Mera and Island Peaks Climbing

Arrive in Kathmandu at any time. Our airport representative will welcome you and explain the program further. There are no planned activities for the day, so check into the hotel. Enjoy your overnight stay at the hotel.

This day is reserved for the final preparations for the trek and climbing. You will be focusing on checking your gears and packing the necessary equipment. You may leave all unnecessary belongings at the hotel and re-pack only the necessary items for the trip.

Overnight stay at the hotel. Meals: Breakfast included.

The 265 km drive from Kathmandu to Phaplu (2,413m/7,916 ft) takes approximately 7-8 hours. This drive is a common starting point for both Mera Peak and Island Peak climbs, acting as a gateway to the Solu Khumbu region. The route primarily follows the Dhulikhel Khurkot – Ghurmi Madya Pahadi highway. The road conditions are rough, with some portions being bumpy.

Overnight stay at the Guesthouse, breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

The drive to Khari Khola and trek to Panggom is a 3-4 hour journey over a 12km distance. This stage involves a scenic uphill trek with views of Chortens and forests. During the trek, enjoy the views of Buddhist Chortens, glimpses of the surrounding mountain scenery, and dense forests. You'll eventually arrive at Panggom village, which is an overnight stop. 

Overnight stay at Guesthouse, breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

We begin our trek after breakfast. After trekking out of Panggom, we cross the Panggom La pass. Then we ascend, walk on a steady path and turn north. We cross Peseng Kharka Khola first, then, after walking for some time, reach Peeng Kharka Danda. We cross Ningsow Khola (stream) before reaching Ningsow Village.

From Ningsow, we climb first, descend for a while, and climb some more to reach Ramailo Danda. From here, we get extraordinary views of Mera Peak and Salpa.

Overnight stay at Guesthouse, breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

Today involves a mix of uphill and downhill hiking through rhododendron and bamboo forests. The trail passes through the Makalu Barun National Park, potentially offering views of Mera Peak and Salpa. The trek includes sections of a narrow, complicated path and areas where landslides might have occurred. Our trail from here to Chhatra Khola (Bamboo Camp) is called the Pasang Lhamu trail.

Overnight stay at the Guesthouse, breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

We walk towards the north on the main trail to Mera Peak. After walking on a trail next to the Majang Khola, we merge with another trail that moves alongside the Hinku Khola. Our trail moves straight ahead towards Tashing Ongma, which has seasonal tea shops. We continue our trek and cross the bridge over the Sanu Khola before reaching Kothe.

Overnight stay at the Guesthouse, breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

We trek along the ridge of the Hinku Khola in the shadow of Mera Peak. We take lunch at Gondishung, the summer herders’ settlement on the west bank of the Hinku Drangka.

Beyond Gondishung, we pass a 200-year-old Lungsumgba Gompa, where we can find Mera Peak scripted in rock along with its route to reach Mera.

A short walk takes us to Thaknak, a summer grazing area with primitive lodges and shops.

Overnight stay at Guesthouse, breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

Leaving Thaknak, we follow the lateral moraine of Dig Glacier to Dig Kharka, which offers spectacular views of the Himalayas. The trail climbs through moraines to the snout of the Hinku Nup and Shar Glaciers and then climbs more steeply to Khare.

From here, we can see the northern face of Mera Peak, which will be a fantastic experience. After lunch, we can hike in and around Khare.

Overnight stay at Guesthouse, breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

Acclimatization day: Rest and explore around.

Pre-Climb Training: After lunch, our guides will train on peak climbing techniques and using climbing gears such as ice axe, climbing boot, crampons, harness, ascender, etc, and how to go up and down using ropes.

However, please note that it is not compulsory to have a training experience for Mera, but a brief training does increase the chances of scaling the summit and thoroughly enjoying the experience.

Overnight stay at Guesthouse, breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

We walk through a boulder-strewn course on a steep trail to reach the Mera Peak Base Camp. From here, we continue further through the Mera La pass to reach the Mera High Camp.

Our path is along a rocky trail, which can be hazardous if it has recently snowed, as there are several crevasses here. We make our way to the top of the rock band, which is marked by a large cairn. Then we set up a high camp while enjoying excellent views of Mt. Everest, Makalu, Cho Oyu, the south face of Lhotse, Nuptse, Chamlang, and Baruntse.

Overnight at Tented Camp, breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

Our Sherpa will wake you up at about 2 am with hot tea, and we all will have a high-energy meal before starting the summit ascent of Mera Peak.

We approach the snow hump-back ridge, beginning through the main glacier and crossing south. This part of the route is not technical, but 30-degree slopes are still challenging.

The slope steepens for a section behind the ridge, and you swing diagonally westward. The summit comes back into view, and you are on the level summit ridge.

At the foot of the final steep ascent, you will attach to a fixed rope laid by your guide and use your ice axe and a jumar to climb the last 30-meter 55-degree pitch to reach Mera Peak's summit. A spectacular panorama greets you with clear views over Everest.

