Difficulty
Moderate
Max. Altitude
4200m
Duration
9 Days
Moderate
4200m
9 Days
You can download our complete tour details and guide for MARDI HIMAL TREK. Also, you can schedule a callback from UFO Adventure Travel.
Situated just east of the Annapurna Base Camp trek, the Mardi Himal trek is a hidden gem, as few trekkers make their way to Mardi Himal’s Base Camp, spectacularly situated at the base of Mardi Himal and the beautiful and imposing Machapuchhre or Fishtail. The trail winds along small paths through ancient rhododendron forests, until you climb out at around 3,300 m. Here, the landscape changes quite abruptly with amazing views of Mardi Himal, Machapuchhre, Annapurna South and Hiunchuli.
Mardi Himal trek visits a far quieter area in Annapurna region of Nepal where you will see few other trekkers and meet friendly locals along the way. A number of new basic lodges and homestays have been built along Mardi Himal ridge therefore it is now possible to do this as a lodge based trek rather than having to bring in a camping crew. Mardi Himal trek contains all of the elements of a classic Nepal trekking experience including villages, wildlife, panoramic mountain views and range of landscape from forest to high alpine. The mountain views from Mardi Himal are superb including Annapurna South, Mount Machhapuchhre (also known as Fishtail) and Mount Hiunchuli.
The trek is not a technically difficult undertaking. However, the high altitudes involved during the trek (upto 4200 meters) and the cold of Himalayas, the temperature will go below freezing after sunset. You will be advised by the UFO guide to rest and keep your body hydrated as much as possible on the first day of arrival. Your oxygen levels will be monitored from time to time to check on the level of acclimatization. There is a fair walking to be done every day, and we would encourage you to do a bit of walking/running and breathing exercises. A good level of fitness will be required to enjoy this trek.
Trek in the isolated part of Annapurna Sanctuary
Experience the Himalayan Autumn in all its glory
Stunning views of Annapurna South, Macchapuchhre & Mt. Hiunchuli
Upon arrival
in Kathmandu, you will be met by a UFO representative and transferred you to
the hotel. The drive from the airport to the hotel is around 20-25 minutes.
After your check in the group leader will set a time for your trek briefing to
discuss in regards to the trek. The evening is free but your trek leader will
organize a welcome dinner at a fine local restaurant.
We take an early morning flight to Pokhara. There are
spectacular views of the main Himalayan chain to the north, including the 8000
meter peaks of Manaslu and Annapurna during this short flight. After arriving
in Pokhara you are transferred by private transport to Phedi and start your
trek to Pothana where you stay in a teahouse lodge for the first night. Enjoy
the stunning views from Pothana. Evening is at leisure.
Today
you walk up to a place called Pitam Deurali where you will turn off the main
Annapurna Sanctuary trek and continue along a quiet trail through a dense
forest of oak, maple, hemlock and rhododendron. Tonight we stay at one of the
lodges in a clearing of the forest at Forest Camp or also known by the locals
as Kokar. The lodges at Kokar are quite basic and there is no dining room so
you will probably have meals in kitchen with the owner, so in some ways this is
more like a home stay and is a good opportunity to get to know this friendly
family from Siding village.
From Forest Camp to Low Camp the trail continues 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 two basic lodges one with a dining room with open fire. The view
from Low Camp is superb with Mount Machhapuchhre visible up the valley.
An hour or so above Low
Camp the trail breaks out above tree line and towards the west there is a good
view to 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 larger than lodges at Low Camp and Forest Camp, this one
has eight rooms and a separate dining room with heater. The view from the lodge
is superb to Annapurna South, Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhre (Fishtail).
The
plan for today is to wake early for sunrise view of the mountains then after an
early breakfast walk up the ridge towards Mardi Himal. There is a well
established trail through the grass with a couple of steeper sections however
overall not too challenging. Look out for the dzopkyo (yak/ cow crossbreds)
grazing up here as well as Danphe pheasant (national bird). In the summer the sheep and goats from lower
villages are brought up to graze in this area so you will pass a number of
herders' huts along the way. After three hours you should reach Upper View
point at 4200m. This is where one can look into the Annapurna Sanctuary and the
panorama view is spectacular looking at south face of Annapurna and all of the
peaks in the Sanctuary as well as Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhre (Fishtail).
