HIMALAYA

Himalaya, The Abode of Snow. This is the greatest mountain range on earth, a virtually unbroken wall of rock stretching 1,800 miles from the borders of Afghanistan to southwest China. Having risen to the challenge of seas, poles and deserts, Michael Palin takes us on a journey - with spectacular photographs from Basil Pao - along the full length of the Himalaya, including the Khyber Pass, the hidden valleys of the Hindu Kush, ancient cities like Peshawar and Lahore, the mighty peaks of K2, Annapurna and Everest, to the roof of the world - the enigmatic Tibetan plateau. Along the way, he meets gun-makers, gives an elephant a bath, has a close shave with a 50p dentist, learns how to milk a yak and has an audience with the Dalai Lama. As travelling companions go, Michael Palin is hard to beat.