Mera Peak Climbing

Mera Peak is known to be one of the highest climbing peaks of Nepal. It is not a difficult climb at an extreme altitude of (6,461m/21,190ft.) except for the final summit of 100m/328ft. with a steep that needs to be climbed vertically. Mera Peak climbing is a great introduction to high altitude climbing and the most appropriate practice climb before attempting for other challenging mountain expeditions. Getting to the base camp of Mera Peak all the way from Lukla on a regular trekking trail is, in fact the hard part. It is on the trekking segment where you must be ready to deal with tiresome days of hiking for several days and keeping yourself in a good shape and tackle with altitude sickness as well. The climbing section is easy and safe because of the fixed lines, so we highly recommend this climb even for a beginner who wants to climb an ice-peak.

It is possible to climb Mera Peak all through the year although summer time is not recommended as it is also the monsoon period. However, spring and fall seasons are considered to be the best and most suitable time of the year for any climbing journey in the Himalayas. September through November is the fall season, also called autumn, and the temperatures are moderate and weather tends to be very clear. March through early June is the spring season and also the busiest climbing season of the year in Nepal.

Absolutely yes! Under normal circumstances, our booked trips are guaranteed to run. We are a ”tailor-made company” Unless there is a situation which is out of control such as a political riot, natural disaster, pandemic, epidemic or weather catastrophes, our trips are 100% guaranteed to run.

AlpineTrav Treks offers a lifetime deposit policy which allows you the flexibility to transfer your deposit to anyone or any other trip. If you wish to cancel your booked trips, certain cancelation charges apply. Please visit our booking terms and conditions for detailed information.

You will be guided by Sherpa climbing guiders who have been to the top of the peak successfully multiple times. Some climbing guiders have also summited Mt. Everest at least once or few times in their climbing career. Your guide will provide you with important tips and teach you the tricks while assisting you from day one. He will also provide you with pre-climbing training the day before summit at the base camp. Lot of cheap operators do not take this climbing trip seriously thereby risking your health or well-being, so be very prudent when you choose your climbing operator.

Mera Peak is technically known as a ‘trekking peak’, but when it comes to packing, it requires a lot more than you might expect from a regular trek. The right kind of equipment and gear play a crucial role in successfully attempting to climb Island Peak. We recommend the following gear and kit for climbing Mera Peak:

1. Waterproof Duffel Bag
2. 40L Back pack (daypack)
3. Shirts and t-shirts
4. Set of thermals (tops & bottoms)
5. Fleece Jacket
6. Shell Rain Jacket
7. Down Jacket
8. Lightweight hiking trousers
9. Waterproof/Windproof pants
10. Socks
11. Buff
12. Sun hat & sun glasses
13. Gloves & Mittens
14. Hiking boots
15. Mountain climbing boots
16. Flip flops and slippers
17. Sleeping bag
18. Water bottles
19. Sun cream & lip balm
20. Gaiters
21. Personal toiletries
22. Trekking pole
23. Scarf & warm hat

Besides the regular items that you would pack for a typical trekking trip, read more for other essential peak climbing equipment and familiarize yourself with the kits you will be carrying along for the trekking and climbing.

You will enjoy 3 hearty meals each day. Generally, you will have your breakfast and dinner at the same lodge where you will be staying. Lunch will be provided at tea houses or small restaurants along the trail. However, while staying in tented camps during the climb, we will serve packed lunch along with tea or coffee. Nevertheless, both breakfast and dinner are freshly prepared by our own climbing cooks. The meals contain fresh fruits and organic ingredients sourced from Kathmandu or local villages throughout the trek. The meals include a balanced diet of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats designed by the nutritionist. The chefs are trained in hygienic food preparation. If needed, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and kosher diets can be arranged with prior notice.

