MERA PEAK CLIMBING

Our airport representative will be receiving you at Tribhuvan International airport, Kathmandu. S/he will be displaying an “Accessible Adventure” signboard outside the airport terminal. You will then be received and transferred to your respective hotel in our private tourist vehicle.

Note: Either on Day 01 or Day 02 depending upon your arrival, there will be a pre-trip meeting. The meeting time will be informed to you by the receptionist at your hotel. During the meeting, we will introduce you to your trek leader/guide. Please seek this opportunity to ask questions about the trek. We will also supply you with our trek duffel bag and cap. For the meeting, please make sure you bring your passport, three copies of passport-size photos, and a readable copy of your travel insurance policy. We will ask you to sign a legally binding trip form as well as a non-liability disclaimer. Overnight at a hotel.

No meals included.

Touring the World Heritage Sites in Kathmandu Valley that includes: Kathmandu Durbar Square, Swayambhunath Temple, Boudhanath Stupa and Pasupatinath Temple.

Pashupatinath Temple: Pashupatinath Temple is one of the most significant Hindu temples of Lord Shiva in the world, located on the banks of the Bagmati River. Though you are not allowed to go inside the temple as it is strictly for Hindus only, you can clearly see the temple and the activities from the eastern bank of the Bagmati River. It is a square two-tiered pagoda temple built on a single-tier plinth which is famous all over the world.

Boudhanath Stupa: Boudhananath is one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Kathmandu. It was built in the 5th century with four pairs of eyes of Lord Buddha in four cardinal directions keeping an eternal watch over the people and their doings. You will find Buddhist pilgrims from Tibet going round the stupa spinning the prayer wheels.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square: Visit the Bhaktapur Durbar Square, the royal residential quarter of King Bhupatindra Malla, famous five-storied pagoda temple of Nyatapola , Batsala temple, Bhairavnath temple, Duttatraya temple, Pujari Muth and Palace of 55 windows.

Overnight at hotel, breakfast included.

Fly to Lukla (2,804 m) from Kathmandu (35 minutes) or Drive to Manthali (4 to 6 hours) and Take 20-mins Flight to Lukla, and then Paiya/Chutok (2,800 m) – 4 to 5 hours

For Manthali – Lukla flight: Wake up around 2:30 am, drive to Manthali by shared tourist vehicle for about 4 to 6 hours, and fly to Lukla (20 minutes); Applicable for the peak trekking month of March, April, May, October and November.

For Kathmandu – Lukla flight: Wake up around 5 to 6 am and drive to the domestic airport in Kathmandu for about 30 minutes and fly to Lukla (35 minutes). Applicable for the remaining months, except peak trekking months.

Helicopter Option: Instead of a regular plane flight, you have an option to take a shared helicopter flight (it’s not private chartered, so the cost is divided among the passengers) between Kathmandu and Lukla at USD 500 per person extra for one way in addition to the trip price. This cost is available only for those who do advance booking of the helicopter flight at least one week before the trip starts. The helicopter can take 5 passengers at once and the flights are scheduled from 6 AM to 1 PM. From the Kathmandu airport, you will reach Lukla within 40 to 60 minutes depending upon the weather. This is a great option as you won’t have to worry about the Kathmandu to Manthali drive which starts around 2:30 AM. Plus the helicopters can fly in visibility as low as 1,500 meters when the weather isn’t favorable for the planes which need the visibility of 5,000 or more meters to fly.

Flight to Tenzing-Hillary Airport usually takes place early in the morning. We suggest you to make all the sorting and packing the day before, so there is no rush on Day 3. Once we reach Lukla, we will take a rest for a while. We will meet our porters. They will make their load with your duffel bags and other things. We assign one porter to every two clients. We will then walk towards the south, away from the Everest trail. We will pass through farmlands, a forest, go down and up the mountain, cross a couple of streams and finally reach Paiya after 4 to 5 hours of walking from Lukla.

Read: For peak trekking months (March, April, May, October and November), the current Lukla flight operation to and from Manthali airport that was started from the trekking season of March 2019, will continue for the upcoming years. This means you need to wake up early, around 2:30 am to reach Manthali and catch your early morning Lukla flight. In such cases, the hotel you are staying will provide the packed breakfast. Otherwise, except peak season, you can fly to Lukla directly from Kathmandu airport. Overnight at a guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Today we have a 6 to 7 hours trek to Pangkongma from Paiya. We will start after having our breakfast. We will walk uphill through forests until Col Khari La Pass at 3,081 meters. After this, we will gently go downhill all the way to the village of Bupsa at 2,300 meters. Then, the trail climbs moderately until we reach our destination Pangkongma. The village is almost at the top of the mountains.

Overnight at a guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

The trail descends the rock-strewn path leading to the rhododendron forest. You will come across a lot of Mani walls through the trail. Passing again through hills, ridges, and teahouses you start downwards and have lunch around there in a village nearby. You will find mesmerizing views of the south face of Mera Peak and Naulekh Peak awaiting your insight. The trail zigzags through forested areas and then descends steeply. You experience the most interesting and charming feelings as you walk past forests of pine and rhododendron to reach Narjing Dingma where we stay today.

