Mera Peak Climbing Faqs

Mera Peak is known to be one of the highest climbing peaks of Nepal. It is not a difficult climb at an extreme altitude of 6,461m (21,190ft.) except for the final summit of 100m/328ft. with a steep that needs to be climbed vertically. Mera Peak climbing is a great introduction to high altitude climbing and the most appropriate practice climb before attempting for other challenging mountain expeditions. Getting to the base camp of Mera Peak all the way from Lukla on a regular trekking trail is, in fact the hard part. It is on the trekking segment where you must be ready to deal with tiresome days of hiking for several days and keeping yourself in a good shape and tackle with altitude sickness as well. The climbing section is easy and safe because of the fixed lines, so we highly recommend this climb even for a beginner who wants to climb an ice-peak. It is always wise to consult with experts like Himalayan Glacier before planning your trip emotionally. We will guide you and help you with all the requirements including physical fitness and exercises right from day one.

It is possible to climb Mera Peak all through the year although summer time is not recommended as it is also the monsoon period. However, spring and fall seasons are considered to be the best and most suitable time of the year for any climbing journey in the Himalayas. September through November is the fall season, also called autumn, and the temperatures are moderate and weather tends to be very clear. March through early June is the spring season and also the busiest climbing season of the year in Nepal. Mera Peak can also be attempted during the winter, but the extreme cold around this time could be hazardous for climbers who are not experienced enough to tackle the altitude as well as the biting cold.

Absolutely yes! Under normal circumstances, our booked trips are guaranteed to run. You will still be doing your trek even if other trekkers cancel their trip. This is the reason why Himalayan Glacier is different from other agencies, who usually cancel their whole trip a month or even a week before the trip date. We are a tailor-made company and the number of participants does not stop our operation. If your trip has been canceled by your operator and you are in a last-minute stress, remember to find us to sort out your trip decisions. Please feel free to book your stress-free holidays with us. Unless there is a situation which is out of control such as a political riot, natural disaster, pandemic, epidemic or weather catastrophes, our trips are 100% guaranteed to run.

Himalayan Glacier offers a lifetime deposit policy which allows you the flexibility to transfer your deposit to anyone or any other trip. If you wish to cancel your booked trips, certain cancelation charges apply. Please visit our booking terms and conditions for detailed information.

You will be climbing along with other like-minded people unless you book for a private tour or we do not have a group on your preferred date. You will be guided by Himalayan Glacier’s experienced and knowledgeable local climbing instructors or Sherpa climbing leaders who have been to the top of the peak successfully multiple times. Some climbing leaders have also summited Mt. Everest at least once or few times in their climbing career. Your guide will provide you with important tips and teach you the tricks while assisting you from day one. He will also provide you with pre-climbing training the day before summit at the base camp. Lot of cheap operators do not take this climbing trip seriously thereby risking your health or well-being, so be very prudent when you choose your climbing operator.

Although Mera Peak is known to be a ‘trekking peak’, it requires some mountaineering skills and equipment as the final lap includes some climbing. The right types of equipment and gears play a crucial role to successfully attempt the Mera Peak climb. We recommend the following gears and kits for Mera Peak climb:

Besides the regular items that you would pack for a typical trekking trip in Nepal, read more for other essential peak climbing equipment and familiarize yourself with the kits you will be carrying along for the trip.

You will enjoy 3 hearty meals each day. Generally, you will have your breakfast and dinner at the same lodge where you will be staying. Lunch will be provided at tea houses or small restaurants along the trail. However, while staying in tented camps during the climb, we will serve packed lunch along with tea or coffee. Nevertheless, both breakfast and dinner are freshly prepared by our own climbing cooks. The meals contain fresh fruits and organic ingredients sourced from Kathmandu or local villages throughout the trek. The meals include a balanced diet of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats designed by the nutritionist. The chefs are trained in hygienic food preparation. If needed, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and kosher diets can be arranged with prior notice.