Once you've had a chance to take this all in and congratulate yourself on a fantastic achievement, we will descend into the Hongu Valley, down to Kongma Dingman.

Overnight at Basic Lodge, breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

We trek through the Hongu Valley, a very high and remote valley with no inhabitants. Massive flanks of Mt. Chamlang dominate our left view, and the spire of Baruntse comes into view beyond.

The environment is remarkably compassionate, especially considering we are heading directly into the very epicenter of the highest group of mountains in the world.

The valley floor remains broad and straight, gradually rising to the blind alley of peaks ahead. It is almost a shock to realize that the two majestic mountains we are heading straight towards are none other than Everest and Lhotse.

We climb steadily up to and just beyond Seto Pokhari and camp there. Seto Pokhari means White Lake, the water in the lake is white may be due to ice conditions.

Overnight at Basic Lodge, breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

We trek through one of the remotest parts of the Himalayas today. We rarely meet any trekkers if it's not a high tourist season. We enjoy and experience the wilderness of the Honku Valley. We walk through the high-altitude trail from Seto Pokhari to Amphu Lapcha High Camp.

On the track today, on our right, is Mt. Chamlang (7321m), with hanging glaciers on its South-West and North-West faces. Passing beneath the giant west face of Chamlang, we follow the Hongu Khola and finally the Hongu Glacier to the religious site of Panch Pokhri (five lakes).

Today we trek to Amph Labsta's south side Base Camp and face this gigantic and technical obstacle that we must cross tomorrow, along with a 360-degree view of great mountains.

Overnight at Basic Lodge, breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

Today, we have an actual day of the challenge ahead of us. The pass is an exciting traverse of scree slopes and layered glacier walls that we must ascend on the Southside.

We trek along a fantastic icefall to the crest of the pass at 5850m. Here we have stunning views of Island Peak, Lhotse, and Nuptse looming over the Imja Valley. The descent down to the valley is steep with a section that we negotiate by abseiling; looking back, it will be quite an incredible feeling.

We carry on descending on the moraine to camp beside the Image glacier and enter the Imja Valley and trek to Island peak base camp.

Overnight at tented at camp | Meals: high foods included.

We take good rest as you have been exhausted after hard work. 

A rest day at Island Peak base camp typically involves further acclimatization, pre-climb training, and preparation for the summit attempt. It's a time for you to adjust to the higher altitude, practice using equipment, and receive final instructions from your guides. The day might also include exploring the base camp area or engaging in other activities to aid acclimatization. 

You might have time to explore the base camp area, which is often a lively environment with various tents and activities. Dinner is typically served early in the evening, as the summit attempt often starts in the early morning or late evening.

Overnight at tented at camp | Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

Today is the Island Peak Ascent (6,189m). We will begin our climb early, generally around 1 AM. In the beginning, we will climb the rock gully. This is not difficult, but there are several short rock steps to climb before we emerge on the right side of the gully.

The route then follows a ridgeline, which leads to an exhilarating and exposed traverse onto the snout of the summit glacier. We will need to rope up for the glacier as it contains several crevasses. The guides will fix a rope wherever necessary.

A steep snow slope leads us onto the summit ridge. After enjoying the summit views and taking pictures, we will descend to Dingboche for an overnight stay.

Overnight stay at the guesthouse, Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

This is an extra day to avoid a terrible weather problem before reaching the summit's peak. We do not need this day in case of good weather and trouble-free climbing.

A rest day in Chukhung allows climbers to further acclimatize to the higher altitude after the final push to the summit, reducing the risk of altitude sickness. Mountain weather can be unpredictable, and unforeseen events like bad weather or medical emergencies can occur.

Overnight at a tented camp/teahouse, full board meals included.

The trek from Chhukung to Namche Bazaar takes approximately 7 hours. Namche Bazaar is located at an altitude of 3,440 meters (11,283 ft). The trek involves descending from Chhukung, ascending through the Imja Khola, and potentially climbing a hill before reaching Namche. 

The trek continues along the Dudh Koshi River to the small mountain airstrip at Lukla, where you will catch your return flight to Kathmandu the next day.

Overnight stay at the guesthouse at Lukla, breakfast, lunch, and dinner included

You will be delighted by the mountain views for the last time while flying from Lukla to Kathmandu on your 30-minute flight.

Lukla flights are prone to delays and cancellations, especially during the monsoon season or when weather conditions are unfavorable.

Due to limited runway capacity and air traffic congestion in Kathmandu, your Lukla flight might be diverted to Ramechhap, a smaller airstrip about 140 km from Kathmandu.

As you reach Kathmandu airport, you will be transferred to your hotel. Overnight stay at the hotel, breakfast included.

On this day, you can proceed to relax and can have another tour of the city or go shopping at the hub of “all things tourist” at Thamel.

Overnight stay at the Hotel. Meals: Breakfast included.

The airport representative from Nepal Hiking Team will transfer you to the Kathmandu International Airport around 3 hours before your scheduled flight from where you will depart.