Mt. Mera 6470m.

Namaste! And welcome to Kathmandu, the colourful capital of Nepal where ornately carved balconies mingle with beautiful shrines and temples. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting on arrival at the exit gate of Kathmandu airport. Our staff will welcome you and pick you to your accommodated hotel. Please seek our company palmplate to find our staff at the main exit gate of the airport. Rest of the day you can relax at the hotel or short evening walk around local market on your own as per your wish.

A well deserved rest day at cosy of hotel after a long tiring flight. This day, one can move around nearby local market to purchase or hire trekking equipment that is necessary for the trekking like sleeping bags, walking sticks etc, exchange currency as requirement or simply walk around in the local market or Kathmandu Durbar squire nearby with small entrance fee as per your preference on your own. In this day our staff will issue NMA Peak climbing permit. Evening at the hotel lobby there will be pre-trip briefing in which you will be introduced with your trekking guide and explained about your trip in short, instruction for safety etc.

Today the spectacular flight to Lukla is on the program. It is always an exciting moment because the weather conditions, mainly visibility and wind, determine whether our flight departs on time. After landing in Lukla, which is at over 2800 meters, we descend to the nearby but approximately 700 meters lower Surke to cross the river. A steep climb to Chutok La follows. The rest of the trek to Paiya is undulating and therefore a good end to our first day of walking.

Due to work at the international airport of Kathmandu, there are currently no flights from Kathmandu to Lukla. Flights therefore leave from Ramechap Domestic Airport, approximately 4.5 hours drive from Kathmandu.

Today we cross the Piya Khola river via a sturdy wooden bridge. On the other side a steep climb awaits us to reach Kari La. Today we also end with a relaxed fairly flat route, now to the village of Panggom.

Now that we have already warmed up nicely, we walk over rougher terrain today. Our path winds and meanders along the foot of the Zatrwa massif. Many short but steep ascents and descents put our bodies to work. Fortunately, we can recover well afterwards in our lodge in Ramailo Danda.

We now really leave the beaten track and encounter fewer and fewer houses along the way. That is why we take our own packed lunch. The day starts with a steep climb to Ramailo Dada, followed by a zigzag path down to the Tama Khola river. We continue through a mixed forest of bamboo and rhododendron, a special experience at this altitude when you consider that the tree line in the Alps is between 1800 and 2200 meters

Today we continue through the jungle, over steeper up and down terrain. We pass the village of Tashing Ongma and then head downhill to Mosom Kharka and the Inkhu Khola River. We follow the wild river to the village of Kothe and the lodge where we will spend the night.

Via the bed of the Hinku Drangka we go around and through the rubble further north into the valley. The moraine dam of the Sabal-Thso lake broke a few years ago and the resulting flood wave has caused enormous devastation in the Hinku valley. Just before Tangnag there is a small Gompa where we and our Nepali crew can make a final offering to bless the climb.
During the quiet climb up we will have a view of the Kyashar (6770 meters). The valley becomes narrower and is wedged between the Kusum Kang Guru and Mera West. The lodges at Tangnag (Tibetan for `black square`) are a great place to stay for two days. We have time in the afternoon to do the laundry and let all the wet stuff dry.

We are now at 4350 meters and you can feel it: everything you do leads to panting and everything feels heavy. We are now taking the time for the first time to let the body get used to this altitude. It is an essential step to have better chances of reaching the top of Mera Peak later.
We make an acclimatization trip and try to get as high as possible to the plateau of 5000m, so that we can get used to exerting ourselves better at low air pressure. The view of Mera from this height is also not to be missed!
We return to Tangnag for lunch. If you feel like it and have the energy, you can walk along the northern slopes in the afternoon to see the remains of Sabai Tsho.

It is now becoming increasingly rough around us. Along the lateral moraines of the Dig glacier we walk quietly, first slightly ascending and later steeper to Khare where we set up base camp at ±5000 meters. On the way we have a view of the Hinku Nup glacier.
The weather conditions, snow conditions and the physical condition of the individual participants play a very large role from now on. Here we will also make a final decision about the logistical and technical approach of the next three days. One thing is certain, the nights will be cold and due to the altitude and the tension before the climb we probably won't sleep very well.

