Are you looking for a fabulous short trek in the Annapurna Region during your short vacation? Then Mardi Himal trek is a great option to make your holiday vacation awesome.
Mardi Himal Trek, a relatively newly explored route in the Annapurna Region which takes you in the beautiful off-beaten path in the Himalayas. The marvelous short trek to Mardi Himal is an unforgettable destination that helps to catch a beautiful moment. The trek is located in the east of Modi Khola and the legendary trekking trail, Annapurna Base Camp. A beautiful Mardi Himal trek was officially started in 2012 and recognized as one of the most popular treks in Nepal.
Mardi Himal trek is a 4 to 5 days trek that starts from the Pokhara valley. If you are in Kathmandu then, just take a short flight to Pokhara to start your journey to the Mardi Himal. The trail is well known as the eco-tourism trail, which passes through the undisturbed natural area of Nepal. An amazing Mardi Himal is like a hidden gem for most of the trekkers because you can feel the actual trekking experience.
The trail offers you the lust forest filled with beautiful rhododendrons and green vegetation. You will be amazed when you see the pristine Mountain View and the fascinating landscape hill, which makes you spend hours and hours on the trail. Your journey takes place in the off-beaten path of Nepal, which is away from the busy trail of the region. And the scenery of Mother Nature gets even more beautiful when you move forward on the trail.
You also pass through the beautiful valleys and villages covered with mixed local people. The unique culture and tradition of the Gurung and Magar community people are hard to find anywhere around the world. Warm welcome and program of local folks of the village show you true respect from Nepali people, which you can gain only in Nepal. Local delicacies on the trail taste so good which feel the actual cooking from your home. The great countryside field and terrace farming of Nepal is a lifetime opportunity for you to explore. Besides that, there are also some homestay on the Mardi Himal trek trail where you can enjoy the stay while engaging with local people.
Some of the trekkers think that the trek to Mardi Himal is a kind of substitute for Annapurna Base Camp trek, but we don’t argue about that because both of the treks provide a different experience which you will only feel in Nepal.
When your trail reaches the Mardi base camp at the elevation of (4500m), you will soak in the breathtaking surroundings. The camp offers the world-famous and stunning mountains Annapurna I (8091m), Annapurna II (7937m), Annapurna III (7555m), Annapurna South (7219m), Hiunchuli (6441m), and Machhapuchhre (6988m). Interesting things at the base camp is that the mountain Annapurna south seems so close enough that it feels like you can actually touch the peak of the mountain.
Before you do the Mardi Himal Trek, here are some essential tips to make your journey more comfortable and easy.
You need to collect two essential permits to do the trek in Mardi Himal.
The permits are ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area Permit), which worth USD 30 and TIMS (Trekker’s Information Management System), which also worth USD 30. These permits are essential in different checkpoints where you have to show these two permits. All these permits are made from Tourism Board Offices, which is in Kathmandu and Pokhara.
Note: The price of Individual and Group visitor are different. This means if you are visiting alone, then you have to pay a different price than people who are visiting in the Group.
The packaging all depends upon the weather condition; if you are doing a trek during summer, then you don’t have to carry a lot of stuff, but in winter, things will increase by double. Remember to pack only light stuff for an easy trek. If you pack unnecessary things, then your journey can be difficult.
Here are the general packaging lists for the Mardi Himal Trek:
There are different seasons where you can enjoy the Mardi Himal Trek.
Spring (March to May): During the spring, the trail is filled with colorful blossoms of rhododendrons in the lower part of the Annapurna region. You will walk through the trail by inhaling the aroma of beautiful flowers.
Autumn (October and December): The atmosphere will be clean and dust-free because the monsoon rain clears off all the dirt in the atmosphere. So you can have clear visibility of stunning mountains.
If you are planning your trek on winter then remember these things:
Monsoon (June to September): The season for the heavy rainfall, which mostly occurs in evenings and nights. But the rainfall is lighter in the high altitude places; however, there is a problem of poor visibility and risk of leeches.
