1 00:00:07,500 --> 00:00:08,900 High above the clouds... 2 00:00:12,380 --> 00:00:13,740 ..there are lost worlds. 3 00:00:17,380 --> 00:00:19,420 Unexplored. 4 00:00:24,060 --> 00:00:25,500 Unforgiving. 5 00:00:27,220 --> 00:00:28,900 Wildly unpredictable. 6 00:00:33,500 --> 00:00:37,740 But here, on the great mountains of our planet, 7 00:00:37,740 --> 00:00:39,340 life does exist. 8 00:00:42,340 --> 00:00:43,860 Against all odds, 9 00:00:43,860 --> 00:00:49,060 a few extraordinary animals and remarkable people 10 00:00:49,500 --> 00:00:54,340 make their home on the highest places on Earth. 11 00:01:07,980 --> 00:01:11,420 Time for school in the highest village in the Himalaya. 12 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, 14 00:01:31,540 --> 00:01:34,140 every day is extraordinary. 15 00:01:38,460 --> 00:01:42,260 This is the mountain range of the greatest extremes. 16 00:01:43,660 --> 00:01:45,740 And the weather harsher, 17 00:01:45,740 --> 00:01:47,580 mountains higher... 18 00:01:49,900 --> 00:01:53,260 ..gorges deeper than anywhere else in the world. 19 00:01:55,900 --> 00:01:59,220 To survive here, the only option 20 00:01:59,220 --> 00:02:03,100 is to face these daily extremes head-on. 21 00:02:08,900 --> 00:02:11,140 Only then can you carve out a life... 22 00:02:17,660 --> 00:02:19,260 ..on the roof of the world. 23 00:02:31,020 --> 00:02:35,100 The Himalayas stretch from Pakistan in the west 24 00:02:35,100 --> 00:02:38,300 through northern India, into Nepal. 25 00:02:40,020 --> 00:02:43,620 They climb to the highest point on Earth, Mount Everest... 26 00:02:45,780 --> 00:02:50,300 ..before pushing on through Bhutan and ending in China. 27 00:02:55,860 --> 00:03:01,100 Here, in the province of Yunnan, at 2,500 metres above sea level, 28 00:03:02,740 --> 00:03:04,140 is a frozen forest. 29 00:03:07,780 --> 00:03:10,420 Hidden here is a remarkable animal. 30 00:03:13,100 --> 00:03:14,100 Rarely seen. 31 00:03:19,620 --> 00:03:21,820 The Yunnan snub-nosed monkey. 32 00:03:24,780 --> 00:03:27,100 The highest-living monkey in the world. 33 00:03:33,420 --> 00:03:36,060 They have no nose to get frostbitten. 34 00:03:39,100 --> 00:03:41,940 Pink lips help them stand out to other monkeys. 35 00:03:46,620 --> 00:03:49,900 Six-inch-long fur to protect from the cold. 36 00:03:52,260 --> 00:03:53,260 And they need it. 37 00:03:54,420 --> 00:03:56,980 Temperatures can drop to minus 28. 38 00:03:59,940 --> 00:04:05,100 They endure this hardship to have access to their food - lichen. 39 00:04:06,540 --> 00:04:10,020 In winter, the only thing that grows in this frozen world. 40 00:04:16,460 --> 00:04:20,740 To prevent freezing to death, they must huddle together for warmth. 41 00:04:24,180 --> 00:04:26,500 For that, they need family. 42 00:04:38,780 --> 00:04:41,660 This young three-year-old male is alone. 43 00:04:46,140 --> 00:04:47,300 He has no family. 44 00:04:50,460 --> 00:04:53,780 He was recently thrown out when his mother had a newborn. 45 00:04:58,340 --> 00:05:01,820 Come nightfall, the temperature will plummet. 46 00:05:01,820 --> 00:05:05,500 If he doesn't find others to huddle with he won't survive long. 47 00:05:07,220 --> 00:05:08,700 He has only one option. 48 00:05:11,140 --> 00:05:14,580 To be accepted into a gang of exiles. 49 00:05:20,780 --> 00:05:23,820 MONKEYS CHATTER AND CRY OUT 50 00:05:26,980 --> 00:05:30,620 Like him, they have all been thrown out of their family troupes. 51 00:05:32,460 --> 00:05:35,620 They fight to decide their rank. 52 00:05:40,540 --> 00:05:43,220 Huge canines, not for eating... 53 00:05:44,980 --> 00:05:46,660 ..but weapons. 54 00:05:49,140 --> 00:05:51,900 And they're ruled over by a ferocious leader. 55 00:06:01,540 --> 00:06:04,980 If he's rejected, he'll have little chance of survival. 56 00:06:11,900 --> 00:06:15,860 His first attempt at being accepted has not started well. 57 00:06:19,980 --> 00:06:21,820 To the lower-ranking members 58 00:06:21,820 --> 00:06:25,420 he's seen as a threat to their position in the gang. 59 00:06:34,380 --> 00:06:37,260 MONKEYS CHITTER 60 00:06:43,140 --> 00:06:44,740 He's quickly seen off. 61 00:07:00,100 --> 00:07:05,060 He faces 12 hours on his own in a freezer. 62 00:07:06,300 --> 00:07:08,460 WIND HOWLS 63 00:07:10,820 --> 00:07:14,420 It's a very long, cold night. 64 00:07:24,620 --> 00:07:27,500 But clouds come in, insulating the land. 65 00:07:29,660 --> 00:07:32,260 They keep temperatures from dropping too low. 66 00:07:35,780 --> 00:07:37,700 It gives the young male a lifeline. 