Chiya Kaka: Going to Mardi? You can’t afford to not meet him during this popular trek in Nepal

At around 3 am, he wakes up and walks towards the Mardi view camp. Walking fast, he surpasses the hikers on the way. On his one hand is a 15-litre water gallon and, on the other, a big bag of tea. When the hikers reach the top of the view camp, a hot cup of tea awaits them. This is how the day of Tanka Prasad Gautam (46) or Chiya Kaka, his alias, goes every day for the better part of the past eight years.

The high camp is the last point with an accommodation facility you get during Mardi trekking . From here, trekkers walk for two hours and reach the view camp before dawn whereas the Mardi base camp is another one-and-a-half hour ahead of the view camp.