Mardi Trek-The first ever mid-winter trek

This was the most relaxing trek I have ever done so far. I am used to walking for a minimum of 8 to 10 hours each day during trek just like most Nepalese people. This time, I was planning for a solo trek to Mardi but as it was late December, I was also hesitant to walk alone. I had checked the weather forecast and it was going to snow on the third day of my trek plan. I was looking for company and I saw a Mardi trek advertisement in one of the hiking groups. The price was reasonable and the date just matched with my annual leave. So, I joined them. Here is the most comfortable itinerary plan for the beginners or those who just wants to enjoy a few hours of walking and then rest.

Day 1- We left Kathmandu at 6:30 am on a private vehicle and reached Dhampus at around 2 pm. From Dhampus we walked around 2-3 hours to Deurali. We stayed at Aamako hotel and she offered us the delicious dinner. I liked the cheerful hospitality and enjoyed staying in the roon with attached bathroom (which is unlikely to get in the trek).

Day 2- Observing sunrise is the most for me during trek and we were lucky have the beautiful sunrise view from our hotel. We left Deurali at 8 am after a nice breakfast. We walked comfortably for 4-5 hours and stopped at Forest Camp for lunch. The lunch there was delicious and not to forget that the hospitality was awesome. We then headed towards low camp for dinner and stay. It took us around 3 hours to reach to the low camp. Low camp was covered with snow and it felt good to walk on the snow trail.

Day 3- The morning at low camp was amazing. There was a clear view of Machhapuchhre and the sunrise was breathtaking. From low camp to high camp, it was the shortest walk for us. We left low camp at around 9 again and it took us around 4 hours in a group to reach to the high camp. We had lunch, a campfire, and some group games as we had the whole afternoon with us. The day was cloudy and there was no view while we climbed up and not to forget that the trail was covered with snow.

Day 4- We had to get up at 3 am to go to the view point. I was happy that I got up at 3 am as I captured the magnificent view of Annapurna South with galaxy on the top. We had planned to leave at 3:30 am but then by the time the entire group was ready, it was already 4 am. However, we took the risky and shortest route the viewpoint covered with around 2 feet snow. It took us only 1.5 hours. I can’t explain the sunrise view. The weather was clear and the sunrise was spectacular. After spending around 2 hours, we headed back to high camp. We had breakfast and left for low camp for lunch and then forest camp for dinner and night stay. It took us 1.5 hours to reach to low camp and then 1 hour to reach to the forest camp. The evening was fun with singing and dancing.

Day 5- It started snowing from 5 am and we were waiting for it to stop while were having breakfast. There was no sign of snow fall stopping, so we started walking at 10 am. It was really nice to walk in the forest. The trail was so heavily covered with snow that in some places it was hard to find the trail. It was amazing to walk through white forest, houses and trails. At this time the snow was almost up to 2-3 feet in some places except in the dense forest. Sometimes, we were showered with snow by the tree branches as it couldn’t hold the snow load more. As we were more close to Deurali, it was raining there. It took us around 4 hours to reach Deurali. By the time we reached to Deurali, we were wet and it was so cold- the most disgusting feeling ever. I decided to continue with the same cloth as we still had to walk for around 1.5 hours to reach back to Dhampus. We changed clothes there and stayed in our comfortable Scorpio. It felt so nice. We stopped in Pokhara for some food and headed back to Kathmandu.

Gears that I carried with me;

Crampons, waterproof jacket, poncho, fleece jacket, heat warmer set/ thermostat-2 pairs, normal gym wear set which I used as inners while walking, down jacket, normal and winter trek pants, fleece monkey hat, cap, sunglasses with thread, two pairs of gloves-thin for walking and thick for stay and view, hot water bag (non-electric), hot water bottle, power bank, head torch.

This was my first snow trek in Nepal. I remembered my hiking in North Carolina during the snowstorm which was scary. Mardi snow trek was beautiful and recommended for trek beginners. Enjoy!