It's the halfway point in the race, and after journeying through China and Nepal, the teams have reached northern India. Ahead of them is a journey of 1,500km north west of Varanasi to the fifth checkpoint, McLeod Ganj. Famed for its temples and ashrams, this hill station is not only home to a large Tibetan population but also His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Nestled in the Kangra Valley, each pair will need to ascend nearly 7,000 feet into the foothills of the Himalayas to reach their destination.