Mera Peak Climb with Lower Solu Trek

Depending on your arrival time, our representative will be at Tribhuvan International Airport to welcome you and transfer you to your hotel. After you have rested we meet again for programme planning and to introduce your trekking guide.

Driving time: 7 to 8 hours, or flight time: 25 minutes. We have a choice of driving or flying to Phaplu. If we fly we can start trekking the same day, so the itinerary can be tailored to your choice.

Trekking time: 5 to 6 hours. The first day of our trek. We trek up through Sherpa Gaon and a few other villages to Ratnagi Danda (3,000 m), one of the best viewpoints for Numbur Himal and others including the Everest and Mera Peak ranges. In spring the valley below looks spectacular with blooming rhododendrons. We then descend to Kangku.

Trekking time: 5 to 6 hours. We trek along wheat and corn fields for almost 2 hours, then drop down a narrow winding path to the Dudh Koshi River. We cross and climb on a similar trail for more than 2 hours to Waku, an area inhabited by a large number of Kirati people.

Trekking time: 6 to 7 hours. We walk along crop fields for hours on a sloping hill track, with stone stairs in places, mostly through jungle until Solaban, a Sherpa village.

Trekking time: 5 hours. Today's path is shorter but a bit more difficult, as we mostly walk up through dense bamboo forest on a narrow path. After the bamboo forest we reach Sibuche within an hour.

Trekking time: 4 to 5 hours. We move down to the river gorge and are then welcomed by a big hill in front of us. We climb step by step through wheat fields in places, but mostly through jungle, until we reach Najingdingma.

Trekking time: 6 to 7 hours. We continue on a hillside track for about an hour, then undertake a big climb through pine and bamboo jungle to Surkela for almost 3 hours. From there we descend a little and ascend again through bamboo and rhododendron forest to Cholem Kharka.

Trekking time: 7 to 8 hours. We begin early after breakfast. After a short descent we cross two passes at around 5,100 m, one at Panch Pokhari (the place of five lakes), where shamans and priests come during the Hindu festival of Janai Purnima to perform rituals. We walk down to the river and up to the camp site.

Trekking time: 6 hours. We walk on a sloping hill scattered with junipers for almost 2 hours, with snow on the tops and jungle below. We then descend through large forests of oak and rhododendron to the Inkhu Khola and follow the river for an hour to reach the camp site.

Trekking time: 3 to 4 hours. We trek along the ridge of the Inkhu Khola. After passing Gondishung, the summer herders' settlement, you encounter the 200-year-old Lungsumgba Gompa, where there is a rock inscription of Mera Peak and its route. A short walk takes us to Thangnak. Overnight in Thangnak.

We may hike up the nearby hills or to a lake at 5,144 m for acclimatisation, then return to the camp and rest.

Trekking time: 5 hours. After an early breakfast we follow the lateral moraine of Dig Kharka. The trail climbs through the moraines of the Hinku Nup and Shar glaciers, and then more steeply to Khare. Overnight at Khare.

Trekking time: 3 to 4 hours. After breakfast we walk a steep and difficult trail to Mera Peak Base Camp. After a rest there is further training and preparation for the big days ahead. Overnight at Mera Peak Base Camp.

Trekking time: 4 to 5 hours. We take the route through the Mera La pass. The trail is very rocky and difficult, so we go slowly and carefully to High Camp. From here there is an excellent view of Mt Everest, Makalu, Cho Oyu, the south face of Lhotse, Nuptse, Chamlang and Baruntse. Overnight at Mera High Camp.

Walking and climbing time: 8 to 9 hours. Summit day. We wake at 2 am, have breakfast and climb slowly into the ever-thinning air. After a cold, steep and difficult section the summit appears in the distance. Depending on conditions we may attach to a fixed rope to reach the top. The views are breathtaking: Mt Everest (8,848 m), Cho Oyu (8,210 m), Lhotse (8,516 m), Makalu (8,463 m), Kangchenjunga (8,586 m), Nuptse (7,855 m), Chamlang (7,319 m), Baruntse (7,129 m) and others. We then retrace our steps and descend to Khare. Overnight in Khare.

Trekking time: 4 to 5 hours. We retrace the trail from Khare to Kothe and celebrate our success with local delicacies. Overnight in Kothe.

Trekking time: 5 to 6 hours. After breakfast we trek uphill through beautiful forest of rhododendron, fir and juniper. From Thuli Kharka there are views of Mera North, Mera Central and the south face. Overnight at Thuli Kharka.

Trekking time: 6 to 7 hours. We cross the Zatrwa La pass, with a beautiful view of the Lukla valley surrounded by Cho Oyu, Kongde Peak, Numbur Himal, Kusum Kanguru and other peaks. This last evening in the mountains is an ideal opportunity for a farewell party with the Sherpa guides and porters and to look back on a memorable trekking and climbing experience. Overnight in Lukla.

Flight time: 35 minutes. We pack up early and head for the airstrip for the flight back to Kathmandu.