At the foothills of the Himalayas lies the world's newest republic and, potentially, a tourists' paradise.

FORBES: Himalayan Vistas

Mountains are naturally high-energy environments, being formed by the collision of plates of the earth's crust that, at least for 'young' ranges like the Alps, Andes, and Himalayas, are still moving.

UNESCO: 83e

At altitude, notably, for instance, approaching the Himalayas, it is far trickier to grasp just how factors such as wind direction, air pressure, latent heating and moisture levels interact to deliver monsoon rains.

ECONOMIST: India��s climate: Monsoon, or later | The

Because of population growth and density in the Himalayas, hundreds of thousands may be at risk particularly in India, where the government and the United Nations Development Programme have identified 38 cities with more than half a million people located in the most seismically active regions.

ECONOMIST: Why the Kashmir earthquake happened and what might be done

He described his disappointment at learning how, because of the size and remoteness of the Himalayas, the Indian authorities did not carry out a search.

BBC: GPS plea to paragliders after Joel Kitchen Himalayas death

Trekking in the Himalayas, sunning in Polynesia, exploring ruins in Peru--Carlin can't even guess at their next destination.

FORBES