Mera and Island Peak Climbing

On the very first day of the journey, as you arrive at the hotel we will give you a quick overview of the trip and provide you with the necessary gear check.

We will also help you with your packing and as the packing limits for a backpack and handbag are 10 kg and 5 kg respectively, we will guide you about the important things that are must carry.

The flight to Lukla is undoubtedly one of the best flying destinations in the Himalayas. If you are lucky enough, you will be watching the first shimmering sight of the Everest and even Mera Peak and Island Peak which are something to cherish and will raise your spirits high.

After you land in Lukla, our staff will meet, and greet you and soon we will start the journey towards the night stop, Poyan. The trail leaves out of Lukla in the southern direction and takes about 5 hours to reach Poyan.

Pangkongma is located at 2846 m and holds your breath as it is our next stop of the journey. Start the day early after breakfast and walk the trail that takes you steeply over a ridgeline above the Khare Khola. The trail from here runs on the other side of a ridge and contours along the hillside to finally enter the beautiful Pangkongma La Village (3167 m). 

The trail to Nashing Digma runs past the monastery of Pangkongma and winds up in a zig-zag pattern through a dense forest to the Pangkongma La. The walk from here also opens up some amazing views of Mera Peak and some adjacent high peaks. The steep descending trail ahead is packed with stunning views of valleys and ridges which looks quite compelling and contrasting to the high Himalayan landscape. We will have our lunch by the river before resuming on the walk to Nashing Dingma, our campsite for the night. The walk is on the opposite side of the valley and as you reach the beautiful campsite perched on the side of the hill, you can just about give your body a good rest.

As you start to make your way on the trail, you will get to admire the abundance of greenery of the surroundings and the pastures. The trail will take you to a beautiful pass called the Surka La where you can make a stop to have a warm and refreshing tea.

From here, we will head directly towards Chalem Khaka. The campsite is open with some brilliant views of the surroundings and there are a few lodges nearby which make this place a perfect play for the stay of the trekkers. 

It is a long day of a walk, so we need to start at the earliest possible hour. The long ascending trail takes you to a staggering elevation of 4500 m directly for a lunch stop. As it is a steep climb, the trail has to be approached with a lot of caution and patience.

The intensity of the trail transforms from being easy to rocky terrain and from there a pile of steps that passes through many passes. Though it might look hectic, the sight of Kanchenjunga in the distance is quite refreshing for the travelers and cultivates in the zeal to reach the summit by overcoming all the hurdles. The final half of the walk runs on a well-paved path past numerous beautiful lakes before finally descending to Chunbu Kharka.

The trail leaves out of Chunbu Kharka and goes up a hill for about half an hour before an engrossing ascent all to the top of Hinku Valley. The picturesque panorama of the surrounding is extremely appealing.

Furthermore, you will start walking downwards and enter a dense forest where you will stop for lunch. The trail runs to the valley floor and the sound of the gushing river is indeed gripping. Continue the walk along the river before crossing it over a wooden bridge and we will finally arrive at Kothe.

One of the nicest trekking days, the journey to Tangnag at 4360 m is one that you will truly enjoy and savor the views of the surroundings. The surreal beauty of the mountains in all directions as you move further in the trail will keep your spirits high. 

As you get to Tangnag, enjoy the beauty of the surroundings and retire for a relaxing sleep at night as we will be setting up here for providing a gorgeous experience.

The trail from Tangnag to Khare is blessed with the ravishing beauty of nature all around. The path cuts through the valley floor and the entirety of the majestic Black Mera Peak is heart-winning. Moreover, the whole trail is full of beautiful glaciers, lakes and certainly, it justifies as one of the most beautiful Himalayan Valleys. 

The whole day today is dedicated to acclimatization to the high altitude and preparing for the further journey. Spend the time sorting all the climbing gears.  We give the rest of the day to you and spend the time admiring the stupendous setting of the region.

However, if another day is required for acclimatization, we will extend our stay for another day. Further, we will spend the day training on a beautiful hill which will further introduce you to one of the fortunate sights of your life which is a glaciated valley situated in the north.

We are already in the Mera Climb section and our aim for the day is to travel to the Mera Base Camp. We will get through two other exciting points - the Mera La and the Mera Glacier. Approach the path at a steady pace and make sure to put every step forward with caution. Always keep the helmets and crampons on as rock falls are quite common in this region.

As you reach the glacier, you can take some pride in yourself as the base camp is close from here. Enjoy the walk across the glacier and admire the unreal sights of the surrounding. These are some scenes that you can never wash out from your mind and heart. 

The Mera High Camp is just one step short of the summit. Our trail today starts through the path on easy graded snow slopes. Following on in the trail, we will get to an area of huge crevasses which has to be approached with caution. As we move up to the high camp, enjoy the Himalayan treasures- Everest, Makalu, Lhotse, and Nuptse. 

