Flying to Kathmandu along the northern border of Nepal on a clear day is in itself an exciting and memorable experience as exotic panoramic view of snow-capped Annapurna mountain range peaks sprawls before you. Our Airport representative will meet you in TIA- Tribhuwan International Airport and will escort you to the Hotel.
Sightseeing of Kathmandu Valley. Kathmandu, being a historical and cultural heart of Nepal, is a popular destination for tourists, trekkers and adventure seekers. The city presents a wonderful mixture of Hinduism, Tibetan Buddhism and Western influence in the Valley. Patan and Bhaktapur are its two major neighboring cities which bear immense historical, cultural and religious significance. There will be a half day guided tour to the famous & biggest Hindu shrine Pasupathinath, the largest Buddhist stupa in town Boudhanath, the 15th century palace of 55 windows and Soyambhunath. In the evening, a trip orientation meeting will be organized.
Fly to Phaplu, trek to Nuntala 2350m. The flight is less than an hour but an eye-opening introduction to rural Nepal. Landing, we step back in time. We cross the Trakshindo La (3071m), descending past the Trakshindo gompa to Nuntala, which is also called Manidingma.
We cross the Dudh Kosi (river) and climb to the pretty village of Jubing, the only non-sherpa village of the whole trek. Passing through the terraced fields of Kharikhola you realize just how much work these people put into farming. Where we stay will depend on where we make it to.
Leaving the main route up from Kharikhola. We rise to a spur pass, Khari La (2,990m). This used to be the main path up from Jiri before the new one below was made, as witnessed by the ruins of the old bhatti tea house. The view north and west is fantastic all the way to Cho Oyu. Shortly we come to a small lodge where we make lunch, which seems suspended over the wide Kharikhola valley below. We can see the notch of the Pangkongma La ahead only just higher than this little eyrie. The afternoon brings us through gorgeous forests with many high waterfalls, to the handsome village of Pangkongma (2,846m), where we camp in the grounds of a fine Sherpa family house, the last of these robust stone buildings we will see before our return to Lukla.
Rest at Pangkongma.
In the cool of the morning we head up toward the Pangkongma La pass behind the village, and it is not long before we arrive at its distinct notch (3,180m), marked by some very ancient looking chortens. We have entered the Hinku valley and immediately there is a feel of unspoilt remoteness. Across the valley are thick forests broken only by a few kharka pasture settlements. Snow peaks top the ridge opposite but it is not until we round the corner that Mera comes into view guarding the head of the valley. From this angle it looks very impressive, and anything but easy! We descend through some scattered settlements and have lunch at one of the lower ones. We can see our night stop opposite, seeming so close, and can follow our route of the next few days running along the ridge above. The afternoon takes us down an excellent steep path to cross the river. The most dramatic waterfall so far plunges down the opposite bank. The climb up is less steep and takes us into some deep forests before emerging to camp in the pastures of Narjing Dingma (2,650m), a settlement of bamboo huts.
The forests continue as we ascend, now mainly rhododendron. From the Surkie La (3,085m) we head north along the ridge, and the whole of eastern Nepal opens out in front of us, over the wildly remote Hongu valley, with the solitary bulk of the Kangchenjunga massive marking the Sikkim border. As we head up this ridge today and tomorrow, we will pass from side to side with immense dramatic views either way. This first section we call Raspberry Ridge, and these delicious wild berries are ripe to perfection in October. We have lunch and later camp (3,450m) in the grassy pastures, kharkas that occasionally widen the ridge.
From here up the ridge is cragged with lichen rocks and heathers, and we wind our way up over several rises. The ridge narrows as dramatic gullies drop away steeply on either side. Over a final crest (4,330m) we reach the unexpected suspended ledge of the lakes of Panch Pokhari - five lakes, the sacred number. This is a place of pilgrimage for both Buddhists, who line the edges of the lakes with chortens, and Hindus, who leave a forest of tridents, the symbol of Shiva the mountain-born god of destruction and re-birth. This is a very potent, evocative site. A short descent beyond brings us into the wide cam of Khula Khark Overnight at Khula Kharka.
Another excellent day, first contouring the heathery slopesnow firmly on the Hinku side of the ridge. Dwarf juniper shrub turns gradually to trees again, before we descend steeply to the phenomenal cascading junction of two mountain torrents, crashing down through tall pine forests all around our lunch site. These totally unspoilt forests become even more majestic, as we soon rejoin the main river, crossing it to continue up the west bank and reach Khote (3,480m) where we will spend our night. This site was particularly devastated by the flood of 98 when the Sabai Tcho glacial lake broke its moraine dam. The tea huts have now been rebuilt but the previously grassy campsite is now a beach! The final crest of the Mera ridge including the summit is clearly visible up at the end of the valley ahead.
The forest gives way to open valley again by mid-morning, revealing the peaks which line either side. A small Buddhist gompa in the rock wall above the path contains some unexpectedly fine Buddha statues within. The valley swings eastward into a new array of peaks and the route up toward the Mera glacier comes into view. We have reached the surprisingly well-established summer settlement of Tagnak (4,140m) by lunch time, and here we set up camp. Towering over our heads the sheer flank of the Mera ridge dramatically dominates the skyline.
This is a useful day for boosting our adoption to the altitude by gaining as much height as we can during the day but returning to Tagnak for the night. Opposite the Mera ridge the Tagnak valley leads up to a long range of peaks connecting Kusum Kanguru north to Kang Teiga. In the morning we climb to the glacier level (about 5,000m), mostly a rocky scramble, with great views of Mera behind. Returning for lunch, in the afternoon we head up the slopes to the north to look at what is left of the glacial lake, Sabai Tsho - not very much. You can still see a distinct line, far above, marking where the water had once reached.
