To put that into perspective, Ben Nevis – the UK's highest mountain – tops out at 1,345m. Bhutan, which celebrates 112 years of independence next month, isn't the most accessible country.

When someone at a dinner party in Oxford offered Michael Rutland a job in Bhutan, he just laughed. "I didn't know exactly where Bhutan was and I certainly wasn't interested in mountains or ...

The next day comprised the mountain stage of my Tour de Bhutan: a two-hour, 18km-long climb upwards on the National Highway from Thimphu (2,300m) to Dochu La (3,140m).

Bhutan, known as the Land of the Thunder Dragon, is an isolated mountain kingdom in the Himalayas, where dress, architecture, and food are still ruled by age-old traditions. IE 11 is not supported.