Climbing Mera Peak 6476m

Climbing Mera Peak is a great and rewarding, non-technical challenge within stunning mountain scenery. For this reason Mera Peak is a popular climbing objective for many adventurous people who like to gain high altitude experience. This Mera Peak trip takes you also to the remote and wild alpine areas of the Hinku and Honku Drangkas valleys in the Baruntse National park. Other than most itineraries, you will follow a beautiful and quiet approach route to Mera Peak and across the seldom visited Mingbo La (5817m) as spectacular exit point. This Mera Peak expedition guarantees absolute stunning views and some of the best trekking combined with a great Himalayan climb in Nepal!

[ Below you'll find information. Click a subject to open or close information or use the following links ]
Open all subjectsClose all subjects

+ Trip description

Off the beaten track to Mera Peak base camp

To use our time effectively, we will fly immediately to the Solo Khumbu. As soon as you arrive at the small, but busy mountain airport of Lukla, we will leave the 'Everest High way' and the normal route to Mera Peak for quiet mountain trails that leads us to the village of Pangkongma. From here we will follow an old trail across the Zattra Danda ridge through thick forests and alpine areas into Northern direction. After some valuable acclimatization days and nights at around 4000m, the old Mera Peak trail joins the normal route down to the Hinku Khola. The river bank leads you to wild and rocky areas around Tangnag and the glacial lake of Sabai Tscho.

As proper acclimatization is crucial at this stage you will climb slowly to the impressive Mera glacier and its base camp just below the glaciated Mera La. The base camp is a rocky area that can get crowded in the high seasons when many expeditions set up their camps. From Mera Peak base camp you will climb to Mera's high camp at an obvious rock at 5800m. The views to Everest and many other Himalayan peaks are absolutely stunning and one of the best in whole Nepal. From Mera Peak high camp it's a tiring snow climb to the incredible altitude of almost 6500m; Mera Peak's summit! It's a great spot to get impressed by the massive 8000m peaks such as Mt Everest (8848m), Cho Oyu (8201m), Lhotse (8501m), Makalu (8475m) and Kanchenjunga (8586m).

Crossing the remote Mingbo La 5817m

Although the summit is the point of return for most expeditions (normal route), this Mera Peak expedition takes you even further into wild and remote Nepal. From the Mera Peak base camp you will descent to the Honku valley that is dominated by Chamlang (7319m) and the Baruntse (7129m). After a few days of wild trekking you will again climb up to the moraines and the glaciers of the Mingbo La (5817m). From this absolutely beautiful high pass, you will have to abseil down for about 200 - 300 meters to the spectacular Nare glacier area just below Ama Dablam. What's left is a long descent to Ama Dablam's camp 1, its flat base camp to join the popular Everest trail back to the wealth of cozy Namche Bazar and Lukla. This Mera Peak expedition is definitely one of Nepal's best trips one can make and to be honest, it's a much better choice than the normal route to Mera Peak.

+ Itinerary & different options

[ Arrival in Kathmandu / free days ]

Mera Peak Expedition via Pangkongma & Mingbo La		Different options
1 - Kathmandu - Briefing 2 - Lukla - Puiyan 3 - Pangkongma 4 - Kutki 5 - Rest & acclimatization 6 - Egrati 7 - Taktok 8 - Kothe 9 - Tangnak 10 - Dig Kharka 11 - Khare 12 - Mera Peak Base Camp	13 - Rest & acclimatization 14 - Mera Peak High Camp 15 - Summit Mera Peak 16 - Spare summit day 17 - Chamlang Kharka 18 - Mingbo La Base Camp 19 - Mingbo La - Nare Glacier 20 - Tengboche 21 - Namche Bazar 22 - Lukla 23 - Kathmandu	15 days - Mera Peak / Normal route 25 days - Mera peak / Amphu Labtsa 28 days - Mera Peak / Amphu L. / Island Peak 29 days - Sherpani Col / Mera Peak 29 days - Sherpani Col / Amphu Labtsa Do you prefer a different route or itinerary? Just contact us and we will be more than happy to think with you and organize the tailor made trip you're looking for...

[ End of services / free days / departure / continue travelling ]

+ What's included & excluded in the price?

To make things easy for you, we have put together different service packages that suit most people. However, if you want to make it really special, we also provide full tailor made services. Have a look at the fixed packages first or download a detailed comparison sheet.

» Download Comparison Sheet (pdf)

Summit Service - Pro
The Pro package provides you a full organized and guided expedition until the summit. This package includes organizational arrangements, a complete professional, experienced staff & crew, all needed equipment, all services and luxuries that makes your entire expedition as comfortable as possible. The staff takes care of all tasks and activities, you are not required to help.

Summit Service - Basic
The Basic package provides you a full organized and guided expedition until the summit. This package includes organizational arrangements, a small professional, experienced staff & crew, essential equipment & services only, without the luxuries of the Pro package. Although professionally organized, this package is much more basic and adventurous, you are required to help with all tasks and activities.

Base Camp Services
Base Camp services are not available in this trip

+ How difficult is this trip?

We have rated this Mera Peak Expedition with DO-E2. This means that it's a streneous to very streneous trip while the climbing sections are easy (facile) to little difficult (peu difficile). Have a look at a general description of these codes! Below we'll try to describe the specific difficulties of this trip.

To Mera Peak Base Camp and its Summit
The trek to Mera Peak base camp does not require specific experience or skills. You just should feel comfortable walking on steep, rocky, slippery and unstable terrain. Climbing Mera Peak from the base camp is not very technical as most of the slopes vary from an angle of 10 to 35 degrees. However, there are some crevassed areas that have to be crossed. Almost every year the summit section changes. Sometimes the last part becomes a bit difficult due to crevasses or a short, steep climb that requires the use of fixed rope and a jumar (ascender).

The crossing of Mingbo La
The descent of the Mingbo La is a more technical section, requiring a steep and long abseil. Descending the Nare glacier requires smart route finding in a heavily crevassed area. To ensure safety, ropes will be fixed at all difficult sections. The Nare glacier may be very icy with very complicated (broken) sections.

In general...
You should feel comfortable with basic rock and alpine climbing techniques in winter conditions. This includes the following techniques: using ice axe and crampons, abseiling. This expedition is open for trekkers/climbers with basic mountaineering experience or fit and keen trekkers who like to gain mountaineering experience at higher altitudes. It's an advantage if you have previous experience in winter camping and basic rock and alpine climbing techniques, although this is not mandatory. Basic alpine climbing training is built into the trips itinerary. As you’re part of a group during difficult situations and demanding activities, you must have experience in working and living in and with a group of people who share the same, common goal. An easy going, flexible attitude is a must.

+ What clothes & equipment do I need?

After booking we will send you a final, detailed clothes & equipment list with all the required clothes and (climbing) equipment that you need for this trip. To get a really good idea what you will get from us, you may download an example equipment list.

» Download an Example Equipment List (pdf)

+ What is the best time to make this trip?

An indication of best seasons to make this trip (stable weather and clear views)

• Spring: March, April, May
• Autumn: October, November

Indication of temperatures: (depending on weather conditions)

• Below 5000m varying from: Day time: +10ºC / +30ºC. Night time: -5ºC / +15ºC
• Above 5000m varying from: Day time: -5ºC / +10ºC. Night time: -15ºC / -25ºC

Rain may be expected in the lower areas around Lukla and Pangkongma. If you like to try to avoid a late monsoon and possible flight cancellations, you should start this trip from half October. Normally, the weather will be more stable by then. However, mountain storms and fog are unpredictable and can arise quickly, changing trekking & climbing conditions dramatically. Rain, snow and strong winds are always possible.