1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,000 It's not a cave. It's a city. 2 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:10,000 Nobody's been up inside them before. 3 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:12,000 Now, this is uncharted territory for us. 4 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:20,000 It's long way down. 5 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:23,000 Oh, my God. Look at this. 6 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:25,000 That is discovery. 7 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:29,000 Holy f***. There it is. 8 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:38,000 Can you see it? See it? 9 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:41,000 My name is Josh Gates. 10 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:46,000 With a degree in archaeology and a passion for exploration, 11 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:50,000 I have a tendency to end up in some very strange situations. 12 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:53,000 God, Lord! 13 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:56,000 My travels have taken me to the ends of the earth 14 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:59,000 as I investigate the greatest legends in history. 15 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:01,000 We're going to fly on dark. 16 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:07,000 This is Expedition Unknown. 17 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:11,000 The legend of Shangri-La is the story of a hidden valley 18 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:13,000 somewhere high in the Himalayas, 19 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:17,000 a place of mystical energy, immortality, and eternal peace. 20 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:22,000 But could it be based on someplace real? 21 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:25,000 My search brought me to the holy city of Kathmandu, 22 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:28,000 where I learned about the spiritual tradition of Shambhala, 23 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:32,000 an ancient Buddhist realm which inspired the Shangri-La story. 24 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:35,000 I've also learned that archaeologists have recently been granted access 25 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:38,000 to explore Nepal's remote northern frontier, 26 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:40,000 known as the Mustang region, 27 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:44,000 that may hold the truth behind the myth. 28 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:48,000 My team and I hopped a helicopter to navigate high into the Himalayas, 29 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:51,000 where we touched down, switched to 4x4s, 30 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:56,000 and undertook an epic drive into the Mustang. 31 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:59,000 Once there, we linked up with archaeologist Mark Aldenderfer 32 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:01,000 and his associate Mohan Singh Lama. 33 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:06,000 They revealed that these valleys are filled with nearly 10,000 mysterious sky caves, 34 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:11,000 perilous-looking chambers, hand-dug out of the cliffs more than 500 years ago, 35 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:14,000 by Buddhists who came here from Tibet. 36 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:15,000 But why? 37 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:20,000 Some claim this area could be the real-life Shangri-La. 38 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:26,000 In one remote cave, I discovered that some of these structures were used as places of healing. 39 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:29,000 You should not enter this if you're not pure of heart. 40 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:30,000 Oh, now you tell me. 41 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:34,000 Another cavern revealed incredible paintings by different ancient artists, 42 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:39,000 proof that some of these caves were used as places of culture and craftsmanship. 43 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:41,000 That is incredible. 44 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:47,000 Now, at nearly 14,000 feet, we've discovered a rock tower 45 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:52,000 that could help unravel the mystery of why people came to this valley so many centuries ago. 46 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:54,000 Wall is crumbling here, guys. 47 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:58,000 Be careful. Back up, back up, back up. You okay? 48 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:01,000 Let's really sketch you up here. 49 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:02,000 So, what do we got? 50 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:06,000 When you have small chambers like this, there are only one or two things you usually put inside. 51 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:09,000 Something stored or human burials. 52 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:12,000 So, let's see what the hell is in there. 53 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:15,000 What do you got? Human burials. 54 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:17,000 Oh, my God. 55 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:18,000 Wow. 56 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:19,000 Very good score. 57 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:21,000 We got a human jaw. 58 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:22,000 We've got long bones. 59 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:25,000 We've got a femur, fibula, tibia. 60 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:27,000 Congratulations to the team here. This is great. 61 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:30,000 Nice work, guys. Any sense of how old this might be? 62 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:31,000 It's early than 800 AD. 63 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:35,000 This is actually an amazingly important find. 64 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:37,000 This is astounding. 65 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:43,000 We've discovered human remains that indicate that even in ancient times, people considered these mountains sacred. 66 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:50,000 By extension, the dizzyingly high sky caves may have been put up here for the same reason, to be closer to the gods. 67 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:56,000 No doubt that many of the caves were considered holy ground for cremations and burials of the dead. 68 00:03:56,000 --> 00:04:00,000 Now, I'm going to, with your permission, extract this mandible. 69 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:01,000 Yeah. 70 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:04,000 Look at that. 71 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:09,000 The jawbone has been bleached white by the sun and is incredibly well preserved. 72 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:12,000 This is a group of people that still are largely a mystery, right? 73 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:17,000 If it's as early as I think it could be, it might help us recalibrate what our thinking is about this region. 74 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:21,000 This is a really tangible link to the past. 75 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:24,000 Wow. Not bad for a day's work, huh? 76 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:26,000 Not bad. Good score, guys. Well done. 77 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:31,000 After photographing the site, we hike back down the mountain. 78 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:36,000 As we walk, though, we see scraps of prayer flags and clothing on the ground. 79 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:37,000 Lots of debris here. 80 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:38,000 Yeah. 81 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:39,000 Parts of scarves. 82 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:41,000 So it's the sky burrow side, yes. 83 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:44,000 This is how they take their dead into the next dimension, if you will. 84 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:48,000 It turns out not all rituals on this mountain are ancient. 85 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:55,000 We've come across what's known as a sky burial, an active site where Buddhists ceremonially part ways with the dead. 86 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:58,000 Very few people that are not lobos or Tibetans see this. 87 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:00,000 It's not something that they'd like you to watch. 88 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:04,000 The person dies and they bring them here. They put them on the slab. 89 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:08,000 That rope is used to tie around the deceased neck. 90 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:11,000 They pull that neck so that the body is tight. 91 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:15,000 Then they'll slash the back of the body with a sharp knife. 92 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:20,000 And then the Lamargar vultures, you know, get wind of this scent. 93 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:22,000 They'll come in to send on the body. 94 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:29,000 And then what remains, the person will then crush those bones and push it all, make it into a pulp. 95 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:32,000 And then leave it here for the vultures to come back. 96 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:36,000 So there's nothing left. That's the idea, right? 97 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:40,000 But the practice might seem gruesome, but it is also profound. 98 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:42,000 And this site, Mohan is still being used. 99 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:44,000 Yeah, it still leaves there. 