MARDI HIMAL BASE CAMP
Highlights
Trek in the Himalayas
Reach the Basecamp of a 5000m Mountain
See the Milky Way in Clear Mountain Skies
Work as a Team to Overcome Challenges
This 8 day adventure will take you to some of the most beautiful mountain scenery in the World. You will trek through forests and along ridgelines, before summiting your own Himalayan mountain near Mardi Himal Base Camp.
You will learn what you are capable of, individually, as well as a team, which is often more than you think, and strengthen links between hard work and success.
As with all of our team-building adventures, you will be working together to complete group tasks and will have a lot of fun while getting closer together as a group of colleagues.
An Overview
The focus of our trip to Mardi Himal Base Camp revolves around two core issues:
Learning how to live in and handle traveling in the backcountry of the Himalayas
Strong teamwork ethic by participants to achieve a shared goal from a physical challenge
The itinerary for you to look at takes us to Mardi Himal base camp – a stunning and unique trek that winds up the eastern ridges of the famous Annapurna Base Camp trek, with spectacular views of the Annapurna range all along. The undoubted highlight (aside from reaching basecamp) is the long ridge-line hike that gives you 270 degree views of some of the most spectacular ranges in all the Himalayas.
As always, we will be working in teams, learning to work together to achieve shared goals, as well as a few friendly competitions along the way. You will come back a much closer and more strongly connected team than you left.
Our 8-day adventure culminates in the ultimate goal of reaching Mardi Himal base camp view point (4,300m), where we will be afforded spectacular views of the mountains around us. We will be enjoying mountain views and clear skies, where you will have the chance to see the Milky Way at night, weather permitting.
The Itinerary
We will fly to Kathmandu – upon arrival we will head to our hotel in the Capital, where we will have time to assign rooms and unpack. After this we will head out as a group for a welcome dinner, before being given a briefing on our trip, what to expect and how we need to behave in order to stay safe while on the trek.
We will head to bed early, as we will likely be tired after our travel day, and we need to be awake early tomorrow morning to fly to Pokhara.
We’ll wake up early and grab an early breakfast before heading to the domestic airport terminal to catch our flight to Pokhara. A 30 minute flight will get us into Pokhara, where a private bus will be waiting to take us to Kande, about 1.5 hours’ drive from Pokhara. When we arrive in the village, if the weather is clear, we will see incredible panoramic views of the Annapurna Mountain Range, including Annapurna 1, Annapurna South and Macchapuchare peaks.
From Kande we’ll start our trek, heading towards our destination for the day, Australian Camp. The day won’t be too long; only about 2 hours of trekking, on steep slopes to reach the village. We should get there in time for a sunset, which will give us plenty of time to get used to our first teahouse spot for the trip. There will be an opportunity in the evening to learn about where we are in Nepal, how the mountains have been formed and how tourism has developed in this region over the past decades.
After a surprisingly diverse and filling breakfast we will be on our way once more. Today our goal is Forest Camp, also known as Kokar. The start of the day will see us trekking through forests of oak, rhododendron and hemlock, before we pop out at a clearing, where we see some stunning views of the Himalayas, a lot closer than we did in Kande. This is in fact our goal for the day, Forest Camp. It’s a much smaller village than Australian Camp, and it sets the tone for the rest of our trek. The day will take about 6 hours, so we will have time in the late afternoon and evening to be surprised by a few games and challenges that we have not been given any preparation for.
Today we will continue up through the calming forest with regular breaks along the way as we slowly gain altitude. There will be a few breaks in the trees where you can see magnificent views of the valley below along with the stunning mountains. By the time we reach Low Camp the views of the Annapurna range are starting to get very special, and tomorrow it will improve again. A short 3 hour day will see us in Low Camp with plenty of time for lunch and a and afternoon of activities that we will keep a secret for now.
Today is a very exciting day. As we are gaining altitude, the forest that has been our companion will start to thin as we gain height, until eventually we pop out of the trees to some incredible views of Macchapuchare directly ahead of us and Annapurna South to the left. Now we will follow an obvious ridgeline all the way to high camp, where we will sleep for the night.
