Mera Peak, the highest trekking peak, stands tall at the height of 6476 m from the sea level in the Mahalangur section, Barun sub-section of the Himalayas. Located in the isolated Hinku Valley towards the south of Mt. Everest, Mera peak has three significant summits; namely Mera North (6476 m), Mera Central (6461 m), and Mera South at (6065 m).
Extensively explored by the British Expedition team including Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, before as well as after the successful ascent to Everest, Mera Peak (North) was first climbed in 1975 by Marcel Jolly, G. Baus, and L. Honills. However, Mera Central was climbed in May 1953 by Col. Jimmy Roberts and Sen Tenzing.
The standard route to the summit lies towards the North and involves high-altitude glacier walking. A number of routes have been discovered to the summit of Mera Peak, out of which West and South facing ridges are a bit tougher, demanding technical skills in peak climbing while the route towards the North is easier and standard. Any keen trekker with experience in high-altitude trekking can opt for Mera Peak climbing as it is a technically straightforward ascent. The top of the summit offers magnificent vistas of Mt Everest, Mt. Makalu, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Cho Oyu, Mt. Kanchenjunga, and other snow-capped peaks in the Khumbu region. The challenge that it poses is worth the reward it offers upon successful ascent to the summit.
The standard route takes the climbers through the Zwatra La Pass at 4160 m presenting the opportunity to get acquainted with the local culture, traditions, and lifestyle of the local Sherpas. You will also be mesmerized by the diverse ecosystem, floras and faunas, and unique landscapes as you move along. You will have an opportunity to witness the remoteness and serenity of the lesser-visited Hinku Valley. Expect fewer teahouses as compared to the numbers on the trail to Everest. You will be walking on rugged and steep paths so make sure you are physically strong and mentally prepared for the exotic yet challenging trip to Mera Peak.
After all, you will be gaining victory over the snowy peak above 6000 m with basic trekking skills. Join us on the adventurous journey to Mera Peak. We make your travel fun-filled and memorable as no one does.
White Himalayan Adventure Treks representative will meet you at Tribhuwan International Airport. You will then be transferred to your hotel in Kathmandu city.
On this day, we prepare for this great journey. This includes meeting with a guide, checking necessary climbing equipment and a tour briefing.
Today, we will take an early morning scenic flight from Ramechhap to the airstrip in Lukla. Lukla is the gateway to Khumbu and the entire Everest region. From Lukla, we start our trek heading east into the thick forest on the hillside below the Kalo Himal Ridge. There are several trails that head away from the main trail on this section, so sticking to the group is the best option before arriving at Chhutang.
Leaving Chhutang we will follow the trail that gradually ascends and steepens as we head towards the crossing of Zatrawala Pass at 4600 meters. Our tiring climb to the top of the pass is rewarded with magnificent views of Numbur Himal, Kongdi Ri, Karyolang Peak and other surrounding peaks. Our trek goes along a level path for almost two hours before descending all the way to Tuli Kharka.
From Tuli Kharka, our trail is a mixture of both uphill and downhill trekking through dense forest filled with rhododendron, oak, pine and juniper trees. During our trek, we will have magnificent views of Mera Peak and surrounding snow-capped peaks. A steep descent to the Hinku River and a final uphill climb will lead us to Kothe. Kothe lies to the west side of the Hinku valley and offers serene wilderness with lush vegetation to trekkers.
Our trail from Kothe goes along the ridge of the Hinku river towards Gondishung. We will pass through Lungsumgba Gompa which was built approximately 200 years ago. Here we can find Mera Peak along with its route scripted in rock, a fantastic example of rock carving architecture. Our trek continues along a rather easy walking trail that leads to the summer grazing area of Thangnak where there are shops and tea houses.
Our trail from Thangnak goes over the lateral moraine towards Hinku Nup and Shar Glaciers. From there, the trek involves a steep climb all the way to Khare. We will enjoy the magnificent view of the Northern Face of Mera Peak from Khare. Besides, Khare offers a number of good hikes for exploration and acclimatization.
Acclimatization is essential in higher altitudes to avoid mental and physical sickness. As we are above the 5000 meters altitude, we will spend a rest day at Khare for acclimatization and exploration. Our peak climbing guide team will make necessary checks on our climbing gears including ropes, ice axes, crampons, harness, and other equipment before heading further to higher camps.
Leaving Khare, we start our short but technically demanding trek towards Mera Peak Base Camp. Our trail is a gradual ascend over to the Mera Glacier. We will climb steeply towards the top of the glacier before traversing along the glacier to finally arrive at Mera Peak Base Camp. Once at the base camp, our Sherpa crew will quickly set up the camp and make necessary preparations for further trekking.
Leaving the base camp, we will follow the trail that climbs over through Mera La Pass and continue trekking along the rocky and often snow-covered trail towards Mera Peak High Camp. Once at the high camp, our sherpa crew will quickly set up the camps and make necessary checks on our health conditions and climbing gears. From the high camp, we can enjoy amazing views of Everest, Makalu, Nuptse, Cho Oyu, Baruntse, and Chamlang.
Today is the day we all have been desperately waiting for. Properly equipped and fully acclimatized, we start early with the aim to reach the summit before noon. Strong winds after midday can create obstacles in reaching the summit. We start around 2 in the morning and after having breakfast we climb up the glacier and onto a ridge. Once at the top, we are rewarded with magnificent views of five spectacular 8000-meter peaks – Everest 8848 m, Cho Oyu 8201m, Makalu 8463 m, Kanchenjunga 8586 m as well as Nuptse 7855 m and Chamlang 7319 m. After spending quality time at the Mera Peak summit, we will descend using the same route and head back to reach Khare for our overnight stay.
After having achieved our target – the summit of Mera Peak, we will retrace our steps from Khare and pass through Thangnak before heading further towards Kothe. With mostly downhill trekking, we will leave the high altitudes and enter into the dense sub-tropical forest filled with rhododendron, oak, pine and birch trees. We trek until we arrive at Kothe.
Leaving Kothe, our trail is uphill trekking through dense rhododendron forest that goes over the western section of Hinku valley towards Tuli Kharka. Duration 6-7 hours From Tuli Kharka we can enjoy the magnificent views of Mera North, Mera Central and south face of Mera Peak.
Today is the last day of our trekking. From Tuli Kharka we will ascend for the crossing of Chhatrawala Pass and from the top of the pass, we descend to finally arrive back to Lukla. In the evening, we will celebrate the successful Mera Peak Climb.
We will take an early morning scenic flight from Lukla back to Ramechhap. Drive back to Kathmandu and transfer to hotel. Enjoy your leisure time at Kathmandu.
Today, last day in amazing Nepal with great experience and fond memories of Mera Peak Climbing, as per your time for an international flight, White Himalayan Adventure Trekking member transfer you to the airport for your final departure homeward bound or to your next destinations.
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