Best Time to Visit Mardi Himal Trek

• Spectacular views of the Annapurna massif and the fabulous Fishtail.

• Amazing hospitality of the locals with a heartwarming smile.

• Unique and dazzling Culture and practices of the Gurung residents.

• Traverse through the off-the-beaten trails of the Annapurna region.

• Lush green valleys and decorative Rhododendron yards. 

Mardi Himal lies in the Conservation reserve of Annapurna in the province of Gandaki, to the north east of Pokhara beneath the Machapuchhre Himal. So, you need to have an ACAP permit to join this trek. The trekking trails to this Mardi Himal vary by the region, through which you start the trek. But the commonly used, easiest and most feasible for the trekkers is the one that starts from Kande and ends at Siding. These trekking trails lie in the shadow of the massive Machapuchhrre, which means you will trek watching the glamorous Machhapuchhre.

This Mardi Himal trek settles in the east of Annapurna base camp trek allowing you to get the best of the Annapurna region. The trekking trail follows the route as Kande, Australian camp, Pothana, Deurali, Forest camp, Low camp, High camp, viewepoint and finally the Mardi base camp. This trekking trail of Mardi base camp is a newly found and lesser joint trekking trail which can vest you a surreal trekking experience in the Himalayas. Also it can be a good base for trying out the strenuous Everest and Dolpo trek.

Mardi Himal trek is often joined as an extended trek by those who visit the Ghandruk, Landruk and nearby Gurung villages. This extended trek may take 7 to 8 days to complete, but just the Mardi Himal Trek can be completed within 3 days if you are a fast pacer. So, not only the easy one, it is also the best short trek from Pokhara. Coming to Pokhara, this lake city looks more than beautiful from the viewpoint of Mardi.

As it is well known that the winter in Nepal, falls in the months of December, January and February. This goes the same for this Mardi trek region too. Winter in the Mardi region is quite phenomenal. The peaks covered by the snowbed, snow patches all over the trails, and the tree branches completely hugged by the snow and just the snow everywhere with the chirping birds in the background makes this region a winter destination to join with your amazing company.

It's pretty common to have the curiosity that is Mardi trek really possible in the winter! As I have already mentioned and again saying this, yes, you can do Mardi trek in the winter. Don't worry, I assure you, you will not regret doing Mardi trekking in winter. Only the mid January can be extreme with heavy snowfall, other than this winter trek in Mardi is all a piece of cake. Your trek around this time, not only will be a trekking experience but will also give you a chance to get involved in the snow activity too. Dance in the snow, play with the snow, roll in the snow, ski in the snow, or do whatever you want with the snow. Also, there are plenty of other things to do in Pokhara, you can join that too during this time.

It can't be neglected that you may suffer from frostbite in some areas, as you are trekking in the Himalayas in the winter season. It's not that dangerous either as you will trek, which means you will not feel that much coldness because of your continuous body movement. Also, look to its bright side, you will get one more benefit this time, you will get the trail for your own. Since, winter is considered the off season, you won't find crowds in the trail which allows you to get a better experience in the tranquil environment inside nature. You will get that refreshment you are craving, away from the mass, just you and the bystander savage mountains.

The major problem for the mardi trek in the winter is the unavailability of the hotels. Most of the tea houses are closed at this time, not because of the coldness as it may be cold but its beatable, but because of the lack of visitors. If you have not been aware and booked yours in advance, there is a very slight chance of getting one, which means no roof to stay under. Sounds romantic? Absolutely no!You will freeze to death. Also, the water freezes during this time as the temperature goes to minus. You may have imagined the problem you are going to face because of this, yeah it's very hard to manage daily life activity especially with the toiletries during this time’s trek.

The autumn in Nepal falls in the months of September, October and November, and this is the same for the Mardi trek too. At this time the visibility is at best, with clear blue sky and nice clear weather. Humidity is less during this time, making the environment a bit more crispy. After spring, this season is the one in which you will find a large crowd in the Mardi trails.

In the early September, this region gets a little rainfall making it quite hard for the trekkers as the trails get slippery. But after mid September, you will be in awe observing what's in front of you. All the forest turns into red and orange shedding its dead leaves. The yellow dead leaves form a cushion beneath welcoming you to the wonderland. Weather opens generously during this time making the mountains look absolutely beautiful.

One fascinating part of trekking to Mardi Himal in September is you will be able to submerge in the culture of the locals. The greatest hindu festival, Dashain falls at this time allowing you to collect the locals' norms and values too. This will also avail you to get closer to the locals, get to know them, and learn more about their traditions and way of life.

