Himalayan peaks seen from the Muktinaath area, Nepal

Near Muktinaath, Nepal, rugged and barren mountain peaks tower behind a grove of trees. Muktinath lies to the north of the Himalayan mountain range in an area called the "rain shadow." Most of the rain clouds coming from the south are blocked by northern Himalayan range and therefore, the region gets very little rainfall during most of the year. The landscape can be quite rugged and barren, except at the lower end of the slopes which receives water from the snow melting off the mountains.