In 1992 it was my pleasure to visit your country and travel extensively. Whilst staying in Pokhara, I trekked around the Ghorepani circuit. That trek and, indeed, my entire stay in Nepal is emblazoned in my memory. In Pokhara I read a poem which I can't perfectly recall. What I remember is that it was about a mountain, a very moving summation of 'what a mountain is all about'. It was all about the 'knowledge' one can have of a mountain: 'to know its size, you must see it from afar/to appreciate its height you have to be close' or words to that effect. The verse also explained that one cannot 'know' a mountain unless it has been seen in all seasons. I will forever associate a photograph I have of Machhapuchhare with that poem. Try as I might I can't race this poem anywhere. Can anyone help? It might inspire my wife and three sons to visit Nepal.

Gary Benn,
gary.benn@homecall.co.uk