Trekkers in rain ponchos walk along a snowy path toward a small lake village at Panch Pokhari

Trekkers on a snowy path, Panch Pokhari

Trekkers in rain ponchos cross a snow-dusted slope toward the lakeside huts.

A small group of trekkers in rain ponchos, one in bright yellow, pick their way along a rocky path dusted with snow. Beyond them, a cluster of small huts with red, blue and green roofs sits beside a dark lake, under a bare mountain slope. The sky is heavy and overcast, and Panch Pokhari feels cold and quiet.