The Mardi trail runs through villages where the same families have farmed for six generations. The mountain itself is one of the most fragile ecosystems in the Annapurna massif. Below is what we do about it, in concrete terms: porter wages, sourcing policy, plastic ban, waste handling, carbon offset, and the community contribution from every booking.
Our porters are paid USD 22 per day on the trek and USD 28 on the climb, including food, lodging, and a return-leg jeep. The 18 kg load limit (per IPPG guidance) is enforced by the lead guide. Insurance with full medical and rescue cover is mandatory and paid by us, not the porter.
Where the route allows it, we eat at family-run teahouses and source vegetables, eggs, dairy, and grain from villages along the way (Sidhing, Lwang, Pothana, Kalimati). Imported items above Low Camp are limited to staples that cannot be grown at altitude.
We do not hand out plastic water bottles. Every client gets a 1 L SteriPen-compatible refillable bottle and a litre of refill water at every teahouse stop, included in the trip. Sachet shampoos, single-use cutlery, and styrofoam packaging are banned on group orders.
Group waste is sorted at every teahouse: organics composted by the lodge, recyclables carried down to Pokhara on the porter return leg. Non-recyclable rubbish is logged at the Sidhing checkpoint and weighed on the way out. We aim for under 0.4 kg per person per day on group rubbish.
We use shared jeeps for Pokhara to Kande and Sidhing to Pokhara on every group trip; private vehicles only for medical or schedule reasons. We offset the calculated carbon of every booking via Cool Earth, working in the Annapurna foothills. Aviation offsets are the client's call (we do not include them).
USD 5 from every trekking booking and USD 25 from every climbing booking goes to the Sidhing Community School and the Lwang Health Post. Annual report published in February covers spend and outcomes; we will email it to you on request.
Every booking includes a fixed contribution to two local projects on the Mardi trail. We publish the breakdown every February and email it to clients who walked or climbed with us in the previous year, on request. There is no upsell, no opt-in, no extra charge: the contribution is built into the trip price.
Books, classroom repairs, teacher supplements. USD 5 from every trek booking.
Basic medicines, oxygen cylinders, and the porter-on-call stipend. USD 25 from every climbing booking.
Audited spend and outcomes published every February. Available by email on request.
We run small-group trips from Pokhara every Saturday from September to May. We also run private trips any day. A $50 deposit holds your place. Pay the rest on arrival in cash or by card.
