In this two-part series renowned mountaineer Joe Simpson, who told his story of near-death in the Andes in Touching the Void, travels to Myanmar (formerly Burma) to retrace the steps of his father Ian, who served with the Chindits - special forces who fought a guerilla war behind Japanese lines in 1944.

Accompanied by explorer Ed Stafford, the first man to walk the length of the Amazon, and using the secret diary his father wrote, Joe experiences the challenging jungle conditions which made this one of the toughest campaigns of WWII.

Half-way through his journey events in modern-day Myanmar threaten to derail Joe's plans. Granted special permission to travel in a part of Myanmar closed to tourists, Joe suddenly finds that the first free elections since 1990 are triggering hostilities that could thwart his 30 year-old dream of re-connecting with his father's experiences - and give him unexpected insights into modern life in a little-known country.