The province of Van, in the east of Turkey, is a place of unbelievable beauty, where snow-covered mountains sweep out of the country and into Iran. Turkey is building a six-metre high wall across its border there, and as we reached it, we sank knee-deep into fluffy snow, shivering as the temperature fell to -20C and a bitterly cold wind whipped against our cheeks. In every direction, the view was stunning, mesmerising.
But the beauty masks a grim and stomach-turning reality. For many, this landscape is a death trap, part of a terrible and desperate journey that can only be completed by foot.
