About the Author:

Nick Middleton (born 1960) is a British physical

geographer and supernumerary fellow of St Anne's
College, Oxford. He specialises in desertification.
Nick Middleton was born in London, England. As a
geographer, he has travelled to more than 50 countries.
Going to Extremes is a television programme for
Channel 4 about extreme lifestyles, in which Middleton
experiences life in the hostile conditions other cultures
must endure.
 Introduction:
• The story is written by Nick Middleton. This
chapter is about the narrator’s journey from
slopes of Ravu to Mount Kailash to complete
the kora. To bid him farewell, Lhamo gave him
a long sleeve sheepskin coat. He hired Tsetan’s
car for his journey and took Daniel along to
escort him to Darchen.
 Summary:
• The protagonist wanted to go to Mount Kailash to
complete the kora. He hired Tsetan to drive him
up to Mount Kailash. As a farewell gift, Lhamo
gave him a long-sleeved sheepskin coat. He took
Daniel as his companion till Darchen.
• When they started the journey, Tsetan took a
short cut to the south-west which was a direct
route to Mount Kailash. They had to cross high
mountain passes to reach their destination.
Tsetan assured him that it would be no problem if
there would be no snow. They crossed through
few gazelles, a herd of wild asses and shepherds
tending the flocks.
• When they reached the hill, they passed dark
tents which were home for nomads. He saw a
Tibetan mastiff standing outside the tent as a
guard. These mastiffs ran after his car as he
reached near the tents. These dogs had large
jaws.
• As soon as they entered the valley, they
witnessed snow capped mountains with rivers
flowing which were blocked with ice. When they
were riding through the hill, the turns became
sharper and roads became bumpier. Tsetan was
driving in third gear. The protagonist could feel
the pressure in his ears. He held his nose, snorted
to clear the congestion. He checked his
wristwatch, they were at 5210 meters above sea
level.
• They reached their first hurdle which was a road
filled with snow. Tsetan threw dirt on the snow
and drove carefully on that road. They resumed
their journey. The protagonist felt his head was
hurting. He took a few sips of water from his
water bottle. They were still climbing up the hill.
They reached at 5515 meters above sea level.
They stopped again and this time the fuel tank
hissed when Testan unscrewed the top. As the
petrol was expanding due to low atmospheric
pressure, Tsetan told them not to smoke around
it.
• Soon in the afternoon around two o clock, they stopped
for lunch. The protagonist’s headache was gone by now.
By late afternoon, they reached a small town called ‘Hor’.
They reached the east-west highway again. It was the old
route from Lhasa to Kashmir. Daniel got off the car and
took a lift to Lhasa. Their car had a few punctures which
worried Tsetan. He got them fixed and the protagonist
waited at a local café of Hor while having a glass of tea.
He found Hor a miserable place. After a while, Tsetan
reached to him and they resumed their journey again.
• At night around 10.30 pm, they stopped at a guest house
in Darchen to spend the night. The protagonist got ill and
suffered from nose-congestion due to the change in
altitude and cold weather. He stayed awake all night.
Next morning, Tsetan took him to Tibetan medical college
where a he consulted a Tibetan Doctor who gave him a
five-day course medicines in a brown envelope.
• After taking a full day of medicine, the protagonist was
feeling good. Tsetan left him thereafter assuring his health
condition. The protagonist was staying at Darchen. That
place had a general store where Chinese cigarettes, soap,
and other things were available. In the afternoon, the men
gathered at a shabby table to play pool every day. Women
would wash their hair in the narrow stream. Darchen had
one problem, it had no pilgrims. According to the local
people, in the peak season of pilgrimage the place would
be filled with travellers. He met a person in the Darchen’s
only café. His name was Norbu who was a Tibetan working
in Beijing at the Institute of Ethnic Literature of Chinese
Academy of Social Science. He came to Darchen to
complete the kora just like the protagonist. He was fat and
found it difficult to walk. The protagonist decided to go on
the pilgrimage with him. They hired yaks to carry their
luggage. Norbu finally said it is not possible for him while
he collapsed across the table and laughed hilariously. His
tummy was also too big.
 Difficult Words:
• Loaves – bread shaped and baked in one piece
which is usually sliced before being eaten
• Kora – meditation performed by Buddhist
believers
• Ducking Back – going inside and then coming out
• Size me up – to look at someone attentively
• Clambered – move or climb in an awkward way
• Drokba – Shepherd
• Gazelles – an African or Asian mammal with large eyes
that moves quickly and hoofs
• Nibbling – take a small bite from
• Arid – having little or no rain
• Pastures – land covered with grass
• Frown – to disapprove of something
• Bounding – jump; hop; bounce
• Wild ass – an animal who have ears shorter than a horse
and smaller in size
• Herd – a large group of animal
• Galloping – progressing in an uncontrollable manner
• En masse – in a group
• Manoeuvres – military exercises
• Plumes - Trails
• Billowed – filled with air; swelled out
• Wilderness – wasteland
• Solitary – private
• Flocks – a group of birds
• Evasive – slippery
• Veering – to change direction suddenly
• Shaggy – bushy or hairy
• Swerve – change direction suddenly
• Ferocious – cruel or violent
• Mastiffs – a dog who is a strong breed with
dropping ears saggy ears
• Glinting – sparkle or twinkle
• Meanders – to follow a winding course of a river
or road