Book info

• Title Himalaya
• Author Michael Palin
• Year 2004
• Genre Travel

Having risen to the challenge of seas, poles, dhows and deserts, the highest mountains in the world were a natural target for Michael Palin. In a journey rarely, if ever, attempted before, in 6 months of hard travelling Palin takes on 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, the gorges of the Yangtze, the tribal lands of the Indo-Burmese border and the vast Brahmaputra delta in Bangladesh. Facing altitudes as high as 17,500 feet as well as some of the world's deepest gorges, Palin also passed through political flashpoints like Pakistan's remote north-west frontier, terrorist-torn Kashmir and the mountains of Nagaland, only recently open to visitors.

Thoughts

Michael Palin and his team travel the length of the Himalaya, shooting a documentary for the BBC, interviewing interesting people and gathering gorgeous views. The journey takes you from the flat lands of Bangladesh to the highs of Everest Base Camp, and along the way Palin meets so many unique characters. Monks, farmers, miners, he follows the ways of life for these people, discovering just how different life can be from one side of a mountain to another.

Palin is well known and well travelled, and his comical look at life makes it easy to get on with all those he meets, and to bring the information back to us who prefer to travel vicariously from our sofa. I’m constantly impressed by his efforts to gather information about the people he chats to, crossing cultural and language barriers without a worry.

The structure of the book follows the journey exactly, with a new heading for a new day and usually a new place. Except for rest days or extensive travelling days, every single step of the journey is detailed, even when Michael is sick. There are plenty of beautiful pictures to illustrate the journey and it really captures the scene and brings you on the journey too.

Rating: 4 / 5