Mardi Himal Trek

No. There are no ropes, no crampons and no glacier anywhere on this route. The upper ridge is a footpath with steep drops on either side. If exposure concerns you, the Upper Viewpoint at 4,200 m is a good place to stop.

You need to be fit enough to walk for four to six hours on consecutive days, plus one day of eight to nine hours. If you can complete a five-hour hill walk and then walk for two hours the following day, you are ready for this trek.

Yes, it is one of the best choices for a first trek. It is short, the highest overnight stop is only 3,580 m, and you get close views of a 6,993 m mountain. It requires six days of steady walking rather than any technical skill.

Most people reach the Upper Viewpoint at 4,200 m. Fewer continue for the last hour to Base Camp at 4,500 m, and the reason is almost always weather or time rather than fitness. On a clear morning, both places offer views of the same mountains at slightly different distances.

There is no upper age limit. We accept children from the age of ten with a parent. This is younger than we would accept on an Everest trek, because the altitude here is modest and you can descend from the ridge in an afternoon. Your walking experience matters far more than your age.

The ridge is narrow in places, with the ground falling away on both sides, but it is a footpath throughout. In clear weather most people find it enjoyable. In cloud or on fresh snow it is much more difficult, and in those conditions your guide may decide to turn the group back.

It is uncommon on this trek because you sleep no higher than 3,580 m. However, the climb from Low Camp to Base Camp is fast, and mild symptoms do occur at High Camp. We measure your oxygen saturation every evening from Low Camp onward. Descent is quick on this route, which is its main safety advantage.

At night it is between −2°C and −7°C in the trekking seasons, and close to −12°C in January. Daytime temperatures on the trail are between 11°C and 18°C and feel warm in the sun. No bedrooms on this trail are heated, at any altitude, so a warm sleeping bag is essential.

You need a policy that covers trekking to 5,000 m, including helicopter rescue and repatriation. Please show us the certificate before we leave Pokhara. A rescue from this ridge costs from $2,500, and no helicopter will take off without a guarantee of payment.

The lodges are small, plain and fewer in number than you may expect. Rooms are plywood with twin beds, there is a dining room with one stove, and toilets are shared. At High Camp there are five or six lodges in total. They are simpler than the lodges on the Poon Hill side, which is the result of this trail being quieter.

As far as Deurali, yes, with proper plumbing. Above Forest Camp a shower is a bucket of hot water for a few dollars, and at High Camp there may be none, because all water there is carried up by porters. Wet wipes are sufficient for the two days without a shower.

NTC reaches High Camp in good conditions, and Ncell coverage is weak above the forest. Wifi is free or costs a few dollars in the villages, is patchy at Forest Camp and is unreliable above it. Buy a SIM card in Pokhara, as you cannot register one on the trail.

Yes, for $2 to $4 per device. Everything above Low Camp runs on solar panels, so after two overcast days in a row there may be no power available. Carry a power bank of at least 10,000 mAh and keep it in your sleeping bag at night rather than leaving it out in the cold.

It is much quieter than Poon Hill or the Annapurna Sanctuary, although it becomes busier every year. In October the ridge is busy and High Camp fills by mid-afternoon, so we start early in that month. In late November or March the forest is often very quiet.

Your duffel bag is carried by a porter shared with one other trekker, with a limit of 15 kg between you. You carry a daypack of 5 to 7 kg with water, a warm layer, waterproofs and snacks for the day. There is no flight baggage allowance on this trek.

You need an ACAP permit, which costs NPR 3,000 (about $22) from the National Trust for Nature Conservation, and a TIMS card, which costs NPR 2,000 (about $15) through a registered agency. Both are included in your trek price. A licensed guide has been compulsory in this conservation area since April 2023.

Most nationalities can buy a visa on arrival at Kathmandu airport: $30 for 15 days and $50 for 30 days, cash only. Completing the online form in the two weeks before you fly shortens the queue. Bring a passport photograph, and make sure your passport is valid for at least six months.

Bring $150 to $250 changed into rupees, in small notes. This covers drinks, charging, hot water, wifi and tips for six days. The last ATM is in Pokhara. No lodge on the ridge accepts cards, and lodges cannot give change for large notes.

Fly from Kathmandu to Pokhara in 25 minutes, or take the coach along the Prithvi Highway in six to eight hours. From Pokhara it is 27 km, about an hour by road, to Kande, where the trek starts. There are no mountain airstrip flights on this trek.

For October, book four to six weeks ahead, because beds at High Camp fill up first. For every other month, ten days' notice is comfortable, and we have arranged this trek with three days' notice.

Yes, and it is easy to do on a trek of this length. You can start from Pokhara and leave out Kathmandu, add a night at Badal Danda to make the Base Camp day shorter, walk out through Landruk instead of Siding, or add Poon Hill at the start. From five people, your own dates cost the same as a group departure.