Mera Peak

The Approach Trek

This is the highest trekking peak in Nepal, standing at 6476m/21246 ft, and is situated in an uninhabited and unspoilt part of Nepal to the south-east of Everest. Whilst the summit of Mera is our ultimate goal, the outstanding feature of this trip is the trek through the Hinku valley which is one of the wildest and most beautiful in Nepal. This will allow us to sample a true 'wilderness experience' en route to Mera.

We start the trek by flying to Lukla and from here proceed slowly to the east, crossing the Zatr La, and after nine days trekking we eventually reach the Mera La where we site our base camp.

 

On the trail to the Zatr La

 

Mera Peak Trek - The Climb

From the Mera La it is possible to ascend to the summit in one day, but we will make use of a high camp to increase our chances of success. The steady climb to the north summit rewards our efforts with one of the finest viewpoints in Nepal, giving fantastic views of five 8000m peaks, Everest and Lhotse to the north, Kanchenjunga and Makalu to the east, and Cho Oyu to the west.

This trek is a fully equipped camping trek with accommodation in two person tents and food being cooked by our kitchen staff. Transport to and from the Everest region is by air. 

 

References

'I had visited many remote parts of the world on my own, but used Trek Nepal for a trip to Mera Peak in 1997. I was impressed by their professionalism and their flexibility, which allowed me to manage my itinerary to suit my needs, and make a side trip to see the famous Mani Rimdu festival at Tengpoche monastery' Mike, UK

Outline itinerary

Day	Program	Altitude
1	Arrive Kathmandu, transfer from airport to hotel	1300 m
2	At leisure in Kathmandu, preparation for trek
3	Fly to Lukla, trek to Chutanga	3100 m
4	Acclimatisation day at Chutanga	3100 m
5	Cross Zatr La to Tuli Kharka	4400 m
6	Tuli Kharka to Kothe	3600 m
7	Kothe to Tangnag	4350 m
8	Acclimatisation Day at Tangnag	4350 m
9	Tangnag to Khare	5100 m
10	Acclimatisation Day at Khare	5100 m
11	Khare to Mera La	5415 m
12	Mera La to High Camp	5800 m
13	Ascent of Mera Peak (6476m), return to Base Camp at Mera La	5415 m
14	Spare Day
15	Mera La to Tangnag	4350 m
16	Tangnag to Kothe	3600 m
17	Kothe to Tuli Kharka	4400 m
18	Tuli Kharka to Lukla	2800 m
19	Fly to Kathmandu
20	At leisure in Kathmandu
21	Transfer from hotel to airport, fly home

 

Day by day itinerary

Day 1
Arrive Kathmandu, transfer from airport to hotel

Day 2
At leisure in Kathmandu, preparation for trek

Day 3
Fly to Lukla, trek to Chutanga

After a very early start, and an early take off from Kathmandu Domestic Airport, a 45 minute flight is all it takes to propel us into the Everest region of Nepal. The landing at Lukla (2800m) is spectacular and on arrival we are greeted by our sirdar and trekking crew who organise the luggage and hustle us off for tea. After a leisurely lunch we start the trek in earnest, heading south-east towards Chutanga (3100m), where we camp for the night.

Day 4
Acclimatisation day at Chutanga

Acclimatisation is important before trekking higher, and this is the first of three scheduled stops which will allow us to gradually become used to the effects of altitude - the lower pressure and the thinner air. We will aid the acclimatisation process by climbing up towards the Zatr La before returning to Chutanga for lunch.

Day 5
Cross Zatr La to Tuli Kharka

Today we cross the Zatr La into the Hinku Valley. At 4600m the pass is high and hence we will make a slow ascent before continuing down the hillside into the Hinku valley, to Tuli Kharka (4400m) where we will camp. On crossing the pass we obtain fantastic views of Kwangde to the east and even up to Cho Oyu in the north.

