Mardi Himal sits in a busy corner of the Annapurna region, ringed by quieter ridges and bigger routes. If you want a quiet ridge, a longer remote walk, or a way to link Mardi onto Annapurna Base Camp, here is how the nearby treks compare, with the altitudes laid out side by side.
Korchon Hill (Korchon Danda) is the quiet, low-key neighbour of Mardi Himal, reached via the Lwang and Korchon villages northwest of Pokhara on the Myagdi and Kaski border. It is best treated as an emerging, quiet route rather than a developed one.
Korchon is a shorter, lower, quieter alternative ridge trek, around three days, with sunrise views of Mardi Himal, Annapurna, and Machhapuchhre. It has less teahouse infrastructure than Mardi, so come prepared for a more basic route.
Korchon's height is not well documented. Operator sites report anywhere from around 3,680 to 3,900 m, with no authoritative survey figure, so we describe it as around 3,700 m and flag the spread rather than quoting a single precise number.
Khopra Ridge (Khopra Danda) sits at around 3,660 m, a similar altitude band to the Mardi viewpoints, but it is a longer and more remote community-lodge route through a less-trodden part of the Annapurna region.
Roughly 7 to 10 days, more remote than Mardi, and far quieter. The ridge looks out on Dhaulagiri, Annapurna South, and Nilgiri, staying on community lodges through a part of the region most trekkers skip.
A side hike climbs to the sacred Khayer Lake at around 4,660 m (sources spread from about 4,500 to 4,750 m). The nearby Mulde, or Muldai, viewpoint sits at around 3,637 to 3,660 m, above Dobato.
There is no single dedicated high-ridge trail linking Mardi Himal straight across to Annapurna Base Camp. The connection is made by descending the Mardi trail and rejoining the standard ABC trail lower down, so be wary of copy that implies a direct ridge traverse.
Descend the Mardi trail to Sidhing or Low Camp, cross to Landruk and Ghandruk, then climb the standard ABC trail via Chhomrong, Deurali, and Machhapuchhre Base Camp up to Annapurna Base Camp. The link villages are Sidhing, Lwang, Landruk, Ghandruk, and Chhomrong.
A combined Mardi plus ABC trek runs roughly 10 to 12 days, depending heavily on your start and end points and how many rest days you build in. It packs two of the region's best routes into one trip.
How the nearby treks stack up against Mardi Himal and the wider Annapurna region. For the trek itself, see the Mardi Himal trek page, and for direct comparisons, our ABC vs Mardi and Khopra Danda vs Mardi guides.
Korchon's altitude is unsourced and the figure shown is approximate. The Mardi viewpoint and base-camp heights are listed for context alongside the comparison treks.
Korchon Hill (Korchon Danda) is a shorter, lower, quieter ridge near Mardi Himal, reached via the Lwang and Korchon villages northwest of Pokhara, on the Myagdi and Kaski border. It offers sunrise views of Mardi Himal, Annapurna, and Machhapuchhre. It is around a three-day route with less teahouse infrastructure than Mardi, so treat it as an emerging, quiet alternative. Its altitude is unsourced, reported anywhere from around 3,680 to 3,900 m, so we describe it as around 3,700 m.
Khopra Ridge (Khopra Danda) sits at around 3,660 m, a similar altitude band to the Mardi viewpoints, but it is a longer (roughly 7 to 10 days), more remote, community-lodge route with fewer trekkers. It looks out on Dhaulagiri, Annapurna South, and Nilgiri, and a side hike reaches the sacred Khayer Lake at around 4,660 m. The nearby Mulde (or Muldai) viewpoint is around 3,637 to 3,660 m.
Yes, but not on a single dedicated high ridge. The connection is made by descending the Mardi trail to Sidhing or Low Camp, crossing to Landruk and Ghandruk, then climbing the standard Annapurna Base Camp trail via Chhomrong, Deurali, and Machhapuchhre Base Camp to ABC. A combined Mardi plus ABC trek runs roughly 10 to 12 days, depending on your start and end points and rest days.
Annapurna Base Camp sits at 4,130 m on the Annapurna Sanctuary plateau, while Machhapuchhre Base Camp on the same trail is around 3,700 m. The Mardi Himal trail tops out higher at its viewpoints (around 4,200 m) and base camp (around 4,500 m), though Mardi is a shorter route overall.
Korchon Hill is the quietest and least developed of the routes near Mardi Himal, with little teahouse infrastructure, which makes it an emerging option rather than a polished one. Khopra Ridge is also far quieter than the busy Poon Hill and Annapurna Base Camp trails, but it is longer and more remote than Mardi.
Mardi Himal sits between the two. Poon Hill (3,210 m) is a short, easy sunrise trek at lower altitude. The Annapurna Circuit crosses the Thorong La pass at 5,416 m, far higher and longer than Mardi. Mardi's viewpoints (around 4,200 m) and base camp (around 4,500 m) make it a moderate trek: higher than Poon Hill, much lower and shorter than the full circuit.
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.
