 While planning the expedition, Macartney-Snape and his then wife, Dr Ann Ward, were living in Meekatharra, Western Australia where she was stationed with the Royal Flying Doctor Service.Macartney-Snape trained for the upcoming expedition with demanding runs in the 40 degree heat of the surrounding bush and short, solo climbs on the large boulders around Meekatharra.The 500 vertical metres from the Bay of Bengal involved a 1200 km walk from the sea, leaving Ganga Sagar on 5 February 1990, walking through India to the Nepalese border.