100 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:50,000 The experience of seeing the sky burial leaves us all feeling moved and frankly, a little shaken. 101 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:54,000 We solemnly hike down to the 4x4s and drive on in silence. 102 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:59,000 Just after dark, we arrive at the outskirts of the city of Lomantang. 103 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:04,000 Tomorrow we'll continue our investigation, but with temperatures outside now below freezing, 104 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:09,000 for tonight we seek shelter in a tea house, the local version of a Motel 6. 105 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:12,000 Welcome to Lomantang. 106 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:17,000 Bags are stacked and generators are plugged into our batteries. 107 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:20,000 Do not splice wires with your mouth at home, kids. 108 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:25,000 Our crew powers on the phones, but up here, even the satellites seem to be out of commission. 109 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:26,000 What's going on? 110 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:27,000 I was just trying to call home. 111 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:28,000 How's that going? 112 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:29,000 Not so well. 113 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:31,000 Doesn't work? 114 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:35,000 The locals fire up the stoves and we finally get to chow down. 115 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:39,000 Have you ever been to a coconut cookie in the middle of Lomantang? 116 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:40,000 It's a beautiful thing. 117 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:42,000 What else you need in life? 118 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:43,000 Nothing. 119 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:50,000 Morning in the Mustang region. 120 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:56,000 We're only about 20 miles from the border of Tibet and we're on the doorstep of a place that I've traveled a long way to see. 121 00:06:56,000 --> 00:07:04,000 This is Lomantang, population about 1400 people, but believe it or not, that still makes this the biggest city for hundreds of miles. 122 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:13,000 This was once the capital of the Kingdom of Loh, a walled fortress with 14 guard posts and two gates to keep out potential invaders. 123 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:18,000 Today, this is not just an entrance to a city, it is a portal to another time and place. 124 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:24,000 Welcome to the past. 125 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:29,000 A city made of mud, sweat and prayers. 126 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:31,000 This isn't a tourist attraction. 127 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:33,000 This isn't a reenactment. 128 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:37,000 This is, for all intents and purposes, life in the Middle Ages. 129 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:45,000 It is also the best preserved example of ancient Tibetan culture left on earth. 130 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:49,000 Residents even collect and dry out yak dung to burn in their stoves. 131 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:52,000 Excuse me, if I could just... 132 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:54,000 It's fine. 133 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:56,000 Hi. 134 00:07:56,000 --> 00:08:00,000 No internet, no phones, and don't even ask about the plumbing. 135 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:04,000 In fact, the only modern amenity that seems to have made its way into town is this. 136 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:06,000 An espresso machine. 137 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:15,000 That's very good. 138 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:16,000 Watch out Starbucks. 139 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:18,000 This guy's coming for you. 140 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:23,000 Next door, I find a gift shop filled with authentic treasures from the region. 141 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:24,000 This is beautiful. 142 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:25,000 What is this? 143 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:29,000 We use it in Semuntang, like Panthik Semuntang for blow. 144 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:33,000 That's amazing. 145 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:36,000 This is made from human thigh bone. 146 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:37,000 Oh, it's a human thigh bone? 147 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:38,000 Yeah. 148 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:40,000 I probably shouldn't have put that in my mouth. 149 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:47,000 As I continue my stroll through the 1400s, I notice that the women of Lomantang seem to be doing a lot of work. 150 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:49,000 They're doing a lot of the heavy lifting. 151 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:53,000 Meanwhile, I find the guys in town hanging out at the local bar. 152 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:54,000 I'm gonna stay. 153 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:55,000 Just without the bar part. 154 00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:57,000 What are we talking about? 155 00:08:57,000 --> 00:09:00,000 Women? Money? The usual. 156 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:04,000 Sure enough, it isn't long before someone brings a tray. 157 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:06,000 And it isn't just tea, they're pouring. 158 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:08,000 For me? 159 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:09,000 Yeah. 160 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:10,000 What is this? 161 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:11,000 Oh, medical. 162 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:12,000 Smells good. 163 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:14,000 Woo! 164 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:18,000 I think I just found enlightenment. 165 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:21,000 This is Roxy, Nepalese moonshine. 166 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:22,000 Cheers. 167 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:23,000 Cheers. 168 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:27,000 I tell you what it tastes like, but I can no longer taste anything else for comparison. 169 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:34,000 You guys are the best. 170 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:36,000 I love you guys. 171 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:38,000 Let's always stay in touch. 172 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:39,000 Yeah. 173 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:47,000 After a few more rounds with the boys, I find myself in front of a Buddhist temple. 174 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:51,000 Like all repentant drinkers, it seems I've turned to religion. 175 00:09:57,000 --> 00:09:59,000 Beyond the doors, time stops. 176 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:05,000 The bright and dusty streets of Lomantang replaced by twilight and silence. 177 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:08,000 A monument to contemplation. 178 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:11,000 Four Lamas chant mantras. 179 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:17,000 Phrases repeated in order to allow the mind to drift away from distracting thoughts and into a trance-like state. 180 00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:21,000 If I'm going to reach the realm of Shambhala, or Shangri-La, 181 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:23,000 I can't just explore the mysterious sky caves. 182 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:26,000 I need to explore my own mind. 183 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:42,000 I spend an hour listening to the chanting, and then, for just a moment, everything vanishes. 184 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:45,000 And I fall into an incredible nothingness. 185 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:52,000 But it's fleeting, a taste of something I may never be disciplined enough to find again. 186 00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:56,000 The monks are gracious and grant me the next best thing to enlightenment. 187 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:58,000 I carry their blessing from the temple. 188 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:01,000 Where I'm going next, I'll certainly need it. 189 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:04,000 Got a kind of foothold. 190 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:06,000 I thought Shangri-La was supposed to be peaceful. 191 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:07,000 This is terrifying. 192 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:18,000 I'm on an epic journey through Nepal investigating the legend of Shangri-La, 193 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:20,000 or what Buddhists call Shambhala. 194 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:23,000 A heaven on earth rumored to be hidden high in the Himalayas. 195 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:28,000 Okay, convoy, we're moving out. Here we go. 196 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:32,000 After two nights in the medieval city of Lomantang, 197 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:35,000 our convoy, led by archaeologist Mark Aldendurfer, 198 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:39,000 sets off to explore remote sky caves that may be linked to the legend. 199 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:41,000 Where are we headed? 