to pray.

We've left the Hunza Valley, now, and there's a very different

feel to the place and there's these Shia religious flags,

sort of dangling from the trees and across the roads.

Look, we are walking for hours. We can see any women in the street.

You see it? No women. No.

So, just walking through this village

and there's lots of blokes who have been saying hello, Assalaamu Alaikum,

but nobody is really returning the greeting.

Not particularly pleasant.

It's all over the road, as well.

Erm, going to try and get through as quickly as I can.

The last thing we need is any trouble.

We should probably stop filming.

Still to come... We've been stuck out here. It's game over.

I've never seen rain like it.

Extraordinary wildlife...

Get out of the water, now.

..extreme devotion...

It makes my walk look quite easy, to be honest. Wow, look at that.

..a secret kingdom...

It is amazing.

..Mount Everest and a terrifying accident.

Help!