The feudal principalities of far northern Pakistan that are home to walled villages, yak herders, glacial rivers, golden poplar forests and snow leopards, held off — or played off — would-be conquerors ranging from Alexander the Great to imperial Great Britain. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek, whose globe-spanning journey on foot brought him through this remote region that is on the cusp of change.

This story originally aired on June 27, 2024.