Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu (1,350 m/4,428 ft)

Day 02: Kathmandu (1300 m/4264 ft): Sightseeing and Preparation

Day 03: Fly to Lukla and explore around Lukla (2730 m/8954 ft)

Day 04: Trek to Chutanga (3,430 m/11,250 ft): 3-4 hours

Day 05: Trek to Thuli Kharka (4320 m/13200 ft) via Zwatra la (4600 m/14720 ft): 5-6 hours

Day 06: Trek to Kothe (3600 m, /11808ft): 5-6 hours

Day 07: Kothe to Thaknak (4,350 m/14,270 ft): 3-4 hours

Day 08: Thaknak to Khare (5,045 m/16,486 ft): 2-3 hours

Day 09: Rest day in Khare/Acclimatisation:

Day 10: Khare to Mera Base Camp (5300 m/17,384 ft): 3-4 hours

Day 11: Mera Base Camp to High camp (5,780 m/18,958 ft): 4-5 hours

Day 12: Mera High Camp to Summit (6,461 m/21,1907 ft) and back to Khare (5045 m/16,547 ft): 8-9 hours

Day 13: Reserve Day for Contingency

Day 14: Khare to Kothe (3600 m/11808 ft): 4-5 hours

Day 15: Kothe to Thuli Kharka: 5-6 hours

Day 16: Thuli Kharka to Lukla: 6-7 hours

Day 17: Fly to Kathmandu

Day 18: Final Departure

Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu (1,350 m/4,428 ft)

Upon our arrival at the Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu, we will be greeted by a representative from Snow Leopard Trek who will take us to the hotel. After checking in, we may take a rest or visit Snow Leopard Trek’s office. In the evening, there will be a welcome dinner in a traditional Nepali restaurant where we will be able to enjoy authentic Nepali cuisine with a brief cultural program. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Day 02: Kathmandu (1300 m/4264 ft): Sightseeing and Preparation

Today after breakfast, we start a guided tour to several of the most historical and spiritual attractions in Kathmandu which are also listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites. We visit the historic Durbar Square, the sacred Hindu temple of Pashupatinath, the famous ‘Monkey Temple’ Swayambhunath and the Buddhist shrine Bouddhanath, which is also one of the largest stupas in the world. After the tour, we get our equipment checked by our climbing leader, get introduced to fellow participants, and discuss our trip at Snow Leopard Trek’s office. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Day 03: Fly to Lukla and explore around Lukla (2730 m/8954 ft)

After breakfast, we will be taken to the domestic terminal of TIA for an early morning flight to Lukla. After flying above the breathtaking green and white mountains, we reach Tenzing-Hillary Airport at Lukla. This is one of the most beautiful air routes in the world culminating in a landing on a hillside surrounded by high mountains. We spend the remainder of the day resting and acclimatizing. We explore the nearby villages or the bustling, small town of Lukla. Overnight in Lukla.

Day 04: Trek to Chutanga (3,430 m/11,250 ft): 3-4 hours

Today, as our first day trek is an easy walk which leads eastwards, the path from here is less frequented than the other main trails from Lukla, walk follows through a number of hamlets and wood yards until we reach a thick forest of silver fir, birch, pines and rhododendron trees and bushes on the hill side below Nau Lekh also known as Kalo Himal Ridge, on this portion follow the Sherpa or the group as there are many path leading away from the main trail. There are many small streams with numerous places en route, whole of this area referred to as Chutanga which is a summer pasture. Explore the surroundings of Chutanga. Overnight in Chutanga.

Day 05: Trek to Thuli Kharka (4320 m/13200 ft) via Zwatra la (4600 m/14720 ft): 5-6 hours

We continue our trek the next day from Chutanga, the adventure begins with a steep climb to cross the Kalo Himal Ridge in the Nau Lekh range which separates the Khumbu from the Hinku Valley. A steep uphill climb brings us to a cairned notch in the ridge with a collection of Buddhist prayer flags at 4,450m. This small pass is called the Zatrwa Og, from here the path traverses across a boulder slope, round a corner and climbs once again to the Zatrwa-La at 4,600 m. In bad weather to find the path of our route can be quite misleading, so care should be taken but with fine weather, the views across the Dudh Kosi towards Karyolung and the Lumding Himal are very impressive, as well as the scenery across the rolling foothills of the Hinku Valley. From here less than an hour we reach Thuli Karkha. Overnight at Thuli Kharka.

Day 06: Trek to Kothe (3600 m, /11808ft): 5-6 hours

Following breakfast we follow a delightful descending trail across three ridges, before dropping steeply down to the Hinku River and a final uphill to Kothe through lush rhododendron forests on the west side of the Hinku Valley . Rhododendron is the national flower of Nepal and on our journey we get to admire beautiful hills dotted with rhododendrons. Overnight in Kothe.

Day 07: Kothe to Thaknak (4,350 m/14,270 ft): 3-4 hours

We trek along the ridge of the Hinku Khola in the shadow of Mera Peak. We take lunch at Gondishung, the summer herders’ settlement in the west bank of the Hinku Drangka. Beyond Gondishung, we pass a 200 year-old Lungsumgba Gompa where we can find Mera Peak scripted in rock along with its route to reach Mera. A short walk takes us to Thaknak, which is a summer grazing area with primitive lodges and shops. Overnight in Thaknak.

