Location: Mera Peak, Nepal - 6476m
Price: £2100 per person excluding international flights
Ratio: 1:6
Length: 23 days including travelling time
Introduction
Mera Peak is the highest trekking peak in Nepal. You don’t need to be a climber to reach its summit, you just need to be fit and determined. This is a 3 week trip that allows plenty of time for acclimatisation in a small group to ensure the maximum chance of summit success. You need to be fit, have done a winter skills course and an intro to scrambling course with us and have a sense of adventure!
Summary of the Trek
We will fly to Kathmandu from where we will be transferred to a comfortable hotel for a night. The following day we fly to Lukla and then our trek begins.
I have chosen a slightly longer itinerary than the majority of those available to ensure that we have the maximum acclimatisation time, since it is the altitude that poses the biggest risk to us in our summit bid.
Accommodation is in a nice hotel in Kathmandu, trekking lodges (think basic hostels) whilst trekking and then camping for our summit bid.
The approach takes us through beautiful forested hillsides, Nepalese villages and over high passes to reach base camp near the Mera La. We will have a rest day here before making our summit bid via a high camp on the Mera Glacier. The views are legendary with a vista that includes Kangchenjunga and Makalu to the East, Everest, Nuptse and Lotse to the North and Ama Dablam to the West. The climb itself follows the North face glacier, avoiding the summit crevasse with a final steepening to the summit.
Weather
Mid October to the end of November is the classic trekking season in Nepal. It is famed for clear skies and fantastic weather. It is usual over a 3 week trip to have two or three periods of drizzle and the odd snow shower at altitude and the evenings will be chilly. At 3800m an average night time temperature is -4c and average daytime temperature is 10c. This drops with altitude and at our high camp temperatures may be as low as -30c.
The Programme:
Getting There
We will be met at Kathmandu airport. The course fee does not include the price of your flight from the UK to Kathmandu but I will let you know which flight to book so that we all fly out together from London. (At the time of writing return flights are £580 including all taxes.)
The flight from Kathmandu to Lukla and back is included in the course fee.
Day 01: Arrive Kathmandu and transfer / hotel Shanker
Day 02: flight to Lukla / Trekking Lodge
Day 03: Pangkongma / Trekking Lodge (2,846m)
Day 04: Tashing Dingma / Trekking Lodge (2,600m)
Day 05: Chalem Kharka / Trekking Lodge (3,600m)
Day 06: Chunbu Kharka / Trekking Lodge (4,200m)
Day 07: Rest day at Chunbu Kharka / Trekking Lodge
Day 08: Descent into the Hinku Valley / Trekking Lodge
Day 09: Tangnag / Trekking Lodge (4,360m)
Day 10: Dig Kharka / Trekking Lodge (4,650m)
Day 11: Khare / Trekking Lodge (5,100m)
Day 12: Mera Peak base camp / Camping (5,300m)
Day 13: Acclimatization at Mera Peak BC / Camping
Day 14: Move to high camp / Camping (5,800m)
Day 15: Mera Peak Ascent / Camping (6,476m/21,246ft)
Day 16: Extra day just in case if the weather is bad / Camping
Day 17-20: Route back to Lukla / Trekking Lodge
Day 21: flight to Katmandu / Hotel Shankar x 2 nights
Day 22: Katmandu free day
Day 23: Departure transfer
As with any mountainous expedition this can be subject to change.
The cost includes:
All arrival & departure transfers in Kathmandu
3 nights accommodation at Hotel Shanker or Vaishali including breakfast
Trek accommodation 19 days
3 meals a day will be provided for 05 days only from day 12 to day 16.during camping
Climbing Sherpa x 2
1 Trekking Guide and 1 assistant guide
Luggage porter (1 porter for 2 clients- Maximum permissable load per porter is 30 kg)
National park permit and Climbing permit
The cost Excludes:
Visa fees - currently £35 for a 30 day trip
Meals other than breakfast in Kathmandu
Any meals during accommodation at guest house / tea house during trek
Any expenses of personal nature as bar bills, laundry,telephone
Travel and medical insurance
Evacuation by helicopter
Tips
Optional trips and tours
Insurance
Each course member must have with them and show proof of insurance for the duration of the course on the first evening ie personal accident, rescue and public liability. Our approved insurance contractors are:
BMC: 0870 0104878 www.thebmc.co.uk
We also strongly recommend that you take out cancellation cover insurance.
Cancellation
Your booking is subject to our terms and conditions. The BMC offer a very good insurance policy that will cover you for trip cancellation and personal injury.
Kit List
We will send you a detailed kit list when you book. Some of the specialist kit that you will need includes:
Plastic mountaineering boots ie Scarpa Vega or Scarpa Omega Thermo
Four season sleeping bag
Ice Axe - I can lend you free of charge
Crampons - I can lend you free of charge
Helmet - I can lend you free of charge
Harness - I can lend you free of charge
Leadership & Staffing
I will be guiding the trip myself and will be supported by a local Sherpa team who have climbed the mountain many times before. As on any of my trips and courses the first consideration will be the safety of the whole team, closely followed by having fun and reaching the summit!
Fitness & Health
It is worth pointing out that this is a remote mountain adventure. That has many positive points but on of the downsides is that if you become ill or injured then evacuation is very difficult. I therefore need every trip member to be fit and healthy before we leave and stay that way! For that reason I will send everyone that books a medical declaration that I need completed and returned to me ASAP.
The fitter you are, the more you will enjoy this trip. It is essential that you do some training in advance to prepare yourself. The sooner you can start a training programme the better, but its never too late.
To enjoy the trek you need to be happy walking all day with a rucksack on your back for 7 days in a row. An ideal training programme would be to spend as many weekends as possible walking in the mountains prior to the trip. If you can bag one or two summits on each day that you go out your fitness will soon improve.
Additionally you should aim for three sessions a week of aerobic exercise to get the heart pumping. I find swimming particularly good as it is a low impact all round work out but cycling and brisk walking are equally suitable.
Whatever exercise you choose start off very easily and slowly increase the duration of the exercise. Make sure you warm up before hand to avoid muscle pain and warm down slowly at the end. Vary your weekly routine or you will soon get bored.
Expedition Dossier
Once I recieve and confirm your booking I will send you a complete dossier that provides full and detailed information on the program, health preparations, kit list, accommodation etc.
Dates:
UK Preparation Day: Saturday 12th June 2010
Depart UK: Fly from Heathrow at 20:25 on Friday 15th October
Return UK: Arrive Heathrow 06:35 Mon 8 Nov
Spaces are limited to 6 people. The expedition is now fully booked. |