Sample Menu

Breakfast

• Beverage: black tea, milk tea, ginger lemon honey tea, lemon tea, hot lemon with honey, black coffee, milk coffee, hot chocolate
• Toast with jam or honey, toast omelet, pancake, Tibetan bread, porridge/ muesli
• Eggs on your choices
• American breakfast or Continental breakfast

Lunch

• Rice item: veg fried rice, egg fried rice, mixed fried rice, dal-bhaat
• Noodle item: vegetable fried noodle, mixed fried noodle
• Potato item: chips, fried potato, hash brown potato, veg fried potato, boiled potato
• Burger: veg burger, chicken burger, veg sandwich, chicken sandwich
• Pasta: spaghetti tomato sauce, macaroni cheese sauce
• Pizza: veg pizza, tomato cheese pizza, chicken pizza, mushroom pizza
• Momo (Nepali style dumplings): veg momo, chicken momo
• Meat item: chicken sizzler, chicken steak, yak steak
• Beverage: black tea, milk tea, ginger lemon honey tea, lemon tea, hot lemon with honey, black coffee, milk coffee, hot chocolate

 
Dinner

• Soups: vegetable soup, mushroom soup, chicken soup, chicken noodle soup, Rara noodle soup, French onion soup, pumpkin soup, potato soup

Main Meals

• Rice item: veg fried rice, egg fried rice, mixed fried rice, dal-bhaat
• Noodle item: vegetable fried noodle, mixed fried noodle
• Potato item: chips, fried potato, hash brown potato, veg fried potato, boiled potato
• Burger: veg burger, chicken burger, veg sandwich, chicken sandwich
• Pasta: spaghetti tomato sauce, macaroni cheese sauce
• Pizza: veg pizza, tomato cheese pizza, chicken pizza, mushroom pizza
• Momo (Nepali Dumplings): veg momo, chicken momo
• Meat item: chicken sizzler, chicken stake, yak stake
• Dessert: apple pie, chocolate cake, carrot cake, apple fritter, canned fruit
• Beverage: black tea, milk tea, ginger lemon honey tea, lemon tea, hot lemon with honey, black coffee, milk coffee, hot chocolate

While on the trek, you will stay in available lodges, teahouses or hotels. During your climb, you will be sleeping in camping tents for about 3 to 4 nights. You will have separate guest tents, dining tents, toilet tents, and kitchen tents fixed by your climbing crew members during the trip.

Climbing as high as 6,500m (21,325ft.) is really not a JOKE! Mera Peak is comparatively higher than Island Peak yet it is not as much technical as the former. However, you may encounter numerous life-threatening situations on the snow-filled trails. Weather is always unpredictable on the mountains so there are safety concerns to be taken into account. To deal with all the safety parameters including altitude sickness and adverse weather conditions, it is always wise to choose a highly reputed operator with long years of handling experiences and that possesses a strong ground team members. Himalayan Glacier is one of the most highly reputed adventure companies with successful track records of Mera Peak climbing arrangement with full safety precautions and the most affordable prices.

You do not require technical mountaineering experience for Mera Peak climbing as long as you are fit and strong enough to walk for several hours for several days on varied terrains. You may need to hold the ropes, use ice pick, harness and ice boot on the slopes during the climb. Although the trekking section up to the base camp of Mera Peak is comparatively harder than that of Island Peak, the actual climb is easier with regards to several aspects. We recommend enthusiastic beginners in climbing or experienced trekkers looking for something more than just trekking in the Himalayas to attempt climbing Mera Peak. You will be dealing with high altitude, so it is advisable to be well prepared with the heights. Himalayan Glacier will send you instructions and guidelines before you arrive in Nepal for your climb. Depending on your knowledge and experience, we will also set aside a day or two at the base camp for pre-climb training including climbing techniques and the proper use of climbing equipment.

Generally, the price for climbing Mera Peak ranges from $3200 to $4600 per person. The price variation offered by different operators depend on a number of factors such as the services offered, number of days, various routes, accommodation, and many more. There are many operators who offer cheap prices but do not be lured just by their price tags. Many times, climbers have faced problems organizing their climbs with cheap operators because of their untrained and inexperienced leaders and crew members, low-quality equipment and very poor accommodation and food arrangements.

