Wind Carved Mountain Pass in Winter Mist

Bright midmorning light pierces thick mist to illuminate a snow-swept ridge below Kathmandu. Colorful prayer flags snap taut against a gray sky, their red, blue, and yellow hues muted by the dry, cold air. Snow accumulates in deep drifts along the wind-cut path, carving soft, rounded shapes into the terrain. The ground lies blanketed in white, broken only by the dark, exposed rock of the ridge. Distant peaks fade into the swirling white haze, showing vast, empty space. One blue flag edge frays slightly at the corner, catching the sharp, clear light that cuts through the surrounding fog.