Written by Shreejan Simkhada, CEO of The Everest Holiday and third-generation Himalayan guide. TAAN Member #1586.
Mardi Himal Base Camp is the payoff at the top of the quietest good trek in the Annapurna region. At around 4,500 metres, on a narrow ridge that runs straight up towards the Fishtail, it puts you closer to Machhapuchhre than almost anywhere a trekker is allowed to stand. The whole Mardi Himal trek is only a handful of years old as a marked route, it sits right above Pokhara, and its high point is this: a windswept saddle with a wall of mountains on three sides and hardly anyone else there.
Mardi Himal Base Camp at a glance
| Altitude | About 4,500 m (14,764 ft), on the Mardi Himal ridge |
| Region | Annapurna Conservation Area (ACAP), above Pokhara |
| The views | Machhapuchhre (Fishtail, 6,993 m) up close, Annapurna South, Hiunchuli and Mardi Himal (5,587 m) |
| Getting there | The final climb from Mardi High Camp (3,580 m), three to four hours up the ridge |
| The trek | A short 5 to 7 day ridge trek, one of the newest and quietest in the Annapurna region |
| Trek it on | Mardi Himal Base Camp Trek |
Where is Mardi Himal Base Camp and how do you get there?
Mardi Himal Base Camp sits at the head of a ridge that climbs south-east out of the Annapurna Sanctuary, directly above Pokhara. The trek starts near Kande or Phedi, a short drive from the lakeside, and climbs through rhododendron forest to Australian Camp, then up the ridge through Forest Camp and Low Camp to Mardi High Camp at 3,580 metres. From High Camp the final push to Base Camp is a three to four hour climb along an increasingly narrow crest, and it is the reason people come. There is no road up the ridge and no helicopter shortcut; you earn the view.
Why trek to Mardi Himal Base Camp?
Two reasons. The first is Machhapuchhre. On most Annapurna treks the Fishtail is a distant, admired shape; from the Mardi ridge it is right on top of you, an impossible fin of rock and ice filling the sky, and Base Camp is the closest a trekker legally gets to it, because the mountain itself is forbidden to climbers. The second reason is the quiet. The Mardi Himal trek carries a fraction of the traffic of the Annapurna Base Camp or Poon Hill routes, so the ridge often feels like it is yours alone. For a trekker who wants big mountains and small crowds on a short trip out of Pokhara, this is the one I recommend.
The climb from High Camp
The section that defines the trek is the walk from Mardi High Camp to Base Camp. It follows a thin ridge with steep drops on either side, gaining nearly a thousand metres, and you set off early to be on the top before the cloud builds up the valley by late morning. Many trekkers turn around at the Lower Viewpoint, a little below Base Camp, which already gives the full Fishtail panorama; going on to Base Camp proper at 4,500 metres adds altitude and a wider sweep towards Annapurna South. Which one you aim for depends on the weather and how you are feeling on the day, and I would rather you got a clear morning at the Lower Viewpoint than a cloud-out at the top.
Altitude and how to prepare
At 4,500 metres, Mardi Himal Base Camp is high enough to take seriously even on a short trek. The climb from Pokhara is quick, so the risk is gaining height faster than the body adjusts. We build in a sensible profile, sleep at High Camp before the summit-morning push, and watch for symptoms. It is a demanding day walk rather than a technical climb, and no special mountaineering skills are needed, but a reasonable level of fitness and an honest respect for the altitude both help.
What facilities are on the Mardi ridge?
The Mardi Himal trek is served by a line of small teahouse lodges built for the route, at Forest Camp, Low Camp and High Camp. They are simple and seasonal, with basic rooms, a warm dining hall and the standard trekking menu. Base Camp itself has no accommodation, so it is visited as a day walk from High Camp. Bring cash, a warm layer for the top and a head torch for the pre-dawn start.
When is the best time to go?
October and November give the clearest, most stable weather and the sharpest views of the Fishtail, and March to May is the warm, rhododendron-lined spring season. Both are excellent. The monsoon from June to September brings cloud and leeches in the forest, and winter is clear but cold with snow possible on the upper ridge. Because the trek is short, it is easy to slot a Mardi ridge into a wider Pokhara or Annapurna trip whenever the weather looks right.
Common questions about Mardi Himal Base Camp
How high is Mardi Himal Base Camp? About 4,500 metres. Mardi High Camp, where you sleep before the final climb, is at 3,580 metres.
How hard is the Mardi Himal trek? It is a short but genuine trek, easy underfoot for most of the way with one demanding high day from High Camp to Base Camp. No climbing skills are needed.
What permits do I need? The Annapurna Conservation Area permit and, since 2023, a licensed guide on the route. We arrange both.
How close is Machhapuchhre from Mardi? Very close, which is the whole point. The Mardi ridge gives arguably the best trekker's view of the Fishtail anywhere in Nepal.
Mardi Himal is big mountains without the crowds. We run the Mardi Himal Base Camp Trek as a short, private trek out of Pokhara, with a proper night at High Camp before the summit morning, 2026/2027 dates open. WhatsApp us for current departures.
The Mardi Himal ridge lies within the Annapurna Conservation Area, managed by Nepal's National Trust for Nature Conservation.
Shreejan Simkhada is the CEO and co-founder of The Everest Holiday, a family-run trekking company in Kathmandu, and a third-generation Himalayan guide. TAAN Member #1586. Every booking helps fund our Nagarjun Learning Center.
Chat with Shreejan