Why he keeps returning to the forests and mountains

Pratap Gurung’s journey from a runaway teenager and trekking porter to a naturalist, bird guide, and wildlife photographer is rooted in a lifelong pull towards the mountains, where he feels most alive.

Pratap Gurung breathes better above 3,000 metres. In the city, the air feels dense and restless, as if it presses against his chest. In the mountains, he says, his body settles into itself. “Up there, I feel strong,” he says. “Breathing becomes easy. I never feel like giving up, no matter how dreadful the trek is.”