Short Mardi Himal Trek 6 Days

Detail Itinerary

Day 01: Drive from Pokhara to Kande and trek to Deurali - Altitude: 2200m | Trek: 4hrs | Meal LD

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 up a hill and pleasant easy walk up to Pothana from there, and it is a gradual walk up to Deurali (2200m) about 2 hours where you stay in a tea house lodge for the first night. It is an easy start for the first day.

Day 02: Trek to Forest Camp - Altitude: 2,900m | Trek: 7 hours | Meal: BLD

From Deurali; We leave main Annapurna Sanctuary trail and take an off the beaten trail to Mardi Himal Base Camp to the right side and continue along a quiet trail through a dense forest of oak, maple, hemlock, and rhododendron. Some 4 hours of jungle walk will bring us at the in a clearing of the forest at Forest Camp or also known by the locals as Kokar, here we take a lunch break then we still continue to up to Forest 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 tough day. It is fine for regular fit trekkers, if you are a beginner or moderate trekker then you can split the day and total trek will be 7 days while our pre-set itinerary is 6 days. Overnight in Low Camp

Day 03: Trek to High Camp - Altitude: 3,150m | Trek: 5-6 hours | Meal: BLD

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 the 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 the 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).

Day 04: Trek to Mardi Himal Base Camp - Altitude: 4500m | Trek: 5-6 hours | Meal: BLD

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 up here as well as Danphe pheasant. 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 herder’s huts along the way. After three hours you should reach Base Camp at the elevation of 4500m this is where one can look into the Annapurna Sanctuary and the panorama view is spectacular looking at the south face of Annapurna and all of the peaks in the Sanctuary as well as Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhre (Fishtail)

Day 05: Trek to Siding village - Altitude: 1,750m) | Trek: 6 hours | Meal: BLD

On the way back we take a different route to complete 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 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 and you will probably eat dhal baht in the evening with the family in their kitchen.

Day 06: Trek to Lumre and drive to Pokhara | Trek: 3 hours | Drive: 2 hours | Meal: B

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 jeep organized by our team in advance to drive you back to Pokhara.

Route Map

Useful Information

PASSPORT AND VISA: 

All the foreign nationals (except Indian nationals) are required to display Visa while entering Nepal. Nepalese Visa can be obtained either at the Nepalese Embassy of the respective country or can be obtained during your arrival at the International Airport in Kathmandu or from Nepal’s border entry point in Kakadvitta, Birgunj, Bhairahawa, Nepalgunj, Gaddachowki on the Nepal-India border and Kodari on the Nepal-China border.
Certain nationals are requested to arrange Visa prior to arrival in Nepal. The listed countries are- Afghanistan, Iraq, Cameroon, Ghana, Somalia, Swaziland, Palestine, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Liberia and cannot secure Nepalese Visa on arrival.

VISA FACILITY    DURATION    FEES

Multiple Entry    15 Days    US$ 80 or equivalent convertible currency

Multiple Entry    30 Days    US$ 100 or equivalent convertible currency

Multiple Entry    90 Days    US$ 175 or equivalent convertible currency

You can also download the VISA form and fill it up. Please go through the link as below: http://www.online.nepalimmigration.gov.np/tourist-visa  

MONEY & CREDIT CARD INFO    

Most of the credit card, master and visa card is blocked from your card provider. It may be because of a security reason. It, sometimes, may bring you in a problematic situation that you can't get money from ATMs. To find yourself free from this problem, you can call your card provider before you travel to Nepal and inform there that you are traveling to Nepal. Ensure them to give the authorization for the payment. Be sure you have brought some small amount for your daily expenses as well as for those items which are not included in our cost. If you want to exchange money, we provide you with the facility to change your money. Or, you can take help from Money Changers in Thamel.

TRAVEL INSURANCE: 

While traveling to Nepal, you are requested to have travel insurance that should cover any comprehensive expenses possible to acquire due to medical issues or accidents. Especially, your travel insurance must protect air ambulance, treatment charges, rescue and evacuation, product cancellation and refundable charges, flight delay, and cancellations.

Insurance Policy:

Traveling in the Himalayas is full of adventurous; hence it is wise to choose a proper insurance policy. While choosing your insurance policy, make sure that it will protect all such unforeseen expenses. You must ensure that the policy you do take provides an adequate level of protection, well familiar with your itinerary and covers you for the activities involved. You must carry proof of insurance (e.g. your insurance certificate) with you on the holiday or send us a scanned copy and it must be issued from your homeland. 

RECOMMENDATION:

1.    World Nomads

https://www.worldnomads.com/ 

NOTE:

Please, kindly note, these given references of the insurance company above is only a recommendation, which based on the recommendation of our previous travelers. You could review their update insurance policy by contacting them directly.

VACCINATION FOR NEPAL    

Travelers should consult with their physician or update on vaccination requirements before travel. (Your doctor or the health-care provider will determine what you will need, depending on factors such as your health and immunization history, areas of the country you will be visiting, and planned activities). For traveling to Nepal, we recommend you to take vaccination of Polio, Tetanus, Typhoid, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Rabies, etc. However, it is not mandatory but recommended.

ALTITUDE SICKNESS (ACUTE MOUNTAIN SICKNESS)

Altitude sickness, also known as AMS (acute mountain sickness), is caused by a lack of oxygen at high altitudes (normally above 3,000m). It occurs as the result of our bodies’ inability to adapt to a sudden increase in altitude. If given time, our bodies will adjust and a gradual ascent will decrease the possibility of altitude sickness. 

PREVENTION OF AMS: Go slowly, drink a lot of water, and pay attention to the sensations of your body. If symptoms occur you have climbed too far for the day. Rest at the same altitude will give you time to acclimatize and usually relieve mild symptoms. 

MILD SYMPTOMS: Headache, nausea, loss of appetite, and mild shortness of breath with minimal exertion, difficulty sleeping, dizziness or lightheadedness, mild weakness, fatigue, a general unwell feeling. 

SERIOUS SYMPTOMS: The inability to recover from shortness of breath with rest, severe persistent headache, low urine output, vomiting, confusion, delirium, loss of coordination. These require immediate descent as acclimatization will not take place at the same altitude. 

The key is to trek slowly, carry a light pack and just take it easy. Allow your body the time it needs to acclimatize.

ARRIVAL INSTRUCTION

Upon your arrival at TIA International Airport, our company's representatives are stationed to pick you up. They will be holding your name sign along with the company's name in it. Our office representative will escort you to your hotel in Kathmandu.