Miscellaneous
Mardi mountain madness
The Mardi Himal trail is an incredible trekking route, where the terrain varies from dense forests to rugged rockscapes and mountain landscapes.The Mardi Himal trail is an incredible trekking route, where the terrain varies from dense forests to rugged rockscapes and mountain landscapes. It is a short four-six day trek, which takes you to the base of Mardi Himal which stands at 4,500 meters. Along the way, the trekking route offers magnificent views of Mardi Himal (5,587m), Machhapuchre (6,993m), Himchuli (6,441m) and Annapurna South (7,010m).
Among the many routes to Mardi Himal, we choose one Kande — Australian Camp — Deurali — Forest Camp — Low Camp — High Camp route. Awe-inspiring views of the Annapurna range began right from the Australian Camp. The trek from Deurali to Forest Camp (2,600m) took us through dense woods on an uphill climb. The route was filled with wilderness and rich biodiversity. Every morning and evening, the landscape offered beautiful sunrise and sunset vistas.
The next day we began walking early in the morning after breakfast. The route from Forest Camp to Badal Danda to Middle Camp was forested with stepped climbs. The weather wasn’t clear and the hills were shrouded in mist. After Middle Camp, the trail began to get more with smaller pathways. We finally reached High Camp in the afternoon. In the evening, the clouds started to clear and bright sunlight struck the mountains. We could finally see the entire beautiful mountain range clearly.
The next day, early in the morning at four am, we walked to the viewpoint. The pathways were really narrow and dangerous, but it was a full moon night and we were walking with handheld torches. We reached the Upper View Point half an hour before sunrise and witnessed a spectacular sunrise over the summit of the mountain. We didn’t go to Mardi Base Camp that day as we were advised of weather changes after eight. So, we returned to High Camp, had breakfast and walked downhill to Low Camp. We decided to return back to Pokhara the same day so we walked down through Siding, took a jeep and reached Pokhara by evening.
PHOTOS & TEXT: SAURAV THAPA SHRESTHA