If you are planning to trek in monsoon season, then remember to wear long trekking trousers and carry some insect repellant.
Mardi Himal Trek is a journey to an altitude of 4,500m, which is the height of the base camp. The height is not a problem because we only wait for a couple of minutes. But the steep up and down, some narrow places and edge path can be a problem for some people.
The trek is considered as a moderate level of a trek, but if you didn’t have any trekking experience before then practice some jogging and hike before one month. And also, do the cardio workout to boost your physical body for Mardi Himal Trek.
Mardi Himal Trek is a beautiful trek in Nepal which is a lifetime opportunity so don’t miss this chance and explore the beauty of Mardi Himal with Global International Travel.
DAY 1: DRIVE TO KANDE AND TREK TO DEURALI (2,232 m)
After breakfast, drive for about 40 minutes to Kande on Pokhara Baglung highway. The trail climbs for about 1 ½ hrs to the ridge at 2,060 m. The clearing in the forest with lodge settlement is known as ‘Australian camp’. The place is scenic with a panoramic view of the Annapurna range and Pokhara valley. The trail further winds through the rhododendron forest to the mountain pass called ‘Deurali’. Deurali is overlooking into the Modi Khola valley wedged between Annapurna South and Mardi Himal / Mt Fishtail.
DAY 2: TREK TO LOW CAMP (2,950 m / 7 hrs)
After spending a beautiful morning in the ridge-top village of Deurali, we head off the main Annapurna trekking trail and follow the forested ridge to Forest camp. Since this is a new trekking destination, there are no tea houses along the way and we need to carry pack lunch and sufficient water. The day’s walk in the rhododendron forest is beautiful with gradual uphill.
The trail gradually climbs through the rhododendron forest following the ridge. The low camp has got a couple of tea houses in the clearing of the forest. The view of Mt Fishtail and Mardi Himal appears much closer. You find yourself closer to clear blue sky with a view of layers of Himalayan foothills and a sweeping valley towards the south.
DAY 3: SHORT WALK TO HIGH CAMP (3 HRS / 3,550 m)
The trail further climbs along the ridge towards Mardi Himal and Mt Fishtail. From Badal Danda, we leave the tree line and arrive in the shrubby alpine zone. Snow Capped peaks of Annapurna South, Hiunchuli and Fishtail loom in a distance above the deep valley on either side. High camp is a small pasture after the climb with 3 lodges. Here you find yourself above the clouds and closer to snow-capped peaks.
DAY 4: EXPLORE MARDI HIMAL BASE CAMP & TREK BACK TO FOREST CAMP(8 Hrs / 4,500 m)
The day trip is more difficult than other days with a steep climb and a longer walk. The trail becomes more vertiginous at some points with uneven and steep rocky steps. The first steep climb will take about 2 hrs to the ridge top which is marked as MBC (Mardi Himal Base Camp). However, the real base camp will take about another 2 hrs along the ridge. The view is amazing all along the ridge. While Mardi Himal and Mt Fishtail appear right above us, view of Annapurna I, Gangapurna and Annapurna III also appear at a distance.
Even though the scenery is stationary, season and sunlight make it different and interesting. Spend another morning watching the change that the sun rays bring. Walk down to the forest camp after breakfast.
DAY 5: WALK DOWN TO SIDING VILLAGE & DRIVE BACK TO POKHARA (7 Hrs)
The trail climbs down steeply through rhododendron and Maple forest to the permanent settlements closer to the valley basin. Siding Village is a self-sufficient Gurung village with rich culture and happy people. The village is the best place to watch the Nepalese countryside lifestyle and enjoy organic food. The village farmers also grow organic tea in 50 hectares of land. Farmers offer homestay accommodation. The waterfall on the outskirts of the village offers one of the most exciting canyoning adventures.
Drive back to Pokhara. It will take about 3 hrs to get to Pokhara in a 4WD.
The first 1 hr is drive on the dirt road.
