For the devout here, there is a tradition of walking to all the monasteries in Tibet. 2,600 kms. Walking. I’ll just let that settle in your mind. Often, someone is appointed from a village to do the pilgrimage for the whole community. It can take their whole life to complete. Others, will walk a shorter distance, but it is still an heroic feat.

We have seen hundreds of the pilgrims as we have travelled from Chengdu. Some walking with back packs; some with their dog for company; some are pulling little carts with a solar panel on them and they are watching a movie on their phone as the trudge along. Some take a slightly easier path on a shorter circuit and have a support vehicle, but, I repeat; they are walking.

You cannot begin to conceive what a feat it is. Over high passes, huge empty valleys with freezing temperatures and burning sun. Without exception, they look happy doing it. Those on the life walk sometimes die trying to complete it, just from old age. Traditionally, a tooth is removed and embedded in one of the 7 sandalwood pillars in Jokhang Monastery, in Lhasa, the final destination for the pilgrims. I went there yesterday.

It is in the heart of the old city, surrounded by a warren of shopping streets, and is a very important place for the people of Tibet to visit. In the morning, when I was there, thousands of people were circumventing the large complex with their prayer wheels and prostrating themselves in front of it. In the afternoon, we had an official rally visit with a guide. They allow too many people in at once and there is a lot of jostling and noise from Chinese tourists, which detracts from the holiness of the place somewhat.

There was a big performance getting into the square in front of the monastery on the official visit. Airport style security, passport showing, frisking etc. In the morning, I approached it from the shopping streets and just walked in. Crazy.

I have to tell you that nothing was purchased by me, except a prayer wheel for the car that I bought from a monk in the monastery shop – yes, really. He gave it a special blessing. We’re going to need it for the road ahead.

In the evening, some of us went to see a Chinese propaganda opera about how China was instrumental in civilising Tibet. Politics aside, what a show! It was outside Lhasa, in the mountains and the scale of it was unbelievable. A cast of 850 people, a herd of yaks, galloping horses, ceremonial horses, snow, a flock of sheep, two dogs and the most incredible set you will ever see. Massive palaces appeared from behind rocks. The lighting was something else. The whole mountain was lit with different effects. We were speechless.

Today, we went to the Potala Palace, former home of the Dalai Lama. What a place it is! Photography is not allowed inside but, take it from me, it’s worth the trip to Lhasa alone. It was a huge climb up hundreds of steps, with little oxygen, to get there but it was worth every gasp.

Tomorrow, we set off for remote western Tibet. Certainly, the road less travelled. In two days, we will be within 20 kms of Everest. We will be camping for three nights, completely off grid. We’ve been warned that it’s much colder, with snow and ice. I can’t wait. I really wanted to do this rally, but Mr S hates camping, I love it. The compromise was to bring the big Defender that has a bed inside it for Adrian, instead of an old car. Looking at pics that the forward crew had taken of where we’re going, we could be glad of that. There will be some tricky road conditions, gravel, ice, rocky patches and washed away roads. We may be needed to help out the old cars, along with the other Landies and support vehicles.

It’s been a fantastic couple of days in Lhasa but let the next stage commence. It is tinged with sadness for me because dear friends, Chris and Mark, are going home after their mighty Silver Ghost failed. We will miss them.