Sample Menu

✔ Breakfast
Beverage: black tea, milk tea, ginger lemon honey tea, lemon tea, hot lemon with honey, black coffee, milk coffee, hot chocolate
Toast with jam or honey, toast omelet, pancake, Tibetan bread, porridge/ muesli
Eggs on your choices
American breakfast or Continental breakfast

✔ Lunch
Rice item: veg fried rice, egg fried rice, mixed fried rice, dal-bhaat
Noodle item: vegetable fried noodle, mixed fried noodle
Potato item: chips, fried potato, hash brown potato, veg fried potato, boiled potato
Burger: veg burger, chicken burger, veg sandwich, chicken sandwich
Pasta: spaghetti tomato sauce, macaroni cheese sauce
Pizza: veg pizza, tomato cheese pizza, chicken pizza, mushroom pizza
Momo (Nepali style dumplings): veg momo, chicken momo
Meat item: chicken sizzler, chicken steak, yak steak
Beverage: black tea, milk tea, ginger lemon honey tea, lemon tea, hot lemon with honey, black coffee, milk coffee, hot chocolate

✔ Dinner
Soups: vegetable soup, mushroom soup, chicken soup, chicken noodle soup, Rara noodle soup, French onion soup, pumpkin soup, potato soup

✔ Main Meals
Rice item: veg fried rice, egg fried rice, mixed fried rice, dal-bhaat
Noodle item: vegetable fried noodle, mixed fried noodle
Potato item: chips, fried potato, hash brown potato, veg fried potato, boiled potato
Burger: veg burger, chicken burger, veg sandwich, chicken sandwich
Pasta: spaghetti tomato sauce, macaroni cheese sauce
Pizza: veg pizza, tomato cheese pizza, chicken pizza, mushroom pizza
Momo (Nepali Dumplings): veg momo, chicken momo
Meat item: chicken sizzler, chicken stake, yak stake
Dessert: apple pie, chocolate cake, carrot cake, apple fritter, canned fruit
Beverage: black tea, milk tea, ginger lemon honey tea, lemon tea, hot lemon with honey, black coffee, milk coffee, hot chocolate

While on the trek, you will stay in available lodges, teahouses or hotels. During your climb, you will be sleeping in camping tents for about 3 to 4 nights. You will have separate guest tents, dining tents, toilet tents, and kitchen tents fixed by your climbing crew members during the trip.

You do not require technical mountaineering experience for Mera Peak climbing as long as you are fit and strong enough to walk for several hours for several days on varied terrains. You may need to hold the ropes, use ice pick, harness and ice boot on the slopes during the climb. Although the trekking section up to the base camp of Mera Peak is comparatively harder, the actual climb is easier with regards to several aspects. We recommend enthusiastic beginners in climbing or experienced trekkers looking for something more than just trekking in the Himalayas to attempt climbing Mera Peak. You will be dealing with high altitude, so it is advisable to be well prepared with the heights.

Generally, the price for climbing Mera Peak ranges from $2800 to $4200 per person. The price variation offered by different operators depend on a number of factors such as the services offered, number of days, various routes, accommodation, and many more. There are many operators who offer cheap prices but do not be lured just by their price tags. Many times, climbers have faced problems organizing their climbs with cheap operators because of their untrained and inexperienced leaders and crew members, low-quality equipment and very poor accommodation and food arrangements.

Mera Peak is a mountain that is above 6,000m (19,685ft.), so we recommend having an insurance policy that covers mountain air ambulance at least up to the altitude of the Mera Peak, which is 6,461m (21,190ft.). We also recommend you to get insured for medical issues, flight delays or cancellation, and trip cancellation due to pandemics, political instability, communal violence, and natural calamities. For more information regarding our insurance policy, please read our  travel insurance section or contact us for more details.

The sources of drinking water in the mountains are river or stream water but we do not recommend these to our clients as far as possible. The water may be highly contaminated causing various illnesses during your journey. While trekking up to the base camp, drinking water will be available in the teahouses, either from taps, boiled water or bottled water. We also suggest for the use of steriPEN or other water purifying agents. During the peak climbing time, water is not available so it needs to be carried all the way up to the top. For our customers, we will provide bottled water or boiled and sterilized water to refill in the water bottles or water bladders.

Yes, of course you will need a climbing permit. Climbing permits can be easily acquired through a registered and licensed agency. A person will require at least one or more trekking permits including the national park entry permit and local area permit besides the climbing permit. You need not worry when you are traveling with AlpineTrav Treks because all your required permits will be taken care of and arranged before your arrival in the country.

