Mera Peak Climbing 17 days

Welcome to Nepal! When you arrive at Kathmandu at the Tribhuvan International Airport, a warm welcome will await you from one of the representatives of Destiny Excursion, who will ensure that you are welcomed with a lot of hospitality. You will be taken to your hotel by a comfortable personal vehicle.

Once you have checked in, you will be able to rest and have a break after travelling. There will be a welcome drink in the hotel. You will then have a briefing on your short trip with your guide. It is a good time to inquire, review the itinerary, and meet your guide and other travellers. In the evening, have a nice traditional Nepali welcome dinner in a local restaurant or hotel. It will be your initial experience of Nepali culture, food, and hospitality, which will be a nice way to begin your adventure with a smile.

• Overnight:  Hotel in Kathmandu
• Meals: Welcome Dinner

You will have breakfast at the hotel, and then your trek guide will meet you to brief you in detail about the trek. You will review the last preparations, perform the check of your equipment, and prepare for the adventure. Your guide will assist you in purchasing or renting any items that you may need at the last minute for trekking. In the afternoon, there will be some optional sightseeing in and around Kathmandu. Our representative can show you around the common tourist spots or visit the renowned Swoyambhunath Stupa (Monkey Temple), which is a serene hilltop shrine with a breathtaking sunset over the Kathmandu Valley, should you be interested.

In the evening, you will enjoy dinner at a local restaurant or your hotel and relax before your trek begins.

• Overnight: Hotel in Kathmandu
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

This day starts with a very early morning flight to Lukla, a short and beautiful flight that gives you your first glimpses of the Himalayas above. On arrival at Lukla (2,800m), you will meet your porters, reorganise your equipment, and have breakfast. The adventure starts after a brief rest and briefing on the trek! Day 1 of your trekking will lead you to Chhutanga (3,120m). The path goes up at a slow pace through lovely pine woods, over a long suspension bridge, and through a serene natural environment. On the journey, watch out for Langur monkeys, musk deer, yaks, and various types of birds. Since it is day one of trekking, we will go slow and steady so that our bodies can adapt. The total time of walking will be approximately 4 to 5 hours.

Once we arrive in Chhutanga, we will have lunch and take the rest of the day to relax and rest well for the tougher trail ahead.

• Overnight: Tea house
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

The day is one of the difficult days of the trek. Our day starts early in the morning and goes straight uphill to Zatra La Pass (4,610m). The tree line is lost as we ascend, and we are in a more open, alpine environment. It will take about 4 to 5 hours to reach the pass. The only small teahouse is located close to the pass; however, it is typically closed, which is why we will have a packed lunch with us. You will be rewarded at the top of the pass with the spectacular view of the Lukla Valley and other magnificent mountains such as Khogde Peak, Numbur Himal (6,958m), Cho Oyu (8,188m), Kusum Kanguru (6,367m) and other snow-capped mountains. It is an ideal place to take pictures and have a little break.
After enjoying the views, we begin our descent to Thuli Kharka (4,320m), which takes about 2 to 3 hours of downhill walking. Once we reach the teahouse, we can rest and recover from the long day.

• Overnight: Tea house
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

After breakfast, we start our trek to Kothe, which is mostly downhill all day. Within the first 45 minutes to an hour, we’ll get our first clear view of the south face of Mera Peak, an exciting and memorable moment that truly marks the start of our mountain journey. On the way down, we go back to lower levels and back into the pine and rhododendron forests. The path is quiet and picturesque, and you can hear birds and the river flowing. We will have lunch at a small place known as Thaktok after walking approximately 3 to 4 hours. We walk downhill gradually after lunch until we arrive at Kothe, which is a small Sherpa village that is situated along the Hinku River.

At Kothe, there is a permit checkpoint. From this point, we officially leave the Sagarmatha region and enter the Makalu Barun National Park, a beautiful and protected wilderness area. This day's walk will take around 6 to 7 hours in total, including breaks.

• Overnight: Tea house
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

After breakfast, we begin our walk to Thangnak. Today's trail is gradual and not too steep, and we walk for about 5 to 6 hours. We follow the Hinku River and walk through the beautiful Hinku Valley. All along the way, you will see amazing views of the upper valley and high snowy mountains like Kusum Kanguru (6,367m) and Mera Peak (6,476m). On the way, we will also pass a small hidden Buddhist monastery (Gompa), built into the hillside. It's a quiet and peaceful place and a great spot to stop for a short rest.

We reach Thangnak village around lunchtime and enjoy our meal there. After lunch, you can rest and take it easy for the rest of the day.

• Overnight: Tea house
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

This is an acclimatisation day, and we go on a hike to a higher location and come back to make our bodies adapt to the altitude. We have an early breakfast and begin to hike to a 5,000-meter viewpoint. The path is steep and narrow, and it takes approximately 4 hours to climb. As we get to the top, we will be able to have wonderful views of Mera Peak (South Face), Kusum Kanguru, and numerous other snowy mountains. This trail does not have teahouses and therefore we will carry a packed lunch. We will have lunch and take pictures at the viewpoint, and enjoy the silence of the mountains.
After that, we walk back down to Thangnak, which takes about 1.5 to 2 hours. In the afternoon, you can relax and rest for the next day's trek.

• Overnight: Tea house
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

After breakfast, we begin our trek to Khare, the last village before Mera Peak. The path is a slow ascent, and it follows the upper Hinku Valley, walking along the Hinku River. Now that we are at a higher altitude, you will not notice many trees; there are only some small juniper bushes on the way. The whole walk today is approximately 3 to 4 hours. Lunch will be taken at Khare itself. This is the final teahouse before the Mera Peak area, and this is a good place to rest, have a warm meal and have a rest before the climb.

