We woke up at 3 am so as to reach the Mardi Himal base camp. It takes almost 3 hours to reach the base camp from the high camp. We got ready and carried our torches with us.
The feeble little light from the torch made a path through the pitch dark at around 4 am. Needless to say, we were very excited, but at the same time, there was an increasing pressure to reach the top before the sunrise. Although the route from the high camp to the base camp is somehow difficult, we managed to be at the upper viewpoint by 6 am. The chilly air was all around, making the environment freezing cold.
We faced difficulties in taking pictures. Our hands were almost frozen. It seemed as if the surrounding below the hill was covering itself with a blanket of white clouds. There we were, above the clouds witnessing the incredibly tall and slender mountains like Mardi, Machchhapuchchhre, Gangapurna, Annapurna south and Hiuchuli way above us. That very feeling can’t be put into words. All the fatigue and cold seemed to vanish away as we were mesmerized by the majestic mountains. To observe the sky slowly change the colors before the sunrise was truly breath-taking.
Above the clouds
Mardi Himal lies within the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) and it has been opened to the public since 2012. The trekking route is short, attractive and unique from where the magnificent beauty of Annapurna can be seen. On the first day, we left for Pokhara from Kathmandu. Our group of five comprised me along with the four students of BFA — Nipurna Bajracharya, Dipen Limbu, Birochan Malla and Mrigendra Narayan Shrestha— studying Graphic Communications at Sirjana College of Fine Arts. This trip was also a part of the project for the tourism campaign design of the students.
On the second day, we headed towards Dhampus by road and started the trail from there. We reached the forest camp after walking for almost five hours through the beautiful forests at Deurali (2232m) and forest camp (2600m).
On the third day, after our breakfast, we marched towards the low camp (2950m) and finally reached to the high camp (3550m) as we walked through the ‘Baadal Daanda’. Only after crossing the Baadal Daanda, one can see the views and sceneries vividly. The geographical topography and the landscapes of the hills are truly beyond beautiful. It not only gives pleasure to your eyes, but makes you forget about your tiring journey as well.
Likewise, on the fourth day, at around 4 am, we started our trail towards Mardi Himal base camp (4500m). After we spent some time getting lost in the tranquility, we walked down the slanted paths towards Sidhing. We reserved a jeep from Sidhing and got back to Pokhara.
We completed our Mardi trek in four days. It can be easily done in five to six days as well. The development of internal and international tourism is gradually increasing in this place. The hotels have been built up at places in higher altitude as well. This trek has definitely become popular among the youth in Nepal.
