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THE INCA TRAIL, PERU

The ultimate route for many walkers. Climbing through the sort of scenery that burns itself on your brain forever, the classic 4-day Inca Trail climaxes in the ‘lost’ city of Machu Picchu. Most combine the experience with tours of Cusco and the Scared Valley, thereby perfectly rounding off their immersion in one of history’s most mystical and secretive civilisations.

KAILASH CIRCUIT, TIBET

Tibet’s forbidden peak – nobody has ever climbed it, or been allowed to – Kailash is said to have been the battleground for two Buddhist deities. The pilgrimage around the mountain, which takes you close to the sources of the Indus, the Ganges and the Brahmaputra rivers, is called the Kora Kailash and takes up to three days to complete – though many prostrate themselves on the circuit, touching their head to the floor with each movement. This takes up to 10 days!