Mardi Himal
Mardi Himal (5,587 m) lies less than 15 miles from Pokhara, and is the most southerly peak of the Annapurna range. It is the lowest and the least climbed or visited peak. Photographs of Mardi Himal taken in 1953 by Baisl Goodfellow first drew the attention of western climbers, and the mountain received its first ascent in 1961. The first route was via the East Flank and is the only one used so far.
The mountain separates the southwest ridge of Machhapuchhare as a separate mass at right angles to the ridge and is best seen from the south. The southwest face of the mountain has three well-defined ridges rising from rock buttresses and separated by hanging glaciers. Its east face is separated from the Machhapuchhare ridge by a col at 5,200 meters. The normal climbing route to the summit of Mardi Himal passes through this col. The summit offers a splendid view of the Annapurna Range and the Fishtail mountain – Machhapuchhare.
The valleys and ridges south of Mardi Himal are steep and heavily wooded with bamboo and rhododendron. Alpine pastures above the forest provide a good habitat for wildlife.
Itinerary
Days 01 : Arrival at Kathmandu, transfer to Hotel
Days 02 : Stay in Kathmandu for the official procedure
Days 03 : Departure to Pokhara
Days 04 : Drive to Phedi and then start trek to Pothana
Days 05 : Trek to Forest camp
Days 06 : Trek to Bhaisi Kharka
Days 07 : Trek to Mardi Base camp
Days 08 : Climb to high camp
Days 09 : Summit Mardi Himal and back to base camp
Days 10 : Trek back to Forest camp
Days 11 : Trek to Siding village
Days 12 : Trek to Mardi Pul
Days 13 : Trek to Hyanja and drive out to Pokhara
Days 14 : Back to Kathmandu
Days 15 : Rest at Kathmandu
Days 16 : Departure on your own destination
Attitude
Mentally, you should not be on this expedition unless you think you can climb to the summit, there is a lot of power is positive thinking. At the same time you must be prepared for disappointment; conditions may not be perfect, you may struggle at extreme altitude etc.
This is a professionally lead expedition. Your guide and crew are there to manage the logistics of the expedition not to haul you up the mountain or be personal servants. Your guide is there because he is familiar with the mountain and big expeditions, to assist in being a climbing partner, to make difficult judgment decisions and to generally manage the expedition. Your guide will accompany the team on the majority of the acclimatization trips and will endeavor to summit with you, but this is not a guarantee. The Sherpas will summit with the expedition members.
We live together for more than a month so please have consideration for your fellow team members, crew and guide, and other mountaineers. Being polite and reasonable goes a long way; even minor dehydration makes almost anyone surprisingly irritable and intractable).
Experience and fitness
Despite the relatively non-technical nature you MUST have some mountaineering experience and MUST have been to 6000m before. The fitter you are when you arrive the better. You must be at least moderately fit, your fitness will build remarkably on the mountain. Don't underestimate the difficulty and strength of will required to climb at over 7000m.
Insurance: Required.
Note: Make sure you have a good insurance covering search and rescue Medical expenses and Transportation to Home country and Cancellation Policy
Namaste !
