Is the Mardi Himal Trek Affected by the 2026 Nepal Floods?
No — Mardi Himal is an Annapurna ridge trek from Pokhara, well away from the flood-hit Bhote Koshi in Rasuwa, and it is running normally. Here is why the ridge and its access are unaffected.
At a glance
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- ReportingOriginal, by our guides in Pokhara
📍 Developing story — live updates
The 2026 Nepal floods are a nationwide, still-developing emergency and the figures are rising. For the latest verified death toll, missing and rescued numbers and trek status, follow our continuously updated Nepal Floods 2026: Live Updates.
Last updated: 29 August 2026. If you have the Mardi Himal trek booked and the flood news has you second-guessing, here is the honest answer up front.
Is the Mardi Himal trek affected by the 2026 Nepal floods? No — it is an Annapurna-region ridge trek out of Pokhara, well away from the flood zone, and it is running normally. The flash flood of 26 August 2026 hit Rasuwa district in north-central Nepal, on the Bhote Koshi above the Langtang valley. Mardi Himal climbs the ridge below Machhapuchhre (Fishtail) in the Annapurna Conservation Area, reached from Pokhara — a different part of the country entirely, on a different river system. Pokhara is normal, the ACAP permit is issued as usual, and the Mardi ridge is open. An October or November trip — the best window for this trek — stands as planned.
Mardi Himal trek — the honest status
- Affected by the flood? No. The flood was in Rasuwa on the Bhote Koshi. Mardi Himal is in the Annapurna region above Pokhara, drained by the Modi Khola and Seti into the Kali Gandaki — a separate watershed on the opposite side of Nepal.
- It is a high ridge, not a river gorge. The route runs up a forested spur to Low Camp, High Camp (3,580 m) and the View Point (around 4,500 m). You are on the ridge, above the valleys — the terrain a flash flood affects least of all.
- Access is from Pokhara via Kande. Roughly a 1.5-hour drive to the Kande trailhead, then you walk. Pokhara is unaffected by the Rasuwa flood.
- One honest, seasonal caveat. In the monsoon tail the forest section between Kande, Forest Camp and Low Camp can be slippery with the odd landslide and leeches below 2,500 m. That is ordinary late-monsoon trail behaviour, not flood damage, and it clears as autumn sets in.
- Best season is right ahead. October–November brings the clear post-monsoon skies that make the Fishtail views worth the climb — weeks away and well outside the affected area.
Why the Annapurna ridge is a world away from Rasuwa
Nepal is not one small place where one flood touches everything. Its trekking regions are divided by great ranges and drained by rivers that never meet in the mountains. The 26 August flood came down the Bhote Koshi out of Tibet into Rasuwa, hitting Timure and Syabrubesi hardest, according to reporting collated by Wikipedia's running summary and outlets including CNN. Syabrubesi is the road-head for Langtang treks, north of Kathmandu — a long way from Pokhara and the Annapurnas.
Mardi Himal rises on the ridge beneath Machhapuchhre, inside the Annapurna Conservation Area and reached from Pokhara. Its water drains through the Modi Khola and the Seti into the Kali Gandaki — not the Bhote Koshi, not the Trishuli. There is no physical link between a flood in Rasuwa and this trail. They sit on opposite sides of the country.
The Mardi Himal trek, stage by stage
Here is the route, checked stage by stage against the flood zone.
| Stage / region | Where it is | Status & what to do |
|---|---|---|
| Pokhara (start point) | Central-west Nepal, Annapurna gateway | Normal — unaffected |
| Drive Pokhara → Kande | Annapurna foothills, Modi Khola side | Running — about 1.5 hours |
| Kande → Forest Camp → Low Camp | Forested ridge, ACAP | Trail open; in late monsoon expect mud and leeches below 2,500 m |
| Low Camp → High Camp (3,580 m) | Upper Mardi ridge below Machhapuchhre | Open — not in the flood zone |
| High Camp → View Point (~4,500 m) | Head of the Mardi ridge | Open; standard high-ridge weather rules apply |
| Permit: ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area) | Issued in Kathmandu / Pokhara | Issued normally |
Mardi uses only the ACAP permit, issued in Pokhara or Kathmandu — not in Rasuwa and not touched by the flood. The permit desks are open and processing normally; the full breakdown is in our Annapurna ACAP & TIMS guide.
How we run Mardi Himal safely this autumn
Mardi is a straightforward, rewarding trek when it is timed and run properly, and autumn is exactly the right time. Once October dries the forest section, the mud and leeches disappear and the ridge opens onto some of the closest Fishtail views in Nepal. Our approach is simple: a short drive from Pokhara, steady days up the ridge with proper acclimatisation before the View Point push, warm teahouse nights, and a guide who watches the weather so your dawn on the ridge is a clear one. Travel and rescue insurance is sensible on any trek that touches 4,500 metres, gentle as this one is.
A local guide's take
I will not dress it up: Mardi Himal is not affected by this flood, full stop. The flood was on the Bhote Koshi in Rasuwa, above Langtang. Mardi is an Annapurna ridge trek out of Pokhara, on the other side of Nepal and on a different river. If anything, a ridge is the safest ground in the whole country during heavy water — you are up above the valleys, not down in them. The only thing I manage on Mardi in late August is the muddy forest below Low Camp, and that is a monsoon nuisance every year, not a disaster. Book your October dates. The Fishtail from High Camp at sunrise is one of the finest mornings in Nepal.
What you can book for autumn
Mardi Himal departures running normally this October and November
These are the trips we are putting people on right now, priced from the per-person rate a small group pays:
- Mardi Himal Trek — 4 days · from US$330 per person in a group of eight (US$455 solo). The short, sharp ridge trek to High Camp.
- Mardi Himal Trek — 7 days · from US$580 per person. A relaxed pace with the View Point and more time on the ridge.
- Annapurna Base Camp & Mardi Himal Trek — 13 days · from US$1,050 per person. Both classics in one trip.
Want to check a start date or ask about fitness for the ridge? Message us on WhatsApp or use the contact form. No pressure — if the timing or the route is not right for you, I will say so.
Related reading
- Nepal trekking conditions right now: region-by-region status after the 2026 floods
- Bhote Koshi flash flood, 26 August 2026: what happened in Rasuwa district
- Nepal Floods 2026: live updates, death toll and trek status
Sources: Wikipedia — 2026 Nepal floods; CNN live coverage. Road-access notes reflect normal late-monsoon conditions on the Kande approach and should be reconfirmed on the day of travel.
Cover photo: Nrik kiran via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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