The Himalaya - Abode of the Snows - a land of immeasurable beauty and marvellous people... A place few people visit once in a lifetime. What is it about this massive upheaval of the earth's crust, dotted with hamlets and carved into staircases transcending every life zone, that draws visitors again and again? Another valley to explore, a distant mountain range to cross, a hilltop monastery in which to ponder your inner thoughts... moments to contemplate the past and the future of humankind, where time seems to stand still, and your mind is repeatedly drawn to the present.