Mera Peak (6,476 m/21,247 ft) is famed as the world's highest trekking mountain and is located in Hinku Valley in northern Nepal. Mera South, Mera North, and Mera Central are the three summits of Mera that you will ascend in the Mera Peak Expedition. The trek has been the most challenging ever in Nepal. To tackle the Mera Peak Climb, you must have prior expertise in climbing at a high altitude. All hikers, whether expert or novice, who want to reach Mera Peak must have to experience higher mountain climbing. The thrilling trek begins from Lukla and passes through the isolated Khumbu region to the Zatar La pass at the elevation of 4,610m after which it continues to the base camp for the Mera Peak Climb.

The majority of the climb necessitates the use of basic crampon and ice axe techniques during the Mera Peak Expedition. From the great Mera Peak, it is possible to see five of the world's tallest mountains, namely Cho Oyu (8,201 m/26,906 ft), Lhotse (8,516 m/27,939 ft), Everest (8,848 m/29,028 ft), Makalu (8,463 m/27,765 ft), and Kangchenjunga (8,586 m/28,169 ft). The Mera Peak in Nepal is also regarded as the entrance to Everest. Most Mountaineers frequently start their journey up the Himalayas on this comparatively simple peak, opening the door to more challenging climbs in the future.

Difficulties during the Mera Peak Expedition

Altitude Sickness

Wherever you are in mountains, altitude is the biggest concern for you. You may face mountain sickness in higher elevation areas above 3500 meters. Traveling to Mera Peak from Kathmandu at just 1400 meters, to its highest peak, at 6,476 meters is a huge altitude change. As a result, you may susceptibly develop acute mountain sickness (AMS) or altitude sickness. 

Temperature/Weather

Higher regions have erratic weather and temperatures. Snowfall and a sharp drop in temperature could happen at any time in these regions. And if that occurs, the challenge of your already challenging trip up Mera Peak will increase. Therefore, any significant change in the weather or temperature might make climbing more challenging.

Distance

You will travel a minimum of 125 kilometers when ascending Mera Peak. As the Mera Peak expedition's paths and ascents are difficult, precipitous, and snowy, it is not simple to go such a long distance on such challenging trails.

Route

There are three ways to climb Mera Peak, and each is in its way challenging or simple. The shortest but most challenging route is the first route. The second route, compared to the former approach, is simpler. The difficulty level of climbing Mera Peak differs with the routes.

Physical condition

A sound fitness level is a minimum need even if the Mera peak trip does not involve any technical climbing. The beginning of the physical activities is required at least two to three months before the climb.

Best Time for the Mera Peak Expedition

If you've gone to Nepal before for an adventure, you might know when it's best to go climbing or trekking. Most of the visitors prefer the best seasons to climb Mera Peak in the fall and spring. In this season, there is little risk of snowfall or rain throughout these seasons, and the temperature is also constant. However, the two seasons of winter and monsoon are regarded as the off-season in Nepal for all adventurous excursions. The coldest season of the year is winter, and the monsoon season is when it rains the most. The two biggest dread of every climb is rain and snow. Thus, spring and autumn are the two ideal seasons for hiking Mera Peak Expedition.

Itinerary

Day 01: Arrival day in Kathmandu (1,300m/4,264 ft)

Welcome to the country of the Himalayas. Our representative greets you upon arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport and helps you with the transfer to your hotel in Kathmandu. After reaching the airport, You will meet and be transferred for a welcome dinner and trip briefing at a traditional Nepalese restaurant in the center of Kathmandu with someone from Nepal Vision Treks.

Day 02: Rock climbing/ Kathmandu Valley sightseeing & trip preparation

We travel three kilometers to Balaju, a natural rock climbing location during the day. You would participate in a three to four-hour rock climbing training course while being escorted by a climbing specialist to master the necessary climbing techniques, including how to use a rope, ice axe, crampons, etc. that will be practiced to attempt Mera.

Day 03: Fly to Lukla (2,800m/9,186ft), 40 minutes flight

You'll be taken to the domestic airport this morning to catch a flight to Lukla. After that, your camp will be set up camp, where you'll keep your belongings there, serve lunch, and use the remaining time to tour the neighborhood and learn about Sherpa culture.

Day 04: Trek to Chutanga (3,430m/11,250ft), 3-4 hrs walks

Today’s easy walk follows through several hamlets and wood yards until we arrive at a dense forest of silver fir, birch, pine, and rhododendron trees and bushes on the hillside below Nau Lekh, also known as Kalo Himal Ridge.

Day 05: Trek to Chhatre Danda (4,000m/13,160ft), 5-6 hrs

Our trip starts with a difficult climb to cross the Kalo Himal Ridge in the Nau Lekh range, which separates the Khumbu from the Hinku Valley, as we continue our trek after the first day at Chutanga. The path next crosses a boulder slope circles a corner and climbs once more to the Zatrwa-La at 4,600 m from this little pass, known as the Zatrwa Og. We will descend from here in less than an hour after arriving at a big boulder that will serve as our campsite for the night at Tuli Kharka.