200 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:44,000 Today we're headed toward the Martzang area, 201 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:47,000 and apparently there's a cave system called Pumbamba. 202 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:48,000 Pumbamba? 203 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:49,000 Pumbamba, yeah. 204 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:50,000 Sounds tropical. 205 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:51,000 It does. It's an odd name. 206 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:53,000 And what's in the Pumbamba caves? 207 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:55,000 Well, we don't know what's in the Pumbamba caves. 208 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:56,000 I've been explored by anybody's team. 209 00:11:56,000 --> 00:11:57,000 Nobody's been in there? 210 00:11:57,000 --> 00:11:58,000 No. 211 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:00,000 So I think that they're worth taking a look at. 212 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:01,000 For sure. 213 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:02,000 Oh my God. 214 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:04,000 Just a little bumpy in here. 215 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:07,000 The road to paradise is far from paved. 216 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:10,000 We're driving near the restricted border of Tibet, 217 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:13,000 to a valley that contains the mysterious sky caves. 218 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:17,000 This is the craziest road I've ever been on for sure. 219 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:19,000 This is like some next level. 220 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:20,000 Really? 221 00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:28,000 Just trying to not hit the big rocks. 222 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:29,000 Right. 223 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:31,000 Come on, girl. 224 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:37,000 Wow, look at this. 225 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:41,000 The one smooth section of road. 226 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:42,000 Is this a mirage mark? 227 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:43,000 No, no. 228 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:44,000 Keep going. 229 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:46,000 My kidneys, thank you. 230 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:48,000 Don't get used to it. 231 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:52,000 This looks like a tough crossing. 232 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:54,000 What do you think? 233 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:55,000 We going through this or walking? 234 00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:56,000 We have to walk. 235 00:12:56,000 --> 00:12:57,000 We have to walk? 236 00:12:57,000 --> 00:12:58,000 Yeah. 237 00:12:58,000 --> 00:12:59,000 Too much weight in the vehicle? 238 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:00,000 Yeah. 239 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:02,000 So let's get out and we'll have one of the drivers take it across. 240 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:04,000 OK, let's jump out. 241 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:07,000 Everyone climbs out to cross the stream on foot, 242 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:09,000 while one of our local guides drives solo, 243 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:11,000 on his way to Rababank, apparently. 244 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:15,000 Our local team protects our most valuable commodity, breakfast. 245 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:18,000 Several dozen eggs are hand carried across the river. 246 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:21,000 Something tells me we're all taking them scramble tomorrow. 247 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:22,000 Hey, Lakma. 248 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:23,000 Yes, sir. 249 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:24,000 How did the eggs do? 250 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:25,000 Did you crack any eggs coming across? 251 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:26,000 No, no, no. 252 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:27,000 You sure? 253 00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:28,000 Yeah. 254 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:29,000 You saved them all? 255 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:30,000 Yeah. 256 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:31,000 Nice work, buddy. 257 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:32,000 We ready? 258 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:33,000 Yeah. 259 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:34,000 Back in the cars. 260 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:39,000 We drive through the river, 261 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:43,000 we drive through the seemingly barren valley, 262 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:45,000 inventing the road as we go. 263 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:50,000 But soon, we hit the end of the line. 264 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:52,000 OK, so here we are. 265 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:55,000 Pomonga is just a little bit further down valley. 266 00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:56,000 OK. 267 00:13:56,000 --> 00:13:57,000 Here we go. 268 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:00,000 We're less than an hour's hike to the caves, 269 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:03,000 but once the sun goes down, it gets really cold around here. 270 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:06,000 So we'll need to make camp before we set off on foot. 271 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:10,000 Once again, we have to take all of the gear from one place 272 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:11,000 to someplace else. 273 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:13,000 Don't worry, breakfast made it. 274 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:16,000 Josh, you want me to carry one of those? 275 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:17,000 No, no, I got this, Brian. 276 00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:18,000 You sure? 277 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:19,000 No, no, don't worry about it. 278 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:20,000 OK, you look pretty solid. 279 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:22,000 You know, you just stand there with that one small camera. 280 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:23,000 OK. 281 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:24,000 I got all this. 282 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:26,000 Everyone pitches in to move the equipment, 283 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:29,000 though I'm not sure my contributions are being fully appreciated. 284 00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:30,000 Brian, I got this. 285 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:31,000 You got it? 286 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:32,000 Yeah, I got it. 287 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:33,000 I got this. 288 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:34,000 I got it. 289 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:35,000 I got it. 290 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:36,000 No, I got it. 291 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:37,000 It's fine, I got it. 292 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:38,000 Yeah. 293 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:40,000 Josh Gates, finally doing some work around here. 294 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:41,000 Finally. 295 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:43,000 This is not going to kill all of you. 296 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:45,000 I'm going to leave you all out here for dead. 297 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:54,000 While we set up the tents, our local guides start preparing dinner. 298 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:56,000 They cook as easily on the side of the Himalayas 299 00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:58,000 as I do in a fully-stocked kitchen. 300 00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:00,000 Andrew, I'm sorry we rented a tent, man. 301 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:01,000 It's all right. 302 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:02,000 It's all right. 303 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:03,000 Don't worry about it. 304 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:04,000 Somebody's got to watch the gear. 305 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:06,000 Temperature should be about 20 degrees tonight. 306 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:07,000 Yeah, yeah, I got this. 307 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:08,000 Don't worry. 308 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:14,000 With camp set, it's time for another high-altitude hike. 309 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:17,000 We're setting out to survey a group of sky caves 310 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:19,000 that have never been explored. 311 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:21,000 The enigmatic caverns of this region have been linked 312 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:23,000 to the Shangri-La legend, 313 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:26,000 so we're eager to see what might be hiding inside. 314 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:27,000 Is that it? 315 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:29,000 That's Pumamba right there the head. 316 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:30,000 Wow. 317 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:32,000 They're really extensive. 318 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:35,000 There are, but I hope you've noticed one thing. 