Mera Peak Expedition

Day 1 is arrival day. We’ll be picking you up from the airport and checking you into the Kathmandu Guest House. Kathmandu airport can be a bit of an experience unto itself. Once you’ve navigated your way out, you’ll be met by your LHO team leader. Depending on what time you arrive you’ll benefit from a tour of Kathmandu which includes Durbar Square, Boudhanath Stupa, and Thamel. At 8:00 pm we’ll have a team dinner and briefing before heading back to the hotel for gear checks and last-minute preparations.

We’ll start our day early to catch our flight to Lukla. The flight itself takes around 30 minutes although we should expect around a 2-hour delay pre-departure as is typical in Nepalese aviation. Lukla-bound aircraft may fly out from an alternative airport located 3 hours from Kathmandu. If that’s the case, we may need to depart at 3am. This is usually determined closer to the departure date. Once in Lukla, we’ll be met by our porters for the expedition. Depending on the time of arrival we’ll have the chance to briefly roam around the town and grab tea before heading out on the first section of our trek. The trek to Puyan is relatively easy. There are a few uphill sections after we cross Surke and then we move down into a canyon to cross a river. After a couple of hours, we’ll be passing by the rhododendron forest with a beautiful leveled walk, lunch will be on the way at a tea house. Overnight is in the town of Puyan.

Our second day on the trail will be a full one as we set off on a gentle climb to the Khari La pass (2,860m), with today’s destination already visible in the distance as we pass through dense forest. The forest occasionally thins allowing us a glimpse at the white peaks towering above. Lunch is at a tea house on the trail followed by a steady climb to Pangum, our home for the night.

After breakfast, we’ll jump start our day with a direct ascent to the Pangum La Pass (3,010m) where we cross over into the fabled, awesome, and empty Inkhu Valley. We’ll continue over the pass and through the village of Bhusme, which is the last permanent habitation of this expedition. From there it’s “Nepal flat” all the way to Ningsow. “Nepali flat” is local slang for a little bit of up and a little bit of down.

This day is widely considered one of the more challenging days of the trekking portion of this expedition. The climbs are steep as are the descents as we navigate the rugged spurs that line the Inkukhola valley. The views are spectacular but the cherry on top is the location of our campsite situated underneath a massive overhanging rock deep inside the forest.

Our sixth day of the expedition is short, sweet and to the point. After breakfast, we’ll navigate a steep 500 meter section that opens up to incredible views of Mera Peak itself. This is the first time we’ll gain an unobstructed view of this spectacular mountain from the southwest face. The night will be spent in Kothe.

From this day onwards the wild Himalayans views become the norm. Peak 43 claims its place at the head of the valley with Mera Peak dead ahead of us and approaching with every step. As we navigate the Nepali flat sections of the trail the giants of the region will start to grow in size and become ever more incredible. Lunch will be at a picnic site on the way and dinner will be at Thangnak.

Finally, a rest day! Sort of. We’ll be staying at the same location for a second night which means no packing and repacking. We’ll be taking a hike up to 5,000 meters on a nearby glacier. It will be the first opportunity to touch 5,000 meters before descending back to our camp at Thangnak. Climbing high and sleeping low is key to acclimatization which is why we’ll be performing two more similar rotations before finally attempting the summit.

After breakfast, we’ll take the trail eastwards to Khare. The trail includes the crossing of the Dig Glacier moraine. Though the climb up the moraine is not steep, it is quite a distance to cover. Once we reach Dig Kharka the trail levels out before crossing a stream and introducing the final climb of the day that ends in Khare. The views are beyond stunning from Khare making every moment on the trail well worth it.

We’ll once again be sleeping in Khare which means no early morning scramble to pack the bags. We’ll be performing our second acclimatization rotation by ascending the moraine to Mera glacier. There, we’ll be familiarizing ourselves with technical gear and safety procedures for the climb. We’ll perform a short climb towards Mera La (5,415m) as a practice summit. The summit trail includes steep sections, crevasses to navigate and, of course, spectacular views. From the top, we’ll be able to see the entire summit trail of Mera Peak. From there we’ll head back down to Khare. Joiners who are opting for the ski option can use their skis to descend provided that conditions are favorable.

Today’s the day we finally reach Mera Peak base camp. We’ll be assisting our high-altitude support crew set up camp once we arrive. After checking in, we’ll continue our climb to about 5,500 meters to perform our final rotation before descending back to base camp to make our final preparations for our direct ascent to the summit of Mera!

After breakfast, we’ll retrace our steps from the acclimatization climb of the previous day. Our base camp crew will remain on standby for support but will do so from Khare. From now on it’s the expedition team and high-altitude support staff only who will continue on with us. The ascent to High Camp is very straight forward. Ski mountaineers can ascend with skins if conditions are favorable. Our campsite is one of the most beautiful locations in the Himalayas. You have to see it to believe it. After arriving, we’ll eat and get an early night’s rest for an early ascent the following day.

The departure from high camp will be at the typical pre-dawn hours that come with major summit attempts. Skiers can skin up or keep the skis harnessed to the backpack depending on conditions and the sections of climb. Normally, sunrise occurs at the foot of the false summits that Mera is famous for. After navigating them, we’ll cross the last tricky section that includes challenging crevasse navigation before we connect to the final steep gradient that ends on the summit of Mera Peak at 6,461 meters. The summit views are unparalleled anywhere on earth. From Kajungjanga to Shishapingma and the summit of Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Choy Oyu summit in between, you’ll have eyes on 6 mountains out of the fourteen above 8000 meters! From here, the skiers can remove their skins and begin their run straight to Khare. For those of us on our feet, it’ll be a straight shot as well although taking more time to complete.

An extra day is built into the program to allow for adverse weather conditions and acclimatization.

An extra day is built into the program to allow for adverse weather conditions and acclimatization.

After breakfast, we’ll depart Khare in the direction of Kothe. With our acclimatization above 6000 meters, these formerly challenging sections will feel like a breeze. Lunch will be a picnic on the trail and dinner will be at our campsite upon arrival.

We’ll start our day’s trek on a rocky trail down to Hinkhu valley. The descent is followed by a steep incline trail through the rhododendron forest. As we ascend, the thinning tree line gives way to the summits of the region once more. The south face of Mera peak will become visible and put great perspective on the journey we have undertaken. Our day ends in the small settlement of Thulikharka where we’ll be spending the night.

The last day, the last climb, and the last challenge! We’ll ascend 300 meters to the Zarewa Pass before descending directly to Lukla. The aim is to arrive to Lukla by lunch time at the latest to enjoy our last day in the Khumbu region.

We’ll have breakfast in Lukla before flying back to Kathmandu where a celebratory dinner awaits. For those who are interested, a city tour is available with visits to Monkey Temple and Durbar Square, or you can enjoy the vibrant city bazaars and shopping districts.

The last day together is dedicated to airport transfer and farewells. Breakfast is included on the day. Please make sure to provide us with your departure details before the first day of the trip so that arrangements can be made. We’ll be arranging your shuttle 3 hours prior to departure so please do make sure to be near the hotel at the time so as not to be late. For those of us departing late, we’re happy to recommend places to visit or arrange for a city tour if you weren’t able to attend it on the first day.