INSIDE HIMALAYAS | NEPAL | TIBET | BHUTAN
INSIDE HIMALAYAS | NEPAL | TIBET | BHUTAN
Annapurna South peak, Hiun Chuli, Nepal, Mardi Himal track. Photo: Verock.
the spine of the ridge and drop down
into the Mardi Khola valley. After a
long afternoon of walking downhill we
arrived in Bhuijung, a hamlet set lower
down on the ridge’s flank. It rained
heavily until late afternoon, when
the sky broke and we were treated
to stunning views back up the valley,
the twin peaks of Machhapuchhre still
visible above the dark green of the
valley walls.
In March, the short trekking season, the
trail was quiet. The accommodation at all
stages was fairly basic. The food, which
is far more important, was sufficient, with
plenty of high energy stodge, apple pie
and chocolate on offer.
You can be extremely flexible with the
Mardi route: we could have descended
the west flank of the ridge instead,
into the Modi Khola valley, and made
our way back to the road from there. A
Welsh lady we walked with had already
spent six weeks in the Annapurnas and
had joined the Mardi route to make her
final descent to Pokhara before flying
home. She said she wasn’t sure she
wanted to leave the mountains. The
next morning, as we left Bhuijung and
dawdled reluctantly down the valley
to catch a local bus back to Pokhara,
we glanced back regularly to catch
final glimpses of the newly-discovered
face of Machhapuchhre. I think we had
some idea of what she felt.
Tips:
• How to get there from Kathmandu?
Take a microbus (around US$7,
6-7 hours) or fly (US$100, 25 mins)
to Pokhara. You can make further
arrangements to Kande from
there, either by local bus or taxi.
• What to wear: Sturdy shoes and
warm layers for evenings at high
altitude.
• When to go: March-April (chances
of pre-monsoon thundershowers);
October-December (the busier
trekking season).
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