319 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:39,000 The closer we get to the place, the higher up they are. 320 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:41,000 Yeah, I do notice that. 321 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:43,000 From where I first saw them, they didn't look too bad. 322 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:46,000 Now it looks like they're, I don't know, a couple hundred feet up at least. 323 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:47,000 Yep. 324 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:50,000 How many openings do you think there are? 325 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:52,000 50 or 60 easily, maybe more. 326 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:53,000 So nobody's been up inside them before? 327 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:55,000 No, this is uncharted territory for us. 328 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:07,000 Caves are absolutely stunning and really mysterious looking, 329 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:10,000 but as you get close to them, they're also something else. 330 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:12,000 They're terrifying. 331 00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:16,000 The enormity of the caves is finally clear to me, 332 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:20,000 and one thing is for certain, we're going to need a bigger ladder. 333 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:22,000 That is a real challenge. 334 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:25,000 Me. 335 00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:35,000 I'm in the Himalayan mountains of Nepal, 336 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:38,000 searching for the origins of the Shangri-La legend, 337 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:41,000 and my investigation just got a whole lot harder. 338 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:44,000 F*** me. 339 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:45,000 So there she is. 340 00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:46,000 Yep. 341 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:47,000 Good lord. 342 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:49,000 That is a real challenge. 343 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:53,000 It's going to be an interesting climb to get in there, 344 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:55,000 but you know, it looks doable. 345 00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:57,000 With the right kind of ropes and good guide, 346 00:16:57,000 --> 00:16:59,000 you should be able to get in there no problem. 347 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:01,000 You're going in there? 348 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:02,000 No, I'm not going in there. 349 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:03,000 Really? 350 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:04,000 Really. 351 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:05,000 Bad back. 352 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:06,000 I got bad everything, Mark. 353 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:09,000 High altitude caves like this are Mark's passion, 354 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:11,000 but since he's recovering from a recent injury, 355 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:13,000 he won't be able to attempt an ascent. 356 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:15,000 Who's the man in charge then? 357 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:18,000 I think that the most important thing to do is to put this all in Nima's hands, 358 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:19,000 because he's the pro. 359 00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:21,000 He knows how to get into these places. 360 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:25,000 Our local team member, Nima, has been climbing in this region all his life 361 00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:29,000 and knows firsthand how dangerous these crumbling cliffs really are. 362 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:31,000 Okay, Nima, walk me through this. 363 00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:33,000 How in the hell did we get inside of that? 364 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:35,000 First, we need to put some anchor up there. 365 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:36,000 Okay. 366 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:39,000 And then, Trevoss has carried rock section, 367 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:41,000 and then climbed up to the rocky point. 368 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:44,000 And then we try to gain access there in that hole? 369 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:45,000 Yeah. 370 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:47,000 When do you think the last time was somebody was up in these caves? 371 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:50,000 I think the last time is when the people left, 372 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:52,000 which would have been four and five hundred years ago. 373 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:54,000 We have no idea what's in here. 374 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:56,000 Okay, great. Let's get to work. 375 00:17:57,000 --> 00:18:02,000 We gear up for the climb, eager to understand why people carve these openings 376 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:05,000 and whether the secrets of Shangri-La are hiding inside. 377 00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:09,000 But the cliffs here are made up of the softest rock this side of Barry Manilow, 378 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:12,000 which is why they're collapsing to dust before our eyes. 379 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:16,000 My cameraman, JJ, sums up the climb very succinctly. 380 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:18,000 This snaps, I die. 381 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:19,000 Okay, we ready? 382 00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:20,000 Yep. 383 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:22,000 So, order events. You're going to go up first? 384 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:23,000 Yep. 385 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:24,000 You guys are going to set the anchor points? 386 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:25,000 We're following up. 387 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:27,000 And we'll be talking to you when Wauke talks to you. 388 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:28,000 Sounds good. Climb safe. 389 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:29,000 Hey, thanks, man. 390 00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:30,000 Good luck. 391 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:35,000 We carefully hike up the lower embankment while Nima sets P-tons into the rock. 392 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:40,000 We'll then clip into a fixed rope and move together across the cliff face. 393 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:44,000 The problem is that these canyons are made of loose conglomerate, 394 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:45,000 step in the wrong place, 395 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:49,000 and the whole hillside can come down like the world's biggest game of Jenga. 396 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:50,000 There they go. 397 00:18:56,000 --> 00:18:59,000 I thought Shangri-La was supposed to be peaceful. 398 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:01,000 This is terrifying. 399 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:03,000 We make it up to the first plateau, 400 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:07,000 and then clip into the next section of rope and ease our way across the face of the cliff. 401 00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:10,000 Very slippy and very loose. 402 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:11,000 You know where we are now, my friend. 403 00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:12,000 Death zone? 404 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:13,000 Death zone. 405 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:17,000 If we fall here, I'm going to that Great Wednesday time slot in the sky. 406 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:18,000 These are the widow makers right here. 407 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:23,000 There's just huge boulders and all this loose conglomerate waiting to let go. 408 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:26,000 Makes this incredibly dangerous. 409 00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:31,000 Got a kind of foothold. 410 00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:32,000 Okay, now what? 411 00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:33,000 Now what? 412 00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:34,000 Now what? 413 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:35,000 I got it. 414 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:41,000 Finally, we make it to the edge of the caves. 415 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:44,000 Yeah. 416 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:45,000 Hey. 417 00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:47,000 That was stupid. 418 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:48,000 Oh, God. 419 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:51,000 Look at how sketchy this thing is now that we're inside of it. 420 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:52,000 Looks twice as bad. 421 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:56,000 How the hell am I going to get down from here? 422 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:58,000 Look at this place. 423 00:19:58,000 --> 00:19:59,000 This is incredible. 424 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:01,000 Mark, we are in the caves. 425 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:02,000 Okay, we are in the caves. 