When the Mountains Parted: Arriving at a Himalayan Sanctuary

The trail to the Annapurna Sanctuary begins in the foothills, passing through villages where stone houses cling to the contours of the land. Porters walk with easy strides, baskets of supplies balanced on their heads. The air carries woodsmoke and the sound of prayer wheels turning in the morning breeze. As trekkers ascend, the world sheds its greenery. Bamboo groves give way to oak forests, then to pines contorted by wind. The final approach to the sanctuary is a steep climb up the Modi Khola valley, where the river roars below and the sky narrows to