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Day 1 Arrival in Kathmandu, transfer to hotel
Elevation:
1400 m
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
N/A
Meals:
N/A
You will be met at the arrival terminal and transferred to the group hotel. The Hotel locates within walking distance of Thamel in Kathmandu. The rest of the day is free to explore the city or can choose to relax. Depending on your arrival time and other participants, your guide will inform you of the time for the trek briefing. Most of the time, the briefing time will be around 5-6 pm Nepal time. During the briefing, your guide will check the climbing equipment necessary for the climb and will instruct you to pack the climbing equipment and trekking gear.
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Day 2 Flight to Phaplu (2400m) and drive to Taksindu (2960m)
Elevation:
2960 m
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
N/a
Meals:
BLD
After breakfast at the Hotel, depending on the flight time, we drive to Kathmandu domestic terminal for the flight. After the short 25 minutes flight, we reach Phaplu, where we meet our climbing crew and the porters. After lunch, we take an off-road jeep ride for a couple of hours or less to Taksindu after crossing Taksindu-La at 3070 meters and Ringmo village.
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Day 3 Trek to Kharikhola (2040m)
Elevation:
2040 m
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
6-7 hrs
Meals:
BLD
The day starts with 1.5 hours of descent through forests, across terraced fields and over a suspension bridge that brings you to Nunthala (2194m). A magnificent view of Kusum Khangkaru peak (6370 m) on the northeast guides you to leave the village and descend the steep trail to the Dudh Koshi River. After crossing over the suspension bridge at the lowest point on the trek, the trail further ahead from the bridge rises to Jubhing (1680m) - inhabited by the Rai community, one of the indigenous middle hill Hindu clans. Up ahead towards the north, following the Dudh Koshi river, continue straight to avoid the left fork towards Chokha. The trail now gives you two options to Kharikhola, but we take the left one because it is less steep. Finally, the sacred and barren-looking mountain Khumbila appears as you walk to your overnight destination.
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Day 4 Trek to Panggom (2804m)
Elevation:
2804 m
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
4 hrs
Meals:
BLD
Today is a half-day trek, so we recommend you take a heavy breakfast since we are stopping for a late lunch at Panggom. After breakfast, we skip the Everest Basecamp trail that leads to Bupsa and continues towards the southeast. We gradually climb with a series of switchbacks, gently gaining altitude. After about 2 hours of trekking, we reach the village of Kupra, where we stop for a short break. We trek further through the lush forest to arrive at Panggom, our overnight stop.
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Day 5 Trek to Ramailo Dada (3276m)
Elevation:
3276 m
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
5-6 hrs
Meals:
BLD
After a short climb from Panggom, we reach Panggom-La at an altitude of 3170m, where we see the first sight of Mera Peak. Then, we descend about 300 meters down to Sibuje village. After crossing the bridge of the Ningsow river, we ascend to a steady path through the forested river valley to Ningsow. We continue our climb for another 1.5 hours, roughly 400 meters uphill through a single trial, slightly exposed to Ramilo Danda means "fun hill".
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Day 6 Trek to Chetra Khola/Jungle Camp (3122m)
Elevation:
3122 m
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
6-7 hrs
Meals:
BLD
Today is a tough day where; we need to take extra precautions. First, we enter the dense forest, where we climb and descend the steep and rugged spurs that line the Inkhu Khola valley. On the way, we encounter a few landslide areas to the west. If lucky, we have an opportunity to see the Red Panda. After lunch (packed) at a favourable spot suggested by the lead guide, we trek about 2 to 2.5 hours more to our overnight destination at Chetra Khola, also known as Jungle Camp.
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Day 7 Trek to Kothe (3580m)
Elevation:
3580 m
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
5-6 hrs
Meals:
BLD
After breakfast, we start the trek with a gradual ascent and descent for 500 meters with a fascinating view of the dramatic southwest face and North face of Mera peak. As we descend to the upper Inkhu Khola, we feel peace walking through the pine and rhododendron forest and reach Kothe, a small village with few teahouses and summer yak pastures.
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Day 8 Trek to Tangnag (4358m)
Elevation:
4358 m
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
4-5 hrs
Meals:
BLD
The scenery is taking on a very different character now. After leaving the jungle camp behind, we enter the open Hinku valley. On the way, Kysar Himal, known as Peak 43, sits at the head, and the twin summits of Kusum Khangkaru (6370m) appear on the left of the valley. We follow the trail in the open land surrounded by several 5000 meters peaks. Finally, we start adapting an altitude accordingly to Tangnag, situated at an elevation of 4358 meters. After two days in a basic teahouse, we deserve a better lodge and an extra day for rest and hiking.
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Day 9 Acclimatization Day at Tangnag (4358m)
Elevation:
4358 m
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
3-4 hrs
Meals:
BLD
Today is our first acclimatization day of the trek; we hike for 4 hours towards the nearby glacier at an altitude of 5,000 meters and observe a close view of Kusum Khangkaru.