Day 06: Trek to Mausum Kharka (3,430m/11,250ft), 3-4 hrs walks

After setting up camp at Tuli Kharka, today's hike will be short and downhill. From here, you can also see the South Face of Mera Peak as it re-enters the forest. The trail descends steeply into the Hinku Valley. We set our camp in a tent camp in the area known as Mousum Kharka near the Hinku Drangka River.

Day 07: Trek to Thagnag (4,360m/14,301ft), 5-6 hrs walk

Following the west bank of the Hinku Drangka northward from Mousum Kharka, our route eventually emerges from the forest, the valley widens, and we arrive at a pasture and small kharkas which means the barns and a shade of the shepherds then used for grazing goats, sheep, and yaks. The trek passes through Lungsamba as the valley narrows between the flanks of Kusum Kanguru, 6,369 meters to the west, and the truncated far-western peak of Mera, 6,255 meters. 

Day 08: Rest day for acclimatization

A rest day worth taking for acclimatization and a local hike in this beautiful setting, surrounded by spectacular peaks, especially Peak 43, which soars to a height of 6,769 meters. Spending time there will help you properly acclimatize.

Day 09: Trek to Khare (5,000m/16,400ft), 4-5 hrs walk

After having a nice day in Thagnag, our target for today is a short day hike of 4-5 hours, but we'll take it slowly to acclimate and take in the view. We will then reach a high point with cairns viewing the glacial lake by following a reasonably decent trail that ascends across the moraine that dams the Charpatti Tal. We arrive at Khare for our overnight after traveling a trail across a mountainside covered with boulders for more than an hour.

Day 10: Rest Day/ Ice Climbing near Khare

We have a rest day today to allow for acclimatization, or you can go for an hour uphill to receive ice climbing instruction. In addition, there are several worthwhile climbs from Khare. We will then return to our tented camp for the night of the evening.

 Day 11: Trek to Mera Base Camp (5000m/16400ft), 3-4 hrs walk 

We made our final camp below the snowline after a tough ascent out of the valley and up via lateral moraine and grassy culverts. Although the path itself is pretty simple, everyone must use solid fundamental techniques and be cautious of changing conditions. There are also objective hazards.

Day 12: Trek to Mera High Camp (5,800m/19,024ft), 5-6 hrs walk

After less than two hours of arduous walking from Khare, we ascend the moraine, follow the crest to the bottom of the black, steep scree slope, and then zigzag our way up to the top as we stare across a boulder-strewn bowl to the lower tongue of the Mera Glacier. Then, After another hour of cautious walking, the trail traverses the bowl and then ascends the terrain to the right of the tongue to a sizable rock platform next to the glacier. If the weather is good when you arrive at High Camp, a panoramic vista of Kanchenjunga appears far to the east, and we set up camp there.

Day 13: Climb off Mera (6,476m/21,247ft) and descend to Khare (5,025m/16,486ft)

Early in the morning (between 2 and 5 am) is when the summit bid will be made from the high camp, and it will take 4 to 6 hours to reach the top. As the sun rises, we are treated to stunning vistas of Makalu (8481m), Chamlang (7319m), and Baruntse (7129m) across to Nau Lekh (6360m), the great peak in the region. The day will be long, and at this point, all of your preparation, your approach to the journey, and your positive outlook will come together to give you the strength and confidence you need to work effectively in a team and have the best odds of reaching the peak

Day 14: Return back to Gothey(3600m/11,812ft)

After the trek to Mera Peak Climb had tremendous success, we descended the Hinku Valley to Gothey, where we would spend the night. We travel to Gothey for the night while taking in the spectacular views of the Himalayan valley and other mountains that will be an extreme trek back. In the evening, we unwind at the camp while sipping local wines or doing whatever we choose.

Day 15: Trek to Tuli Kharka ( 4250m/13,944ft)

After breakfast, we then make our way through the verdant forest on the west side of the Hinku Valley to the campsite at Tuli Kharka, which is located below the Zatwra La.

Day 16: Trek back to Lukla via crossing Zatrwa la (4,600m/15,093ft)

After breakfast, we now begin our final day of hiking. Our final ascent of the journey will be a few hundred meters up to the peak of Zatrwa La today, a little much. After reaching the summit, we descended to the settlement of Lukla, where the trekking portion was completed. This evening, crews enjoyed one more dinner atop the mountain before spending the night in a teahouse.

Day 17: Fly back to Kathmandu, 40 minute's flight

Normally, the trip to Kathmandu is scheduled for the morning; however, due to windy conditions in the afternoon, there is a chance that the flight time may be delayed for a variety of reasons, some of which are out of our control. 

Day 18: Departure from Kathmandu

The final day of your trip. You will be transferred to the international airport if you are departing to catch a flight to another location.

Cost for the Mera Peak Expedition

With Nepal Vision Treks & Expedition, you’ll pay around US $2580 per person for the Mera Peak Expedition. The cost includes the charges for the vehicles, your accommodation in the valley, dinner in the city and the domestic airfares also. Also, the charges include the full board meal, accommodation during the trek, necessary paperwork, entry fee, permits, and a TIMS card. You’ll also be provided with a down jacket and four seasonal sleeping bags by Nepal Vision Treks. The First Aid exclusive medical kit bag and all government local taxes are also included in the cost. Hurry up and book your dates with us for the upcoming Mera Peak Expedition.