At 6,476 metres (21,247ft), the summit of Mera Peak is a world stripped to its essentials: ice, wind, sky, and silence. You arrive in darkness, having climbed since midnight through steep snow and narrow ridges, your crampons biting into frozen slopes while the headlamp picks out the rope ahead. Then the horizon opens. Five of the world's fourteen 8,000-metre peaks materialise out of the pre-dawn blue, Everest and Lhotse to the north, Makalu to the east, Cho Oyu to the northwest, Kangchenjunga shimmering on the far horizon. The sun hits the summit ridge and the snow turns gold. You are standing on Nepal's highest trekking peak, and the view from here is one of the finest on earth.
Fourteen days from Kathmandu to the summit and back. The route bypasses the main Everest trail entirely, flying into Lukla before turning south into the remote Hinku Valley, a wild, quiet corridor of rhododendron forest, glacial moraines, and high pastures where yaks graze beneath towering walls of rock and ice. You won't see the crowds of the classic Khumbu trail here. Instead, you'll walk through villages where Sherpa families dry cheese on stone rooftops, sleep in teahouses warmed by wood-burning stoves, eat dal bhat cooked by the families who run them, and cross high passes draped in prayer flags. All climbing gear is provided by The Everest Holiday. Your climbing guides hold mountaineering degrees and have stood on this summit dozens of times. No prior climbing experience is needed.
What Makes This Climb Unforgettable
- Summit Nepal's highest trekking peak at 6,476m (21,247ft), with panoramic views of Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, and Kangchenjunga from the top
- No prior climbing experience required. Your TAAN-certified climbing guide teaches you everything you need during a full training day at Khare before the summit push
- All climbing gear provided by The Everest Holiday: ropes, harness, ice axe, crampons, helmet, and all technical equipment. You do not need to buy or bring any climbing-specific gear
- Trek through the remote Hinku and Honku valleys, far from the crowded main Everest route, where the mountains feel truly wild
- Full acclimatisation day at Khare (5,045m) with technical climbing training, giving your body time and your mind confidence before summit day
- Climb with TAAN-certified mountaineering guides who hold university degrees in mountaineering. Our team includes Sohel, Manoj, and Samish, all with deep Mera Peak experience
- Three tiers from USD 1,111 to USD 2,499. Same summit, same climbing team, same gear, three comfort levels. Budget, Standard, or Luxury
- Every booking supports 70 children's education at the Nagarjun Learning Center, our family-founded charity in rural Nepal
- Small groups of 2 to 20 people. Your expedition is always private, never merged with strangers
- Fly into Lukla on one of the world's most dramatic mountain flights, then walk into a valley most trekkers never see
- Best climbing season: February to June and September to November, with autumn offering the clearest summit views
14-Day Mera Peak Climbing Overview
Fourteen days divides into three clear phases: the approach trek through the Hinku Valley, the acclimatisation and training at base camp, and the summit push. The first phase begins with the flight to Lukla (2,860m / 9,383ft), then heads south on foot through Paiya, Pangkoma, and Ramailo Danda. This is not the well-worn trail to Namche Bazaar. The Hinku Valley route is quieter, greener, and wilder, dropping through dense rhododendron forest before climbing gradually through high alpine terrain towards Chetrakhola and Kothe (3,600m / 11,811ft).
From Kothe, the scenery transforms. The valley narrows, the vegetation thins, and the glacial moraines begin. You trek through Thaknak (4,350m / 14,271ft) to Khare (5,045m / 16,552ft), which serves as Mera Peak Base Camp. Here you spend a full acclimatisation day, and your climbing guide runs a thorough training session: crampon technique, ice axe arrest, rope work, and movement on steep snow. By the time you leave Khare for High Camp (5,780m / 18,963ft), you'll know exactly what to expect on summit day.
Summit day begins around midnight. You climb by headlamp through steep snow slopes and narrow ice ridges, roped to your climbing guide, using the skills you practised at Khare. The ascent takes 10 to 12 hours round trip. At 6,476 metres, the summit offers what many mountaineers consider the single greatest panorama in the Himalayas: five 8,000-metre peaks visible in a single sweep. After the summit, you descend through Khare, Kothe, and back to Lukla for the flight to Kathmandu. You return not as a trekker, but as a mountaineer who stood on a Himalayan summit.
Before You Arrive
Please arrive in Kathmandu by 4 PM the day before your expedition begins. This gives you time for a final gear check, a climbing briefing with your guide, and a good night's rest before the early morning flight to Lukla.
Your Online Briefing
After you book, we schedule a video call where we walk you through every detail: what to pack for both trekking and climbing, what the summit day is really like, how to prepare physically, what fitness level you need, and anything else on your mind. No question is too small. This is also when we learn about you. Our expedition itinerary does not include your hotel in Kathmandu. During the briefing, share your preferences and budget, and we'll arrange accommodation that fits, whether you want a simple guesthouse in Thamel or a five-star hotel.
