KATHMANDU, July 20 -- Mornings at Poon Hill are cool, vibrant and contagious. The break of dawn sees wide-eyed onlookers lined up in a row, and on their toes-for what is to come is the most defining trait of this tourism hotspot. In no time, the crowd jitters and bursts into collective delight as the first, fresh rays of the sun strike the elusive Annapurna South, its pointed peak sparkling like diamonds. The crowd cheers once more, some even cry out in joy. And they hug each other, as if they have just witnessed the climax of a feel-good romance.
While the main attractions of Poon Hill are its sunrise and sunset, the journey up to the hill is no less remarkable. One has to tread through ominously dense, green forests and, if it's springti...