Overnight in a local teahouse.

Accommodation: Local Teahouse

Walking Time: 5-6 hrs

Included Meals: B, L, D

After breakfast, you start up and being though a hill and through narrow and complicated way ahead through rhododendron and bamboo forests you pass in the course of landslides. From the Surkie La (3,085m) we head north along the ridge, and the whole of eastern Nepal opens out in front of us, over the wildly remote Hongu valley, with the solitary bulk of the Kangchenjunga massive marking the Sikkim border. By the side of the crystal clear stream, you will have your lunch today. Straight ahead and up through the rhododendron and bamboo forests you may encounter wild animals if you are lucky enough. Overnight in a teahouse in Chalem Kharka.

Accommodation: Local Teahouse

Walking Time: 9km/5-6 hours

Included Meals: B, L, D

We climb up the pass above Chalem Kharka fr om where we see snow-capped peaks. Here as we are walking through higher elevation, we only see scrubby, rocky, and grassy surroundings. We reach hovering outcrop of the lakes of Panch Pokhari - five lakes, the sacred number. This is a place of pilgrimage for both Buddhists and Hindus, a very potent, evocative site. A short descent beyond brings us into the wide cwm of Khola Kharka (4,120m). Further, a steep climb leads out of the valley before the trail contours along and around towards the main Hinku Valley. This is followed by a series of steep descents first westwards down scree then northwest through scrub rhododendron and on into fir. A scrambling descent of around brings us down near the valley floor wh ere we cross the Mojang Khola and on through a boulder-strewn forest we finally reach Tashing Ongma. We can see three summits of Mera Peak from the village of Tashing Ongma. There is also a National park permit check post at this village.

Accommodation: Local Teahouse

Walking Time: 17km/7-8 hours

Included Meals: B, L, D

Starting after breakfast we will reach a fine vantage point of the Hinku valley where you line around in the splendor of nature surrounding us from the Hinku Valley. Straight through the bamboo forest in the narrow trails enjoying the view of Mera, Kusum Kangguru and Kyashar Himal (6770m) and the Hinku Valley. At this place, we have the possibility of encountering mountain wild animals like sloth bears, jungle cats, etc. among the tall pine trees.

Accommodation: Local Teahouse

Walking Time: 6km/4-5 hours

Included Meals: B, L, D

The walk today continues along the Inku Khola filled with spectacular views of Mera Peak, Charpati Himal, Kusum Kanguru, and Thamserku. Leaving Kothe we move ahead to the Upper Hinku valley. The vegetation starts to become sparse and shrubby. Filled with nomadic meadows (kharkas), today's tail has no major village along. We cross the Sanu Khola and Inkhu Khola over the bridges and reach Gondishung, where there is a teahouse and we have lunch here. We also visit the ancient 200-year old Lungsumgba Gompa, a Buddhist shrine that shelters by a huge rock. Climbers burn incense and pray for good weather and a successful ascent to Mera Peak at the gompa. An hour’s walk from Gondishung takes us to Thangnak, a place that used to be a summer camp for yak herders but now has been developed as the hamlet of teashops and lodges for climbers on the trail. Charpate Himal looks very near from here and we see the whole mountain, from the base to the summit. The trail continues up the left bank to Thangnak (4366m), a summer settlement that has grown into a small hamlet of teashops and a lodge due to love for Mera peak climbing.

Accommodation: Local Teahouse

Included Meals: B, L, D

Walking Time: 8km/4-5 hours

Today we head towards Khare following the lateral moraine of Dig Glacier. We relish the beautiful views of Charpate Himal. We walk past The trail climbs through moraines and to the snout of the Hinku Nup and Hinku Shar Glaciers and then climbs more steeply to Khare. A beautiful stay at Khare is something that we would cherish throughout our life. It is pleasure to watch the spectacular view of the North face of Mera Peak from Khare.

Accommodation: Local Teahouse

Included Meals: B, L, D

Walking Time: 5.5km/4-5 hours

Today after breakfast, we will prepare our gear for ice climbing just above the Khare or towards Mera peak base camp. We walk a couple of hours from where there are good views of the Mera La and the route up the mountain. We will practice the usage of climbing gears and techniques of ice climbing for few hours following the instruction of our climbing guide. Our climbing guide will also share some practical tips on how you can keep yourself safe in the mountains. This training is significant and helpful, particularly if you are a novice climber. After few hours of practicing at the glacier, we stroll back to camp and after the final preparation of our equipment and packing of our mountain bags, you will have overnight rest in our teahouse in Khare. We do not spend nights at Mera Peak base camp because it is felt unnecessary lately due to many climbers. So, we spend time at higher altitudes for a long time today and sleep back at Khare.