Lukla Flight — What You Need to Know
The flight to Lukla is one of the most dramatic in the world, a short ride between mountain peaks that ends on a runway carved into a hillside at 2,860m (9,383ft). It is weather-dependent, and flights can be delayed by fog, cloud, or wind, sometimes for a full day. This is normal in the Himalayas and nothing to worry about, but it is something to plan for. We strongly recommend keeping two buffer days at the end of your trip before your international flight home. Make sure your Nepal visa covers the extra days. During peak season (March to May and October to November), flights may operate from Manthali Airport instead of Kathmandu. All ground transport is included in every package.
Your Climb, Your Way
Every expedition we run is private. Your group only, no strangers added. Whether you choose Budget, Standard, or Luxury, the mountain is yours and your companions' alone. This is not a conveyor belt. This is your personal Himalayan summit.
Your hotel in Kathmandu is not included in the expedition package, and that is intentional. Kathmandu has everything from USD 10 guesthouses in Thamel to five-star hotels with rooftop views. During the online briefing, tell us what you prefer and we'll arrange it for you. Your expedition package begins the moment you leave Kathmandu for the mountains.
Luxury tier clients fly by helicopter from Kathmandu to Lukla and back, skipping the weather-dependent fixed-wing flights entirely. Standard and Budget clients fly by fixed-wing aircraft, with Standard receiving private vehicle transfer to and from the airport, and Budget using local or shared transport.
Climbing Gear and Team
All climbing gear is provided by The Everest Holiday: ropes, harness, ice axe, crampons, helmet, and all technical equipment needed for the summit push. You do not need to bring or buy any climbing-specific gear. You'll need your own trekking clothing and layers (available to buy or rent in Kathmandu), but the mountain-specific equipment is on us.
Your climbing guides are TAAN-certified mountaineering professionals with university degrees in mountaineering. Our team includes Sohel, Manoj, and Samish, all with extensive Mera Peak experience. They grew up in these mountains, they know the routes intimately, and they will teach you everything you need to know during the training day at Khare.
Difficulty: Very Challenging (5 out of 5)
Mera Peak is classified as a trekking peak, but make no mistake: this is a genuine mountaineering expedition. The trekking portion involves 5 to 7 hours of walking per day over mountain trails, through forest, across moraines, and up steep valley sides. The climbing portion adds technical mountaineering: crampon and ice axe work on steep snow slopes, roped travel on glaciated terrain, and an exposed summit ridge at 6,476m. There is no technical rock climbing. The challenge is altitude, endurance, cold, and the sustained physical effort of a midnight summit push lasting 10 to 12 hours. You should be in excellent cardiovascular fitness and comfortable with long days of sustained effort. Previous trekking experience is strongly recommended. Previous climbing experience is helpful but not essential.
Compare Our Three Packages
| Budget | Standard | Luxury | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price from | USD 1,111 | USD 1,999 | USD 2,499 |
| Meals | Choose your own (approx. USD 15-25/day) | 3 meals + tea + fruits + 2L water daily | All meals + all drinks anytime (except alcohol) |
| Room | Shared teahouse | Private twin w/ bathroom | Private deluxe w/ bed heater |
| Porter | Not included | 1 per 2 trekkers | 1 per trekker (carry nothing) |
| Guide | 1 guide, assistant at 8+ | 1 guide per 6, assistant at 6+ | 1 guide per 2 trekkers |
| Climbing guide | Included — TAAN-certified with mountaineering degree | Included — TAAN-certified with mountaineering degree | Included — TAAN-certified with mountaineering degree |
| Climbing gear | All provided by TEH | All provided by TEH | All provided by TEH (premium quality) |
| High Camp | Mountaineering tent | Mountaineering tent | Mountaineering tent |
| Transport | Local/shared vehicle + flight to Lukla | Private vehicle + flight to Lukla | Helicopter Kathmandu–Lukla both ways |
| SIM data | SIM only | Limited data | Unlimited data |
| Best for | Ambitious climbers on a budget | First-time summiteers wanting comfort | Premium climbing experience |
Himalayas for Every Budget — same climbing guides, same gear, same summit, three comfort levels.
Your Climb, Our Family
In the 1960s, Shreejan's grandfather Hari Lal Simkhada helped international travellers experience the Himalayas for the first time, arranging logistics, finding routes, building trust with people who had come halfway around the world on a dream. His son Ganesh went on to hold senior positions in Nepal's tourism and mountaineering institutions. And now Shreejan, the third generation, designs every itinerary you see on this website.
This is not a company that was started in a boardroom. It was started on a mountain trail, three generations ago.