There are many boots available in the market for high altitude but it is really important to find the right ones for you. In Nepal, the highest peak climbing mountain in Mera Peak at 6,461m (21,190ft.) and for higher altitude than this, proper mountaineering boots will be required.
We suggest three types of shoes – For camping section, for trekking section, and for climbing section on the trail.

1. For camping, normal running shoes or trainers are required.
2. For trekking section, a good quality, warm, waterproof hiking boot with good ankle support is needed.
3. While for the climbing section, mountaineering boots, high-altitude boots or double boots B3 will be necessary. (We recommend La Sportiva and Scarpa boots).
   Shoes for trekking and climbing section are compulsory and they must be of the right fit and previously broken so that you may prevent possible blisters and ankle injuries.

First and foremost, your fitness level, food and hygiene, regular exercise and workouts, immunity and your entire preparation for the trip affects how altitude sickness will respond to you. In fact, the prevention of altitude sickness starts right from the very day that you start planning your trip. Other factors that lower the chances of getting the sickness are your climbing leader’s knowledge, skills and experience, duration of the trip, and sufficient acclimatization. Reaching the top without any trouble related to altitude sickness, you should keep a few tips from our experienced leaders and travel consultants in mind, namely:

1. Slow ascend with proper rest and sufficient acclimatization
2. Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water and other fluids
3. Eat enough balanced food and sleep well on the trip
4. Avoid alcohol, cigarettes or tobacco during the entire trip
5. Be head-strong and mentally prepared
6. Train your body sufficiently with uphill hikes or cardiovascular and gym workouts 3 months before your trip

Through immediate or long-term acclimatization, the human body can adapt to high altitudes. The main problem that can arise at high altitude is the Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) and the symptoms vary from one person to another. When it comes to trekking and climbing in the Himalayas, altitude sickness has always been a major concern. Exposure to higher elevations means the lack of enough oxygen and more dry air in the atmosphere. This exposure causes increase in your metabolism while suppressing your appetite, vomiting, headache, nausea, lethargy, dizziness, cough, disturbed sleep, pneumonia, and hyperthermia. These symptoms are more prevalent in climbers who rush quickly to elevations above (2,500m/8,202ft). However, it is not the same for people residing in locations at high altitudes as they are used to these elevations all through their lives. AlpineTrav Treks has a great team of climbing leaders and crew members to ensure your safety and well-being. We suggest you to always listen to your leader and follow his instructions and always tell him if you are not feeling well on the way.

All climbing members including guides and porters will walk together in a group so there is no chance of a climber or a crew member getting lost or left behind. However, when there is an emergency and you need to communicate with the office or a family member from a no coverage area, then satellite phone is the only and best mode of communication. AlpineTrav Treks is prepared with all kinds of communications including mobile and satellite phones so that we can always remain connected with our climbers and crew members. High up in the mountains, cell phones don’t always work so for emergency communications, we make use of a satellite phone.

Mera Peak is known to be the highest ‘trekking peak’ in Nepal and at an altitude that it stands, oxygen content in the atmosphere is considerably low. We suggest you not to target Mera Peak as you first high-altitude trek before attempting a lower peak to understand your body’s response to the elevations. Unless you have climbed any mountain peak of 4,000m, and above without facing any problems, you should probably pause your Mera Peak climbing plans. Whereas, if you have already done a high-altitude trek in the past and managed it all well, then it is time for you to take on Mera Peak. Climbing Mera Peak is a tough challenge as you will be at or above 5,000m, for 4 days. If you do not acclimatize well at this height, it could easily prompt altitude sickness. Although no technical skills are needed to climb Mera, the test is about stamina and endurance. Other dangers on this climb are the possibilities of extreme weather conditions.

Mera Peak can be climbed in as less as 14 days, but unless you are a highly experienced mountaineer with deep knowledge about the altitudes and climbing in the Himalayas or other high-altitude peaks, we recommend at least 18 or 19 days. The greater number of acclimatization days, the higher the possibilities to avoid altitude sickness and a successful climb. Different operators offer different routes and trip duration for Mera Peak climbing. The shortest route to Mera Peak is the most difficult route that heads straight to Zatr La Pass after landing in Lukla. But, AlpineTrav Treks uses the widely preferred route through the remote and beautiful villages exploring the picturesque Hinku Valley, after landing in Lukla. This route gives you plenty of time to acclimatize to the high altitude.