Mardi Himal

This is a short trek that packs a lot into a week. The Mardi Himal is a 5,587m peak in the eastern Annapurna Sanctuary. A narrow col ridge abuts Mardi Himal to the sacred peak of Machhapuchhre. This trek takes you rapidly up and up to the 4,500m Mardi Himal Base Camp, weather and snow conditions permitting.

The trek starts just west of Pokhara. The trail heads north through the southern reaches of the Annapurna Sanctuary and villages of the Tamang, Gurung or Bramhin people. The lower regions are covered in dense forest with monkeys, birds and wildlife all around. The trail is especially beautiful when the Rhododendron are in flower.

If you trek to Annapurna Base Camp you head north just as the Madi Himal does, however the Base Camp trail follows the bottom of the river valley. By contrast, the Madi Himal trail follows high ridgelines northward and provides spectacular views to all the main Annapurna peaks from the high ridgeline vantage points. So, this trek offers expansive mountain views. Another point of difference is the much lower number of fellow trekkers you will encounter on the trail. This is an opportunity for some mountain serenity and quiet contemplation.

There are good teahouses and accommodation available at every village and the local people will welcome you warmly. Just the names of some of the villages indicates what to expect – Lovely Hill; Rest Camp; Forest Camp; High Camp.

The trail entails a lot of fairly rapid ascending, so good fitness is required. The support of a guide, and especially a porter, will keep you on the right path and make the ascending easier. The trail is less well formed than the high-traffic Annapurna Base Camp path, but this just adds to the experience and wildness of the trek. Each ridge peak or forest clearing provides new views to Madi Himal itself and the multitude of Annapurna summits beyond. This is another trek that requires extra camera memory cards.

The ultimate day is the trail up to Mardi Himal Base Camp. From here English climbers first reached the summit in 1961. The smart option is to start this day’s walk before dawn and head up to the 4,200m altitude View Point to catch a stunning sunrise over Machhapuchhre and the Annapurna peaks. The trail then continues on to the 4,500m base camp. The last couple of days walk are all about descent, down and down and down again back toward Pokhara.

Choose this trek if you are short of time and want to maximise your scenic views of the Annapurna Sanctuary peaks. However, be prepared for some had walking. Descending can often be harder on the legs than ascending. Click through to more itinerary details.

Langtang Valley

This is the least physically demanding of the six treks, but still delivers a major Himalaya experience. The trail takes you along the Langtang Valley and through the Langtang National Park – the very first national park designated in Nepal. The ultimate goal for most treks is a visit to the Buddhist monastery, the Kyanjing Gompa, at the head of the valley.

The Langtang Valley and surrounding peaks are just north of Kathmandu. A trip up the Chandragiri Cable Car in Kathmandu will provide wonderful views of these peaks. However, it takes a full day’s drive over challenging roads to deliver you to the trek starting point at Syabrubesi. From here the trek takes you eastwards along valley wall trails into the high Langtang Valley.

Initially, the Langtang Valley is very narrow with no room for safe trekking paths along the river edge. As a result, the trail winds high along the valley side but descends by the third day to the valley floor as the valley widens into a beautiful green grassland the local people utilise for their livestock. Make sure you try the local cheese.

This trek is reasonably easy walking with no extreme altitudes or challenging high passes to cross. But one sombre moment is passing the site of what was Langtang Village, destroyed by the 2015 earthquake that shook Nepal. Please rest in peace many souls.

The feature of this trek is the stunning scenery. The serene valley curves gently into the distance, flanked high on each side be countless beautiful peaks dusted with snow. In the valley, cattle and yaks graze and local people tend their herds, and make a little cheese too. It is hard to take an uninteresting photo in the Langtang Valley, every view is another potential postcard. This is a wonderful location to capture photos of sunrise and sunset on mountain peaks. With peaks all around there is always some spot capturing the perfect light. A night-time walk under a full-moon is also a fantastic way to experience the valley, but do dress warmly.

When you reach the far end of the valley pay a visit to the historic Kyanjing Gompa and accept a blessing from the Buddhist monks. They make great cheese too. Don’t forget the cheese.

The return walk to Syabrubesi is just as easy and scenic as the walk in. But this time you get to see the mountain scenery from the reverse angle. The return drive to Kathmandu remains bumpy.

There are some side-trek and additional experience options in the Langtang Valley. You might try a day’s mountain climbing to the summit of 5,500m Yala Peak, considered one of the easiest climbs for the less experienced. You could also extend the trek to reach the Gosainkunda Lakes at 4,380m altitude, considered sacred to the Hindu faith.

We suggest you choose to trek the Langtang Valley if trekking in comfort with not too much physical challenge is more your style. Even with modest effort the scenery rewards are huge. This trek also delivers lots of serenity, if that is what you seek. Click through to more itinerary details.

(Way to Kyanjing Ri)

Which Trek Will You Choose?

We have done our best to outline what we consider to be six of the best treks in Nepal. Please contact us at Langtang Ri if we can help you make the decision. Website: www.langtang.com Email: info@langtang.com