Mera Peak Climb

Begin your adventure at the Royal Singi Hotel in Kathmandu, the start point for many Himalayan trekkers over the years. Around 6pm, bid namaste to your tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead during a full trek briefing. Your leader will brief you on key safety points for the trek and carry out equipment checks to ensure everyone is traveling with the appropriate gear required for the summit. Please bring your climbing/summit equipment as well as your insurance details and two passport-size photographs for the climbing permits to this briefing. Your tour leader then ensures a big Nepalese welcome by arranging a group dinner. Want to explore Kathmandu further? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative.

Leave our hotel at approximately 3am to drive (approximately four hours) to Manthali Airport. Here, we catch our spectacular flight to Lukla, the gateway to the Khumbu region and the start point for the popular trail towards Everest. It is a busy village with lodges, equipment and supply shops. We start our trek heading south with a steep descent to the small town of Surke. From here, we have a steep climb up to the Chutok La pass from where we contour into a side valley to Piuyan.

This morning, we climb eastwards, steeply at first, on a trail that winds steadily upwards over the Khari La pass (10,000ft/3,050m) and through terraced farmland towards the small trading village of Pangkongma. Looking back, we get good views of Numbur and Karyolung mountains.

Climb steeply through a forest of bamboo and rhododendron with views looking back to Numbur and Kongde peaks to the Pangkongma La pass (10,400ft/3,170m). From the top, we can see Naulekh peak and, just below the pass, we catch our first views of Mera’s impressive south face. It’s a long, steep descent to the bottom of the valley, with views south over the hills of the lower Himalaya. We have lunch in a small lodge just above the river; after, we cross the Hinku Khola river using a suspension bridge and have a two-hour climb up the east side of the valley to Nashing Dingma.

We continue hiking the ups and downs that distinguish this first part of the trek. The trail becomes steeper as we climb to the Surke La, a pass that gives us a taste of the altitude yet to come. We’ll need a cup of tea to catch our breath in one of the teahouses just over the pass, before continuing our climb up to the summer grazing land of Chholem Kharka. We should arrive for a late lunch; in the afternoon, the energetic can hike up onto the ridges surrounding Chholem.

Trek up above the tree line this morning and approach wilder country, where the Sherpa communities only herd their animals in summer. It’s quite a hard day today with steep climbs and several ridges to cross. We ascend on stone steps all the way to the first col at 14,100ft (4,300m) and then further up to a second col at 14,665ft (4,470m). On a clear day, we get a stunning view of Kanchenjunga and its pointed neighbour Jannu far away to the east in India. From the second col, we descend to the holy lakes at Panch Pokhari. Our teahouse in Khola Kharka is a short way past the lakes.

There are no lodges en route today, so we have a long morning and late lunch – take snacks and plenty of water. From Khola Kharka, we have a steep climb up stone steps for 30 minutes to prayer flags. Just around the corner, we get great views across to Numbur, Pikey Peak and the Lamjura Pass. The route contours around the hillside and then descends very steeply to the Mojang Khola. We cross the river and descend even further to the Hinku Khola river. A rolling trail brings us to a bridge across the roaring Hinku Khola and into Kote. We have a late lunch at the lodge and there is time in the afternoon to explore the village.

It’s a short day with approximately three to four hours of ascent past Dig Kharka to Khare, the Mera Peak base camp. The trail climbs steeply out of Tangnag to some prayer flags overlooking the glacier tumbling down from Kyashar. The trail gets easier as we climb up the valley past Dig Kharka and then there is a last steeper climb to the lodges at Khare. We have lunch in Khare and a free afternoon. We get great views of Mera, Charpati Himal, Kyashar and other Himalayan giants.

We have an acclimatisation day at Khare and there is a chance to hike up onto the glacier towards the Mera La pass, where we practice our ice axe, crampon and rope technique, and use of jumar. There is a full equipment check at Khare. Please note: Equipment checks and practice sessions are compulsory before the climb.

We have a short but hard hike up to the Mera La pass for our acclimatisation training today. The trail climbs steeply out of Khare on a rocky trail with great views ahead to the peaks of Mera and Khare. Continuing up, the trail gets steeper. There may be snow, and we need crampons and helmets as we climb the very steep rocky gully onto the glacier. On the glacier, the gradient eases off and we follow it up to the Mera La. After a short rest, we descend back to lodge at Khare base camp for the night.

Today we trek to High Camp. Retracing the first part of yesterdays practice route, we pass through the Mera La, a very cold and windy spot. The trail is not so steep from here, and it continues up the glacier to High Camp, a small, busy campsite. From camp, it is possible to see five of the six highest mountains on earth, stretching from Kanchenjunga in the east through Makalu, Lhotse and Everest to Cho Oyu in the west. There is a final gear check this afternoon and we prepare our clothes ready for tomorrow. After sunset (look out for the last orange glow on the summit of Makalu), we retire to our sleeping bags to rest before the summit attempt tomorrow. Please note: High Camp is extremely cold and basic, with camping space very limited. Due to the conditions, meals and briefings are delivered by the guides on a tent-to-tent basis.

We have a very early (and usually very cold) start – around 2am or earlier. We set off roped up in teams. You need to carry your ice axe and wear crampons as we ascend the wide, open glacier, avoiding the few crevasses. The terrain here is not very steep, but the going is very slow due to the altitude, and it can be very cold and windy. As dawn approaches, the trail starts to ascend steeply to the east of the left-hand ridge before swinging right on easier ground to approach the summit. As we approach the top, we rest at a col while the Sherpa guides fix a safety rope to the bottom of the last part of the summit climb. The last 165ft (50m) to the summit is the steepest part of the climb. We need the jumar for this last section – it is steep and makes the climb more challenging. Please note: Crevasses here change from year to year. Once at the top, the views from the sun rising over Kanchenjunga in the east, past Makalu to Everest in the middle and Cho Oyu further west, make every step worthwhile. Take a moment to enjoy your achievements and capture that all-important team photo! Descending this steep section involves abseiling from the summit and we use the fixed rope back to the col. From here, the descent is usually quicker, although we are still roped up. We descend to High Camp, where we have hot soup and drinks. We then descend all the way to Khare, usually arriving very late afternoon. After a long but rewarding day, returning to a lower altitude means we should all sleep soundly. Please note: Summit day can be extremely cold and sometimes windy. You must be able to get ready quickly and move as fast as you can to keep warm. Should a situation develop on summit day where members of your roped group are not suitable to continue then all people roped together will be expected to descend. This decision is made by the guide.

We can’t guarantee we will have favorable weather for the summit as planned; therefore, this day is set aside as a contingency in case we are unable to summit Mera Peak due to bad weather or any other unanticipated reason. If everything goes as planned, we continue down to Kote and enjoy an extra day to complete our return to Lukla.

Today we have a long but beautiful hike as we retrace our steps down the valley. The route takes us through a mix of gentle ascents and descents, through yak pasture and scenic landscapes. We pass through the village of Thangnag, where we have lunch, entering dense forests of rhododendrons, oak, pine and birch. After a rewarding day of descending, we arrive in Kote, where we rest tonight. Spend the evening reliving your adventures together and enjoying each other’s company.

The tour comes to an end after breakfast, so it’s time to start your return journey home. If you’d like a little more time to explore Kathmandu, speak to your sales representative about extending your stay.