426 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:03,000 Copy that. 427 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:04,000 What do you say? 428 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:09,000 There's a passage that goes up, and then one, two, three other passages coming off this. 429 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:13,000 So we're going to try to explore around a little bit in here, and that lower port let you know what we see. 430 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:14,000 Copy that. 431 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:15,000 Thanks. 432 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:18,000 The cave openings that we saw from the ground are deceptive. 433 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:21,000 Now that we're up here, there's more than meets the eye. 434 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:26,000 The caves are merely windows to a huge network of interconnected tunnels. 435 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:29,000 This place is like a massive ant farm for people. 436 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:32,000 On the right, room after room. 437 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:35,000 On the left, not much. 438 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:39,000 Long way down. 439 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:41,000 Check this out. 440 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:45,000 Wow. 441 00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:46,000 This is so cool. 442 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:47,000 Look at this. 443 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:50,000 Inside the caverns, there's construction. 444 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:54,000 Mysterious mud brick enclosures of every shape and size. 445 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:56,000 Lots of little chambers in here. 446 00:20:56,000 --> 00:21:00,000 You can see this has been divided off, and they've made these channels to the side. 447 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:05,000 You can just see that there's actually so much architecture once you get inside of these caves. 448 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:06,000 They're not just raw spaces. 449 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:08,000 They actually have design to them. 450 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:13,000 I make sure to take dozens of photos for Mark and Mohan to analyze later. 451 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:14,000 Okay, good. 452 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:16,000 Let's keep moving. 453 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:19,000 The number of passages is disorienting. 454 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:22,000 Left, right, up, down. 455 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:24,000 It's total labyrinth. 456 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:27,000 Each tunnel I take branches off in every direction. 457 00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:32,000 More chambers here, here, and it looks like it connects through. 458 00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:34,000 This is like MC Esher's summer house. 459 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:40,000 And as tough as it is for me, it's twice as hard for JJ, who has to sling a camera while he climbs. 460 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:49,000 Good job on Jeopardy. 461 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:52,000 But with effort comes reward. 462 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:53,000 Oh, look at this! 463 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:55,000 Look at that. 464 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:58,000 Beautiful piece of ceramic. 465 00:21:58,000 --> 00:21:59,000 How cool is that? 466 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:01,000 Mark, can you read me? 467 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:02,000 Yes, Josh. 468 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:03,000 Come in. 469 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:05,000 I found some beautiful pottery up here, Mark. 470 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:07,000 Looks like a bowl of some kind. 471 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:08,000 Black on the outside. 472 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:09,000 Okay, thanks. 473 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:14,000 Can you smudge on the outside and see if there's any charcoal on the exterior? 474 00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:15,000 Yeah, there is. 475 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:17,000 And we think it's a cooking pot. 476 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:18,000 Please take a good picture. 477 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:20,000 Roll down for sure. 478 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:22,000 That is unreal. 479 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:25,000 Let's see how burned up the walls of the ceiling are. 480 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:29,000 And lots of carbon that's just caked on from hundreds of years of fires in here. 481 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:32,000 This is decades and decades of grease. 482 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:34,000 And it's not just in this chamber. 483 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:37,000 At every turn, I find materials from the past. 484 00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:38,000 Oh, look at this. 485 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:40,000 Get a horn here. 486 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:42,000 Probably ceremonial. 487 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:48,000 And then down here, this looks like animal hide. 488 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:51,000 Some kind of leather. 489 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:53,000 Okay, let's keep moving. 490 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:55,000 We're burning daylight here. 491 00:22:55,000 --> 00:23:00,000 We explore for hours, carefully traversing passage after passage. 492 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:04,000 In each chamber, we find the remains of a vanished culture. 493 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:06,000 These are the fingerprints of the people that were here. 494 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:11,000 This is what they left behind, though it's just a broken piece of pottery. 495 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:17,000 It's really all that's left of a person, all that's left of a whole culture that was up here, 496 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:19,000 are little fragments like this. 497 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:23,000 So they may be broken, but they're huge clues. 498 00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:26,000 Room after room after room. 499 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:28,000 It's not a cave. 500 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:30,000 It's a city. 501 00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:33,000 I mean, thousands of people could have lived up here. 502 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:35,000 It's incredible. 503 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:37,000 Say what? 504 00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:40,000 I am really looking forward to standing up straight again. 505 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:43,000 Okay, let's keep moving. 506 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:47,000 We continue to investigate until there's nowhere to go, but down. 507 00:23:47,000 --> 00:23:49,000 Looks like that's a dead end. 508 00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:53,000 And there's the team down there. 509 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:55,000 Josh, for Mark, come in. 510 00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:56,000 Mark here, Josh. 511 00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:58,000 If you can see me, I'm in a very narrow chamber. 512 00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:00,000 I'm going to flash my light down. 513 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:04,000 I do, in fact, see you. 514 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:06,000 Hello. 515 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:08,000 Mark, what can you see above me? 516 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:10,000 Here, anything? How high up am I in the complex? 517 00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:14,000 Here in the upper window, there's no place higher for you to go. 518 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:17,000 I do have a question for you, though. 519 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:18,000 Yeah, hit me. 520 00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:22,000 Have you found Shambhala yet? 521 00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:24,000 You know, I'd say, what, looking out of the view? 522 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:26,000 Maybe I have. 523 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:29,000 Copy that. 524 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:32,000 You think, why would anybody want to live in a cave, 525 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:38,000 in the side of a cliff, and then you see the view? 526 00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:45,000 For a life of quiet reflection, there's no better place in the world to be. 527 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:49,000 Imagine living here, pull up the ladders, and no army could take this place. 528 00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:56,000 You're in the ultimate fortress of solitude. 529 00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:59,000 Okay, let's head down, yeah? 530 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:05,000 Having made it to the highest chamber, we carefully descend down to the entrance. 531 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:09,000 But then, oh my God, look at this! 532 00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:12,000 Holy... 533 00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:20,000 200 feet off the ground in a remarkable man-made sky cave, 534 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:25,000 and I spot something that may shed light on the ancient origins of the Shangri-La legend. 