Tagnak to Khare. This mornings walk up alongside the Dig glacier that is easy and relaxed. This is an excellent valley opening out views to the north of the Hinku Nup glacier and the line of peaks beyond. Behind us is the dramatic spire of the less than romantically named Peak 35, which has yet to be climbed. Only the last section up to our base camp at Khare (4,940m) is steep and reminds us that we are gaining altitude. Its a short climb and we are there in good time for lunch. This will be our base for the next 3 nights, thoroughly developing our acclimatization, with successively higher day ascents, descending to sleep low and consolidate our energies for the final ascent to come. We start this process this afternoon, with a gradual ascent of an excellent grassy ridge immediately behind the camp (to 5,260m) which also gives us great all round views - of the flattened ridge across the glacier which we will ascend tomorrow, and south to Mera itself, including the pass, the high camp rock outcrop and the 3 summits arrayed along the ridge.
Ridge ascent from Hinku Nup Today. Peak Climbing Ascent we gain more valuable acclimatization and pick up some stunning views as well. Following the lateral moraine of the Hinku Nup glacier into an arena of peaks and glacial lakes, we turn to ascend a grassy ridge that rises back to the south. At the top we eat our lunch and are surrounded by a stunning panorama of peaks including Mera itself and the whole of Hinku Himal to the north right round to the south face of Ama Dablam. We take a packed lunch with us, but top up with hot noodle soup back at base. In the afternoon we look at the principles of roping up for glacier travel, essentially different from other roped climbing.
We return to the glacier, and this time follow it round in a wide arc, keeping close under the northern flank where there are no crevasses. The last section is almost level and Mera La (5,410m) itself is a rounded snow col that bridges south to the main sweep of the Mera glacier coming down from the peak itself. The views that open out beyond, as we pull clear of the northern flank, are really fantastic; the Hongu valley opens out in front of us dominated by the massive south-west face of Chamlang. Makalu fills the gap to the north. This has got to be one of the most amazing camp view points in the entire Himalaya. Kangchenjunga is now visible to the east above the ridge of Chamlang; the ice spire of Baruntse has appeared to the left of Makalu. Between it and the beautiful twin peaks of Ama Dablam, which now rise above the lesser peaks in the foreground, we can see the whole of the great sweeping ridge line from Nuptse up to the forbidding mass of Lhotses south face running through to Lhotse Shar. And over the ridge stands the summit of Everest, the final stages of the traditional route up the south-east ridge and over the south summit to the summit ridge, visible only from this angle (or from the summit of Ama Dablam!). Just to the right of Kang Teiga, which dominates the western foreground, we can see all the way up the Ngozumpa glacier past Gokyo to Cho Oyu, bringing our tally of 8,000 meter peaks to an unbelievable five. We are likely to get an amazing sunset.
It can seem a bit of a shock to the system to be awakened before dawn (even by smiling Sherpas bearing steaming hot tea), with the prospect of leaving our warm sleeping bags and getting ready for the cold outside - always the toughest moment of any mountaineering trip. But we soon warm up, continuing up the main glacier then crossing back to the south side as we approach the snow hump-back ridge. The first shafts of the sun hit the big peaks behind us and are soon on our own slopes, an amazing horizontal red glow. The route is still non-technical; 30º slopes, one foot in front of the other, count the steps and take a breather. Our acclimatization will be at its peak just when we need it, and, except due to weather conditions, we have still not had anyone attempt the summit and fail (though our leaders are now fluent in the language of encouragement). The slope steepness for a section behind the ridge and then we swing diagonally westward. The summit comes back into view and we are on the level summit ridge. At the foot of the final steepness we can attach to our only fixed rope on the route which safeguards this 30 metre 55º pitch. The exhilaration of reaching the summit; this incredible location; is it really impossible to describe to any one before they have done it. You will know what we mean if you have! Take the time to let it all in, the achievement, the experience. We head right down to Khare tonight, it really doesnt take very long, and were ready for a bit of celebration, tired or not!
Contingency day. There is no such thing as a guarantee of good climbing conditions in the Himalayas, so an extra day maximizes our odds in this normally fair-weather season. If weve done the deed already, well decide whether to rest up or move down. If we need yet another contingency day, Terra Firma has an excellent alternative route not a lot of people know about, which returns from Tagnak to Lukla in a very long single day. We keep that up our sleeves!
Khare or Tagnak - Khote. If we had a rest day yesterday we may want to head on today and spend an extra night in Lukla where the beers are cheap. If were fresh off the mountain well just take it easy.
A new route has now been completed which stays high on the open hillsides west of the Hinku River, rather than wind through the forests down below. This makes for a quicker return with some fantastic views back of Mera herself from a completely different angle. Chetera (4,150m) is a small pasture by an enormous free-standing rock.
Chetera to Lukla. The trail goes over a series of rises and high plateau before we finally reach the craggy Zatrawa La (4,580m), where we look back on the Hinku wilderness for the last time and the south face of the peak we have just climbed. A gradual descent traverses toward the rocky outcrop of the Zatr Og. Switching over to the north behind this we descend now steeply from the Kalo Himal, the black mountains, into the rocky slopes and cascading streams of the Sherpa populated Dudh Kosi valley. The high crags give way to forest, where we have lunch in a clearing, then to farmland as we approach the tourist bustle of Lukla (2,850m), our night stop, still high above the river. The village of our outward trek now feels like a metropolis, and a wild party is inevitable.
Flight from Lukla to Kathmandu. From Lukla, we take an early morning flight to Kathmandu. Then transfer to Hotel.
Depart from Kathmandu or do other trip with us. Our The Nepalese support team will take you to the airport for your flight home. (Or stay longer for short tours such as game drive at National parks, rafting, Tibet tours, mountain biking etc. thank you for choosing Adventure Zone.
