Himalayan Humanity

Arrive Kathmandu, transfer from airport to hotel

At leisure in Kathmandu, preparation for trek

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 trekking crew who organize 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.

Acclimatization day at Chutanga

Acclimatization 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 acclimatization process by climbing up towards the Zatr La before returning to Chutanga for lunch.

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.

Tuli Kharka to Tashing Ongma

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 Tashing Ongma (3600m). This is a delightful spot by the river with fantastic views up the valley.

Tashing Ongma to Tangnag

The trail follows the west bank of the Hinku Valley northwards; the trail is straight forward 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.

Acclimatization Day at Tangnag

This is our second acclimatization 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.

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.

Acclimatization Day at Khare

This is our third acclimatization 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. Trekking up to the Zatr La

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.

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.

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.

Spare Day

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

Mera La to Tangnag

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

Tangnag to Tashing Ongma

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

Tashing Ongma 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.

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.