Mera and Island Peak Climbing via Amphu Laptsa Pass

Your arrival at the airport marks the first day of the journey. You will be greeted by one of Escape Himalaya's representatives who will proceed to explain the program further to you. Transferred to your hotel with no further planned activities for the day, you may relax for the remainder of the time.

Overnight stay at the hotel in Kathmandu. Breakfast Included. 

Today, you will get the opportunity to look at various sites enlisted under the World Heritage Sites List by UNESCO around the city. The old temples, opulent monasteries, old Royal Palaces and the unique arts and architectures carved in the woods, metals and stones present a captivating premise for you to explore. You will visit the holiest Tibetan Buddhist temple and the largest Stupa on Earth- the Boudhanath Stupa which holds the ever-present Buddha eyes on all four sides. Next, you will visit the Pashupatinath Temple, a very sacred Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva set on the banks of the holy Bagmati River. Sometimes, you can also witness cremation rituals on the bank of the holy river. You will also visit the Kathmandu Durbar Square where you can have a look at various old palaces built during the reigns of kings in medieval times. The Kathmandu Durbar Square was badly affected by the 2015 earthquake and many of the palaces and old temples around the Durbar Square were destroyed. The reimbursement process is ongoing on but for the majority of the area, the rebuilding process and reconstruction is underway. Next is the holy Swayambhunath temple, sacred to the Buddhist people. It is a famous pilgrimage site.

Overnight stay at the hotel, breakfast included.

We will head to the airport early in the morning and take a flight to Lukla. The air route is fascinating in itself, you would be able to see amazing green landscapes changing and get views of the White Mountains flying above. Upon arrival, the guide will brief you and will introduce you to our porters. We will then begin our trek to the Chutok La Pass (2945m).

Overnight stay at Guesthouse, breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

Today, we will trek from Chutenga and ascend steeply on the trail to cross the Zatrawala Pass (4610m). We will continue to Zatrabok (4704m), enjoying the spectacular views of Numbur Himal, Kongdi RI, Karyolang peak, and many others along the path.

Overnight stay at the Guesthouse, breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

Today, we will head towards Kothe. We will take a steep descending trail through juniper and rhododendron forests to reach Kothe.

Overnight stay at Guesthouse, breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

After enjoying our lunch at Kothe, we will head towards Tangnang (4356m). It is also known as the Sabal Tsho-Lake and its presence on the Hinku valley is quite prominent. The trial gradually ascends- offering a scenic view of the Kusum Kanguru. Overnight stay at Guesthouse, breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

Today is set aside for acclimatization. We will rest at Tangnang. Wandering around the valley, we can explore the local culture. We can enjoy the scenic view of the stunning peaks and glaciers.

Overnight stay at Guesthouse, breakfast, lunch, and dinner included

We will climb up along the lateral moraine of the glacier on this day. It provides an interesting view of the Mera Peak. Walking on the dilapidated path, we will head towards Khare, where we will stay for the night.

Overnight stay at Guesthouse, breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

We will take a rest at Khare. This is another day set aside for acclimatization. Preparing ourselves for climbing Mera Peak, we will have a preparation day as well today.

Overnight stay at Guesthouse, breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

We will progress along the snowy glacier and approach the pass. Walking on perilous paths, we will be trekking to Mera La and along the base camp as well.

Overnight at tented camp. breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

From the Mera Base Camp, we will walk further on from the High Camp which lies at an elevation of 5800m. This day presents a breathtaking experience filled with eye-catching views of enormous mountains which are more or less 7000 meters. They include Makalu (8475m), Everest (8848m), Chamlang (7290m), Baruntse (7220m) and Lhotse (8501m) among others. We will also get to see the peaks like Ama Dablam, Kantega, Cho Oyu, and more set on the west side. As we get to the High Camp (5800m), we will set our camp.

Overnight at tented camp. breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

Our Sherpa will wake you up at about 2 am with hot tea and we will all have a high energy meal before starting the summit ascent of the Mera Peak. Starting through the main glacier, crossing to the south side, we will approach the snowy hump-back ridge of the peak. This part of the route is not technical, but 30 degree slopes are still tough. The slope steepens for a section behind the ridge and then you will swing diagonally westward. The summit comes back into view and you will be on the level summit ridge. At the foot of the final steep ascent, you will attach yourself to a fixed rope laid by your guide and use your ice axe and a jumar to climb the final 30 meter 55 degree pitch to reach Mera Peak’s summit. A spectacular panorama will greet you with clear views over to Everest. Once you’ve had your chance to take this all in and congratulate yourself on an amazing achievement, we will then descend into the Hongu Valley, down to Kongma Dingma.