Also, being the festive season, the environment is always upbeat and cavalier. Trekking in the Himalayas itself is adventurous, and getting there in such a time is just a mood, meaning perfect. Walking through the offbeat trails of the Annapurna sanctuary gazing at the snow capped peaks with the dramatically changing landscapes is a pure bliss one could ever experience in this lifetime.

Describing the Mardi Himal Trek in October will make me wordless of course,as the excessive beauty can't be put in the mere words. It's too flawless as you will find nature in its best form. Coming November, it may fall into the initial winter category, as the cold starts to rise slightly. The days go from long to short and the night becomes long and chilly with the early sunsets. One more thing, during this time the sunset is extraordinary as the sky looks gorgeous in the shade of pink, blue, red and orange varying the dusk time, sometimes even a shades of purple is observed.

The summer is the monsoon period in Nepal which starts from June and continues till August. Sometimes, it may even extend to mid September, but it's  just an occasional thing, usually heavy precipitation takes place over July and August. Summer in Mardi is no different than this, it will experience rainfall in the exact same period. Exceptionally Mardi Himal Trek is possible and marvelous even during this time too.

Many people avoid the Mardi trek this time, as it's pretty common to have the trail all wet and slippery, and some may not find the trekking with the raincoat fun and all. Yeah It has some loopholes too but it doesn't mean it lacks the bright side. Look at its comforting prospect as there are many. Usually, the trails to the mardi inbetween the lowcamp and highcamp comprises the barren hills and cliffs. In other seasons, except for the summer you will walk in these ridges just observing the savage mountains only but during the monsoon time these cliffs get entirely covered by the multicolored flowers which look like a garden of heaven. This makes the trek worthiest despite the pouring rain.

Not just the flowers are the only ones enhancing the trek's beauty in the summer, the fresh feeling environment after the rainfall and crystal clear atmosphere around the peaks is another one. There is no cloud in the peaks periphery making it visible throughout the trail. This is something you can't achieve during your trek in other seasons. 

Coming to its darker side, you have to carry some salts while you trek in this season. As it's pretty common getting leeches in the monsoon times, you will be accompanied by the hungry leeches during this trek too. This is considered the major problem while trekking to the Mardi Himal Trek in the monsoon. Except this, you will find the best memory for the lifetime during this time’s trek.

The majesty of the seasons, Spring, falls under the month of March, April, and May. Trekking in Annapurna region in spring is an ethereal venture you could ever get. The temperature this time is just warm, neither too hot, nor too cold, making it absolutely favorable for the Mardi trek. All the other regions of Nepal may experience scorching heat in this time, but this amazing Mardi trek glows in this time, not with the heat, but by the beauty.

The Mardi trek trails go by the woodlands especially covered by the national flower of Nepal, red bright Rhododendrons. And this glamorous Rhododendrons blossom is well observed during the mardi trek in the seasonal king Spring. All the green valleys turn into red valleys which look spectacular. The beauty this region holds at this time is pure celestial, more like a divine one. To observe this, people flock at this time, which definitely means you are not the only one in the trail. As there is a saying, to gain something, you need to lose something, you need to compromise with this to get the beauty of the trek.

The spring is also a time of nature's renewal, which means the old decayed leaves are replaced by the fresh new green leaves. This kind of radiates positivity and you will just enjoy the natural vibes during this trek. The trekking trails are dry, and less slippery making it easier to walk. Sometimes it may rain with the wind but it's very unlikely, so don't worry about the weather. You will get bright sunny days during your trek. The mountains look cheerful with little snow and the mornings may get pretty chilly in early March.

There is a chance of spotting the exotic species of the Annapurna region at this time. Since the days might get a bit more hot some days, the beasts may crawl out of their dens to the nearby water resources. This will be a blessing for you to catch the sight of these beasts. Beside this, the locals are the other glam point of this trek during this time. They are seen rearing the Yaks, Sheeps, and goats in the pastures and meadows which is quite fascinating.

As Mardi Himal lies in the Annapurna region, to get here, first you need to reach the gateway of this sanctuary, Pokhara. Pokhara is also a city of adventure so apart from the trekking, you could join various adventure activities in Pokhara.

Getting to Pokhara from Kathmandu:

There are two ways to reach Pokhara, by flight and by drive. For the detailed read, wander your eyes below here.

By Flight:

An international airport was recently opened in Pokhara. So, You could simply take a flight to Pokhara international airport. The easiest will be this one. Apart from this, if you are getting here via the capital Kathmandu, first you need to take a flight to Tribhuvan international airport, Kathmandu, and then the next one to Pokhara international airport. This will take you to lake city, Pokhara.

