Three Peaks Climbing- Climb Mera, Island and Lobuche Peak

After your first night in Kathmandu, today is a day scheduled for any last-minute trek and climb preparation. In the evening, you will be briefed by your trek and climb leader about your trekking/climb program. In case you have fallen short of any trek and climb equipment that you may need, this time can be used to arrange for it.

After an early morning b/fast, we take the flight from Kathmandu to Lukla on STOL aircraft. Flight time is about 35 minutes to the airstrip built by Sir Edmund Hillary and the Sherpas in the mid-1960s. It is a memorable flight, with outstanding views of the eastern Himalaya (sit on the left side of the plane for the best views). At Lukla, we are immediately overcome by the scale of the massive peaks that surround the village but this is only an indication of what is to come. After packing our gears, we we will leave Lukla and follow the relatively easy trail through the woods of colorful rhododendron and pine to Poiyan for overnight.

Crossing the series of ridges, we will go through rhododendron and bamboo forests. On our way, we can see yak joyfully munching the lush green grass. Continuing the trail through rhododendron forest, we will reach Pangoma where we will stay overnight.

Leaving Pangoma, we will follow the path for a couple of hours before taking a gentle climb to Pangoma La Pass. Today we get our first good views of Mera peak up the valley. We cross Ningswo Khola before we reach Ningsow bhuk for our overnight camp

The trek from Ningsow Bhuk to Chetra Khola takes you through lush forests and remote trails with occasional views of the surrounding peaks. This section of the trek offers a serene and peaceful environment as you walk through rhododendron and bamboo forests, home to various wildlife species. The trail includes a mix of ascents and descents, making it a moderately challenging day. Chetra Khola serves as a tranquil resting spot amidst the pristine wilderness.

After an early morning tea, we will take about 3-hours of downhill trek through rhododendron forest. We will be taking lunch amid the forest before continuing the trek along Hinku River. It will take couple of hours to reach Kothe where we will stay overnight.

We will enter Barun National Park on this day. Leaving our camp in Khote early in the morning, we will proceed and enter to Barun National Park. The trail leads us along the edge of Hinku River about 4-5 hours to lead us to Thagnag which will greet us with awe-inspiring views of Thamserku, Kusum Kangru and Kangteka peaks.

Today is a day scheduled for acclimatization before we move further up. Since an activity helps us in proper acclimatization, we will be taking a side trip to either Charpate Himal Glacier or a nearby hill. Our main objective today is to climb high and sleep low. Later, we will return to our camp in Thangnang for an overnight stay.

After early morning breakfast, we will leave Thaknag and move through the lateral moraine of Dig Glacier to reach Dig Kharka. We will be greeted with a pleasant view of Charpate Himal from Dig Kharka. We will follow the ascending path through moraines to the snout of Hinku Nup. Proceeding further, we will cross Shar Glacier and follow the steep path uphill to Khare where we will camp overnight. Khare allows an exquisite view of the North face of Mera Peak.

You will receive pre-climb training today from your climbing guide on this day. Terrain info, climb techniques, proper usages of equipment and glacier travel etc will be covered today on our training program. You will learn how to use ropes while you move up and down. Later, in the afternoon we will return to Khare for overnight stay.

We will need to use climbing gears like Crampons and axe to take the steep ascend to High Camp of Mera Peak. From Mera La, we will ascend the glaciated path. At around 5800m elevation, we will find a rocky section among glacier to set up our high camp. Existing at the edge of mountain, the area offers striking view of Kanchenjunga that rises to the east above the ridge of Chamlang. We will also get exquisite views of Makalu, Ama Dablam, Nuptse, the southern section of Lhotse and Lhotse Shar Mountains. Stay overnight in High Camp.

We will wake up much early on this day. After tea, we will take slow climb towards the summit. Temperature remains on an average 10 degree Celsius below Zero on this region. We will climb the glacier and proceed to snow hump-back ridge. We will follow the non-technical and classic route through the south-east ridge. Climbing further through the snout of glacier, we will climb over the south summit to the summit ridge. Finally, the moment comes for which all of us were eagerly waiting. We will get the 360 degree views of many eight thousand meter peaks including views of Everest, Kanchenjunga, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Lhotse and other peaks and mountains. We will spend some time on summit witnessing the views before we descend to the foot hill of Mera and reach Mera La from where we will continue our walk till we reach Khongma Ding

After a long and tiring climb of Mera, we will pursue the easy trail to Seto Pokhari. Moving through the Hongu Valley, we will follow the scenic path with views of Chamlang (7319 m) and Baruntse (7129 m) from most of the point. The trail is mostly flat with occasional ups and downs. Finally, we will arrive at Seto Pokhari, the white Lake where we will stay overnight.