535 00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:27,000 Oh my God, look at this! 536 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:29,000 Look at this! 537 00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:30,000 Come here, look! 538 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:33,000 Holy... 539 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:36,000 Oh my God, Josh from Mark, come in. 540 00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:37,000 Mark here, Josh. 541 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:39,000 Mark, we got artwork up here. 542 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:41,000 There's a painting on the wall here. 543 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:48,000 It's done in, it looks like a white and red plaster that looks Tibetan. 544 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:50,000 That is totally fantastic. 545 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:52,000 Make sure you get a good documentation of this. 546 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:54,000 I'll take a lot of photos for you. 547 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:56,000 Fantastic, copy that, thanks so much. 548 00:25:56,000 --> 00:26:03,000 That is something, I mean, we are the first people to see this. 549 00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:07,000 You are the first people to see this in probably 500 years. 550 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:10,000 That is discovery. 551 00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:13,000 Worth a climb up, I'll tell you that. 552 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:15,000 This is awesome. 553 00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:19,000 The painting is vivid, spelling out a message from across time. 554 00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:22,000 I try to get photos for the guys on the ground, 555 00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:27,000 though a real wide shot may send me over the edge. 556 00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:31,000 With the sun beginning to set, it's time to head back to camp. 557 00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:35,000 The return trip down the cliff is every bit as dangerous as the one going up. 558 00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:38,000 Rock! 559 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:41,000 But we manage to make it down in one piece. 560 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:43,000 Hey, great job. 561 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:46,000 Woo, JJ. 562 00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:47,000 That was a big one. 563 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:48,000 That was a big one. 564 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:49,000 It looked like you were all pros up there. 565 00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:51,000 I don't know about that, I was quaking. 566 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:54,000 I'll tell you what, though, to go into each chamber and to think, 567 00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:58,000 I'm the first guy to go in here in hundreds of years is just a thrill. 568 00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:00,000 That's what the romance of archaeology is really all about. 569 00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:02,000 Well, I've got about a million photos to show you. 570 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:03,000 Great. 571 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:05,000 So let's get derigged and we'll hike back and take a look at them. 572 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:08,000 Sounds fantastic. 573 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:14,000 After a day like today, we get back to camp with a huge appetite and lots to discuss. 574 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:18,000 The local guides have dinner waiting for us beside a crackling fire. 575 00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:20,000 This is how people go camping in Nepal. 576 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:24,000 We've got beef stew, vegetables, salad, and macaroni cheese on a silver platter. 577 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:26,000 It's made with yak cheese, though. 578 00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:27,000 Yak and cheese, I believe it's known as. 579 00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:30,000 We've got garlic and salads and vegetables. 580 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:32,000 It's like a full service restaurant out here. 581 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:33,000 Sure. 582 00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:34,000 It's so super. 583 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:37,000 Wait a second, wasn't this bottle of whiskey full like 10 minutes ago? 584 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:39,000 There were actually two bottles full of it. 585 00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:40,000 And they're both empty? 586 00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:44,000 Is there more of this? 587 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:49,000 Once we're full and warm again, I sit down with Mark and Mohan to review our pictures of the caves. 588 00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:51,000 Let's see what you got. 589 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:53,000 Check it out. 590 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:55,000 Here's generally what a lot of the rooms look like. 591 00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:57,000 They have this segmented architecture. 592 00:27:57,000 --> 00:27:58,000 That's right. 593 00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:00,000 And so this is for storage, yeah? 594 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:01,000 Yeah. 595 00:28:01,000 --> 00:28:05,000 You put blankets back there, you put food back there, you put gear for your horses. 596 00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:06,000 Right. 597 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:08,000 And then one of the rooms had a chamber that went down and in here. 598 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:11,000 There were a few small pieces of ceramic down there. 599 00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:12,000 And then really large pieces. 600 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:13,000 That's beautiful. 601 00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:15,000 This is one that had charcoal on the outside. 602 00:28:15,000 --> 00:28:16,000 Yes, yeah. 603 00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:19,000 And we think that's likely to be some kind of a part of a cooking pot. 604 00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:22,000 And here is the painting. 605 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:24,000 Wow, that is just amazingly beautiful. 606 00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:26,000 Look how well preserved that is. 607 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:27,000 It's really clear and crisp. 608 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:28,000 Yeah. 609 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:29,000 That's absolutely stunning. 610 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:30,000 Intact. 611 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:31,000 Intact. 612 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:32,000 It's for a change. 613 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:36,000 Not often do we find whole wall segments that have painting on it like this. 614 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:37,000 Cool. 615 00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:38,000 Really impressive. 616 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:39,000 What are we looking at here? 617 00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:40,000 The Buddhist mantra. 618 00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:41,000 Okay. 619 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:43,000 Every single line on here says, oh, money, Padra. 620 00:28:43,000 --> 00:28:45,000 Oh, money, Padra, oh, really. 621 00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:48,000 And they just do that over and over and over again. 622 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:51,000 And so looking at the structure of the rooms, looking at the paintings, what can we say 623 00:28:51,000 --> 00:28:52,000 about this place? 624 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:53,000 This is home. 625 00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:58,000 This is home to families that came down from the Tibetan Plateau at some point after a 626 00:28:58,000 --> 00:28:59,000 thousand AD. 627 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:01,000 If you're living up there, you still need food from down here. 628 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:05,000 Why go through all the trouble of going up to these really dangerous cliffside areas 629 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:07,000 and hollowing out these caves? 630 00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:09,000 You know, arable land is so scarce here. 631 00:29:09,000 --> 00:29:12,000 What people are doing is not living on that arable land. 632 00:29:13,000 --> 00:29:17,000 They're saying, I've got to live someplace where we're not actually destroying farmland 633 00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:18,000 by putting up our houses. 634 00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:23,000 Keep in mind, there's a great deal of political instability of the entire region. 635 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:27,000 So people are likely also putting themselves into these high places to protect themselves 636 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:31,000 from other folks coming through that might want to take that away from them. 637 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:32,000 Right. 638 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:33,000 It's a safe place. 639 00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:34,000 It's a safe place. 