Day 08: Thaknak to Khare (5,045 m/16,486 ft): 2-3 hours

Leaving Thaknak, we follow the lateral moraine of Dig Glacier to Dig Kharka, which offers spectacular views of Charpate Himal. The trail climbs through moraines to the snout of the Hinku Nup and Shar Glaciers, and then climbs more steeply to Khare. From here, we can view the Northern face of Mera Peak which will be an amazing experience. After lunch one can engage in hikes in the surroundings of Khare. Overnight at Khare.

Day 09: Rest day in Khare/Acclimatization:

Today the guides will carry out the last minute checking of the gears for the climb, and then arrange if any equipment becomes necessary to rent. Thereafter, we shall provide training on peak climbing techniques and the proper ways of using climbing gears such as the ice axe, climbing boots and crampons, harness, ascender, etc. The training will also include using ropes to go up and down. Although it is not mandatory to have prior training for Mera Peak Base Camp, we strongly believe that some training experience will boost your confidence and your climbing skills to increase the chances of scaling the summit as well as to fully enjoy the experience. Overnight at Khare.

Day 10: Khare to Mera Base Camp (5300 m/17,384 ft): 3-4 hours

Today after breakfast, we walk through a boulder-strewn courseon a steep trail to reach Mera Peak Base Camp. Upon reaching the base camp, we rest for a while. If anyone feels the previous training was not sufficient and wants to train more to build confidence to succeed the climb, there can be an additional training on climb provided. Rest of the day would be to rest and prepare for the next day. Overnight at Mera Peak Base Camp.

Day 11: Mera Base Camp to High camp (5,780 m/18,958 ft): 4-5 hours

We take the route through Mera La pass to reach the Mera High Camp today. Our path is along a rocky trail, which can be hazardous if it has recently snowed, as there are a number of crevasses here. We make our way to the top of the rock band, which is marked by a large cairn. We set up a high camp while enjoying excellent views of Mt. Everest, Makalu, Cho-Oyu, south face of Lhotse, Nuptse, Chamlang and Baruntse. Overnight at Mera High Camp.

Day 12: Mera High Camp to Summit (6,461 m/21,1907 ft) and back to Khare (5045 m/16,547 ft): 8-9 hours

This is a really big day for us as we will be summiting Mera Peak today. We wake up around 2 in the morning for breakfast. It’s going to be very cold in the beginning but soon we warm up as we continue up the glacier and onto a peculiar ridge. The first rays of the sun hit the big peaks in an amazing red glow. The route is still non-technical as we slowly climb higher into the ever-thinning air. The slope steepens for a section behind the ridge and the summit comes back into view. At the foot of the final steep summit cone, we may attach to a fixed rope depending on the conditions. The summit is only a few meters away. From the summit, we take in amazing views of the mighty Himalayas including Mt. Everest (8,848m), Cho-Oyu (8,210m), Lhotse (8,516m), Makalu (8,463m), Kangchenjunga (8,586m), Nuptse (7,855m), Chamlang (7,319m), Baruntse (7 ,129m) and others. Later, we retrace our steps back to the high camp where we rest for a while before descending to Khare. Overnight in Khare.

Day 13: Reserve Day for Contingency

There is no guarantee that we will have favorable weather on our planned day for the summit (day 12). Therefore, this day is set aside as a contingency in case we are unable to summit the Mera on day 12 due to bad weather conditions or any other unanticipated reason. However, if the trip goes smoothly, we do not need this spare day, we can use this day to walk back to Lukla at a leisurely pace.

Day 14: Khare to Kothe (3600 m/11808 ft): 4-5 hours

We trek from Khare to Kothe along the same trail used previously. After reaching Kothe, we celebrate our success by trying out local delicacies and wines. Overnight in Kothe.

Day 15: Kothe to Thuli Kharka: 5-6 hours

It is an uphill trek through lush rhododendron forests on the west side of the Hinku Valley to Thuli Kharka. Rhododendron is the national flower of Nepal and on our journey we get to admire beautiful hills dotted with rhododendrons. After reaching Thuli Kharka, we enjoy remarkable views of Mera North, Mera Central and South face.

Day 16: Thuli Kharka to Lukla: 6-7 hours

We begin today’s trek by ascending to Zatrwa La Pass. As soon as we cross the pass, we are welcomed by the sight of the beautiful Lukla Valley which is surrounded by Cho Oyu, Kongde Peak, Numbur Himal, Kusum Khangru and other Himalayan peaks. From Zatrwa La Pass we walk all the way down to Chutanga and then straight forward to the Lukla village. In the evening we enjoy dinner in the Himalayas of Nepal with our crew. Overnight in Lukla.

Day 17: Fly to Kathmandu

We catch an early morning flight to Kathmandu after our long mountain journey. After reaching Kathmandu, we can take a rest or do some souvenir shopping. If we want to explore any other areas of Kathmandu, we may do that today. Our guides can help you with both souvenir shopping or sightseeing. There will be a farewell dinner in the evening to celebrate the climbers’ successful summit of the Mera Peak. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Day 18: Final Departure

Your adventure in Nepal comes to an end today! There is nothing to do but trade emails with your travel companions and organize your photos. A representative from Snow Leopard Trek will take you to the airport, approximately 3 hours before your scheduled flight. On your way home you’ll have plenty of time to plan your next adventure in the wonderful country of Nepal.