By Drive:

This drive option is best feasible for those who have got enough vacation, eager to explore the Nepal highways, and obviously those who enjoy the long drive. For this, First you have to take an international flight to TIA, Kathmandu, then only you can get to Pokhara. Pokhara is only 207 km far from the capital Kathmandu by road. So, it may take around 5 to 6 hours to reach Pokhara. The daily bus to Pokhara departs from Machapokhari and various other places. You can join this or simply reserve some private vehicles to have your own space.

Getting to Mardi Base Camp from Pokhara

After getting to Pokhara, there are several ways to reach Mardi base camp. But the common one, and most followed one starts from the Kande. Public way to reach kande may be a lil troublesome, as you have to change buses frequently, and may even have to get through the sharing basis so it's better to reserve a private vehicle to reach up to Kande. If you find this whole process annoying, don't worry, we got you. We altitude himalaya will be more than happy to help you plan your entire trek.

It may take an hour at most to reach Kande from Pokhara. After Kande, you will trek ahead to reach the Mardi base camp. The trail goes as Kande, Australian camp, Deurali, Forest camp, low camp, badal danda, highcamp, viewpoint and the mardi base camp consequently.

Apart from Kande, you can directly join the mardi trek from ghandruk, which will take you through Chomrong, landruk to forest camp and then the onward trail will be the same as that of kande.

Also, keep it a note that the view you will get from the viewpoint which is just a little above the high camp is much better than the one you will receive from the mardi base camp, so many trekkers trek only to the Mardi viewpoint not to the basecamp. This may save you some time and you can use that time to explore any other region. One of the shortest itinerary for the Mardi base camp is mentioned below. You can go through that if you like.

Only two permits are required for the Mardi Himal trek. One of which is the Annapurna conservation area project (ACAP) permit and the other, the Trekkers Information management system (TIMS) card. You can get both permits from Nepal tourism board, Bhrikutimandap, Kathmandu or from Tourism board office, damside Pokhara. The fees structure of these permits are mentioned below:

Mardi Himal trek is not that difficult level of trek, you neither need longer vacation, nor quite practice to complete this trek. But still there are some difficulties trekkers face during this trek which are mentioned below:

High Altitude Sickness

High altitude sickness usually starts to kick in after you reach a certain elevation above 3000m. Since the Mardi base camp lies at the elevation of 4500m, there is a slight chance of getting high altitude sickness here. This is not the major problem for the mardi base camp trekkers, as very few suffer through this, but it can't be neglected either way. So, it's considered one such problem trekkers may face during this trek. The common symptoms of this High altitude sickness is loss of appetite, extreme fatigueness, difficulty in breathing, dizziness, and headaches.

Varying Weather

Trekking in the mountains, and the weather is stable, does it even make sense! No, right?  Yeah I know I'm talking out of the cup, as the weather in the mountain region is highly fluctuating and totally unpredictable. So, This is the major problem for the trekkers during this Mardi base camp trek. The weather around here changes rapidly. Sunshine within a moment turns into a rainfall, bright clear weather turns into snow storms with the dark lurking clouds and likewise. So, the weather halts most of the trek in this region, making it quite inappropriate for the trekkers.

Joint Pain and Blisters

It's pretty common to face some problem during the trek, especially the physical one. And you will experience some physical hardships during this trek too. The common one is the joint pain, especially because of the long trekking trails with multiple ups and downs. So, you need to drink plenty of water for this. Apart from the joint pain, the other one is the blisters, it's because of the constant friction caused by the long walk within a day. Though it is the problem faced by the trekkers, it is definitely not the major one, and is merely a problem too, as it can be usually felt in the normal long hard walking days.

Fatigueness

It's just a problem not the difficulty, but what we have got to lose, we can consider it too. Trekking is not like traveling in a vehicle, or something alike. For this, you have to walk for several days which definitely will drain the energy. So, it's pretty common to feel fatigueness during trekking and this goes the same for this trek too. Long continuous trek for 4 to 5 days will not be easy as you may have lost the habit of walking, and relied on the vehicles often. So, yeah this can also be a difficulty you may encounter during the mardi trek.

A few Mardi trek guides and tips are cited below. You can go through that if you like.

• Look for the weather before starting the day's trek. 

• If you get lost, follow the blue and white symbols around the trail, it will lead you to the destination.

• Have a healthy energizing meal and drink plenty of water during the trek.

• Follow the footsteps carefully as some trails can be extremely slippery, especially while walking on the ridges.

• Try to trek in a group rather than solo, as you may get some helping hands in some mishaps too.

• If you hear some wild lifes, or feel their presence, run as fast as you can, and try to outrun them. 

• Pack the right trekking essentials, you can take the reference from here; Nepal trekking gear checklist.