Peak of the Week: Mera Peak, Nepal

Getting up in the course of the frigid evening, pulling in your gear, and heading out into the darkness by no means will get any simpler. Nonetheless, as quickly as the primary rays of sunshine seem within the sky and also you glimpse your environment, it seems like an effort price making – particularly in case your environment embody 5 of the six highest mountains on this planet. So it’s on Mera Peak, which should absolutely be the best-positioned non-technical mountain on the planet.

Mera is nestled on the head of a valley on the sting of Nepal’s legendary Khumbu area – the house of Mount Everest and its neighbors – and enjoys a view that defies description. As an alternative of scouring the English language for vocabulary which might by no means do it justice, attempt to image a vista that takes within the mighty south-west face of Everest, Lhotse’s 2000 meter-high south face, Makalu’s imposing west face, and distant views of Kangchenjunga and Cho Oyu. Of the six highest mountains on this planet, solely K2 (the second highest mountain on earth, which lies nearly a thousand miles away within the Pakistan Karakoram) will not be seen from Mera’s summit, and that is earlier than we have talked about the decrease peaks it overlooks, together with Nuptse and Ama Dablam, “essentially the most stunning mountain on this planet.” There is likely to be a greater mountain vista on this planet than the one from Mera Peak….however I doubt it!

The ascent from excessive camp to the summit will not be technically difficult, however with the horribly skinny air failing to supply sufficient oxygen, it is a bodily brutal journey. One of the simplest ways to cope with it’s to tug your hood over your head, look down at your ft, and let your thoughts drift off for a few hours till the primary rays of sunshine hit. When that daylight does arrive, it is lastly time to start wanting up and reaping the rewards to your efforts up so far. The sunshine appears to alter with each passing minute, and gray mild slowly offers technique to pink and – lastly – orange glow. It is an exquisite factor to witness, made all of the sweeter in the event you make it to the summit of Mera Peak and have the possibility to relaxation your legs and “be” in one of many planet’s most unimaginable spots.

By now, you is likely to be considering that this all sounds nice and are hovering over reserving a flight to Kathmandu, however there’s all the time a catch – and right here it’s: the peak of Mera Peak (6,476 meters/21,247 ft) and its comparatively distant location (a 10-day hike – together with acclimatization/relaxation days – from Lukla airstrip) make climbing it an extended and difficult course of. You will want three weeks to get to Nepal, up and down Mera Peak, and residential once more, so this (sadly) is not one for weekend warriors! The journey to the mountain is a once-in-a-lifetime expertise for many climbers, so savor it and benefit from the experience.

The journey begins within the bustling metropolis of Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital and a spot that overwhelms the senses! There’s greater than sufficient to discover over a number of days – between the Pashupatinath and Boudhanath temples, Durbar Sq., and the seemingly limitless backstreets, so take a number of days to recover from your jetlag and discover. 

After a little bit of sightseeing, it is time to head into the mountains, and the journey begins with the scary flight into Lukla, the world’s most harmful airport with a runway lower than 2000 ft lengthy. Simply attempt to do not forget that the pilots do the Lukla touchdown day-after-day and do not wish to mess it up any greater than you need them to, so belief their ability and check out to not dwell on it! As soon as safely on the bottom, it is time to start the journey to Mera Peak – get mountaineering! 

The journey to the mountain goes over a excessive cross after which up the gorgeous Hingku valley, with Mera Peak’s numerous rocky buttresses and Kyashar (6,769 m/22,208 ft) dominating the view for a lot of the journey. As you progress larger up in the direction of Mera Peak, there is a rising sense of being amongst the mountains quite than wanting up at them. Grass, streams, and timber slowly turn out to be recollections as you enter the mountain’s barren however spectacular higher reaches. Excessive camps within the Himalayas are completely desolate locations – devoid of something dwelling – however they rank as a few of the most stunning locations on Earth. Even by the requirements of excessive mountain camps, Mera’s excessive camp is completely spectacular, with a glacial serac looming a number of hundred ft away and the distant peaks of the Kangchenjunga area disappearing over the horizon.

Regardless of the rugged fantastic thing about the environment, excessive camp is a tricky place to be, with no genuinely flat tent websites and air so skinny it actually takes your breath away. There is not any escaping from the truth that, as soon as the tent door is shut and the view is now not seen, being at Mera excessive camp is one thing to be endured quite than loved. Thankfully or sadly, relying on the way you take a look at it, the interval while you’re shut in your tent might be fairly transient – that alarm will go off earlier than you realize it!

Hopefully, you may have had some sleep, however whether or not you could have or not, you’ll really feel groggy when the time involves go! Getting out of the tent will probably be an extended and uncomfortable course of, however pressure your self to do it – rewards await! Having pressured your self outdoors, pulled your gear on, and tied into the rope – it is time to go.

Which is true the place we began.

Right here’s our information to climbing Mera Peak after which carrying on to a different basic Khumbu summit, Island Peak: