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8 Days
Daily Tour
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English, Nepali
The fantastic Mardi Himal Trek is located just east of the Annapurna Base Camp Trek, one of Nepal’s most famous trekking destinations. The Mardi Himal walk is still a hidden gem. Few trekkers make it to the Mardi Himal Base Camp, which is located at the base of Mardi Himal and the Annapurna region’s most famous mountain, Machapuchhre, which means “Fishtail.” The track follows minor twisting roads through beautiful rhododendron trees until it emerges at roughly 3,300 meters. The scenery quickly transforms into a harsh high alpine environment with spectacular views of the Mardi Himal, Machapuchre, Annapurna South, and Hiunchuli.
In roughly 3-4 hours, you may ascend from High Camp (3700m; some maps wrongly say 3900m) to Mardi Himal Base Camp, which gives superb close-up views of the whole Annapurna Range. Tea houses and homestays are provided along the entire route by the local inhabitants with warm hospitality and comfort. Please confirm with a registered adventure trekking company managed by enthusiastic trekking pioneers if you wish to conduct this trip during the winter months.
Day 1: Kathmandu Arrival
As your plane approach Tribhuwan International Airport here in Kathmandu, you will see the world’s highest mountains from your plane seat. After you land and complete immigration formalities, we will receive you at the airport and drop you at pre-booked hotels. As you come out of the airport, it is natural to feel cultural shock, but no worries, as we are here to assist and guide you throughout your trek journey—overnight in a hotel in Kathmandu.
After a nicely cooked hot breakfast, we drive an hour to Kande and commence our trek at Kande, the elevation of 1770 meters. 1.5 Hours climb up takes to the beautiful hamlet of Australian Camp at the altitude of 2100m. The trail to Australian Camp from Kande is an uphill and pleasant easy walk up to Pothana from there, and it is a gradual walk up to Deurali (2200m) for about 2 hours, where you stay in a tea house lodge for the first night. It is an easy start for the first day.
From Deurali, I leave the main Annapurna Sanctuary trail, take off the beaten path to Mardi Himal Base camp to the right side, and continue along a quiet path through a dense forest of oak maple hemlock and rhododendron. Some 4 hours of jungle walk will bring us to a clearing of the woods at Forest Camp. We take a lunch break; then we continue up to Low Camp through the forest; however, as we ascend, the vegetation starts to change with more rhododendron, and the trees are covered with moss, lichen, and tree ferns. At Low Camp, there are now four lodges. You may find it a long and arduous day. It is acceptable for regular fit trekkers, if you are a beginner or moderate trekker, you can split the day, and the total trek will be seven days, while our pre-set itinerary is six days. Overnight in Low Camp
1.5 hours climb through rhododendron forest takes us to Middle Camp, then to Badal Danda offers a stunning view of Mardi Himal, Annapurna South, Hiuchuli, Gangapurna, Machhapuchhre, and Mardi Himal itself. An hour or so above Low Camp, the trail breaks out above a tree line, and towards the west, there is an excellent view of Annapurna South and Hiunchuli. The trail continues along the Mardi Himal ridge, mainly on grass with some isolated rhododendron bushes along the way. Look out for the colorful Danphe pheasant on this section of the trail. The lodge at High Camp is more significant than the lodges at Low Camp and Forest Camp; this one has eight rooms and a separate dining room with a heater. The view from the club is superb to Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, and Machhapuchhre (Fishtail).
The plan for today is to wake early for a sunrise view of the mountains, then after an early breakfast, walk up the ridge towards Mardi Himal Base Camp. There is a well-established trail through the grass with a couple of steeper sections; however, overall not too challenging. Look out for the dzokpo (yak/ cow crossbreds) grazing here and Danphe pheasant. In the summer, the sheep and goats from lower villages are brought up to graze in this area so that you will pass several herder’s huts along the way. After three hours, you should reach Base Camp at the elevation of 4500m. It is where one can look into the Annapurna Sanctuary. The panorama view is spectacular, looking at the south face of Annapurna and all of the peaks in the Sanctuary as well Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhre (Fishtail). We return to High Camp for lunch, then retrace back to Middle Camp or Low Camp.
On the way back, we take a different route, so completing a circuit, from Low Camp, there is a trail that goes down to Siding village rather than going back down Mardi Himal back to Kokar. Siding is a traditional Nepalese village and still very much away from the busier modern tourist treks, and you will likely stay at a homestay in Siding owned by the person who runs one of the lodges at Low Camp. It is a beautiful cultural experience to learn more about village life, and you will probably eat dhal baht in the evening with the family in their kitchen.
From Siding, you walk out to the road and head to Lumre. On the way from Siding, you will pass the villages of Kalimati and Ghalel. Kalimati is mainly a Brahmin village with Ghalel and Siding mixed Brahmin and Gurung. At Lumre you will meet a jeep organized by Wilderness Excursion in advance to drive you back to Pokhara.
We leave Pokhara early in the morning to get on the bus to Kathmandu. You can either fly back to Kathmandu from Pokhara. The drive is 200km, following the Marsyangdi River and the Trishuli River. The scenic drive renders some fantastic views of natural serenity and terrace farmland. Also, our trip concludes as we make memories to cherish for lifelong. There is a promise to keep that we shall meet again.
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