Mardi Himal: A Ridge Walk Beneath the Fishtail

For a long time the ridge running south from Machhapuchhre was known only to shepherds and a few camping groups. Lodges were built along it from around 2012, and Mardi Himal has since become the favourite short trek of people who want altitude and close mountain scenery without the crowds or the time commitment of the bigger routes.

What makes it distinctive

Most Annapurna treks follow valleys. This one follows a crest. After a day in forest, the trail emerges onto a narrow, grassy ridge with deep valleys on both sides and the south faces of Annapurna South, Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhre directly ahead. Because you climb towards the mountains along a spine, the view grows with every hour.

Mardi Himal itself is a 5,587-metre peak on the flank of Machhapuchhre. Trekkers do not climb it; they walk to a viewpoint and, if conditions allow, to a base camp below it.

Typical stages

Day one: Pokhara to Deurali or Forest Camp. Drive an hour to Kande, climb to Australian Camp and continue through Pothana to Deurali, a pass with a few lodges. Fit walkers push on along a quiet forest trail to Forest Camp, also called Kokar, at about 2,550 metres. Five to seven hours.

Day two: to Low Camp or Badal Danda. A steady climb through mossy rhododendron and oak forest, with almost no views until Low Camp at around 2,970 metres, where Machhapuchhre suddenly appears through the trees. Another hour and a half brings you above the treeline to Badal Danda, the "cloud hill", at about 3,200 metres. Four to five hours.

Day three: to High Camp. A shorter day along the open ridge to High Camp at roughly 3,550 metres. Arrive by lunchtime, rest and drink plenty of fluids. Afternoon cloud often rolls up from the valleys while the peaks stay clear above.

Day four: viewpoint and descent. Leave before dawn with a headlamp. The trail climbs steeply along the narrowing ridge, with some exposed sections, to the Upper Viewpoint at about 4,200 metres in two to three hours. Sunrise lights the entire southern wall of the Annapurna range. Those with energy and good conditions can continue another hour or more to Mardi Himal Base Camp at around 4,500 metres.

Return to High Camp for a late breakfast, then descend to Low Camp or further.

Day five: out via Siding. From Low Camp a steep trail drops east to the village of Siding, where homestays and lodges sit among terraced fields, and jeeps run back to Pokhara in about two hours.

Difficulty

The trek is short but not soft. The climb from Pokhara's altitude to 4,200 metres in three and a half days is quick, and the final morning is long, cold and steep. The ridge above High Camp is narrow in places and can be icy or snow-covered from December to April, when traction devices for boots are useful. In poor visibility or fresh snow, guides will turn groups back, and they are right to.

Altitude sickness is possible. Adding a night at Low Camp or Badal Danda makes the ascent safer and more enjoyable.

Lodges

Accommodation is simpler than on the busiest routes: basic twin rooms, shared toilets, and a warm dining room. High Camp lodges fill in peak season, and dormitory beds or mattresses in the dining hall are sometimes the only option. Water is scarce on the ridge and is carried or pumped up, so showers are limited and bottled drinks cost more.

Best season

October and November offer the most stable weather. March and April are excellent for rhododendrons in the forest, with snow often lingering on the upper ridge. Winter trips are possible in settled spells for those equipped for cold. The monsoon is wet and leech-ridden in the forest and cloudy on top.

Paperwork and guides

The trail lies within the Annapurna Conservation Area. Your agency in Pokhara will handle the entry permit and provide the licensed guide that foreign trekkers are presently required to have. The route beyond High Camp is one where a guide adds real safety.

How it compares

Against Poon Hill, Mardi Himal is higher, wilder and less comfortable, with a closer view. Against Annapurna Base Camp, it is shorter and looks at the mountains from outside the sanctuary instead of within it. Many trekkers who have done all three name Mardi as their favourite for sheer drama per day of walking.

Who should choose it

Pick Mardi Himal if you have five or six days, good fitness and a taste for ridges. Pick something lower if this is your first time at altitude and you would rather not hurry.