Mera Peak is a mountain that is above 6,000m (19,685ft.), so we recommend having an insurance policy that covers mountain air ambulance at least up to the altitude of the Mera Peak, which is 6,461m (21,190ft.). We also recommend you to get insured for medical issues, flight delays or cancellation, and trip cancellation due to pandemics, political instability, communal violence, and natural calamities. For more information regarding our insurance policy, please read our travel insurance section or contact us for more details.

Drinking water issues have really been chronic in the entire country since a long time. The sources of drinking water in the mountains are river or stream water but we do not recommend these to our clients as far as possible. The water may be highly contaminated causing various illnesses during your journey. While trekking up to the base camp, drinking water will be available in the teahouses, either from taps, boiled water or bottled water. We also suggest for the use of steriPEN or other water purifying agents. During the peak climbing time, water is not available so it needs to be carried all the way up to the top. For our customers, we will provide bottled water or boiled and sterilized water to refill in the water bottles or water bladders.

Yes, of course you will need a climbing permit. Climbing permits can be easily acquired through a registered and licensed agency. A person will require at least one or more trekking permits including the national park entry permit and local area permit besides the climbing permit. You need not worry when you are traveling with Himalayan Glacier because all your required permits will be taken care of and arranged before your arrival in the country.

There are many boots available in the market for high altitude but it is really important to find the right ones for you. In Nepal, the highest peak climbing mountain in Mera Peak at 6,461m (21,190ft.) and for higher altitude than this, proper mountaineering boots will be required. We suggest three types of shoes – for camping section, for trekking section, and for climbing section on the trail. For camping, normal running shoes or trainers are required. For trekking section, a good quality, warm, waterproof hiking boot with good ankle support is needed. While for the climbing section, mountaineering boots, high-altitude boots or double boots B3 will be necessary. We recommend La Sportiva and Scarpa boots. Shoes for trekking and climbing section are compulsory and they must be of the right fit and previously broken so that you may prevent possible blisters and ankle injuries.

Different agencies have their own group sizes for trekking as well as for peak climbing trips. Himalayan Glacier always considers a small group adventure. Moreover, we are specialized for customized and tailor-made trips. Although 8 to 10 people are the right group size for effective costing factors, we do not stick to this rule. Even if we have a solo traveler who is unable to join a group due to any reason, we will make arrangements for his climb.

Bringing out typical tastes of peak climbing in Nepal, both Island Peak and Mera Peak have their own set of peculiarities. There are some significant differences in the climbing aspects of Mera Peak vs Island Peak Climbing. Mera Peak is slightly higher than Island Peak while Island Peak, with more steep ice climbs, is considered a little more technical than Mera Peak. Mera Peak is high but has very few challenges like crevasses while Island Peak has numerous challenging sections and the headwall, the narrow ridge to the top and several icefalls make it rather difficult. Mera can be climbed without proper mountaineering skills while climbing Island Peak demands basic mountaineering as well as some technical knowledge. The rocky ridge, glacial walk, tapering summit, and ice walls make Island Peak climbing more susceptible to altitude sickness. In the final say, the climbing section at Island Peak is harder than that of Mera Peak. But, the trekking section up to the base camp of Mera Peak is harder than that of Island Peak. Also, the trail to Island Peak Base Camp is much more crowded that the trail to Mera Peak Base Camp.

There are several factors to be considered when you have to choose the right peak-climbing operator. There are lots of operators offering peak climbing in Nepal these days and the only visible difference among them is their price tag. It is indeed very hard to choose a reliable operator just by looking at the price that they offer. The best possible way to choose the right operator for your climb is to check their itinerary – whether they have incorporated sufficient acclimatization days or not. Next, check out what their price includes, read customer reviews to find about the company’s safety and success records in the past. Don’t forget that your climbing leader and operational team are the key part in making the trip safe and successful. There are many hundreds of agencies operating treks and peak climbing trips but make sure the agency you choose is legally registered and licensed. It is also advantageous for you if your agency has a good many numbers of years of experience in the tourism industry. Stay away from cheap operators at all costs because they will manipulate their price by using untrained and unprofessional staff. They will use old or cheap gears and equipment which is prone to serious accidents during the climb. Also, make sure that the climbing operators you choose hire local trekking and climbing staff and cover different alternatives of traveling. Check out if the agency follows sustainable and responsible tourism or not and check out for their accomplishments and achievements.

