In the shadow of the mighty Annapurna

The unusual charm of trekking to Mardi Himal in the rainy season

The Himalayan range stretching across the northern frontiers of Nepal is home to some of the most breathtaking and spectacular snowpeaks, including, of course, Mount Everest itself. One of my favourites is the Annapurna massif, a cluster of high peaks, within whose folds are dense green forests, lovingly protected by its gentle communities. This vast expanse of high mountains, forests and swift rivers constitutes the Annapurna Conservation Zone, set up in 1986, which has remained a rare and protected nature sanctuary for several decades. 

The Annapurna circuit is a better-known trekking trail, served by simple mountain lodges and homestays run by the local people. Five star and luxury tourism has been deliberately shunned. People residing in the conservation zone have been assisted in upgrading their simple village buildings, adding western-style toilets and solar-powered showers. Village youth serve as guides and porters. Lodge owners have also been trained by the trust managing the zone to offer a simple but wholesome menu of local Nepali food as well as international cuisine, including pizza, pasta, and even apple pie. It is for good reason that among trekkers, the Annapurna trail is also called the Apple Pie Trail. 

I had walked the Annapurna trail several years ago and still retain vivid memories of the great peaks of the Annapurna and the dramatic Machapuchare, or the Fishtail peak, seemingly within touching distance from their respective base camps. Earlier this month I returned to the conservation area, but for a shorter inner circuit, which took me to the Mardi Himal, a peak just below the Fishtail.

From Kathmandu, I flew to Pokhara, landing at the new airport, built by the Chinese under a hefty loan agreement. The large terminal building had few passengers. It still handled no international flights. Its extended runway could only accommodate narrow-body aircraft with limited passenger capacity. Indian airline companies do not find it viable to run flights from Indian cities to Pokhara. Neither, it seems, do the Chinese arrange flights to their cities to the north. Like the Hambantota port and airport in Sri Lanka, the income generated by the new airport does not even cover the interest payments on the Chinese loan.

With my Nepali guide and two local porters, I headed north towards Dhampus village. The road follows the Seti river valley and is being widened. There are long unfinished and undulating patches and then relatively smooth, though narrower, stretches. It took us over two hours to reach Dhampus, where we stopped at a recently refurbished homestay, where we had lunch. I opted for a wholesome Nepali vegetarian thali, consisting of rice, lentils, local spinach, fresh bamboo shoot and a tasty egg curry. You cannot go wrong eating local food on treks in Nepal. The ingredients are all locally sourced and fresh.

(Clockwise from top left) The author and his guide at Viewpoint with Annapurna South as backdrop; Dense sub-tropical forest on Dhampus to Deorali trek; Wild white, pink orchids growing on trees along the trek| Photos: Shyam Saran

Our trek commenced at Dhumpus (1,580 metres) and it took us three days to reach our destination at High Camp, which is at an altitude of 3,560 metres. The track was mostly a gentle ascent through dense sub-tropical forest with occasional oak, cedar and fir at the higher reaches. This being the rainy season, we had overcast skies throughout and mild temperatures. This is good for trekking, though not for viewing the high mountains. We were fortunate that the rain mostly came down after we had settled in our lodges. 

The skies were briefly clear early in the mornings, providing us with great views of the Annapurna massif and the more dramatic Machapuchare. The mountains disappeared into the haze as the sun rose. Trekkers avoid the rainy season in these parts, so we were usually the only guests at the lodges we stayed in. Compared to my experience trekking in Nepal some years ago, I found the lodges greatly improved, most being able to provide western-style toilets and hot showers (solar heated at higher altitudes). Mobile charging and wi-fi were available at all our stops.

The tracks were well kept and unusually clean with no litter in sight. They were lined with a variety of brilliant green ferns and broad-leaf plants. The high humidity had cloaked the tree trunks with thick green moss, and there were wild orchids growing in the angles of their branches. It was a rare and delightful experience walking through these pristine forests.

We spent two nights at the High Camp. Heavy rain greeted us as we settled into our rooms. The prospects of having clear weather for our trek early next morning to the Viewpoint at 3,900 metres seemed bleak. But around 6 pm, the thick clouds parted and we had clear, sharp sunset views of the Annapurna South, the conical Himchuli and the Fishtail peak. 

We started for the Viewpoint at 4 am the next day for a two-and-a-half-hour trek along a steep pathway. We walked in the dark with our head torches. The skies were crystal clear for a change with not a cloud in sight. We had amazing views of Fishtail as a silhouette against a slowly lightening sky. As the sun rose, its rays fell on the snow-covered peaks of the Annapurna and the other high peaks known as Gangapurna.

At the Viewpoint, we encountered other fellow trekkers for the first time, a mix of young Nepalis and foreigners. We were separated from the mountains by a deep gorge. My guide pointed to a thin track on the other side, which leads to the Annapurna base camp.

Mission accomplished, we headed back to the camp in a now bright and hot sun. I decided to stay another night at High Camp to recover from the exhausting expedition to the Viewpoint. However, this was not a good decision in retrospect as we had to descend the next day right down to the village of Siding (1,750 metres) from where we would drive back to Pokhara. 

My legs could hardly carry me by the time the gruelling 13-km trek ended. One should never undertake such a sharp and lengthy descent except in two, if not three, stages. But it was great being able to check into a nice Pokhara hotel, luxuriate in a warm bath and take in a healing oil massage. But it is the memory of the mountains that lift the spirits and refresh one’s tired mind.

Shyam Saran is a former Foreign Secretary. He remains an avid trekker