On the return trek we take a different route so completing a
circuit. From Low Camp, we take 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
tourist treks and it is likely you will stay at a homestay in Siding owned by
the person who runs one of the lodges at Low Camp. It is a wonderful cultural
experience finding out more about village life with the family in their
kitchen.
From
Siding you walk out to the road head at 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 your
jeep organized by us in advance to drive you back to Pokhara. Evenings can be spent exploring the easy town
of Pokhara.
We take the morning flight back to Kathmandu for our journey onwards. If
you want to arrange accommodation for the night or extend your stay in Nepal,
please contact UFO office.
I am 61 years old who had lots of apprehensive regarding treks and food but the UFO team took marvelous care right from the start. Spending days at the Hornbill Festival in Nagaland was so enriching and camping with unknown made me meet so many new people from all walks of life.
We did Goecha La pass in Sikkim with UFO. Beautiful trek with nothing to complain.We had great trek food, healthy and hygienic . Staff was well behaved they thought of everything so caring and running to make us happy . I will definitely do more treks with team UFO. Thanks for making our experience wonderful .
We had great experiences with UFO in both Kashmir and Nepal . The arrangements of the pickup, hotels and lodges were top notch. We could follow our pace and make slight changes to the plans which helped us pace our trek and save an extra day. I would highly recommend UFO for your trekking adventures.
Our representative will get back to you within next 4 working hours and solve all your queries about Goecha la trek
HOW DIFFICULT IS THE MARDI HIMAL TREK?
Mardi Himal trek is considered fairly moderate. There many more higher trekking routes in Nepal with Annapurna trek being one of them. Mardi Himal is perfect for a beginner or someone who wants to spend time trekking in the Himalayas of Nepal. On average you will be trekking 5 or 6 hours per day and a good level of fitness will always help you enjoy the holiday more.
HOW LONG IS THE MARDI HIMAL TREK?
This trek can be completed in 6-7 days and can also be extended to 12 days depending on which route you want to take and , most importantly, if you have the time. Our Mardi Himal itinerary balances both and gets you on the trail in Annapurna Sanctuary for 6 nights and 7 days. You will be covering approximately 66-70 kilometers in total. If you want to trek in Nepal, you should definitely consider this!
WHAT IS THE SCENERY LIKE ON THE MARDI HIMAL TREK?
Rivers, valleys, forests, suspension bridges, monasteries, Nepalese villages and, of course, fantastic views of Annapurna South, Macchapuchare and other tall mountains make up the landscape on this trek.
DO I NEED TO BOOK IN ADVANCE?
The Mardi Himal trek is still an offbeat trail compared to other treks in Nepal. However, we do recommend booking at least 2 months in advance. We run with a small team of very experienced guides and with short trekking seasons we get booked up quite early.
WHAT KIT WILL I NEED FOR THE TREK?
The key challenge on this trek is the big variations in temperature you will increase both between day and night and as you increase altitude on the trek. The best solution to this is lots of different layers of clothing that you can adjust to keep your temperature just right. And of course a really good sleeping bag.
WHAT TRAVEL INSURANCE DO I NEED?
You will need a specialist high altitude trekking insurance that covers you up to an altitude of 5500m and that specifically covers you for helicopter evacuation. The profile of the Everest trek means that it is not easy to descend quickly by foot and helicopter evacuation is sometimes essential.
WILL I NEED ANY VACCINATIONS FOR THIS TREK?
Any visitor to Nepal should have all their vaccinations checked as the list of what is recommended is lengthy and includes hepatitis A and B. You must check your vaccination record with your doctor.
WHAT IS THE ACCOMMODATION LIKE ON THE TREK?
Our Mardi Himal trek is based in lodges, which are often called tea houses. We have tried camping treks but find that staying in lodges is a more comfortable and enjoyable experience. The standard of accommodation and the facilities available vary a lot but generally decrease as you go higher up the mountain.
WHAT WILL THE FOOD BE LIKE ON THE TREK?
Before the food in the lodges were relatively limited and the "Lodge" fixed menu was a good option. Since then, as the lodges have improved in quality so have the choice of foods with most lodges now offering an extensive menu. In order to allow clients to choose exactly what they wanted we now operate all our treks on a lodge only basis. You will need to budget for between $25-30 each day for all meals.
WHAT TIPS WOULD YOU RECOMMEND?
Our crew are some of the very best paid in Nepal and tips are not a substitute for wages. Tipping is though part of the culture in Nepal and we recommend $15 per day per guide and $8 per day per porter. These amounts are for the group as a whole and not per person.
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