Tian Shan, Kyrgyzstan
Ak-Suu Traverse
4 days · 42 miles · wild camping
Four days over high passes in the Tian Shan near Karakol.
- All four days
- Straight answers
- Getting there and back
- Passes, streams and camps
Annapurna region, Nepal · 4 days · 32 miles · teahouse trek
Mardi Himal Hiking Guide
In February 2020 I hiked the Mardi Himal Trek in Nepal alone: four days and about 32 miles from Kande up through the forest to Low Camp and High Camp, onto a snowy ridge below Machapuchare, Fishtail Mountain, and down to Sidhing. A white dog named Ghost walked with me most of the way. This guide has my GPS files, maps and notes for every day, the permits and the guide rule in 2026, getting from Kathmandu to Pokhara and the trailhead, the jeep home, and what the teahouses cost me.
What's inside
- All four days. Stats, the time I took, my notes, the trail, where to get off, a map with an elevation profile, and links to that day in my films.
- My GPX files. My own recordings for each day and the full route, with waypoints for the lodge stops, the viewpoints, my high point and Sidhing, ready for AllTrails, Gaia GPS, Garmin or Organic Maps.
- Permits and the guide rule. My 2020 permits, the ACAP fee for 2026, and the licensed-guide and TIMS rule, explained plainly.
- Getting there and home. Kathmandu to Pokhara by plane or bus, the bus to Kande, and the shared jeep from Sidhing.
- Teahouses and costs. What the teahouses were like, my two teahouse bills, and what the whole trek cost me.
- The ridge in winter. Snow above Low Camp in February, microspikes, the afternoon cloud, and the two times I turned back.
- Other ways to do it. Slower, on to the Upper Viewpoint and Base Camp, and other starts and finishes.
- Before you go and a trip sheet. One page of year-to-year checks and a printable one-page summary of the whole trek.
Look inside
The details
- Format
- A 47-page PDF sized for a phone (A5, prints fine too) and a folder of GPX files, in one zip download.
- Edition
- 2027 season edition, updated September 2026.
- Delivery
- Instant. After you pay you get a private download link. Bookmark it to download again on any device.
- Payment
- Secure checkout through Stripe. The price is in US dollars, and sales tax or VAT is added where it applies.
- Questions
- Email kraig@kraigadams.com.
Questions
- How many days does the Mardi Himal Trek take?
- I walked it in 4 days: an afternoon from Kande to Pothana, then three full days, 31.8 miles with 3 nights in teahouses. You can also stretch it out to a week and stop at every camp. Add at least a day in Pokhara at each end.
- When is the best time to hike Mardi Himal?
- March to May or September to November. I went in early February, with snow above Low Camp, clear mornings and cloud from about noon. From about December to March you need microspikes on the ridge.
- Where do you sleep on the Mardi Himal Trek?
- In teahouses. I slept at Pothana, Low Camp and High Camp and paid NPR 300 (about $3) a night for a room in 2020. The rule is that you eat where you sleep.
- Do you need a guide and a permit for Mardi Himal?
- You need the Annapurna Conservation Area permit, NPR 3,000 in 2026, and it costs double at a checkpoint. The Nepal Tourism Board also lists Mardi Himal among the treks that need a licensed guide and an agency TIMS card. I went solo in 2020, before that rule.
- How do you get to the start of the Mardi Himal Trek?
- From Kathmandu, fly to Pokhara in 25 to 30 minutes or take a tourist bus, usually 7 to 9 hours. Local buses to Kande leave Pokhara's Baglung Bus Park about every 30 minutes and take about an hour. At the end, I shared a jeep from Sidhing back to Pokhara.
More guides
All guides
Himalaya, Nepal
Manaslu Circuit
10 days · 93 miles · teahouse trek
Machha Khola up the Budhi Gandaki to Samagaon and Manaslu Base Camp, over Larkya La to Bimthang and down to Dharapani.
- All ten days
- My GPX files
- Permits and the guide rule
- Altitude, explained
Karakoram, Pakistan
K2 Base Camp
12 days · 100 miles · operator trek
Askole up the Baltoro Glacier to Concordia and K2 Base Camp, then over the Gondogoro La to Hushe.
- All twelve days
- My GPX files
- How this trek works
- Altitude, explained
Get the next guide
I'm making guides for more of my hikes, and I host a group trip about once a year. Get an email when a new guide or trip is out. A few emails a year.