67 00:07:41,220 --> 00:07:42,660 At least for another day. 68 00:07:45,780 --> 00:07:48,420 If he's allowed to groom the dominant male 69 00:07:48,420 --> 00:07:51,300 he could secure a place for himself in the group. 70 00:07:53,900 --> 00:07:55,260 He spots his chance. 71 00:07:57,340 --> 00:07:58,860 The boss is on his own. 72 00:08:14,980 --> 00:08:17,140 He lets the young male clean his fur. 73 00:08:19,020 --> 00:08:20,980 It's a sign of acceptance in the group. 74 00:08:27,300 --> 00:08:31,580 The youngster's gamble has paid off and saved his life. 75 00:08:42,980 --> 00:08:45,980 He can now huddle with his surrogate family. 76 00:08:51,300 --> 00:08:54,940 A safeguard against the extreme cold of his Himalaya home. 77 00:08:58,860 --> 00:09:02,660 As harsh as the conditions at this altitude seem, 78 00:09:02,660 --> 00:09:04,380 this is just the beginning. 79 00:09:08,580 --> 00:09:12,700 The higher you climb in the Himalaya, the tougher it gets. 80 00:09:15,620 --> 00:09:18,940 They contain some of the harshest weather ever recorded. 81 00:09:20,140 --> 00:09:22,980 175mph winds. 82 00:09:25,660 --> 00:09:27,460 And minus 40 degrees. 83 00:09:30,780 --> 00:09:33,820 They are the highest peaks on the planet... 84 00:09:37,140 --> 00:09:39,780 ..stretching almost nine kilometres high. 85 00:09:48,620 --> 00:09:52,420 Between these giants lie some of the most inaccessible 86 00:09:52,420 --> 00:09:54,820 valleys in the world. 87 00:09:54,820 --> 00:09:59,820 Completely isolated, it can take weeks of trekking to reach them. 88 00:10:04,020 --> 00:10:07,060 Astonishingly, people live here. 89 00:10:09,140 --> 00:10:11,860 The village of Kibber, in northern India. 90 00:10:15,340 --> 00:10:17,980 One of the most isolated villages in the Himalaya. 91 00:10:20,900 --> 00:10:24,140 In winter, snow and ice block the roads. 92 00:10:25,580 --> 00:10:27,900 It cuts the village off from the rest of the world. 93 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. 96 00:11:01,380 --> 00:11:03,100 The villagers call it 97 00:11:03,100 --> 00:11:05,300 the Ghost of the Himalaya. 98 00:11:08,020 --> 00:11:09,380 MAN SPEAKS IN HIS OWN LANGUAGE 99 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 101 00:11:54,300 --> 00:11:56,020 in their own homes. 102 00:12:08,740 --> 00:12:10,380 SHEEP BLEAT 103 00:12:18,260 --> 00:12:19,780 Everyone is on edge. 104 00:12:26,860 --> 00:12:27,900 When night falls... 105 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 108 00:13:16,620 --> 00:13:21,020 Dawn, and villagers can breathe a sigh of relief. 109 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, 111 00:13:34,460 --> 00:13:36,580 keeping an eye on its prey. 112 00:13:41,340 --> 00:13:42,420 Snow leopard. 113 00:13:54,580 --> 00:13:56,420 Mountain specialists. 114 00:14:03,860 --> 00:14:05,820 Thick fur to tackle the cold. 115 00:14:07,580 --> 00:14:10,660 Enlarged lungs for the thin air, 116 00:14:10,660 --> 00:14:15,140 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. 118 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. 120 00:14:43,580 --> 00:14:45,940 SHEEP BLEAT 121 00:14:47,500 --> 00:14:49,860 For this isolated community, 122 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 125 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, 129 00:15:32,500 --> 00:15:35,100 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... 133 00:16:00,740 --> 00:16:03,700 ..the natural prey of the snow leopards. 134 00:16:09,860 --> 00:16:12,060 This enterprising community 135 00:16:12,060 --> 00:16:15,300 has reduced the number of livestock lost... 136 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, 138 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, 141 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... 148 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, 151 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 158 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 162 00:19:48,140 --> 00:19:50,220 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. 166 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, 175 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. 177 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. 179 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... 185 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.