Today will feel like a mountaineering expedition! We will wake up at sunrise, have breakfast and ensure our water bottles are full, before heading off to the Mardi Himal viewpoint. We will leave early in order to reach the viewpoint while the weather is still good. The early (and cold) start will be worth it, because by the time we reach our ultimate goal the sun will be rising over 14 stunning mountains. As long as the weather is good we will have perfect views of the entire Annapurna range around us. While watching the views and taking photos we will warm up with tea and hot chocolate. If we are making good time as a group, we will push on to Mardi Himal Base Camp as well, although the views from the viewpoint are reward enough in themselves.
We’ll head back to high camp where we’ll have a very welcome meal, before moving back down the ridgeline, staying at Low Camp again for the night. This is the longest day, so we will give the group a chance to rest and relax tonight.
Following breakfast we leave our camp and backtrack for a while, our trail descending steeply through the forest as we head down towards a small village called Sidhing. After some lunch we will travel a little further to Lumre then take a bus back to Pokhara where we will check into our hotel before heading out for a big celebration dinner.
This has been a challenging trek, which has brought great rewards for us along the way, in terms of a strong physical challenge, stunning views and interacting with some of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet. We will also have started our journey into working together more closely as a team, trusting each other more and learning what we are capable of physcially.
We will all have slept well last night, and we’ll be treated to a late breakfast at our hotel. A late morning flight will take us back to Kathmandu, where after lunch we will visit Bouddha Stupa, one of the most important Buddhists shrines in the World. Here we will be given an introduction the Buddhism and learn why Nepal is the home to Buddhism. We’ll head to the airport in the afternoon in order to catch our flight back home in the evening.
Heath And Safety
Access to quality medical care will vary depending on our location. In Kathmandu hospitals are easily accessible and the ones we use are comparable to international, Western, standards.
Along the trek access to medical facilities is extremely limited. For small problems such as blisters, mild sprains and strains, scratches and bruises, our professional trained guides can assist. For more serious issues that required hospital treatment, we would need to call for helicopter evacuation to the CIWEC Clinic in Pokhara. We have excellent links to multiple helicopter companies to arrange efficient evacuation should the need arise. It is important that students are covered with the correct insurance to deal with this, and we can assist with how to apply for this.
All of our guides are first aid trained, and your head guide is trained in wilderness first aid by the American Red Cross. We have with us at all times a full and well-equipped medical kit. The contents of this can be shared with you prior to departure.
Participants are required to provide us information on dietary requirements, allergies and their health and travel insurance before departure. All allergies and dietary requirements can be taken into consideration and managed.
FAQs
How long is the day of trekking?
A typical day of trekking can range from 3 - 7 hours with multiple rest stops and a lunch break.
What is the weather like?
During the morning and night it will be cold but it will be warm during the day. However it will get colder as you gain altitude along the trek. It might rain, but November tends to be dry.
Will I get altitude sickness?
Make sure you take it easy and don’t rush! Drink lots of water to stay hydrated and tell the guides if you ever feel dizzy or have a slight headache so they can help prevent altitude sickness.
Health and safety?
All of our guides are professionally trained mountain guides and are first aid trained. We have many years of experience guiding school groups in the Himalayas and work to strict operating procedures.
What is the accommodation like?
In Kathmandu and Pokhara we will be staying in good quality hotels (3 star rating). Along the trek we will be staying in teahouses, 2 or 3 to a room.
What clothes do I wear?
We will provide a full kit list to all participants
How fit do I need to be?
It’s important to have a good level of fitness for this trek. You should be active in a sport or be able to run 5 kilometers without stopping. If you are not currently fit, you can train for this trip, but it is important to be fit when you begin your trek. Please consult us if you have any concerns.
Is the food and water safe?
Not only is it safe, it’s delicious! Most of the vegetables are grown at the tea houses so the food is very fresh. Make sure the clean your hands thoroughly before eating and only drink bottled water. We also cater to any allergies.
Inquiries?
If you have questions about this trip, would like to know more or thinking about booking this trip with us, then please contact us at: