Mera Peak Itinerary

This itinerary does not include travel days. Participants may choose to arrive a day early for ease of travel.

Day 1 – Arrive Kathmandu

Arrive in Kathmandu by 2pm for our mandatory afternoon orientation meeting.  We’ll check into our hotel in central Kathmandu and enjoy a welcome dinner with the team.

Day 2 – Tour Kathmandu

We’ll begin our exploration of Kathmandu this morning. Our tour includes three World Heritage Sights — 3,000-year-old Swayambhu (monkey temple), the Hindu temple and cremation site Pashupati, and the great Stupa of Boudhanath. Following our tour, we’ll complete a thorough gear check.

Day 3 – Fly to Lukla

We board a small twin-engine plane for the mountain flight to Lukla. In Lukla, we’ll have an acclimatization day exploring the town and surrounding area. We’ll visit the monastery and local hospital while taking advantage of the last opportunity for restaurants and shopping before heading deeper into the mountains.

• Lukla: 9,350 ft

Day 4 – Helicopter to Khote

We take a helicopter flight to the remote mountain village of Khote.

• Khote: 11,800 ft.

Days 5–6 – Acclimatization in Khote

We spend two days acclimatizing in Khote with local hikes and a review of essential climbing skills. We’ll stay in a local tea house in Khote.

Day 7 – Khote to Thangnak

Trek from from Khote to Thangnak, a beautiful village surrounded by impressive Himalayan views. Along the way, we’ll stop to visit a small cave monastery.

• Khote: 11,800 ft.
• Thangnak: 14,300 ft.
• Elevation gain: +2,500 ft.
• Hiking time: 4-5 hours

Day 8 – Acclimatization in Thangnak

We take an acclimatization hike above the village, gaining views of the surrounding glacial lakes and mountains.

Day 9 – Thangnak to Khare

We trek to Khare, the highest village in the valley. Here we’ll stay in a comfortable guest house while continuing to acclimatize and completing additional skills review.

• Thangnak: 4,300 ft.
• Khare: 16,240 ft.
• Elevation gain: +1,940 ft.
• Hiking time: 3-4 hours

Day 10 – Khare skills review

A dedicated day for technical climbing skills review and an acclimatization hike from Khare.

Day 11 – Mera Peak Base Camp

After several days of acclimatization and skills practice in Khare, we climb an old lateral moraine above the village to reach Mera Peak Base Camp, where we spend the night.

• Khare: 16,240 ft.
• Mera Peak Base Camp: 17,500 ft.
• Elevation gain: +1,260 ft.
• Hiking time: 3 hours

Day 12 – Climb to Mera Peak High Camp

We climb above Base Camp to reach the Mera Glacier, where we put on our mountaineering equipment. Over approximately four hours, we ascend beyond the Mera La and continue up gentle slopes to High Camp.

• Mera Peak Base Camp: 17,500 ft.
• Mera Peak High Camp: 19,000 ft.
• Elevation gain: +1,500 ft.

Days 13–15 – Summit Attempt

Multiple summit days are reserved to provide flexibility based on weather and mountain conditions. Following the summit attempt, we descend back to Khare.

• Mera Peak Summit: 21,247 ft.

Day 16 – Khare to Khote

After a relaxed breakfast in Khare, we pack up and trek back down the valley to Khote. An early morning helicopter departure from Khare may be available for an additional cost.

• Khare: 16,240 ft.
• Khote: 11,800 ft.

Day 17 – Khote to Thuli Kharka

This is one of the more demanding and scenic days of the expedition. We descend the valley from Khote for several hours before climbing through lush forest above the tree line. After a short traverse, we arrive at Thuli Kharka, where we spend the night in a rustic tea house. This is the portion of the route that we bypassed (via helicopter) on the front end of the trip.

• Khote: 11,800 ft.
• Thuli Kharka: 13,450 ft.

Day 18 – Return to Lukla

We continue climbing this morning to cross the high pass at Zatrwa La before beginning our descent to Lukla. After arriving, we’ll enjoy a shower and celebrate the completion of the climb.

• Lukla: 9,350 ft

Day 19 – Fly to Kathmandu

Weather permitting, we take an early morning flight back to Kathmandu. The afternoon is spent relaxing and enjoying the comforts of our hotel.

Day 20 – Free Day in Kathmandu

Free time to explore the city, including the sites of Durbar Square and the neighborhood of Thamel. We’ll assist climbers with their final shopping needs and have a farewell dinner

An evening departure may be possible.

Day 21 – Depart Kathmandu

Fly home.