Day 6
Tuli Kharka to Kothe

We are now in the Hinku valley proper with its forested hillsides and wilderness environment. From Tuli Kharka we initially traverse the hillside, crossing several spurs, and eventually reaching a point where we obtain our first view of Mera. From here the trail descends steeply through forest to reach the river, and this is where we take our lunch. After lunch we continue up the west side of the Hinku Drangka to our campsite at Kothe (3600m). This is a delightful spot by the river with fantastic views up the valley.

Day 7
Kothe to Tangnag

The trail follows the west bank of the Hinku Valley northwards; the trail is straightforward and it is a gentle climb through a wide valley, and at all times we are surrounded by spectacular mountains - Kusum Kanguru to the west and Mera to the east. We make our way to Tangnag (4350m) where we will camp for the next two nights.

Day 8
Acclimatisation Day at Tangnag

This is our second acclimatisation day and it will pay dividends as we trek higher towards our ascent of Mera. The day can be spent exploring or simply resting for the climb ahead.

Day 9
Tangnag to Khare

From Tangnag the trail turns eastwards where it follows the lateral moraine of the Dig glacier. We pass the stunningly beautiful glacial lake of Sabai Tsho and continue ever upwards to our campsite at Khare (5100m), situated below the Mera glacier. The distance from Tangnag to Khare is short, but we are now above 5000m for the first time and hence we trek very slowly up to Khare, stopping often to take in the stunning views.

Day 10
Acclimatisation Day at Khare

This is our third acclimatisation day and it will pay dividends as we trek higher towards our ascent of Mera. The day can be spent exploring or simply resting for the climb ahead.

Day 11
Khare to Mera La

From Khare we climb onto the Mera glacier and follow it to the pass known as the Mera La (5415m). Again this is a short day in terms of distance but we will take our time and adopt a steady pace to ensure that we allow for the gain in altitude. The Mera La is a spectacular camp site and we have great views up to Mera Peak.

Day 12
Mera La to High Camp

From our base camp at the Mera La it is possible to make the summit and return in one day in good conditions, however we will establish a high camp at 5800m near a rocky outcrop on the Mera glacier. From here we are treated to superb views of many of the Himalayan giants in the surrounding region. Above us, we can see the Central Summit which stands at the head of a wide glacier flanked by two ridges.

Day 13
Ascent of Mera Peak, return to Base Camp at Mera La

Setting off early in the morning we will make the ascent of Mera. Although, technically, Mera is a relatively straight-forward ascent, it still takes us between 6-7 hours to reach the higher Northern Summit at 6476m. Our hard work is rewarded with one of the finest mountain views in the world giving fantastic views of five 8000m peaks - Everest and Lhotse to the north, Kanchenjunga and Makalu to the east, and Cho Oyu to the north-west. We then return to Base Camp on the Mera La.

Day 14
Spare Day

We allow a spare “buffer” day in case of bad weather.

Day 15
Mera La to Tangnag

With the ascent of Mera behind us we can relax and retrace our steps back down the Hinku Valley.

Day 16
Tangnag to Kothe

We continue to retrace our steps and make an easy descent to Kothe where we camp again by the river.

Day 17
Kothe to Tuli Kharka

The hard work starts again as we have to reverse our route in and climb up the side of the Hinku Valley on the trail that takes us to Tuli Kharka. From high upon the ridge we obtain our final view of Mera.

Day 18
Tuli Kharka to Lukla

The final day of our trip - we ascend to the Zatr La and cross the pass, leaving the Hinku Valley behind. From here it is all downhill as we descend back to Lukla and a well deserved beer.

Day 19
Fly to Kathmandu

We return to the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu with a 45 minute flight back to the domestic airport. Here you will be greeted and transferred back to your hotel in Kathmandu. Arrival times back into Kathmandu vary, however it is usual to arrive back at your hotel by mid-afternoon.

Day 20
At leisure in Kathmandu

Day 21
Transfer from hotel to airport, fly home

Map Mera Peak