Meet my guide Om, you can find his portrait in the October issue of National Geographic Traveller (Adventure supplement).

After two weeks of trekking in the Mardi Himal, my guide Om and I were now in the foothills staying in small homestay on a steep valley side. We set out in the early hours and climbed up to the top of the valley. We’d hoped to see the mountains we had trekked down from a few days previously for last time, before we headed back to the city, Pokhara. 

As the sun slowly rose above the mountains to our right, the valleys below filled with an orange pastel glow and warmed our faces. The step-like fields where we were stood were dripping in dew and the crisp, clear air was filled with the sounds of the forest and nearby villages waking up to start the day. 

Mesmerised, I turned around to find Om stood motionless facing the sun, his eyes closed and his face illuminated. He stood silently and calm, greeting the new day, completely at peace.