Column density distributions for the six different ions studied in realisation 17_11, excluding material with motion consistent with disc rotation. Distributions for sightlines in the barycentre and anti-barycentre direction are shown in blue and red, respectively. The error bars in the upper panels indicate mean and standard deviation, with whiskers extending up to minimum and maximum observed values in the MW halo, external galaxies and the low-redshift intergalactic medium (see text).