The Mardi Himal Trek is recently discovered hidden treasure of Annapurna region. The trail has been in used for ages by the locals to take their livestock to the upper part of the pastures during the seasons of spring and summer but it was hidden from the trekkers for so many years even though it is not far off the classic Annapurna Sanctuary route and one of the best view points in the region. It offers breath taking views of Annapurna, Dhaulagiri and Manaslu mountain ranges.
The Mardi Himal Trek has become really popular among the young Nepalese trekkers recently. This trek combines some of the most eye-catching mountain scenery with a wonderful insight into the life of middle hill Nepalese. This trek allows you to experience the varieties of natural and cultural diversity and is a good introduction to higher altitude trekking without being too strenuous.
Your adventure starts right in Kathmandu valley with the visit of Swoyambhunath, one of the oldest stupas in the Kathmandu Valley, which is situated on the top of a hill. This holy place considerably expands to include various secondary shrines, monastery, garden, and cafeteria. It is a grand and gracious structure as a whole. Next, your visit to Patan, the second largest town in the valley, will be an extraordinary experience, for it is a wonderful town with aesthetic and artistic antiquated monuments. It has several ancient temples and stupas. Every piece is a work of art and craft. More than anything, the Patan Durbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a pure marvel. The Square displays numerous temples and historical structures. Patan’s other attractions are Patan Museum, Uku Bahal, Sundari Chowk, and Krishna Temple.
The highlight of this trek is to visit the High Camp and Mardi Himal Base Camp which offers magnificent views of Annapurna, Dhaulagiri and Manaslu mountain ranges along with the breath taking views of the surrounding villages in valley below.
You don’t need any previous mountaineering training or technical experience for this trek as the terrain is not very difficult. However, some vigorous hiking experience and good physical condition is very useful.
Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu
Day 02: Visit Swoyambunath / Patan
Day 03: Drive Kathmandu to Pokhara
Day 04: Drive Pokhara to Kande & trek to Pitam Deurali
Day 05: Trek Pitam Deurali to Kokar Forest Camp
Day 06: Trek Kokar Forest Camp to Badal Danda
Day 07: Trek Badal Danda to High Camp: Hike to View Point / Base Camp
Day 08: Trek High Camp to Kokar Forest Camp
Day 09: Trek Kokar Forest Camp to Pothana
Day 10: Trek Pothana to Phedi & drive to Pokhara
Day 11: Visit Sararngkot, Devi’s fall, Gupteswori Cave & World Peace Stupa
Day 12: Drive Pokhara to Kathmandu
Day 13: Departure
Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu (1334m) – Welcome Dinner: you will be transferred to the hotel by one of our representatives. Welcome dinner at one of the traditional Nepali restaurants in Kathmandu.
Overnight: Hotel
Elevation: 1334m
Day 02: Visit Swoyambunath and Patan: start our tour visiting Swoyambunath, a magnificent Buddhist stupa located on a high hill which is just 10 minutes’ drive from Thamel followed by a visit of Patan, a true open air museum with its pagodas, temples, and monasteries.
Overnight: Hotel
Elevation: 1334m.
Day 03: Drive Kathmandu to Pokhara (820m): a scenic drive for about six hours to Pokhara. In the afternoon, we visit Fewa Lake (second largest lake in Nepal) which is one of the main tourist attractions in Pokhara.
Overnight: Hotel
Drive Time: 6 - 7 hours (200Km)
Difference in Elevation: - 514m.
Day 04: Drive Pokhara to Kande and trek to Pitam Deurali (2100m): as we start our adventure, we drive for about an hour to Kande then begin our trek climbing through the lush vegetation. It is steep climb on rocky steps for the first part of the trek for about 2 hours which leads us to Australian camp that offers great view of the valley below. Then, gradual downhill takes us to Pothana where we can stop for the lunch. Then, following gradual uphill through the lush green forest, we will trek to Pitam Deurali.
Overnight: Lodge
Driving Time: 1 hour
Walking Time: 5 hours
Difference in Elevation: + 1280m.
