Cat selected the Annapurna Region of Nepal in part for its ecologic diversity. And the landscapes did indeed change dramatically--from the base of the trek in tropical smokey Besisahar to the lunar heights of Thorung-La Pass to the arid wastelands of the Jhong Kh River valley. What never seemed to change was the angle of our climb: whether up or down, it was always steep. And as the wind blew ever harder, the air thickened with prayers blown from tall crackling flags, swirling skyward.