Off the bitten trail to Mardi Himal base camp
The Kaligandaki valley once provided culturally rich and naturally rewarding walking in the Himalayas. Expansion of the dirt roads has put off trekkers from the once most popular trail in Annapurna. As such, tourism professionals have been researching to develop alternative yet rewarding treks in the Annapurna. The Mardi Himal trek is one of the best trekking routes, opened only in 2012. The trek is short, relatively easy, and rewarding with a diverse landscape and a close-up view of Annapurna Himalayan peaks. There are several starting points for the Mardi Himal trek . One can drive about 18 km to Milan Chowk and climb up to Dhampus if they have more time. We drove to Kande and climbed for about 1 and a half hrs. to the Australian camp at 2,060 m. Nestled in Rhododendron, Maple, and Oak forests, the Australian camp is overlooking the Pokhara valley with a panoramic view of the whole Annapurna range. After a scrumptious lunch, we walked further to the mountain pass village of Deurali f...