Episode Information

Earth’s highest mountains are so well trodden, it’s hard to believe just 40 years ago many had never been conquered or mapped. Irresistible to the exploratory mountaineers, these uncharted regions exacted a price – sometimes the ultimate price.

The towering, forbidding peaks are not called the ‘roof of the world’ for nothing, and it was one group of peaks, the Kanjiroba Himal in north-western Nepal that became the personal quest of modest English schoolmaster John Tyson. Tyson mounted his expedition to this remote region in 1961, equipped with only the basic of climbing gear. Tyson's goal to map this mountain range was eventually completed 30 years later, in 1998, by which time he was 70. This film tells the story of his obsession, the grit and determination and the great friendships that took place on this man's epic adventure.