Accommodation: Local Teahouse

Included Meals: B, L, D

We keep in mind to keep very slow speed to allow better acclimatization. First, we climb to the crest of the moraine above Khare and then up a steep slope of snow to reach a boulder-strewn bowl below the lower tongue of the Mera Glacier. The trek becomes strenuous and challenging because of the altitude and cold. When we are walking above 5000 meters, every step comes with a struggle. Although no technical climb today, making your way to Mera High Camp 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. We set up a high camp and from here the views are outstanding. From Mera High Camp, see stirring views of the five highest peaks in the world piercing the skyline- Mount Everest (8848m), Lhotse (8516m), Cho Oyu (8188m), Makalu (8485m), and Kanchenjunga (8586m). We also get good views of Mt. Baruntse (7129m), Mt. Gaurishanker (7134m), and Chamlang (7319m. This night we spend in tented camp at Mera High Camp.

Walking time: 6km/5-6 hours

Included Meals: B, L, D

Accommodation: Overnight at high camp

Included Meals: B, L, D

Today is the day we reach our target, the summit of Mera peak. We wake up very early around 1-2 pm to get prepared. We have some warm food. We will put on crampons, headlights, and rope up before setting out for the summit push. Following our climbing guide, we walk through the gradual uphill, non-technical trail- the only things that slow us is the thin air and chilly conditions. From the high camp, a well-acclimatized party will take 3 - 4 hours to get to the central summit of Mera peak. So, by 8-9 am we will be at the summit of Mera central. From the summit we take pleasure in the splendid views of Mt. Everest (8,848.8m/29,032ft), Cho-Oyu (8,201m/27,825ft), Nuptse (7,855m/25,770ft), Lhotse (8,516m/27,940ft), Makalu (8,463m/27,766ft), Shishapagma (8,027m/26,335ft), Kangchenjunga (8,586m/28,169ft), Lobuche East (6,145m/20,160ft), Chamlang (7,319m/24,013ft) are spectacular from the summit. We click plenty of pictures and exchange the joy of summit before retracing our steps back. A long but most satisfying day! We trek back to Khare which is about 4-5 hours from the summit. If time and situation allow us, we may opt to make the go over to the slightly higher north summit. The decision as to whether we attempt the north summit will be taken by the trip leader as per the conditions-since a few years Mera North has been highly perilous due to huge crevasses, so people only climb to Mera Central. Overnight in Khare.

Walking Distance : 8.6km/8-9 hours

Accommodation: Local Teahouse

Included Meals: B, L, D

This day we use to keep as a spare day, set aside in case we have to postpone the summit attempt on the peak because of bad weather or because some of us have not acclimatized well enough to make the ascent. If we are successful in making the summit on day 14, we use this day for another Ice climbing day or spent one more night at the village of Lukla or just return back to Kathmandu early.

Accommodation: Local Teahouse

Included Meals: B, L, D

After a great success of Mera peak climbing, we descend through Hinku valley to Kothe for our overnight stop in a local teahouse. We are very happy about our successful trip and enjoy the evening with local food and drinks and relax at Kothe.

Walking time: 13.5km/5-6 hours

Accommodation: Local Teahouse

Included Meals: B, L, D

Today, we again climb up through the lush forest on the west side of the Hinku Valley to Thuli Kharka below the Zatwra La. It's nice to walk through the Red Rhododendron forest. If the weather is clear, we can enjoy the views of Mera peak can and remote valleys leading up to its south side throughout our walk today.

Walking time: 8km/5-6hours

Accommodation: Local Teahouse

Included Meals: B, L, D

Leaving Thuli Kharka we reach Zatrwa La pass in about two hours. Fr om the top of the pass, Lukla valley seems beautiful with the background of many snow-capped peaks like Cho Oyu, Kusum Khangru, Kongde peak, Numbur Himal, and so on. From Zatrwa La we walk all the way down to Chutanga and then straight forward easy walk takes us to Lukla wh ere we conclude the trekking and this evening we again celebrate our successful trek and climb with good food and drinks with our crew.

Walking time: 11km/7-8 hours

Accommodation: Local Teahouse

Included Meals: B, L, D.

The early morning flight drops us in Kathmandu. Flights to Kathmandu are usually scheduled for the morning because wind can create problems to fly the aircraft in the afternoons. But sometimes the flight can be delayed and even canceled due to bad weather and other reasons that are beyond our control. So, it's wise to have a buffer day at the end of the trip if we are taking Lukla flights. You will be transferred to a hotel in Kathmandu after your arrival in Kathmandu. You can rest in your hotel, could do some last-minute shopping and packing, or stroll around Thamel. Overnight in Stay overnight at Kathmandu

Accommodation: Hotel

Included Meal: B

Today your Mera peak climbing trip comes to an end. If you have more time you can do some shopping or sightseeing. Approximately 3 hours before your scheduled flight staff from Accessible Adventure Treks and Tour will take you to the airport for your flight back home. Hope you are overtaken by Nepal, a country of hospitable people, beautiful scenery, and a large variety of cultural traditions and you will come back again for the next Himalayan adventure!

Included Meals: B