Mardi Himal Trek Altitude Gain Chart – Day-by-Day Elevation Guide

30 Jul 2026

You start at 1,770 m and end at 4,500 m. That’s taller than 10 Empire State Buildings stacked up, which perfectly illustrates how high is Mardi Himal. And you do it in five days.

This Mardi Himal Trek altitude gain chart shows you every camp, every meter climbed, and exactly where the thin air starts to test you. By the end, you’ll know how high you sleep each night, where the hard parts are, and what to do if your head starts pounding above 3,000 meters.

Quick Facts – Mardi Himal Altitude at a Glance

Starting point: Kande, 1,770 m (5,807 ft)
Highest sleeping point: High Camp, 3,580 m (11,745 ft)
Highest point reached: Mardi Himal base camp altitude / Upper Viewpoint, 4,500 m (14,764 ft)
Total altitude gain: ~2,730 m (8,957 ft) over 4–5 trekking days
Average daily gain: 500–600 m per day
Biggest single-day climb: Summit day, +920 m from High Camp to Viewpoint
Altitude “alert zone” starts: Above 3,000 m (Low Camp)

Mardi Himal Trek Altitude Gain Chart (Day by Day)

Here’s the full chart for the standard 5-day itinerary. Screenshot this for your phone. You’ll check it every morning on the trail.

Day	Route	Sleep Altitude	Elevation Gain	Difficulty
Day 1	Kande → Forest Camp	2,500 m (8,202 ft)	+730 m	Moderate – steady forest climb
Day 2	Forest Camp → Low Camp	2,970 m (9,744 ft)	+470 m	Moderate – you cross 3,000 m
Day 3	Low Camp → High Camp	3,580 m (11,745 ft)	+610 m	Hard – air gets thin, ridge narrows
Day 4	High Camp → Base Camp → Badal Danda	3,210 m (10,531 ft)	+920 m up, −2,870 m down	Hardest – summit push + long descent
Day 5	Badal Danda → Siding → Pokhara	822 m (2,697 ft)	−2,388 m (all downhill)	Easy on lungs, tough on knees

Notice how you never sleep above 3,580 m. That’s intentional. You climb high during the day but come back down to sleep. Mountaineers call this “climb high, sleep low.” Your body gets the benefit of high-altitude exposure while walking, then recovers in thicker air at night. It’s one of the oldest and smartest tricks in the book.

Day 1 – Kande to Forest Camp (+730 m)

You hop out of a jeep in Kande after a bumpy ride from Pokhara, completing the first leg of the Mardi Himal trek route from Kathmandu. The trail starts climbing almost immediately through thick rhododendron forest, past mossy rocks and birds you can’t name. You’ll pass through Pothana, grab a cup of sweet milk tea, and keep going.

Your legs will feel the stone staircases. But your lungs won’t complain. At 2,500 m, the air is still plenty thick. This is basically a tough hill walk. Enjoy it. It’s the easy part.

Day 2 – Forest Camp to Low Camp (+470 m)

Shorter walking day is only 3 to 4 hours. But something invisible shifts. You cross 3,000 meters. No sign. No buzzer. But your body notices. The air pressure drops just enough that each breath delivers slightly less oxygen. Not a lot. Just enough to feel if you’re paying attention.

The trail stays forested and quiet. You’ll likely reach Low Camp by early afternoon. Spend the rest of the day reading, napping, or staring at the ridge above you, thinking about tomorrow while enjoying the basic accommodation.

Drink extra water tonight. Tomorrow changes everything.

Day 3 – Low Camp to High Camp (+610 m)

This is where the trek stops being a forest hike and becomes a mountain experience.

You leave the trees behind within an hour. The trail opens onto a narrow ridge. Machhapuchhre the famous Fishtail Mountain appears directly ahead, so close it looks touchable, highlighting the Mardi Himal major attractions. You’ll stop walking. Everyone does.

But climbing is harder now. Your breathing gets shallow and fast. You take breaks more often not because your legs are tired, but because your lungs need a moment. That’s altitude. Don’t fight it. Slow down, breathe deep, keep moving.

You pass through Badal Danda – “Cloud Ridge” in Nepali. If you’re lucky, you’ll walk through actual clouds. One minute you see a hundred kilometers. The next, white fog.

