Majestic Mardi Himal

Being on a majestic mountain, away from the hustle and bustle, can indeed be an amazing experience. Travelling to the beautiful mountain range stands out as one of the best experiences of my life. It happened exactly six months ago when I was tired of scrolling through social media and observing others wander in nature, especially the stunning mountains within our own country. I decided to experience it firsthand. So, my brothers and I packed our bags for a trek on one of Nepal's renowned routes, the Mardi Himal Trek. The journey commenced with a bus ride to Kande in Kaski district. There, we spent the night at a hotel, preparing ourselves for a three-day trek to the mountains. As the brisk dawn arrived, my brothers and I shouldered our heavy bags and set out towards the lap of the majestic peaks.

After a hard hour of walking up the stairs, we reached a camp named Australian Camp, whose name was funnily given because the locals confused Austrian tourists with Australians. There, we saw the first glimpse of the majestic Annapurna south peak, slightly hidden behind the clouds. I had never seen a mountain peak so close to my eyes, and I was eager to reach the final destination. We continued our climb up through the forest. The trekking route was well managed, and the path was marked by a blue and white colour painted on the trees along with a pink ribbon showing the way so that the trekkers would not get lost. After another hour of walking, we reached a village known as Deurali. Roadways connect the village, and people can also choose to initiate the trek from this starting point. There we stopped for a quick coffee and noodle break, which we made by ourselves on our mini stove. We rested for a while, sipping coffee while viewing the Annapurna South Mountain in awe.

From there, our destination was a place named Rest Camp, which was at 2600 metres in altitude. We walked further through the dense forest, where we were engulfed in the cloudy fog. The weather played tricks on us by giving us a combination of unpredictable sunlight and fog. After six long hours of hard walking, we finally reached our destination and were delighted to see our resting spot. The hotels were small but well managed. The weather was chilly, but the top-notch heating system achieved its warmth through burning wood. My clothes were drenched in sweat, and it was good to get good clothing, food, and sleeping spots for the night.

There were many domestic and foreign guests at the hotel, reminding us of the potential of tourism in Nepal and how it could be a major economy for the country. We had lots of conversations, and the one that struck my mind was the trekkers facing problems with altitude sickness. It made me very anxious for the journey further as we slept through the night. Unfortunately, around midnight, the Jajarkot earthquake stuck, which was felt up in the hills as well.

The next morning, when my eyes opened and I made my way out of the room at around 6 AM, I stood up like a statue without blinking because the magnificent view of Fish Tail Mountain (Macchapuchre) was just too beautiful to ignore. The view just before the sunrise was so mesmerising that I forgot about everything and just sat there looking at the mountain. Eventually, everyone joined me, and we took pictures, had breakfast, and got ready for a hard eight-hour walk to reach our next destination. Picking up my heavy bag, I marched uphill first through the forest again. Walking up the hill, I met many people from different countries, including Germany, France, the USA, China, Malaysia, Thailand, and India. Making conversation along the way, I reached a place called Badal Dada, where the hill always attracted clouds. The name was appropriately given since the hill never seemed to part ways with the clouds. It started raining, so we stopped for a quick lunch.

As soon as the weather cleared, we continued through Badal Danda. And on our way, the landscape changed. The dense forest was replaced with an open view from the top hill. We could see Pokhara city along with other small surrounding hills. As we walked on along Badal Dada, suddenly it started pouring with hellstone. And, finally, it started snowing. Walking along with snowfall was another whole different experience. It felt so emotional that I had to wait 35 years to experience snow in a country where the Himalaya lies. Grasping all the emotion, I enjoyed my walk up to a place known as high camp at an altitude of 3550 metres, where we stayed for the night. The temperature was very chill, but the accommodation was cosy and warm. At night, we again sat around the fireplace and sang songs while eating food. I will never underestimate the phrase ‘Dal Bhaat Power 24 Hours’ from now on because it is what gave us energy to scale to such a high height.

Since the camp was at 3550 metres high, I was anxious about the altitude sickness. I was thinking, I have come all this way; what if I get the sickness? It will all be for nothing. But warm food and good sleep kept me confident. We got up around 3.30 AM to hike to the Mardi Himal viewpoint the next day. So, we went to sleep early. Next morning, when I woke up and went outside, I saw Himchuli, Annapurna south, Annapurna 1, Machapucchre, and Mardi mountains lit by the moonlight, along with bright stars surrounding them. I felt lucky and emotional at the same time. The next step involved us walking 700 metres uphill to the Mardi Himal viewpoint, which stood at an altitude of 4200 metres, to see the wonderful mountains just kilometres away from us. The last stretch was by far the most exciting because there were lots of people eager to see the morning view of the mountains. As we reached the top, the sun began to rise. The snow-capped mountain’s top shone like gold as soon as the sunlight hit. The view was mesmerising, and I realised that Nepal is much bigger than what we imagine it to be. I have been to the plains of the Terai area, and now I am just a few kilometres away from the massive mountains that rose like a wall. I was, at that moment, proud to be a Nepali.

After enjoying the beauty of our mountains and taking pictures with the Nepali flag, it was time for us to head back. The journey downhill seemed easier, but it felt more challenging than going up. Maybe it was because going downhill can be trickier, or perhaps it was the realisation of returning to everyday life. We finally reached Siding village and then made our way back to Pokhara. It was a trip full of memories and success. After the trek, my mind was filled with thoughts. First, I realised that Nepal is much more than just Kathmandu and its surroundings. There are many places in Nepal that are worth visiting. Secondly, there are issues to address. The lack of roads and accessible infrastructure is holding our country back from becoming a top tourist destination. We need proper planning and good infrastructure to attract both domestic and foreign tourists because Nepal has unique natural landscapes rarely found in such a small geographical area anywhere in the world. Finally, I believe every Nepali should travel around the country to see and experience its diverse landscapes. It is an opportunity to connect with different cultures and learn how a small country like Nepal is diverse in every aspect.

(Bhusal is a journalist at The Rising Nepal.)