Mera Peak Climbing  - 18 Days

We complete our custom formalities at the Tribhuwan International Airport in Kathmandu. Afterwards, there is a Himalayan Glacier representative waiting for us at the gate who will take us to our hotel.  We can then spend the rest of the day taking a rest. In the evening, we get to try Nepalese cuisine at a welcome dinner hosted by Himalayan Glacier. Overnight in Kathmandu.

We rest for most of the day and unpack. We visit Himalayan Glacier’s office in the afternoon. Our climbing leaders will check our set of climbing equipment to make sure that they are in good condition for our coming journey. We also get introduced to fellow participants, and discuss our trip. Overnight in Kathmandu.

We catch an early morning flight to Lukla and begin our trek to Paiya after landing at the Tenzing-Hillary airport in Lukla. We walk on a jungle trail, cross a bridge over the Handi Khola and reach Surke Village. From here we continue moving south and cross the Chutok La pass before reaching the small settlement of Paiyan, also known as Chutok. Overnight in Paiya.

We descend for a while and reach a small bridge. From here the trail is slippery until we cross the Kari La pass. We walk through rhododendron and bamboo forests on a narrow mountain trail. On today’s trip we also get to be in awe of the Dudhkoshi Valley. We continue our trek to Panggom Village whose settlers are dependent on farming and trading. Overnight in Panggom.

We begin our trek after breakfast. After trekking out of Panggom, we cross the Panggom La pass. Then we ascend, walk on a steady path and turn north. We cross Peseng Kharka Khola first then after walking for sometime, reach Peeng Kharka Danda. We cross Ningsow Khola (stream) before reaching the Ningsow Village. Overnight in Ningsow.

From Ningsow, we climb first then descend for a while and climb some more to reach Ramailo Danda. From here we get extraordinary views of Mera Peak and Salpa. After ascending and descending on our trail, we enter the Makalu Barun National Park. Our trail from here to Chhatra Khola is called Pasang Lhamu trail. On the way, if we are lucky, we might even come across the elusive Red Panda. Overnight in Chhatra Khola.

We walk towards the north on the main trail to Mera Peak. After walking on a trail next to the the Majang Khola, we merge with another trail which moves alongside the Hinku Khola. Our trail moves straight ahead towards Tashing Ongma which has seasonal tea shops. We continue our trek and cross the bridge over the Sanu Khola before reaching Kothe. Overnight in Kothe.

We trek along the ridge of the Hinku Khola in the shadow of Mera Peak. We take lunch at Gondishung, the summer herders’ settlement in the west bank of the Hinku Drangka. Beyond Gondishung, we pass a 200-year-old Lungsumgba Gompa where we can find Mera Peak scripted in rock along with its route to reach Mera. A short walk takes us to Thaknak, which is a summer grazing area with primitive lodges and shops. Overnight in Thaknak.

Leaving Thaknak, we follow the lateral moraine of Dig Glacier to Dig Kharka, which offers spectacular views of Charpate Himal. The trail climbs through moraines to the snout of the Hinku Nup and Shar glaciers, and then climbs more steeply to Khare. From here, we can see the northern face of Mera Peak which will be an amazing experience. After lunch we can hike in and around Khare. Overnight at Khare.

We have a separate day set aside solely for acclimatization and basic training just to prepare ourselves better for the Mera Peak climb. Our climbing leader will help us polish our basic climbing techniques and demonstrate the best ways to use our climbing gears like the ice axe, harness, ascender climbing boots and crampons. The training will also include learning the best climbing technique with the rope. Overnight in Khare.

We walk through a boulder-strewn course on a steep trail to reach the Mera Peak Base Camp. From here, we continue further through the Mera La pass to reach the Mera High Camp. Our path is along a rocky trail, which can be hazardous if it has recently snowed, as there are a number of crevasses here. We make our way to the top of the rock band, which is marked by a large cairn. Then we set up a high camp while enjoying excellent views of Mt. Everest, Makalu, Cho Oyu, the south face of Lhotse, Nuptse, Chamlang and Baruntse. Overnight at Mera High Camp.

This is a really important day for the expedition. We wake up around 2 in the morning for breakfast. It’s going to be very cold in the beginning but soon we warm up as we continue up the glacier and onto a peculiar ridge. The first rays of the sun hit the big peaks in an amazing red glow. The route is still non-technical as we slowly climb higher into the ever-thinning air. The slope steepens for a section behind the ridge and the summit comes back into view. At the foot of the final steep summit cone, we may use a fixed rope if the climbing leader believes it’s required. The summit is only a few meters away. From the summit, we take in spectacular views of the mighty Himalayas including Mt. Everest (8,848m), Cho-Oyu (8,210m), Lhotse (8,516m), Makalu (8,463m), Kangchenjunga (8,586m), Nuptse (7,855m), Chamlang (7,319m), Baruntse (7 ,129m) and others. Later, we retrace our steps back to the high camp where we rest for a while before descending to Khare. Overnight in Khare.

There is no guarantee that we will have favorable weather on our planned day for the summit. Therefore, this day is set aside as a contingency in case we are unable to summit the Mera on the desired day due to bad weather conditions or any other unanticipated reason. However, if the trip goes smoothly, this day will not be required.

We trek from Khare to Kothe along the same trail used previously. After reaching Kothe, we celebrate our success by trying out local delicacies and wines. Overnight in Kothe.

We begin our trek to Thuli Kharka after breakfast. We climb up and descend, cross several tributaries of the Inkhu Khola before reaching a forked trail nearby Taktho. We choose the trail on our right and continue walking. Our trail passes by a Chorten after which we walk downhill on a steep trail. Next, we ascend to Thuli Kharka and pass by another Chorten on the way. Overnight in Thuli Kharka.

We cross the Zatrwa-La pass at 4,600. As soon as we cross the pass, we are welcomed by the sight of the beautiful Lukla Valley which is surrounded by Cho Oyu, Kongde Peak, Numbur Himal, Kusum Khangru and other Himalayan peaks. From Zatrwa La pass we walk all the way down to Chutang and then straight forward to the Lukla village. In the evening we enjoy dinner in the Himalayas of Nepal with our crew. Overnight in Lukla.

We catch an early morning flight to Kathmandu. After reaching Kathmandu, we can take a rest or do some souvenir shopping. If we want to explore any other areas of Kathmandu, we may do that today. Our guides can help you with both souvenir shopping or sightseeing. There will be a farewell dinner in the evening to celebrate the climbers’ successful summit of the Mera Peak. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Our adventure in Nepal comes to an end today! There is nothing to do but trade emails with your travel companions and organize your photos. A representative from Himalayan Glacier will take you to the airport, approximately 3 hours before your scheduled flight. On your way home you’ll have plenty of time to plan your next adventure in the wonderful country of Nepal.