Mera Peak Climbing

Join us at the welcome dinner at evening. Hotel Overnight

Start the trek. Camp at Puyan (2,800m)
We will be taken to the airport for one of the great flights of the Himalaya. If the sky is clear during our flight, we will get our first views of Everest and the region in which we will be climbing. The Twin Otter aircraft will take us to the hillside village of Lukla, which is the start of our trek to Mera. Here we will meet our camp staff and porters and set off straight away for our first camp at Puyan (2,800m).

 - Please note – you are allowed 15KG on the flight to Lukla.

After crossing the Poyan Khola, we turn off the main trade route coming up from the south and join an older route, which climbs steeply to the ridge-line overlooking the Khare Khola. Descending the other side of the ridge, we then contour along the hillside before climbing steadily up to the attractive farming and trading village of Pangkongma (2,846m). Many expedition members have been made welcome by the villagers here, spending several pleasant hours warming themselves in front of an open fire in the enveloping and welcoming atmosphere of the local's traditional Sherpa homes.

With fine views westwards towards Takshindu monastery and Lamjura, we climb through thick rhododendron forest and bamboo leading to the Pangkongma La. From here, we have good views of the south face of Mera with its twin peaks and of its neighbour Naulekh. We then make a scenic descent with beautiful views looking south across the endless foothills rising each side of the Hinku valley. This steep descent leads down to the wire rope bridge that spans the Hinku Khola. A steep, strenuous climb on the opposite side leads to Nashing Dingma (2,600m). We stay here for the night at the excellent campsite established by the Makalu National Park. 

Gaining height gradually through pasture and lush greenery, the trail steepens as we climb up to the Surke La. It is possible to take a nice, welcome cup of tea in a lodge just over the pass. Walking on, eventually, we reach an attractive campsite at a col 1km beyond Chalem Kharka (3,600m), set among fir trees and rhododendron bushes. 

Climbing the side of a ridge, we emerge from the last traces of rhododendron and the terrain becomes more rugged. Passing through high grazing country and crossing a small pass, we are treated to some excellent views of Kangchenjunga and Jannu to the east. We continue climbing to Panch Pokari and then on to camp at Chunbu Kharka (4,200m). 

Today, we have a well-earned rest day. Whether you take it easy and relax, or scramble some of the nearby rocky outcrops, this is a rewarding day and a useful aid to acclimatisation. 

We ascend slowly passing through the jungle. We find virtually no human settlement on the trail. This will be one of our longest walking days, mostly downhill. We will traverse several flats and spurs until we gain our first view of Mera Peak. From here we will drop down into the isolated Hinku Valley. Aside from mountaineers, the Hinku Valley is sparsely populated and very pristine. We will ascend a steep section of trail until we enter the forest, where we will stop for lunch. Eventually we will drop down into the humid, bamboo forests, before turning north up along the west side of the Hinku River towards Mera Peak. We will slowly ascend to Thaksingdingma and reach for camping. 

Today we will have amazing mountain views as we continue north up the Hinku Valley. The trail gently climbs along the west bank of the Hinku River. Spectacular mountains, such as Kusum Kangari to the west and Mera Peak to the east, will be in view throughout the morning. We will make our way up onto the meadows on the western side of the Hinku Valley as we climb above the tree line. Here we will stop for lunch. Throughout the afternoon, we will traverse meadows and hill slopes, dotted with grazing yaks, until we reach the settlement of Tangnak (4,350m, 14,268ft). If it’s been a snowy season, the sound of avalanches will soon be familiar. We are approaching the heart of the high Himalaya.

Today we will climb above 5,000 m (16,400ft) for the first time. Our hike up to Khare (5,100m, 16,728ft) is short, but we will take it slowly, with frequent stops to soak up the incredible surroundings. The trail heads eastward out of Tangnag, along the lateral moraine of the Dig Glacier. We will pause to climb up the moraine for a view of the pristine Sabai Tso glacial lake. A drop in lake level, caused by a recent rupture of the natural dam the held the lake, is clearly visible. We will arrive at Khare in the early afternoon and have lunch. From Khare, the beautiful north face of Mera Peak is in plain view and Mera glacier spills steeply down into the valley.

Rest day for acclimatization. You can explore around or climb up for a few hours and come back to the Tea House for the overnight. 

Today we will travel a short distance, slowly ascending up onto Mera glacier. The climb is initially steep, but flattens out as we reach the crest of the glacier. We will traverse a long flat on top of the glacier as we make our way to the pass, called Mera La (5,400m, 17,710ft). From here, the views are stunning. Crevasse fields gently stretch out in front of the pass and we are literally enclosed by a ring of jagged peaks and blue-green glaciers. The remaining route up to the summit of Mera Peak is clearly visible. We will have lunch at Mera La and spend the afternoon relaxing and staying warm. 

We have a short, steep climb up to High camp, but we will take it very slowly so that we allow for the altitude gain. At 5,800 m (19,025ft), high camp is nestled behind a large rock outcrop. We will arrive here by lunch and spend the afternoon relaxing and further acclimatizing. Bill O’Conner in the book ‘Trekking Peaks of Nepal” describes high camp as “one of the most glorious viewpoints in Nepal, with a panarama that takes in Kanchenjunga, Chamlang, Makalu and Baruntse sweeping round from the east, whilst due north Everest peers over…the massive unclimbed South Face of Lhotse and Nuptse. Sitting on that rock outcrop, listnening to the wind and looking out across untracked glaciers remains a highlight of my Mera expedition.We make preparation for the next day to get to the summit. 

Today we go to the summit at 21,830 ft from where the views of Pumori (7,161 m) Lhotse (8,516 m), Makalu (8,463 m), Lobuche (6,145 m) Cho Oyu (8,201 m) are spectacular. We will depart high camp before dawn. The climb up to the higher northern summit is straight forward, but will take 6-7 hours. The reward is one of the world’s most spectacular mountain views, including Everest and Lhotse just to the north, Cho Oyu to the northwest, and Kanchenjunga and Makalu to the east. We will then make our way down to Mera La for lunch and to Khare for the overnight. 

We return the same way back to the village of Thagnak. 

We return the downhill trek to the village of Kothe. 

This is a shortcut back to Lukla, we avoided on our trek in days as it would include a sudden gain of alttidude on before getting acclimatization. 

Zatraw La Pass is a mountain pass right above the valley of Lukla. After a climb up to the pass, we trek all the way down to Lukla. 

A short flight will take us back from Lukla to Kathmandu

Drop of to the Airport at appropriate time to catch the flight back home.