You sleep at High Camp, 3,580 m. The teahouse is small and cold. But the dining room window frames Annapurna South like a painting. You’ll eat dinner watching sunset hit those peaks. You’ll remember this for years.

Day 4 – Summit Day (+920 m up, −2,870 m down)

Alarm at 4 a.m. Pitch black. Freezing. You layer up, grab your headlamp, and climb.

The trail from High Camp to the Upper Viewpoint is rocky, steep, and completely exposed, which is why checking the Mardi Himal trek advanced route options beforehand helps you prepare mentally. Above 4,000 m, every ten steps feels like a negotiation with your body. Walk. Stop. Breathe. Repeat.

Then the sun rises. And the entire Annapurna range lights up gold, pink, orange. Annapurna I. Annapurna South. Gangapurna. Machhapuchhre. All of them, filling your entire view. You’re at 4,500 meters and the world is below you.

Take your photos. Cry a little if you want. No judgment.

But you don’t stay. You descend all the way to Badal Danda at 3,210 m. Your knees will feel every meter. Use your trekking poles. Your future knees will thank you.

You’ll feel noticeably better at Badal Danda. Thicker air. Headache fades. Huge plate of fried rice. Asleep by 8 p.m.

Day 5 – All Downhill (−2,388 m)

No climbing. No thin air. Just a long, steep descent through terraced farms and tiny villages. Your lungs feel like they’ve been given a gift. Every breath is full and easy.

Your knees disagree. Dropping 2,388 meters in one morning is brutal. Take it slow. Use your poles. Wear shoes with real grip.

You reach Siding by midday, hop in a jeep, and bounce down to Pokhara. Hot shower. Cold drink. Soft bed. You earned all three.

Visual Elevation Profile – What the Climb Looks Like

Think of this trek like a staircase with three steps up, one giant leap, then a long slide down. The Mardi Himal trek highlights guide breaks it down visually:

Days 1–2 (Green Zone): Dense forest. Normal air. Legs work hard, lungs don’t care. Feels like a tough day hike anywhere.
Day 3 (The Shift): You break above the tree line. Wind hits. Views explode. Breathing changes. This is where it becomes a high-altitude trek.
Day 4 morning (Summit Push): Cold. Rocky. Exposed. Every step above 4,000 m takes twice the effort. Fingers go numb. Cheeks sting. Then you see the sunrise and forget everything.
Days 4–5 (The Slide): A 2,800 m drop. Lungs celebrate. Knees file a complaint. Trekking poles go from optional to essential.

Where Does Altitude Actually Start to Affect You?

Let’s talk about the thing you’re actually worried about. Will the altitude make me sick?

Short answer: maybe a little. Probably not seriously. But you need to know what to watch for.

The 3,000 m Line – Your Body’s “Alert Zone”

Above 3,000 m, the air still has 21% oxygen, the same as sea level. But the pressure pushing that oxygen into your blood is lower. Each breath delivers less. Your body responds by breathing faster, pumping harder, and making extra red blood cells over a day or two. That process is called acclimatization. Fancy word for “giving your body time to adjust.”

On this trek, you cross 3,000 m at Low Camp on Day 2. That’s your alert zone. Not a panic zone. An alert zone. Drink more water. Walk a little slower. Pay attention.

Common Symptoms (Uncomfortable but Not Dangerous)

Dull headache that lingers
Loss of appetite
Waking at 2–3 a.m., unable to fall back asleep
Feeling puffy or breathless while resting
Mild nausea

These fade within 24–48 hours as your body adjusts. Rest. Hydrate. Eat something plain.

Red Flags – When to Turn Around

Vomiting more than once
Confusion or trouble walking straight
Chest tightness
Headache that gets worse after rest and water
Feeling sicker in the morning than the night before

Rule of thumb: If you feel worse than you did that morning, do NOT sleep higher. Go down. Even 300–500 m of descent can make you feel like a new person.

There’s no trophy for pushing through altitude sickness. Go down. Recover. The mountain will still be there next year.

