"The remote Himalayan region of Zanskar is cut off from the rest of the world by snow for more than half the year but the gradual progress of a new road will eventually give the community a permanent connection." - Maitani from Bookmarklet

"The sight of the frozen river disappearing into the Stygian gloom of the gorge ahead made me pause." - Maitani

""Never walk on the ice" - my mother's 35-year-old warnings about the perils of frozen ponds rang loud in my ears. Noticing my hesitation, my friend Tanzin - who lived in London but whose home and family were the other side of this imposing obstacle and were the reason for our journey - chided me gently and demonstrated just how solid the ice was by skating nonchalantly. He was right. It was too late to back out now. We had travelled halfway round the world to spend the next five days walking through the frozen Zanskar river gorge high in the Indian Himalayas." - Maitani