640 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:40,000 That security is one of the most crucial aspects of the Shambhala myth, a safe place free from 641 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:41,000 the threat of war. 642 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:47,000 But the biggest clue about whether these caves were a real Shambhala is the meditation painting 643 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:48,000 we discovered. 644 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:54,000 The locals have told Mark and Mohan that they've seen similar paintings at a remote and hidden 645 00:29:54,000 --> 00:30:01,000 monastery, a place that might have been built by the same people who constructed the skycaves. 646 00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:06,000 Could this location reveal the truth behind whether this place was really a heaven on 647 00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:07,000 earth? 648 00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:09,000 Temperatures now well below freezing. 649 00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:11,000 The answer will have to wait until tomorrow. 650 00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:21,000 It's a little bit chilly out this morning. 651 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:25,000 My team and I face the day and get ready for one last adventure. 652 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:31,000 We notice some new arrivals at camp, a group of horses to carry us to our final destination. 653 00:30:31,000 --> 00:30:32,000 Good morning. 654 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:33,000 Good morning. 655 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:34,000 Josh, this is my good friend Tasha. 656 00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:35,000 He's got the horses. 657 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:38,000 Headed out to Playsko Chudzum. 658 00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:39,000 And what is this place? 659 00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:41,000 Well, it's got a cave monastery. 660 00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:45,000 It's a branch of Tibetan Buddhism, which is relatively rare around here. 661 00:30:45,000 --> 00:30:47,000 And has anybody looked inside this place? 662 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:48,000 Never. 663 00:30:48,000 --> 00:30:52,000 This is a place totally unseen by the outside world. 664 00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:57,000 Only the locals who continue to maintain the monastery for rituals know its location. 665 00:30:57,000 --> 00:30:59,000 No foreigner has ever filmed there. 666 00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:04,000 So we bid farewell to the camp and head out on foot or hoof, I guess. 667 00:31:06,000 --> 00:31:09,000 We saddle up and ride out into the valley. 668 00:31:09,000 --> 00:31:15,000 We're accompanied by a local monk who carries a key and his blessing for us to see the holy site. 669 00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:20,000 The landscape is frigid and vast and roads are non-existent. 670 00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:25,000 It's incredible coming through here. 671 00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:29,000 Just these thousand foot walls on either side covered in mud and ice. 672 00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:31,000 It's truly remarkable. 673 00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:33,000 Mark looks like some caves up there. 674 00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:36,000 Maybe we're close. 675 00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:37,000 I think so. 676 00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:43,000 There are sky caves looking down from the tall canyon walls all around us. 677 00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:47,000 Like the ones we entered yesterday, these two have likely never been explored. 678 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:55,000 As we get further up valley, the riverbed gets blocked and the terrain turns treacherous. 679 00:31:55,000 --> 00:31:56,000 Okay? 680 00:31:56,000 --> 00:31:59,000 Even the horses are getting antsy. 681 00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:00,000 We'll walk. 682 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:01,000 We'll walk. 683 00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:02,000 Okay. 684 00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:05,000 So we have kind of a tough section here. 685 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:09,000 Tashi wants us to go on foot and walk the horses. 686 00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:11,000 The path ahead is far too steep to ride. 687 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:16,000 We dismount to hike up the canyon, but even hiking seems like a dangerous proposition. 688 00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:23,000 I'm on horseback in the Himalaya Mountains of Nepal, but the conditions are making this 689 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:25,000 a wilder ride than we expected. 690 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:27,000 Tough section here. 691 00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:32,000 When the trail suddenly turns steep, we're forced to get off the horses. 692 00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:33,000 We walk. 693 00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:34,000 We walk. 694 00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:35,000 We walk. 695 00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:36,000 Okay. 696 00:32:36,000 --> 00:32:37,000 So this is the trail. 697 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:39,000 We're going to walk up the canyon. 698 00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:41,000 We're going to walk up the canyon. 699 00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:43,000 We're going to walk up the canyon. 700 00:32:43,000 --> 00:32:44,000 We walk. 701 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:45,000 We walk. 702 00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:46,000 We walk. 703 00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:47,000 Okay. 704 00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:48,000 So this is it? 705 00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:49,000 Yeah. 706 00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:50,000 This is crazy. 707 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:53,000 Well, if the horses can do it, we can do it. 708 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:56,000 Here we go. 709 00:32:56,000 --> 00:33:02,000 This is the toughest climb we've faced so far, a steep incline in seriously thin air. 710 00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:05,000 One foot in front of the other. 711 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:09,000 The horses lead and we follow. 712 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:12,000 And just when I think we've reached the end, holy s***, you do not want to come around 713 00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:13,000 this corner. 714 00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:17,000 No end in sight. 715 00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:22,000 This trek up the mountain feels brutal. 716 00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:26,000 For all the oxygen we're taking in, we might as well be goldfish up here. 717 00:33:26,000 --> 00:33:31,000 Yet we keep trudging uphill until we catch sight of something distinctly man-made. 718 00:33:36,000 --> 00:33:37,000 What's this? 719 00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:44,000 Yeah, we've got a chorten here which should be the entrance to the monastery and village. 720 00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:48,000 And it's a good sign that we're really close to the monastery right now. 721 00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:49,000 We're on the right track. 722 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:54,000 These mound-like stone buildings, also called stupas, are sacred structures in the Buddhist 723 00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:55,000 world. 724 00:33:55,000 --> 00:33:57,000 Make sure you go on the left-hand side. 725 00:33:57,000 --> 00:34:00,000 Got it. 726 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:06,000 We pass on the left to earn what Buddhists call merit, and to purify us for the path to enlightenment. 727 00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:12,000 At one time, there probably would have been a village here, but all of that's gone now. 728 00:34:12,000 --> 00:34:17,000 The locals just report that there's the remains of this monastery. 729 00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:20,000 We hike through the remains of dozens of structures. 730 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:24,000 Looks like there was a ton of construction down here at one point. 731 00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:26,000 There's a whole village of some kind down here. 732 00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:27,000 Look at that. 733 00:34:27,000 --> 00:34:32,000 Though these valleys seem like the surface of the moon, there is life here, grass growing, 734 00:34:32,000 --> 00:34:34,000 and signs of agricultural terraces. 735 00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:39,000 With the ground leveling out, we remount the horses and ride for the last leg. 736 00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:47,000 There it is. 737 00:34:47,000 --> 00:34:49,000 I can see it. 738 00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:50,000 You see it? 739 00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:52,000 Look at that. 740 00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:54,000 The monastery is insanely remote. 741 00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:58,000 Few people in the modern age have ever seen this place. 742 00:34:58,000 --> 00:35:01,000 Okay, let's type the horses here and we'll try to find a way up on foot. 743 00:35:04,000 --> 00:35:05,000 We hike toward the cliff. 744 00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:11,000 It seems impassable, but the monk leads us to a narrow and hidden slot in the rocks. 745 00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:19,000 Then, round the bend, we encounter stunning religious murals, 746 00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:22,000 painted with the same pigments we saw at the sky caves. 747 00:35:22,000 --> 00:35:24,000 That's just beautiful. 