Overview
Mera Peak (6,476 m / 21,267 ft) is a middle altitude mountain located in the Sagarmatha National Park. It is situated in the Barun sub-section of the Mahalangur Himalayan sub-range. The Mahalangur range is itself a part of the greater Himalayan mountain range. Mera Peak is classified as a trekking peak by the Nepal Mountaineering Association. This makes Mera peak the highest trekking peak in the country. Mera peak climbing offers spectacular views of the mountains like Everest, Lhotse, Cho Oyu, Kanchenjunga among others. The Charmlang and Baruntse peak is located very close to Mera Peak. The view of these two mountains is also very beautiful from the top of Mera Peak.
The top of Mera Peak also offers spectacular views of Hongku and the Hinku valleys. These wooden valleys sweep away from the base of Mera Peak to the distant mountains. These valleys are mostly covered in forests apart from a few Kharkas that are used for grazing cattle. Locals from nearby villages sometimes come to these Kharkas with herds of their Yak. Glacial moraines, deep woods, rivers, and serene tranquility rule these two valleys. Hinku Valley is also known as the Hinku Cave valley because many large and small prehistoric caves are located in the valley.
The Mera Peak is in fact constituted of three peaks – the Mera North ( 6,476 m/ 21,247 ft), the Mera South (6,065 m/ 19,898 ft) and the Mera Central (6,461 m/ 21l098 ft). The Mera North is the highest among these three peaks and the one used most for climbing purposes. The first among the Mera peaks, the Mera Central, was climbed in 1953 by Colonel Jimmy Roberts and Sen Tenzing. The Mera North was scaled in 1977 by a team of French and Nepali climbers. Mera South was climbed in 1986 by two British men Mal Duff and Ian Tattersall.
We will start our tour from Kathmandu. The first part is a beautiful mountain flight from Tribhuvan International Airport to the Lukla airstrip in the eastern part of Nepal. The early morning flight reveals the breathtaking view of the sun rising over the Himalayan mountains. We will first see the mountains in the central part of Nepal. These include the Ganesh Himal range, the Lakpa Dorje range, and the Langtang Himal range. As we move east, we will get a panoramic view of some of the highest mountains in the world including Everest, Kanchenjunga, Lhotse, Pumori, etc.
We will land at the Lukla airport following a spectacular morning mountain flight. Lukla is a small town located in the outskirts of the Sagarmatha National Park. The National Park was established in 1976 with the help of protecting the pristine flora and fauna of the Khumbu Region. We will then begin our trek towards the Mera Peak base camp via beautiful places like Thuli Kharka, Mousam Kharka, Tagnag, and Khare. Most of the route is dominated by forests and yak grazing pastures. As we get closer to Mera peak we will have to walk through glacial moraines and snowy terrain.
The Mera Peak Base Camp is located at an altitude of (5,300 m/ 17,388 ft). The High Camp of Mera Peak is located at an altitude of (5,780 m/ 18,963 ft). We will set base at the high camp. The final part of the climb from the high camp to the top of Mera Peak is not long but it can be slightly challenging. We will be compensated for the hard climb after reaching the top of Mera Peak. The Hinku and the Hongku valley are located directly beneath the peak. They are separated by a mountain ridge that connects the Mera Peak with northern giants like Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Baruntse, and Pumori.