Lying in the western region of Nepal, Mardi Himal is the trending route for all Foreign as well as Domestic tourists. The short itinerary and full of scenic view, Mardi Himal is now a sought after trekking route in the present days. A relatively new route, Trekking in Mardi Himal for only a week endows you with the grandiose views of Machapuchhre, Annapurna, Mardi Himal and several other peaks. The trek has been graded easy medium trekking standard by TAAN (Trekking Agencies’ Association Nepal). This route encapsulates rich biodiversity as well as cultural diversity. Along the route to Mardi Himal, you will have the opportunity to experience the beautiful Gurung community cultures of Kaski district. Mardi Himal is a full circuit trek with fantastic views for the ones with limited time.
When to Go
The tourist season for Nepal is from September last week to December’s end week. However, the month from October to November is reviewed by many as perfect season to trek in Mardi Himal Region. Expect fewer chances of snowfall at the high camp and base camp during this period.
It isn’t advised to trek Mardi Himal during the end of December as the temperature goes minus with snow blocking the route from High Camp to Base Camp.
Also, the March and April is the second preferred time to trek to Mardi Himal. The beautiful sight of blossoming Rhododendrons and several other flowers makes the trek full of contrasting colours. However, we advise you to bring a raincoat as there can be outbreaks of rain.
What to Expect
The route lies to the north-west of Pokhara with rich diversity in terrain. The range of this trek takes you from the forested area through to the coarse rocky mountain terrain. Also, the chances of snow are there in the Base Camp.
On the way to base camp, you will get to shoot the picturesque views of MachapuchhreHimal along the top ridge. The time period for this trek is between 4-7 days which solely depends on your pace and requirements for the trek.
Accommodation
The newly initiated trekking route, Mardi has yet to provide full fetched accommodating facilities to the trekkers who want a comfort trek. However, there are plenty of tea houses that provide bed and breakfast with shared bathroom and simple beds.
The room prices come cheap in this trek due to the new establishment. These room prices generally start around 100-300 Rupees. The price of a room in the high camp will cost 600+ Rupees. However, expect an increase in the room price in coming years.
The internet service provider will be available in most of the tea house trek but expect slowest of speed due to the altitude and climate.
We advise you to charge your gadget batteries in every chance you get in the trek. However, charging your batteries from Forest Camp up to High camp will be difficult as the tea houses will have battery themselves for their lighting. You might not even get chance to charge your devices in Forest and Low Camp.
Maps
The detailed Map for Mardi Himal is not available till now. The guides and team leaders will be using the Annapurna Circuit Maps and Annapurna Base Camp for reference and will gladly show you the routes.
As for the itineraries and stops during the trek, your guide will have their own routes and stops along the trek.
Permits
The Mardi Himal lies inside the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP); which means you will be needing a permit to trek in the Mardi Himal trek. You can get these permit in Kathmandu (same building as the Tourism Board). You can also get permits easily at the Annapurna Conservation Area Project office which is in the Dam side, Pokhara (Nepal Tourism Board building). These permit will cost you 2000 Rupees.
A TIMS permit is also required for trekking to Mardi Himal. This will also be available in the same building (Nepal Tourism Board) with a cost of 1000 Rupees. If you would like to travel independently then you need to take Free Independent Trekker (FIT) permit. These permits will be available in TAAN (Trekking Agencies’ Association Nepal).
Have an enjoyable Trek.
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