Mardi Himal Trek, the best short trek that takes you higher

Mardi Himal Trek, the best short trek that takes you higher

Mardi Himal is totally new destination and getting popular as it can be done within short time frame, have incredible views and takes you even at higher elevation than ABC and pocket friendly than many of the similar trek as well as there is opportunity to feel nature and landscape of varying type.

The only thing you must prepare is it has lots of ups and downs and you must compromise over accommodation compared to many other similar destinations. Most of the places there are no rooms with private bathrooms. Difficulties taking or getting a shower as there will be only one shower and everybody staying in the hotel needs to share it and there will be a queue.

If one is not used to squat toilets that might create trouble as most places have one wester toilet and one squat toilet. You must be smart enough to wake up early to avoid the queues later by breakfast time.

As you drive from Pokhara at the beginning, the drive pass through one of the beautiful Hemja valley with the best road ever in Nepal but that last for only 10 kilometres and the road ascends to reach the starting point popular by the name Kande roughly 1700 meters above sea level. Some preparation as your porters arranges baggage and you might take advantage of using the washrooms which are offered for a nominal fee. Steep climb to Australian camp which pass through villages and forest.

The Australian camp offers the first splendid view of the Annapurna range and if you are lucky, you can observe even Dhawalagiri. After Austarlian camm the trail descends little bit and move towards left to reach Pothana which is ideal lunch place for the first day.

After receiving hot lunch at Pothana and doing the ACAP permit registration and making few kilometers of straight trail one must ascend again to reach Pitam Deurali and there are collections of Tea houses but totally dispersed in different locations. This is the only village where one can get rooms with a private bath and shower inside but with extra cost for the shower. With limited money or you don’t pay well in Kathmandu office you are receiving a room with common bathroom. The Wi-Fi are available and bottled water are also available. One can observe the views of Fishtail and sunrise from Pitam Deurali and start the 2^nd day of the trek with beautiful ascends in forested area full of leech in rainy season so take necessary precaution for this. There is a tea point popular by the name Lovely Hill looking after the river valley down there. One must ascend again to reach another tea shop of the season and one can stop for tea, coffee, cold drinks, bathrooms and maybe some seasonal fruits which were bought and brought from the village of Landruk. For locals the scary downhill trail to Landruk will be only an hour and half away from this tea shop. In low season as slow movement there will be nobody here.

Ascending a little bit and descending reaching a place with couple of tea house of Mushalbari and continue descending to Forest camp which is an ideal Lunch place for the second day. After lunch one must make a good climb to rest camp, if somebody is exhausted this will be a stopping point but there is only one descent accommodation in this place. Another hour of walking takes you to recue camp as one of the Thai man who was rescued from here the camp got the name. The Thai man who got rescued had underlying medical condition, so he was not able to walk further. A few more hours of walks from rescue camp one can reach the low camp with plenty of tea houses and is an ideal camp to stay for the second day of Trek. No botteled water was available when I was there, and you can refill as well as purify with water purifying pills.

Wifi was good and there was no private bathroom in this camp and needed to queue up for shower if one wished to take. Mobile phones do not work well as there is no good signal for that.

After breakfast, mostly a set breakfast is offered with choice of egg, bread and tea, coffee one must climb up again in rhododendron forest and get the views of Annapurna South, Hiuchuli and Machhapuchhre. A nice climb up leads to Badal Danda which is the tree line for this area. In the wintertime when there is lots of snow this is already a viewpoint as trail if very difficult when it snows here. Simple accommodation is available. The stunning view of the mountains and the valley that leads to Annapurna Base Camp can be observed from here.

Two more hours of walking one can reach the High Camp of Mardi Himal which is the last place to accommodate and has plenty of hotels of different categories. We were lucky to have beautiful accommodation but one must compromise depending on the season. There are fourteen tea houses in the village. A herd of yak was kept there at the beginning and when we reached there, a caretaker was even milking the Yak and we tried yak milk paying Rs. 200 for a small cup, probably 100 ml.

Next morning the ideal itinerary is an early start to go to viewpoints to have stunning view of the mountains and if one wants to reach Mardi base camp pack your breakfast and move. It takes at least two hours to reach the first viewpoint and another 45 minutes to reach the second viewpoint. One can continue to Mardi Himal base camp located at 4500 meters and come back to high camp for overnight stay or can come further down to Badal danda to make the next day easier to descend.

A nice descend to Sidhing Village with calf and leg suffering a lot. Sidhing Village has both meals and accommodation. Except for the rainy season the local jeep, especially four-wheel drives are available from Sidhing for a cost of roughly 55$. Another choice is walk to Lumre two more hours and descend to Kalimati and take an easy road to Pokhara. As from Kalimati the black topped road reaches the Pokhara.

Things to remember

There are lots of ups and downs in this trek.

Horse is available for roughly $100 a day but it is tough to make descends with horse.

There might be no bottled water in many places, and you must manage drinking water in other way.

Prepare for leech in rainy season, the trails are slippery and full of mud during rains.

The area receives heavy rains during monsoon.

Some trails are very narrow and may be difficult during snow.

Prepare to smell horse and donkey dung while walking.

Always stop at the inner side while caravan is passing.

You might make flexible itineraries depending on your physical condition.

We have made the best researched itinerary for Mardi Himal Trek to enjoy more of the area.