Nepal, Nov. 28 -- Just two days before our long-awaited Makalu-Barun trek, the travel agent called with some unexpected news: "Dai (brother), the flight to Tumlingtar has been cancelled." Our dream journey was about to fall apart before it even began.

In Kathmandu, the air was thick with toxic haze, typical for late March and early April. The smog stung our eyes and triggered persistent coughs. Conversations over tea and newspaper headlines blamed the forest fires. Long ago, community forest user groups strictly regulated such fires. But today?

That same pollution grounded our flight to Tumlingtar. We quickly pivoted, opting to fly to Biratnagar instead, and then drive by jeep to Khandbari. The domestic terminal was packed with foreign ...