Dawn's golden light caught the tops of the snowcapped Himalayas and gradually crept downward as the rising sun lit up a sweeping arc of soaring peaks, at once forbidding and starkly beautiful.

The stunning vista from the top of Poon Hill - at 3,193 meters, the highest point of our family's six-day trek in Nepal - was among many highlights of a "Lord of the Rings"-like adventure through lush forests, terraced fields and traditional villages nestled above plunging valleys.

Sometimes the going was tough - like hiking two hours up steep, stone steps. Other times, we walked along gently undulating woodland paths.