nearby i glanced down on a harness smothered in lichen lying beside the skull of a mule , while strewn all around me were the remains of rusty cans and oil drums .
the discovery started a stampede along the treacherous mountain track through snowdrifts , blizzards and avalanches , each man weighed down with supplies .
the 32-mile hike took weeks to complete but even then their journey was far from over .