Shreejan hand-picks the guide and climbing team for your group from our roster of TAAN-certified mountaineering professionals, people who grew up in these mountains, who have stood on Himalayan summits dozens of times, and who know exactly how to guide you safely to the top of Mera Peak and back. He briefs your team personally before your expedition begins, because your safety and experience are not something we delegate to a system.
Have a question right now? WhatsApp Shreejan directly: +977 9810351300. No sales team. No chatbot. The person who designed your climb answers personally.
Why Climbers Trust Us
- 197+ TripAdvisor Reviews — 4.9 out of 5 stars, TripAdvisor Travellers Choice 2024
- 108+ Google Reviews — 4.9 out of 5 stars
- TAAN Certified — Member #1586, Government Reg: 147653/072/073
- Secure 10% Deposit — pay just USD 111 to reserve your Mera Peak expedition, via Himalayan Bank
- Himalayas for Every Budget — from USD 1,111 including all climbing gear, guides, and permits
- Three Generations — family guiding in the Himalayas since the 1960s
- Mountaineering-Degree Guides — your climbing team holds university qualifications in mountaineering, not just trekking certifications
Solo Climbers Welcome
You do not need a climbing partner. Many of our Mera Peak clients book alone, solo climbers looking for their first summit above 6,000 metres. Your climbing guide and trekking guide are with you every step, and if you want company on the expedition, tell us and we'll list your dates as a fixed departure so others can join. Nepal's mandatory guide rule is already covered by our package, so there's nothing extra to arrange.
Our groups are small, 2 to 20 people, because the Himalayas deserve more than a crowd. You book your expedition, and it's yours. We will never add strangers to your group without your permission. Whether you're a solo climber or bringing a group, choosing the right company matters more at 6,476m than anywhere else. Bring Nepali rupees for personal spending along the trail, and budget for tipping your guide and porters at the end.
Difficulty: What Mera Peak Is Really Like
Mera Peak sits at 6,476 metres, making it Nepal's highest trekking peak. The classification "trekking peak" refers to the permit category, not the difficulty. This is a real mountaineering expedition that demands respect.
The approach trek through the Hinku Valley involves 5 to 7 hours of walking per day over mountain trails, through forest, across river crossings, and up steep hillsides. The terrain is rougher and less developed than the classic Everest trail. Teahouses in this region are simpler, the trails quieter, and the sense of remoteness real.
Summit day is the crux. You leave High Camp (5,780m) around midnight, climbing by headlamp through steep snow slopes and narrow ice ridges. The round trip takes 10 to 12 hours. You'll use crampons, an ice axe, and be roped to your climbing guide throughout. There is no technical rock climbing, but the combination of altitude, cold, darkness, and sustained effort on steep snow and ice makes this a serious undertaking. Altitude sickness is a real concern at this elevation, and our guides carry pulse oximeters and altitude medication throughout.
You need excellent cardiovascular fitness. We recommend at least three months of targeted training before your expedition: running, hiking with a loaded pack, stair climbing, and core strength work. The full acclimatisation day at Khare, combined with the gradual altitude gain through the Hinku Valley, gives your body the best possible preparation. Your climbing guide teaches crampon and ice axe technique during the training session at Khare, so you don't need prior experience with this equipment.
Travel insurance with helicopter evacuation cover to 7,000m is mandatory for this expedition. We require confirmation before departure.
Climb With a Purpose — Changing the World, One Step at a Time
In 2019, Shreejan and Shamjhana founded the Nagarjun Learning Center in Saldum Village, one of the most remote communities in Nepal's Dhading District, where children had no school after hours, no computers, and limited healthcare. Today, 70 children receive free education and hot meals every school day. The centre has grown to 7 learning centres across Nepal, providing healthcare for over 600 people, internet access for 65 children, and support programmes for over 275 women.
A portion of every expedition you book funds this work directly. The centre is verified and listed on the United Nations Partner Portal.
When you climb Mera Peak with us, every step, from the first footfall on the trail in the Hinku Valley to the final push on the summit ridge at 6,476 metres, helps change a life in rural Nepal. That is what we mean by Climb With a Purpose. It's also why our responsible trekking practices and porter welfare standards go far beyond what the law requires.
What Trekkers Say About This Trek
"Our guide made sure we acclimatised properly. I never felt rushed. The teahouses were comfortable and the food was surprisingly good at altitude."
— Google Review, 5 stars
"Our guide made sure we acclimatised properly with rest days at Namche and Dingboche. I never felt rushed. The teahouses were comfortable and the food was surprisingly good."
— Google Review, 5 stars
"Our guide made sure we acclimatised properly with rest days at Namche and Dingboche. I never felt rushed. The teahouses were comfortable and the food was surprisingly good."
— Google Review, 5 stars