Spend the rest of the day resting, staying warm, and drinking plenty of water to help your body adjust to the altitude.

• Overnight: Tea house
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 9 is another significant acclimatisation and climbing preparation day. In the morning, after breakfast, you will meet your climbing guide and you will have a complete climbing briefing and gear check. A brief training course will be conducted on a nearby hill at Khare, and you will learn to use climbing equipment such as ropes, harness and crampons. This will make you feel confident and safe towards the climb. Your guide will also inspect your equipment to ensure that everything is in good shape. In case you are short of something or it is damaged, you can hire or buy equipment at local teahouses in Khare.

We will have lunch at the teahouse, and in the afternoon, you can take a short hike to a viewpoint nearby. From there, you will get a stunning view of Mera Peak’s north face.

This day helps your body adjust to the altitude and gives you time to get fully ready for the climb.

• Overnight: Tea house
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

After breakfast, we begin a steep uphill climb to reach High Camp. The time of walking is approximately 5 to 6 hours. The first part of the trail is a gradual uphill and flat in sections. Your trekking guide will leave you at the halfway point and go back to Khare, and after that, you will proceed with your climbing guide and porter. We pull over and change gear before we get on the glacier. You will change to climbing boots, wear crampons, a harness, a helmet and be tied to your guide with a climbing rope. This path then passes over heavy ice and snow. It is also very windy in the area and so we walk slowly and steadily. After we get to High Camp (5,800m), we will have a hot lunch (usually dal bhat with vegetables). In the late afternoon, at around 3 to 4 PM, we will have an early dinner (light food such as noodle soup). There are few food choices at High Camp, and meals are basic. You will sleep early after dinner since we will start our climb to the summit at midnight, which is about 1:00 AM.

Before sleeping, don’t miss the amazing sunset view from High Camp, you will see Mount Everest, Kanchenjunga, Lhotse, Makalu, and other huge peaks glowing in the evening light.

• Overnight: Tea house
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 11 is the big day, summit day! At 1:00 AM, we get up and eat a light breakfast (boiled egg, toast, black tea). Then we dress completely in climbing gear, boots, suit, helmet, hat, gloves and sunglasses and prepare to make the final climb. It is about 2:00 AM when we start walking. The trail is not steep initially, and there are no fixed ropes. It will be extremely cold and windy with temperatures of about -15 o C - 20 o C depending on the season. Up the snowy slope we creep. There is a fixed rope in the final 50 meters to the top, and your climbing guide will ensure you use the rope safely. Our goal is to be at the top at 9:00 AM. The top of the Mera Peak (6,476m) will provide you with a spectacular sunrise and a breathtaking view of Mount Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Kanchenjunga, Ama Dablam, Nuptse, Baruntse, etc. This is because you will also have a panoramic view of the Everest, Makalu and Kanchenjunga ranges.

Take time to celebrate, take photos, and enjoy the moment! After the summit, we carefully descend back to High Camp. You will need to carry light snacks, like chocolate, energy bars, or gels, for energy along the way. We will have a light lunch at High Camp and will go down to Khare. This will be a great day, and after it, we will have a nice dinner and rest.

• Overnight: Tea house
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

We will begin our day by having breakfast, and then we will start down again to Kothe, by the same path, through the Hinku Valley, along the Hinku River. The path is a moderate downhill, and the landscape is still spectacular on the way back. The amount of walking today is approximately 5 to 6 hours. After arriving at Kothe, we will relax and recover by having lunch at the teahouse and spending the rest of the day there.

• Overnight: Tea house
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

After breakfast, we start our trek back to Thuli Kharka. The walk today is uphill, mainly through beautiful pine and rhododendron forests. We are not in a hurry, and we have a nice environment. The estimated time of walking is 5-6 hours. After arriving in Thuli Kharka, we will eat lunch in the teahouse and spend the night there.

• Overnight: Tea house
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

In the morning, after breakfast, we begin the day with a 3 to 4 hour steep uphill hike to cross the Zatra La Pass. After reaching the top, we enjoy the views and come down again in 4 to 5 hours to Lukla. In Lukla, you will be able to have a hot shower, good food, and a comfortable stay in a teahouse. It is also the place where we bid our porters farewell, who assisted us during the trek. It is your final evening in the mountains, and you can enjoy the success of the summit with the rest of the team.

• Overnight: Tea house
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

We take an early morning flight from Lukla to Kathmandu. We fly early in the morning to Kathmandu through Lukla. The flight gives a final opportunity to see the mountains in the air. After arriving in Kathmandu, you will be taken to the hotel. Once you have checked in, you can spend some time refreshing, resting and relaxing in the afternoon. You may also visit the surrounding places or have a good meal in the city.

• Overnight:  Hotel in Kathmandu
• Meals: Breakfast ,Lunch

It is a day off in Kathmandu. You can choose to spend some time in the city, visit local markets to buy souvenirs or have a walk around Kathmandu Valley. Eat the best Nepali food in the finest restaurants or in cosy cafes. It is the best day to relax, to think about your journey and to feel the atmosphere and the power of the capital.

• Overnight: Hotel in Kathmandu
• Meals: Breakfast

This is the last day of your vacation. Our representative shall take you back to your hotel and drop you off at Tribhuvan International Airport to fly back home. Hope you have a good memory of your adventure, and hope to meet you in Nepal once again. Safe travels and farewell!

• Meals: Breakfast