748 00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:30,000 They are disintegrated, just the remains of what were once vast paintings on the rock face. 749 00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:33,000 Soon, they'll be gone entirely. 750 00:35:33,000 --> 00:35:34,000 Wow. 751 00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:40,000 And then, like characters from Lost Horizon, the weary western travelers arrive hungry and tired 752 00:35:40,000 --> 00:35:42,000 at the door of a remote monastery. 753 00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:51,000 Wow. 754 00:35:52,000 --> 00:35:54,000 This is unbelievable. 755 00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:56,000 The entryway alone could fill an art history book. 756 00:35:56,000 --> 00:36:01,000 Wood beams half a millennia old and representations of Kalashakra, 757 00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:03,000 the deity who guards Shambhala. 758 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:05,000 It's absolutely stunning. 759 00:36:05,000 --> 00:36:08,000 We're fortunate folks to be able to have this opportunity. 760 00:36:08,000 --> 00:36:09,000 Well, shall we see what's inside? 761 00:36:09,000 --> 00:36:10,000 Let's do. 762 00:36:10,000 --> 00:36:16,000 The llama produces a key and unlocks the door to a place that has been hidden away for centuries. 763 00:36:23,000 --> 00:36:25,000 This is a holy meditation shrine, 764 00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:32,000 festooned with centuries of offerings and surrounded by representations of Shambhala. 765 00:36:33,000 --> 00:36:34,000 Wow. 766 00:36:34,000 --> 00:36:35,000 Beautiful. 767 00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:39,000 Look at this and more painting up here. 768 00:36:41,000 --> 00:36:42,000 Look at this. 769 00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:45,000 Oh, for the chan festival. 770 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:47,000 I mean, it's like a time capsule. 771 00:36:47,000 --> 00:36:48,000 Very much so. 772 00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:50,000 I'm literally speechless. 773 00:36:51,000 --> 00:36:53,000 But this altar is really classic. 774 00:36:56,000 --> 00:36:57,000 This is unreal. 775 00:36:57,000 --> 00:36:59,000 It's absolutely stunning, isn't it? 776 00:36:59,000 --> 00:37:01,000 Absolutely gorgeous statuary. 777 00:37:01,000 --> 00:37:03,000 Look at these statues. 778 00:37:03,000 --> 00:37:05,000 Really insanely beautiful. 779 00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:07,000 But as staggering as this is, 780 00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:11,000 it's nothing compared to what's waiting in the inner sanctuary. 781 00:37:11,000 --> 00:37:12,000 Wow. 782 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:13,000 Look at that. 783 00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:28,000 This is the place we've never before aired footage and more. 784 00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:33,000 On the trail of the legendary Shambhala, 785 00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:37,000 we've traveled to the most remote reaches of Nepal's Himalaya mountains 786 00:37:37,000 --> 00:37:41,000 and been granted access to one of the most hidden monasteries on Earth. 787 00:37:47,000 --> 00:37:51,000 This is like something from another age. 788 00:37:51,000 --> 00:37:53,000 I mean, it's like a time capsule. 789 00:37:53,000 --> 00:37:54,000 Very much so. 790 00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:56,000 I'm literally speechless. 791 00:38:01,000 --> 00:38:03,000 Let's see where we are here. 792 00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:09,000 Oh, my word. 793 00:38:09,000 --> 00:38:11,000 These are absolutely stunning. 794 00:38:11,000 --> 00:38:12,000 Look at this. 795 00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:13,000 They are just amazing. 796 00:38:13,000 --> 00:38:15,000 Look at these gorgeous statues. 797 00:38:15,000 --> 00:38:19,000 Here we are at last, the home of the gods. 798 00:38:19,000 --> 00:38:23,000 Deities created an intricate detail in the darkness of this holy site. 799 00:38:24,000 --> 00:38:25,000 Truly remarkable. 800 00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:26,000 Aren't these beautiful? 801 00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:29,000 Old and, you know, kind of local construction. 802 00:38:29,000 --> 00:38:31,000 And kind of fearsome, too. 803 00:38:31,000 --> 00:38:32,000 Well, these are very fearsome creatures. 804 00:38:32,000 --> 00:38:34,000 Yes, these are protectors. 805 00:38:35,000 --> 00:38:38,000 They all are demanding their sacrifice. 806 00:38:38,000 --> 00:38:40,000 They have skull cups, yeah? 807 00:38:40,000 --> 00:38:41,000 Yes. 808 00:38:41,000 --> 00:38:43,000 Each of them has a skull cup in the left hand. 809 00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:44,000 It's OK to touch? 810 00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:45,000 Yeah. 811 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:47,000 This is the top of a human skull? 812 00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:48,000 Correct. 813 00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:50,000 And this is used as an offering cup? 814 00:38:50,000 --> 00:38:52,000 You know, tantric offerings are put inside those. 815 00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:55,000 Sometimes blood, sometimes grain, sometimes water. 816 00:38:55,000 --> 00:38:57,000 That is something else. 817 00:38:57,000 --> 00:39:02,000 The statues are adorned with armor and weapons brought here over the course of centuries. 818 00:39:02,000 --> 00:39:06,000 These are not recreations, but masterworks of art from the Middle Ages. 819 00:39:06,000 --> 00:39:08,000 Fear some weapons in their hands. 820 00:39:08,000 --> 00:39:10,000 And look at these real swords. 821 00:39:10,000 --> 00:39:12,000 Look at the shields. 822 00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:13,000 That is beautiful. 823 00:39:13,000 --> 00:39:14,000 Real, real. 824 00:39:14,000 --> 00:39:15,000 That is real. 825 00:39:15,000 --> 00:39:17,000 No question about it. 826 00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:20,000 You could fill a museum gallery with what's in these few rooms. 827 00:39:20,000 --> 00:39:23,000 Yeah, this is absolutely stunning material. 828 00:39:24,000 --> 00:39:28,000 There are crossbows from the 1400s, helmets from Tibet, 829 00:39:28,000 --> 00:39:31,000 and even armor from the era of Chinggis Khan. 830 00:39:31,000 --> 00:39:33,000 The shields, and this is actually male? 831 00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:34,000 This is chain male, yeah? 832 00:39:34,000 --> 00:39:35,000 Exactly. 833 00:39:35,000 --> 00:39:36,000 It's not amazing. 834 00:39:36,000 --> 00:39:37,000 Wait a minute. 835 00:39:37,000 --> 00:39:38,000 Is this what I think it is, Mark? 836 00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:39,000 If only. 837 00:39:39,000 --> 00:39:42,000 I know where you're going with it, but it's not. 838 00:39:42,000 --> 00:39:45,000 For a second I thought we really hit the jackpot here. 839 00:39:46,000 --> 00:39:48,000 Returning to the monastery's outer chamber, 840 00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:50,000 we try to take stock of what we've seen. 841 00:39:50,000 --> 00:39:53,000 What's your impression of it now that you've seen the collection in here? 842 00:39:53,000 --> 00:39:54,000 It's a time capsule in one sense. 843 00:39:54,000 --> 00:39:57,000 You're stepping back, you know, five, six, seven hundred years of time 844 00:39:57,000 --> 00:40:02,000 to look at a very local monastery and temple institution. 845 00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:07,000 And this idea of Shangri-La does seem like there is something up here 846 00:40:07,000 --> 00:40:09,000 that plays into that notion. 847 00:40:09,000 --> 00:40:10,000 There's no question that it does. 848 00:40:10,000 --> 00:40:12,000 So it looks like a very uninhabitable place, 849 00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:14,000 but yet look what they do to it. 850 00:40:14,000 --> 00:40:15,000 Right. 851 00:40:15,000 --> 00:40:18,000 They create all of this beauty and all of this, you know, ritual 852 00:40:18,000 --> 00:40:19,000 and all of this circumstance. 853 00:40:19,000 --> 00:40:22,000 They reflect that idea of the Shangri-La. 854 00:40:22,000 --> 00:40:25,000 They've turned this place into something that is magical. 855 00:40:25,000 --> 00:40:26,000 It is. 856 00:40:26,000 --> 00:40:27,000 Very much so. 857 00:40:27,000 --> 00:40:31,000 This is the final puzzle piece in our exploration of Nepal's sky caves. 858 00:40:32,000 --> 00:40:35,000 At lower altitudes, we saw caves used by Buddhists 859 00:40:35,000 --> 00:40:39,000 as places of healing and as workshops for skilled artists. 860 00:40:39,000 --> 00:40:43,000 The high caves we climbed into revealed a city inside a mountain, 861 00:40:43,000 --> 00:40:47,000 a place for meditation and a home with impenetrable security, 862 00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:49,000 which no army could breach. 863 00:40:49,000 --> 00:40:52,000 And now here, evidence of sustained agriculture, 864 00:40:52,000 --> 00:40:55,000 terraces that transformed valleys into farms 865 00:40:55,000 --> 00:41:00,000 and within this shrine, a portal to commune directly with the gods. 866 00:41:00,000 --> 00:41:03,000 Before leaving to return to our world, 867 00:41:03,000 --> 00:41:07,000 we light candles and incense to pay our respects to the gods 868 00:41:07,000 --> 00:41:11,000 and our local friends for sustaining us during these past few weeks. 869 00:41:12,000 --> 00:41:15,000 Shangri-La is not a myth. 870 00:41:15,000 --> 00:41:20,000 The Mustang region of Nepal is, in a very real sense, an earthly Shambhala. 871 00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:24,000 It is a land hidden among clouds, a place of tranquility 872 00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:27,000 cradled by the eternal Himalayas. 873 00:41:27,000 --> 00:41:31,000 But it is also fragile, like the bodies placed on sky burials. 874 00:41:31,000 --> 00:41:37,000 The art, the caves, even the land itself is constantly being returned to the earth, 875 00:41:37,000 --> 00:41:39,000 where it is renewed again. 876 00:41:39,000 --> 00:41:42,000 Many wonder what the modern world will do to this place 877 00:41:42,000 --> 00:41:46,000 and to its indomitable people, probably more harm than good. 878 00:41:46,000 --> 00:41:50,000 But I now realize that time here is measured in eons. 879 00:41:50,000 --> 00:41:53,000 The Himalayas will give and take, 880 00:41:53,000 --> 00:41:56,000 and we will continue to rest in their shadows 881 00:41:57,000 --> 00:41:59,000 and search for enlightenment.