Khumai Danda gives you the Mardi view without the Mardi traffic

A parallel ridge at 3,682 m looking at the same Machhapuchhre face, four days from Lakeside, and still almost empty.

By Dawa Gurung · 6 min read · Updated 1 August 2026

Mardi Himal was the quiet alternative to Poon Hill about ten years ago. It is not quiet any more — High Camp fills in October and the ridge has a queue at sunrise.

Khumai Danda is what Mardi used to be. It climbs a neighbouring ridge on the same side of the valley to Korchon Danda at 3,682 m, looks at the same Machhapuchhre and Annapurna South faces, and sees a tiny fraction of the people.

It is four days, it is straightforward, and we are slightly reluctant to write about it.

The route

You start from the Ghandruk or Landruk side and climb steadily through forest — oak, rhododendron and a lot of moss, the same lush belt that makes the lower Mardi days feel primeval.

The trees thin out around 3,000 m and the ridge opens. From there to Korchon Danda at 3,682 m you are walking on grass with the drop into the Modi Khola on one side and Machhapuchhre filling the view ahead.

Because the ridge runs roughly parallel to Mardi's, you can often see the Mardi trail across the valley — a line of tiny figures on the skyline, while you have your own ridge to yourself.

How it compares to Mardi

Mardi goes higher — High Camp at 3,550 m with the Upper View Point push toward 4,200 m — and has better infrastructure, more lodges and a genuinely spectacular final ridge.

Khumai tops out slightly higher than Mardi's High Camp but does not have the upper section, so the maximum drama is a notch below. What it has instead is solitude and a shorter, cheaper trip. If you have five or six days and want the famous ridge, take Mardi. If you have four days, or you have done Mardi and want the same country without the company, take Khumai.

Practicalities

Accommodation is limited and basic — a handful of lodges, some seasonal. In shoulder months a few close, so this is not a route to walk up and improvise on. We check what is open before we send anyone.

Water is scarce high on the ridge, as it is on Mardi. Fill up before the final climb and carry two litres.

There is no reliable phone signal above the tree line and no charging beyond the odd solar panel. Bring a power bank and tell people at home you will be offline for a night or two.

Walk it with us

Private departures on your dates, guided by the people who wrote this page.

Khumai Danda Trek4 days · 3,682 mRs 46,800 · See dates →Mardi Himal Trek5 days · 4,500 mRs 73,600 · See dates →Kori Danda Trek4 days · 3,800 mRs 57,500 · See dates →

Questions we get asked

Can I combine Khumai with Mardi?

Yes, and it makes an excellent seven to eight day loop up one ridge and down the other. It is not a standard package, so ask and we will build it.

How hard is it?

Moderate. Four days, a lot of climbing on days one and two, nothing technical. The descent is long and steep, which is where poles earn their keep.

Is it suitable for a first trek?

It can be, for someone reasonably fit who does not mind simple lodges. If you want comfort and company on your first Himalayan trek, Poon Hill is the better introduction.

When should I go?

October to April. Spring for rhododendron in the forest belt, late autumn for the cleanest air. Monsoon gives you cloud and leeches and no Machhapuchhre.

Annapurna Base Camp or Mardi Himal? An honest comparisonThe two treks people email us about most, side by side. They are not competing for the same trekker, and choosing wrong is the most common mistake we see.7 min read →Mardi Himal, the ridge walk that ruins other treks for youFive days on a high grassy spine with Machhapuchhre filling the sky. Newer, quieter and steeper than the classics — and the best short trek we run.8 min read →Kapuche — a glacier lake at 2,546 m, four days from LakesideGlacial lakes normally sit above 4,000 m and cost you a week of acclimatising. This one does not, and almost nobody has heard of it.6 min read →Kori Danda — 3,800 m in four days, and no one else up thereA grass ridge above Sikles with Annapurna II, Annapurna IV, Lamjung Himal and Manaslu across the skyline. Two of the twenty-five operators we surveyed list it at all.6 min read →

Still deciding?

Tell us your dates and how much walking you have actually done, and we will tell you honestly whether this trek is the right one for you.

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