About Mardi Himal Climbing
Western Mountaineers first noticed this mountain by the photographs of Basil Good fellow, taken in 1953. It was climbed to its summit by a route on its east flank by Jimmy Roberts with two Sherpa. As seen from the south, Mardi Himal terminated the Southwest ridge of Mt. Machhapuchare as a distinct and separate mass, at right angles to that ridge. On Mardi Himal's South West Face are three well-defined ridges rising from rock buttresses and separated by hanging glaciers. It is the most southerly of these is said to have been climbed, but no such details has been recorded.
Mardi Himal ClimbingMardi Himal's East Face is separated from Mt. Machhapuchare ridge by a col (circa 5,200m/17,060ft). The normal route of ascent reaches this col from glaciated amphitheatre that rises above a hidden plateau, also known as 'Other Sanctuary'. Approximately 15 miles north of Pokhara, as the crow flies, this mountain is the most southerly of the Annapurna range. From some viewpoints it seems little more than an outlier on the southwest flank of Mt. Machhapuchare (Fish Tail). Mardi Himal is the lowest and least climbed and visited of all the trekking peaks in Nepal. As it is lowly altitude the mountain obviously has a great deal of potential for those interested in small scale exploratory climbing and the ridges will certainly present climbing challenges at a reasonable standard.
This rarely visited area provides a tough trek isolated from the teahouses and lodges, which dominate most of the trekking in and around the Annapurna Range.
The trail to base camp is short and sharp on ill-defined trails that would be particularly difficult in wet and snowy conditions