Khare is the starting point for the ascent of Mera Peak. This is the last place with lodges, mainly for the porters, and tent sites on terraces next to the huts. In the morning we continue with extensive exercises with the equipment, with going on a rope and prusiking up and down on a fixed rope.
Those who feel well and are in the mood can make an excursion to the Mera La glacier higher up in the afternoon. "Climb high and sleep low" is an important advice for your acclimatization.

This is the first part of the real climb to the top, where we need our crampons again. The first part is a bit steep and if necessary we will attach a fixed rope here. However, the largest part of the journey over the glacier is slightly undulating.
High Camp is located between the rocks that form the separation between the Mera glacier and the Naulekh glacier. There is not too much space so it will be a bit of a squeeze.
The panorama is a festival of seven and eight thousanders such as: Kanchenjunga, Chamlang, Makalu, Baruntse, Lothse, Cho Oyu and of course Everest. This place is not considered one of the most beautiful viewpoints in Nepal for nothing. Tent overnight.

Today is the day that has dominated our thoughts for a while. The day of truth. Who will reach the top? In the dark of the night we get up and prepare for the climb.
It will be a long journey, we will travel diagonally westwards across this icy landscape of about 30 degrees. A little wind can already cause very low temperatures, so we have to be alert for frostbite.
Our climbing Sherpa will attach a fixed rope for the last meters to the top: a steep climb. We will use our ice axes and jumars to cover the last 30 meters (about 55 degrees). Despite the low technical difficulty, every meter at this height requires a lot of effort.
However, all discomforts are quickly forgotten when we reach the top. The view is everything you could wish for, including the mighty Everest in the distance.
When we can report our success at base camp after the long descent, we are overjoyed.

We will go from Khare directly back to Khote and it will not be too difficult for us to do this part in one day. We are well acclimatized and it is almost constantly going downhill.
We can tell our stories to the groups that are still going up and they will listen eagerly to our findings and advice.

Today it goes uphill again. We take a new route to Chetera La. This new path is a faster way to the village and also offers a fantastic view of the Mera.

Our last day of trekking, which can certainly be tough. We climb a series of ridges before reaching the Zatrwa La Pass. The terrain here is quite rugged and we can clearly see both the Hinku Valley and the southern side of Mera.
We descend Zatr Og, a rocky outcrop, and head downhill back to the Dudh Koshi Valley. Here we enter forested terrain again. Together with the farmland on the edge of Lukla, this forms a stark contrast to the surroundings of the last few days.

This is the reserve day that we can use if we encounter bad weather during the summit attempt or if we are delayed somewhere during the trip, for example due to flight problems.

Today we go back to Kathmandu. Waiting for these planes is always a nerve-wracking activity, because it is never certain whether the weather will remain good or whether there are more people waiting before us. Finally, the time has come. We are in the plane and bounce down the steep runway. Spectacular!

Due to work at the international airport of Kathmandu, there are currently no flights between Kathmandu and Lukla. Flights therefore go to/from Ramechap Domestic Airport, approximately 4.5 hours drive from Kathmandu.

Showering, buying souvenirs, enjoying a beer on one of the many terraces in the city, calling home to tell a story, emailing in one of the cyber cafes, telling tough stories to those who have just arrived, going to that temple we hadn't seen yet or lazing around on the roof of the hotel. Everything is possible. Kathmandu is buzzing and so are we after this fantastic trip.

We say 'Namaste' for memories that will last a lifetime. There are no activities planned for today and you are able to depart the hotel at any time. Check out time from the hotel is at 12 noon. If you are departing later, you can arrange luggage storage at the hotel. For your final departure, our staff will pick you up from the hotel and transfer to Kathmandu airport approximately 3 hours prior to your international flight time.