How to Stay Safe – 7 Simple Rules

Walk slow. The “bistari, bistari” pace. If you can’t finish a sentence without gasping, you’re going too fast.
Drink 3–4 liters daily. Dry mountain air dehydrates you faster than you think. Refill at every teahouse.
Eat carbs. Rice, noodles, potatoes, porridge. They convert to energy faster at altitude than protein or fat.
Skip the beer and coffee above 2,500 m. Alcohol dehydrates you. Caffeine wrecks your sleep. Save both for Pokhara.
Rest 5 minutes every hour. Sit. Breathe. Look at the mountains. Rest isn’t laziness. It’s a strategy.
Add an extra night at Low Camp if you’re a beginner. One more day at 2,970 m gives your body 24 extra hours to build red blood cells. It’s the single best thing a first-timer can do.
Tell your guide if you feel off. Headache? Tell them. Bad sleep? Tell them. They’ve seen it all. They can’t help if you suffer in silence.

4-Day vs 5-Day vs 7-Day – Which Pace Is Right for You?

Itinerary	Daily Avg Gain	Best For
4-day (express)	~680 m/day	Fit trekkers with prior altitude experience (See how to complete in 3 days for even faster options)
5-day (standard)	~546 m/day	Most people – balanced pace
7-day (relaxed)	~400 m/day	Beginners, families, cautious climbers

The highest sleeping point is the same in all three – High Camp, 3,580 m. What changes is how fast you get there.

The 5-day plan is the sweet spot. You gain altitude slowly enough to feel okay, but fast enough to finish before your vacation runs out. Not too fast. Not too slow. Just right.

Mardi Himal vs Other Popular Treks

Trek	Max Altitude	Days	Daily Avg Gain
Mardi Himal	4,500 m	5	~546 m
Annapurna Base Camp	4,130 m	7–10	~400 m
Everest Base Camp	5,364 m	12–14	~350 m
Ghorepani Poon Hill	3,210 m	3–4	~350 m

Mardi Himal goes higher than ABC, which surprises people. But ABC takes up to 10 days, so the daily climb is gentle. Mardi does it in 5. You save time, but your body works harder per day.

Everest Base Camp is obviously higher. But you spend two weeks getting there with built-in rest days. The pace is slow and steady.

Think of it this way: EBC is a long, gentle staircase. Mardi is a shorter, steeper one. Both get you high. Mardi just asks more of you in less time.

The takeaway: It’s a “quick hit” of high altitude. Respect it, but don’t fear it.

Final Thoughts

The Mardi Himal Trek is one of Nepal’s best “short and high” adventures, and if you are wondering is Mardi Himal worth it, the answer is a resounding yes. Yes, you climb fast. Yes, the air gets thin. Yes, there will be a moment on Day 4 where you stop, hands on knees, wondering why you signed up for this.

Then you look up. Machhapuchhre is glowing pink. The world is below you. And you remember exactly why.

With this altitude gain chart in your pocket and a slow pace, you’ll be fine. Thousands of first-timers do this every year. They walk slow, drink water, and listen to their bodies. You can do the same.

Save this chart. Share it with your trekking buddy. Start those stair workouts. The mountain doesn’t care how fast you get there. It just wants you to show up.

Explore More Mardi Himal Trek Guides

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the highest altitude on the Mardi Himal Trek?

Mardi Himal Base Camp (Upper Viewpoint) at 4,500 m (14,764 ft). You visit on summit day but do NOT sleep there.

Where do you sleep at the highest altitude?

High Camp, 3,580 m (11,745 ft). You spend 1–2 nights here. Basic teahouse, great views, limited hot water.

Is altitude sickness common on Mardi Himal?

Mild symptoms (headache, poor sleep) are common above 3,000 m. Serious AMS is rare if you follow a 5-day plan, hydrate, and walk slowly.

How much altitude do you gain per day?

About 500–600 m on the standard 5-day trek. Summit day hits +920 m, but you descend right after.

Is Mardi Himal higher than Annapurna Base Camp?

Yes 4,500 m vs 4,130 m. But Mardi is done in fewer days, so the daily climb feels steeper.

Do I need supplemental oxygen?

No. 4,500 m is high but manageable with proper acclimatization. No bottles needed. Just water, rest, and patience.