Climbing Equipment and Apparel (Will be used on Mera Peak)
Your itinerary starts from Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal. We receive you at the Kathmandu International Airport and transfer you to your hotel located in Thamel, the tourist district of the city. You spend this day in the city and the next morning take a small aircraft from Kathmandu to Lukla (Duration 30 mins) from where we start trekking. On reaching our destination, we take the downward trail back surrounded by breathtaking views of Nepal from river banks and pine forests to snow caped peaks. We fly back from Lukla to Katmandu, trying to keep an additional day as buffer in case of delays due to bad weather. After a day spent in Kathmandu, we transfer you to the International Airport, which marks the end of your itinerary.
Weather is very un-predictable, especially in high-altitude and can change within minutes. In case we encounter bad weather, we have kept 2 buffer days in the itinerary which would help us complete the trek. In case the weather remains unfavourable and the Kathmandu – Lukla – Kathmandu flights are delayed beyond two days, a helicopter can be chartered, at an extra cost to be borne by the trekkers, in order to reach the destination. Please note – this is optional and if exercised will have to be paid for by the clients.
In Kathmandu we will be staying in a 3/4 star Hotel or Guest House in Thamel, Kathmandu often referred to as a trekker’s paradise. Up until Everest Base Camp and Gorakhshep we will be staying in a combination of clean and friendly Sherpa Lodges / Tea Houses. This is popularly referred to as a Tea House trek, as opposed to a camping expedition. Once we begin the climb itself, we will be staying in tents on double occupancy.
There are different ways to be in touch with your family. You can purchase a local Prepaid SIM Card at the International airport. If you have a Mobile with International Roaming on it, your Phone will work till Day 3 of the trek so you can easily be in touch with your Family. Most of the tea houses we stay in have the facility of an ISD Phone and the Internet. You can call your family every day or e-mail them during the course of the trek. Although the prices for these facilities may vary, from a minimum of 100 Nepali rupees to 500 Nepali rupees per minute. Once we begin the climb itself, cell phone coverage will be very limited, and we will not have access to tea house facilities either.
Yes, Mera Peak can be your first climbing expedition! It is often used as a precursor trek to higher peaks such as Everest, Annapurna and Ama Dablam, and is the perfect way to start your alpine mountaineering journey. However, it is not to be taken lightly, as a high level of physical fitness is required. Please see our fitness guide, or reach out to us, to know more about its requirements.
Mera Peak requires some technical knowledge as well as a good fitness level. The physical fitness required for the Mera Peak climb can be obtained by training around 2-3 months in advance depending on your current fitness level. A high amount of cardiovascular endurance would be required and sports like swimming and running can help build that endurance. Walking up flights of stairs with a loaded backpack helps to get your muscles used to the rucksack you will be carrying. For complete beginners, basic technical knowledge is required for this climb, and so, we have allotted one entire day at Mera Peak Base camp where your guide will teach you the basics of using equipment such as ice axes, jumars, ascenders, descenders, crampons, and the basics of ice climbing. However, if you have access to a rock-climbing wall where you can learn how to use technical equipment, you can add that to your training plan.