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Day 10 Trek to Khare (5045m)
Elevation:
5045 m
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
4-5 hrs
Meals:
BLD
Today after acclimatization at Tangnag, you likely feel the minor effects of the altitude. We head through the single trail that leads to Khare on the east. After further ups and downs for a couple of hours, walking around 300 meters brings you to an open pasture at Dig Kharka, where we could see some lodges of Khare. After crossing a stream, we climb for another 1.5 hours to Khare.
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Day 11 Acclimatization day at Khare (5045m)
Elevation:
5045 m
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
2-3 hrs
Meals:
BLD
Today is our second acclimatization day. First, we hike for a couple of hours to gain an altitude of about 150 meters above Khare, where you can prepare for a further climb to base camp. After the hike, we return to Khare to familiarize ourselves with high-altitude gears and learn and practice climbing techniques accompanied by your guide. Back and forth, we spend around 2-3 hours at the moraine and scree slopes at the base of Mera Glacier.
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Day 12 Trek to Mera Basecamp (5425m)
Elevation:
5425 m
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
4 hrs
Meals:
BLD
Our program may be slightly different from other climbing groups. For example, some other groups may trek directly to High camp from Khare and attempt the summit the following day. But we spend overnight at the base camp. By doing so, there is less chance of getting altitude sickness. After lunch at the lodge, we take the trail towards Mera Glacier, where we put our climbing gears on depending on the snow conditions and the weather forecast. Finally, we continue on the glacier for 2-3 hours to reach our tented camp at Mera Basecamp.
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Day 13 Climb to High Camp (5780m)
Elevation:
5780 m
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
5-6 hrs
Meals:
BLD
After breakfast, we climb towards the Mera La, our route winding its way between the crevasses on the glacier's lower eastern flank. After half an hour, we enter an open plateau leading to Mera-La (5415m), where we encounter the other trekking trail that leads to Chukkung, a route of the Ampu Laptsa trek. After 3-4 hours of climbing, we reach High camp on the lee side of a rocky outcrop below the glacier, where we spend an overnight in the tented camp. As we wake up at around 2 am the next day for the summit push, we take our dinner early and take enough rest.
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Day 14 Summit Mera Peak & trek climb down to Khare
Elevation:
5045 m
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
11-12 hrs
Meals:
BLD
Today we will wake up at 2 am to prepare for the summit push. We start climbing around 3 am after tea and a lite breakfast. For the first 2-3 hours of the climbing, the temperature drops, and the sunrise means gaining the first false summit. After a few hours, our goal will be close, with the final test of several crevasses that line our trial before the gradient steepens dramatically. Finally, we rope up and carefully ascend the final steep hurdle to the summit of Mera Central (6,461m). The view from the summit is one of the finest in the Himalayas. We see a panoramic view of the most known mountains, such as Makalu (8475m), Baruntse (7168m), Lhotse Shar (8393m), Lhotse (8501m), Nuptse (7861m), Ama Dablam (6856m), Kangtega (6685m) Cho-Oyu (8153m) and the highest peak in the world Mt. Everest (8848m). After an hour at the summit, we retrace the route back to Khare. Once you reach Khare, you feel the achievement and fulfilment.
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Day 15 Trek to Kothe (3580m)
Elevation:
3580 m
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
5-6 hrs
Meals:
BLD
We retrace the route down to Kote, passing Tangnag. The trek to the lower altitude will take less time due to the renewed supply of red blood cells coursing through veins and increased oxygen in the atmosphere.
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Day 16 Trek to Thuli Kharka
Elevation:
3900 m
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
7-8 hrs
Meals:
BLD
Today after breakfast, we retrace the route through the lush forest that we took on Day 7 until Taktho (3670m), where we encounter two trials to the Chhatra Khola and the other to Lukla. Then, we take the Lukla trial, and after a steep climb, we get out of the forest and walk along the grassy meadow to reach Thuli Kharka just below Zatrwa-La (4610m).
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Day 17 Trek to Lukla
Elevation:
2860 m
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
6-7 hrs
Meals:
BLD
After a few minutes’ walk from the lodge, we start making our last ascent of the trek to Zatrwa La (4610m). From Zatrwa-La, we walk the steep 2000 meters downhill until we reach a small village called Chutanga and then to Lukla.
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Day 18 Flight to Kathmandu
Elevation:
1400 m
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
25 minutes
Meals:
B
The flight from Lukla takes 25 minutes to Kathmandu and transfers to the Hotel.
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Day 19 Free day in Kathmandu
Elevation:
1400 m
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
N/A
Meals:
B
We reserved this day as a weather contingency for flight cancellation or any extra day used during the program. However, if everything goes as the program, this day you can use it for relaxation or sightseeing around Kathmandu. The most popular sightseeing spot is Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, Kathmandu Durbar Square, Swayambhunath, Pashupatinath, and Boudhanath.
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Day 20 Final Departure from Kathmandu
Elevation:
N/A
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
N/A
Meals:
B
Today is the last day of the program; depending on your flight time, we will arrange the transfer to the airport, and your guide will go to see you off. The airport check-in time is 3 hours before flight departure, and the checkout time at the Hotel is noon. If your flight is later in the evening, you can request a late checkout at the hotel reception.