Day 05: Trek Pitam Deurali to Kokar Forest Camp (2520m): leaving behind the classic Annapurna trail, we head towards Mardi Himal. It is recently discovered trail so it is relatively less trekked compare to other classic trails. The trail climbs gradually offering the view of mountain peaks and valley below including the view of Ghandruk village; one of the largest Gurung villages in the region from some of the points such as Suire Danda (lovely hill), Dudh Kharka and Musalbari and goes through the lush green rhododendron and other mixed forest.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 5 - 6 hours
Difference in Elevation: + 420m
Day 06: Trek Kokar Forest Camp to Badal Danda (3360m): it is relatively short trek for today but it is mostly steep climb through the Rhododendron and Juniper forest. The more we climb higher we will be rewarded with more spectacular view of the mountain peaks and surroundings. We will have magnificent view of the Mt. Fishtail, Annapurna South, Huichuli, Mardi Himal, Gangapurna, Annapurna III, and other surrounding mountain peaks from Badal Danda. We will have a great view of the valley below and surrounding villages as well.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 4 - 5 hours
Difference in Elevation: + 840m
Day 07: Trek Badal Danda to High Camp (3540m): hike to Mardi View point (4450m) and Mardi Himal Base Camp (4500m): a gradual climb leading us through the grassy land above the tree-line giving us the sense of high altitude takes us to High Camp. It is about 2 hours trek to High Camp so we will get there by the lunch time so after our early lunch, we will go for day hike; hike to Mardi view point (4450m) and Mardi Himal Base Camp (4500m). The trail goes mostly through the grassy land and steep climb. It is about 3 hours climb to the Base Camp via the view point which offers the panoramic view of the Annapurna mountain range. After enjoying the view and Base Camp, we trek back to High Camp and spend our night there.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 2 + 5 hours
Difference in Elevation: + 180m (sleeping altitude) / 960m (Day hike / climb altitude)
Day 08: Trek High Camp to Kokar Forest Camp (2520m): retracing our steps back enjoying the view of the mountain peaks and valley below, we trek down to Kokar Forest Camp. It is mostly downhill so relatively easier to trek.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 4 - 5 hours
Difference in Elevation: - 1020m
Day 09: Trek Kokar Forest Camp to Pothana (1890m): enjoying the Lush green forest of Rhododendron, we trek down to Pitam Deurali and continue our trek further to Pothana.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 5 - 6 hours
Difference in Elevation: - 630m
Day 10: Trek Pothana to Phedi and drive to Pokhara (820m): continuing our trek towards Pokhara, we descend down to Phedi via Dhampus enjoying the view of farm lands and surrounding villages. It is about 3 hours trek to Phedi where we catch our transportation for Pokhara.
Overnight: Hotel
Walking Time: 3 hours
Driving Time: ½ hour
Difference in Elevation: - 1070 m
Day 11: Visit Sarangkot, Devi’s fall, Gupteshowri Cave and World Peace Stupa: we will have early morning drive for about an hour to Sarangkot; one of the finest viewpoints in Pokhara valley. The view from Sarangkot is majestic; with the magnificent view of the Pokhara city, Fewa Lake and panoramic view of the Himalayas including the peaks of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges.
Then we drive back to our hotel, and after our breakfast, we continue our tour visiting Devi's fall, a water fall that goes into a narrow canal, Gupteswori Cave; a natural cave then we drive for about 20 minutes and hike to World peace stupa which offers you the great view of the Pokhara city and Fewa Lake then we hike down to Fewa Lake and cross over by a boat.
Overnight: Hotel
Day 12: Drive Pokhara to Kathmandu (1334): a scenic drive back to Kathmandu.
Overnight: Hotel
Driving Time: 6 hours
Difference in Elevation: +514m
Day 13: Transfer to the airport and departure.
| Srl. | Description | Qty. | Remarks | |
| 01 | Day back-pack | 1 | ||
| 02 | Gore-Tex Jacket | 1 | ||
| 03 | Down Jacket | 1 | ||
| 04 | Fleece Jacket | 1 | ||
| 05 | Micro Fleece | 1 | ||
| 06 | Trekking pants(Trousers) | 2 - 3 | ||
| 07 | Hiking shoes (Boots) | 1 | ||
| 08 | Runners (sport shoes) | 1 | ||
| 09 | Trekking Socks | 3 | ||
| 10 | Rain poncho | 1 | ||
| 11 | Sun-glasses | 1 | ||
| 12 | Water bottles | 2 | ||
| 13 | Thermal underwear(long) | 1 - 2 | ||
| 14 | T- shirts | 2 - 3 | ||
| 15 | Sunscreen/lotion | 1 | ||
| 16 | Flip flop (sandal) | 1 | ||
| 17 | Towel | 1 | ||
| 18 | Hat(Baseball cap) | 1 | ||
| 19 | Pristine drops (Water purifier) | 1 | ||
| 20 | Head light/flash light | 1 | ||
| 21 | Sleeping Bag | 1 | ||
| 22 | Gloves | 1 | ||
| 23 | Wind Proof Trouser (s) | 1 | ||
| 24 | Personal medical kid | 1 | ||
| 25 | Toiletries | 1 | ||
Climate:
From the eternal snow of the high peaks to the extensive tropical lowlands, Nepal has a wide variety of climates.
Spring: March to late May: In this season, Kathmandu is in full bloom, lots of different types of flowers can be seen at this time of the year. Temperature is mild, end of the cold winter and approaching warm and hot summer. Temperatures vary between 10 ° C to 28 ° C but can rise up to 30 ° C. Between 2000 and 3000m, temperature rarely drop below 0 ° C. However, few frosts or snowfalls are possible in March above 4000 m.
The summer/monsoon period: It interrupts the majority of trekking from late June to late August. Some of the trekking regions "trans-Himalayan", Dolpo and Mustang, however, remain protected from monsoon prevailing rest of the country. They are the only channels available in Nepal in the summer.
Autumn: mid September – mid December - Perfect temperature and weather for trekking. Brings cooler days, but clear skies. Above 3000 m altitude, temperatures can drop to -10 ° C at night.
In winter: mid-December - mid-February - Nights are generally cold, dry climate, Above 3000m, temperature drop down to 0 ° C to - 15 ° C at night, the days are often sunny.
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