First and foremost, your fitness level, food and hygiene, regular exercise and workouts, immunity and your entire preparation for the trip affects how altitude sickness will respond to you. In fact, the prevention of altitude sickness starts right from the very day that you start planning your trip. Other factors that lower the chances of getting the sickness are your climbing leader’s knowledge, skills and experience, duration of the trip, and sufficient acclimatization. Reaching the top without any trouble related to altitude sickness, you should keep a few tips from our experienced leaders and travel consultants in mind, namely:

Through immediate or long-term acclimatization, the human body can adapt to high altitudes. The main problem that can arise at high altitude is the Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) and the symptoms vary from one person to another. When it comes to trekking and climbing in the Himalayas, altitude sickness has always been a major concern. Exposure to higher elevations means the lack of enough oxygen and more dry air in the atmosphere. This exposure causes increase in your metabolism while suppressing your appetite, vomiting, headache, nausea, lethargy, dizziness, cough, disturbed sleep, pneumonia, and hyperthermia. These symptoms are more prevalent in climbers who rush quickly to elevations above 2,500m (8,202ft.). However, it is not the same for people residing in locations at high altitudes as they are used to these elevations all through their lives. Himalayan Glacier has a great team of climbing leaders and crew members to ensure your safety and well-being. We suggest you to always listen to your leader and follow his instructions and always tell him if you are not feeling well on the way.

All climbing members including guides and porters will walk together in a group so there is no chance of a climber or a crew member getting lost or left behind. However, when there is an emergency and you need to communicate with the office or a family member from a no coverage area, then satellite phone is the only and best mode of communication. Himalayan Glacier is prepared with all kinds of communications including mobile and satellite phones so that we can always remain connected with our climbers and crew members. High up in the mountains, cell phones don’t always work so for emergency communications, we make use of a satellite phone that is with the climbing leader.

Mera Peak is known to be the highest ‘trekking peak’ in Nepal and at an altitude that it stands, oxygen content in the atmosphere is considerably low. We suggest you not to target Mera Peak as you first high-altitude trek before attempting a lower peak to understand your body’s response to the elevations. Unless you have climbed any mountain peak of 4,000m (13,123ft.) and above without facing any problems, you should probably pause your Mera Peak climbing plans. Whereas, if you have already done a high-altitude trek in the past and managed it all well, then it is time for you to take on Mera Peak. Climbing Mera Peak is a tough challenge as you will be at or above 5,000m (16,404ft.) for 4 days. If you do not acclimatize well at this height, it could easily prompt altitude sickness. Although no technical skills are needed to climb Mera, the test is about stamina and endurance. Other dangers on this climb are the possibilities of extreme weather conditions.

Mera Peak can be climbed in as less as 14 days, but unless you are a highly experienced mountaineer with deep knowledge about the altitudes and climbing in the Himalayas or other high-altitude peaks, we recommend at least 18 or 19 days. The greater number of acclimatization days, the higher the possibilities to avoid altitude sickness and a successful climb. Different operators offer different routes and trip duration for Mera Peak climbing. The shortest route to Mera Peak is the most difficult route that heads straight to Zatr La Pass after landing in Lukla. Himalayan Glacier uses the widely preferred route through the remote and beautiful villages exploring the picturesque Hinku Valley, after landing in Lukla. This route gives you plenty of time to acclimatize to the high altitude. The third route is along the regular Everest Base Camp trek up to Namche Bazaar and then heading towards the Mera Peak base camp, high camp and finally the summit.