Overnight at tented camp. breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

We will continue to trek through the Hongu Valley, a very high and remote valley with no inhabitants. Real wilderness and a sense of real remoteness can be felt in this beautiful valley. Huge flanks of Mount Chamlang dominate on our left, and the spire of Baruntse comes into view beyond. The environment is remarkably compassionate, especially considering we are actually heading directly into the very epicenter of the highest group of mountains in the world. The valley floor remains broad and straight, only gradually rising to the blind alley of peaks ahead. It is almost a shock to realize that the two majestic mountains we are heading straight towards are none other than Everest and Lhotse. We will climb steadily up to and just beyond Seto Pokhari and camp there. Seto Pokhari means “White Lake”, named so because of the lake’s white waters.

Overnight at tented camp. breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

We will trek through one of the remotest parts of the Himalayas today. It’s very rare to meet any trekkers if it’s not a high tourist season. We can enjoy and experience the wilderness of the Honku Valley. We will walk through the high-altitude trail from Seto Pokhari to Amphu Lapcha High Camp. On the trail, today, on our right is Mt. Chamlang (7321m) with hanging glaciers on its South-West and North-West faces. Passing beneath the giant west face of Chamlang, we will follow the Hongu Khola and finally the Hongu Glacier to the religious site of Panch Pokhri (five lakes). Today, we will trek to Amph Labsta’s south side Base Camp and come face to face with this gigantic and technical obstacle that we must cross tomorrow, along with a 360-degree view of the great mountains.

Overnight at tented camp. breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

Today, we will have a real day of challenge ahead of us. On the South side, the pass is an interesting traverse of scree slopes and layered glacier wall that we will have to ascend. We will trek along a fantastic icefall to the crest of the pass at 5850 meters. Here, we will have stunning views of Island Peak, Lhotse and Nuptse looming over the Imja Valley. The descent down to the valley is steep with a section that we negotiate by abseiling; looking back it will be quite an awesome feeling. We will carry on descending on the moraine to camp beside the Imaja Glacier and enter the Imja Valley where we shall spend the night.

Overnight at tented camp. breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

It’s the easy gradual trail up to Island Peak Base Camp. We will cross a river and follow the valley for approximately 3 hours, passing beneath the magnificent south face of Lhotse. Base Camp is by the side of the Imja glacier, below steep grassy slopes which marks the start of the climb on Island Peak. From the Island Peak Base Camp, the trail is moderately steep. First, we will climb south then turn east to the contour of the valley. We will then walk on a zigzag path below the southern flank of the Lhotse Glacier moraine. Continuing walking on a pleasant trail along a streamside, we can see the Amphu Labtsa route at the south side. A network route through the Imja and Lhotse glacier moraines leads to a spacious valley (Pareshaya Gyab) near the southwest side of the Island Peak where we will set our tents. After a brief rest, our climbing guide will instruct you about the methods of using climbing equipment and some technical climbing skills. Along with practical knowledge on using climbing gears like ice axes, climbing boots and crampons, harnesses, and ascenders, you will also learn about using ropes to go up and down. Although it is not mandatory to have prior training for Island Peak Climbing, we strongly believe that some training will boost your confidence and climbing skills to increase the chances of scaling the summit safely together with a fun experience.

Overnight at tented camp. breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

The push for the summit starts very early in the morning, mostly it starts before 3 a.m. The climbing guide will fix all the safety lines wherever necessary and will be close taking care of you. A steep long ascent finally ends at the top and after a short stay at the top to enjoy the panorama of mountains; we will climb down to the Island Peak Base Camp and then the Chhukung village.

Overnight at the Guesthouse, breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

This is a spare day to avoid bad weather problems before reaching the peak of the summit. In case of good weather conditions and trouble-free climbing, we do not need this day.

Overnight at tented camp/teahouse, full board meals included.

Leaving the mountains behind us, our descent takes us through various towns of Orsho, Somare and Pangboche, Tengboche then Pungki Thanka, and completely steep to Kyangjuma, an easier trail to Namche. The trail is beautiful and filled with sights of the terrain and of the beautiful landscape.

Overnight at the guesthouse, breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

The trek continues along the Dudh Kosi River to the small mountain airstrip at Lukla, where you will catch your return flight to Kathmandu the next day.

Overnight at the guesthouse, breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

A 30-minutes amazing scenic flight back to Kathmandu will be taken by you today. Like the earlier day, the flight is beautiful and is filled with sights of the changing terrains and of the beautiful green landscape below. The views of the mountains are also quite nice.

Overnight at the hotel, breakfast included.

You can spend the day in Kathmandu, to rest or to explore, as per your inclination. This leisure day is for you to spend your time doing what pleases you in the capital.

Overnight at the hotel, breakfast included.

Approximately 3 hours before the scheduled flight, a representative from Escape Himalaya will take you to the airport from where you will depart.