The hike to the summit is extremely exciting as well as extremely hectic and strenuous. We aim to leave for the peak by 2 am as it takes up around 6 hours and depends a lot on the weather conditions. The main or the central summit sits right above the wide glacier and is flanked by ridges on either side. Snowfields and crevasses make the most of the trail further for the next couple of hours.

Though Mera Peak has a total of 3 summits, we aim to conquer the highest one. The views you get to witness from the summit are bewitching and post-card perfect. Spend some alone time with nature as you are hardly going to get back this moment ever. Now, while you start for the descending journey, abseil for a bit before starting on the long descent back to the high camp. It is necessary to give your body and mind a bit of relaxation before resuming the final trail back to Hinku Valley. 

The all-new and fresh mountain setting is a treat to the eyes of every traveler who has been here. We start the day out of our camp and walk through the Hinku Valley to reach the base of a stunning mountain called the Chamlang. The trail from here runs along the right flank of the Hinku River till we get to our campsite. You can choose to set up your camp at any place you like by the river.

Along the way, you will get some unique and fancied sights on the backside of the Ama Dablam Peak. The trail traverses past glaciated lakes, glaciated moraine, and ice pinnacles to finally converge to a ridge marking the very end of Hinku Valley. Besides all the beauty along the trail, once you reach this spot, the sight of the stunning lake enclosed by a mountain ridge is truly amazing. At a distance, you can even see the Amphu Lapcha Glacier. Take the path around the lake to reach the campsite.

We will start the day very early in the morning. The first half of the walk is mostly on a rocky ridge till we get the first glimpses of the glacier. The thrill and adventure are unmatched as we get to the top of the Amphu Lapcha Pass. From here we start descending steeply on the other side of the pass. This descent will take us to the Imja Valley and is quite risky and threatening. A short abseil over snow, rock, ice, and scree with 250 m fixed ropes that will secure continuing steep descent till you get to a point from where you can walk down the slopes.

The campsite is at the end of the Imja Glacier and around 3 hours from here. Though the hectic ride will take a huge toll on your body, the awe-inspiring sights of the Island Peak and Imja Valley will cheer you to the core. It is a long day of around 12 hours and probably the most hectic and strenuous of all the days.

We must give our body a bit of recovery time after the long day we had the previous day. Our journey is short today of around 2 hours only to the Island Peak Base Camp. Enjoy the relaxing walk on gradual ascend till you reach the campsite. The grandeur of the Nuptse Peak wall is a compelling sight of the region.

Dedicate this day to acclimatizing and getting rest. If you think you need more training with your climbing gear you can choose that, else just sit back and relax the extensive beauty of the Island Peak Base Camp.

The Island Peak High Camp sits at an altitude of 5500 m and is quite tiring to walk. Start the walk out of the base camp on a steep hillside engulfed by the superior beauty of the Imja Valley. As we move further into the trail, the steep trail eases out and you will find yourself enjoying the rocky terrain more than ever. The Island Peak can also be seen from here, a sight that you would love to see before you start the climb. After a couple of hours, you will get to the high camp. Give some rest and preparation to your body as the climb starts as early as in the morning.

We will start the day at the earliest with the right preparation and patience. We start with the climb of the rock gully to finally emerge out on the right flanks of the gully. Follow the ridgeline to get to the snout of the glacier. The glacier we need to traverse further has numerous crevasses so we need to rope up to the glacier and further we might need some jumaring and climbing. Though the trail seems easy at first, the final 100m on snow and ice slope is beyond tolerance. Our guides will help you fix the ropes as the angle of elevation is as steep as 60 degrees and can be extremely life-threatening. It is of utmost importance that you have prior climbing and mountaineering experiences. As you get to the top of the summit, sink in the picturesque beauty of the views around you. On your way down, be careful with the abseiling and approach the descent with caution and patience. The long day of 14 hours finally ends as you reach Chhukung.

The sudden descent from such a high altitude to 3860 m can be a bit difficult to adjust to. As you reach Tengboche, enjoy the day relaxing and strolling around the region. There is a famous monastery in the close vicinity which you can visit in Tengboche.

Namche Bazaar is around 4 hours from Tengboche and the best place to celebrate the successful completion of this outstanding journey. You will be already overloaded with proud but the contact to sufficient oxygen will add to more happiness. Interact with the locals and make most of the day as our last few days in the untouched form of nature will be worth reminiscing.

On our last day, we take the final steps back to Lukla. As you walk on the trail crossing the Dudh Koshi River over numerous bridges, keep the memories of the daunting peaks alive in your heart and mind. The 7-hour hike to Lukla marks the very end of this outstanding trekking and climbing expedition. Find some time for souvenir shopping if needed and then the trip comes to a closure.

Catching an early morning flight to Kathmandu, we will have time to rest for the day or if you prefer, visit few places such as Thamel; which is particularly famous for international tourists. We will have a farewell dinner for the accomplishments we have made in the past 3 weeks.

As the journey of climbing Mera Peak and Island Peak came to an end, we will bid farewell to each other. You will be transferred to the airport for your scheduled flight back to your home country or onward destination.