There are no inhabitants in this area as this is a very high and remote valley. We will follow the least crowded path to Chamlang Base Camp. Walking along the west face of Chamlang, we will reach Hongu River. Moving further through the Hongu glacier, we will reach Panch Pokhari, the Holy Five Lakes of Nepal. After spending some time soaking in the beauty of these five lakes, we will proceed to Amphu Lapcha High Camp where we will stay overnight.

Crossing Amphu Lapcha Pass requires technical skills. We will start early in the morning today when the weather is clear and calm. We need to cross the steep section of ice and rock. After climbing the difficult Amphu Lapcha Pass, we will lower down to the other end of the Pass at Imja Valley. We will continue walking to Chukung where we will stay overnight comfortable at the lodge.

This contingency day has been kept to make sure that our schedule will go on smoothly without interruption even if there occur complications while climbing the peak. If all goes well as planned then today will be a completely free resting and doing laundry.

We will head south towards the main valley in the east. Crossing streams at few points, the trail gets rough with boulders and glaciated rivers. We will cross Imja and Lhotse glacier moraines and arrive at the valley which serves as the Base Camp for Island peak. We will rejoice in the striking view of the southwestern face of Island peak. Stay overnight in Island Peak Base Camp.

Since the heavy wind blows during the afternoon at the summit, our target will be to reach the summit before noon. We will take a moderate climb for the first part of the climb before reaching the steep hillside. The terrain frequently changes to boulder. We will follow the tapered path through a steep rock channel to emerge to the gully. Walking through a ridgeline, we conquer challenges proposed by seracs and crevasses. We will proceed through the snout of the summit glacier with the help of ropes and move through 40- degree snow slopes to reach the summit. The challenge of the climb is rewarded with the gratifying views of Lhotse Mountain, Nuptse Mountain, Makalu, Baruntse and Amadablam Mountains. We will capture the memories on camera and then prepare ourselves for a long descend to the Base Camp and then we will continue moving to Chukhung.

Chukhung to Dingboche is a short trek that will take only couple hours to conclude. Agriculture is the chief occupation of locals in Dingboche. We can see fields enclosed by stonewall in Dingboche. Buckwheat, potatoes and barley are the major crops. We will stay overnight in Dingboche.

From Dingboche, we will retrace our route and begin a moderate walk to Dugla. After following the straight path for a couple of hours, we need to follow the steep rocky trail towards Lobuche Glacier. The path offers spectacular views of Ama Dablam, Cholatse, Thamserku, Kantega, Pokalde and other peaks.

Leaving Lobuche Base Camp, we will move along rocky moraine path towards Lobuche High Camp. We will move through Lobuche glacier. We will climb through the rocky terrain to Lobuche High Camp. Once we reach High Camp, we will take lunch and rest. Stay overnight in Lobuche High Camp.

We will wake up quite early this day as we aim to reach the summit before 10 am. We head out to the summit during predawn at around 2 am. The exact time of departure from the high camp will be suggested as per your walking pace. From high camp to the summit it’s about 7-8 hrs of a climb and descent to the high camp will take around 4 hrs. The first few hours of a climb doesn’t involve the use of crampons and the terrain mostly consists of snow and rock. Fixed ropes are usually placed along all the sections of the climb starting from the high camp. After almost 3 hrs, we get to the crampon point of Lobuche Peak, which is just at the base of a 60-degree vertical climb on a fixed rope. From here, the climb begins somewhat technical with climbing on mixed conditions of rock, ice and snow. After another 3 hrs of mixed climbing on a fixed rope on an average 45-degree incline we get to the summit of Lobuche East (6119m/20,075ft). The summit allows enticing views of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Cholatse, Ama Dablam, Pumori and other mountains in the Everest region. After spending some quality time in the summit, we will lower down to Lobuche High Camp for lunch and then towards Thugla for an overnight stay

This contingency day has been kept to make sure that our schedule will go on smoothly without interruption even if there occur complications while climbing the peak.

We will follow the easy and standard Everest base camp trail to the lower altitudes. We will retrace the route through the wide valley of Khumbu River and walk past pretty tiny Sherpa settlements of Orsho and Shomare to Pangboche. Pangboche is popular for its oldest monastery in Khumbu region. We can rejoice the views of Everest, Ama Dablam, Thamserku, Kangtaiga and Kongde ridges and Imja Tse River from Pengboche village.

Leaving Pheriche, we will lower down to Khumbu River. We will cross Khumbu River and follow the popular EBC trail through the scenic valley. Enroute, we will cross dispersed villages of Orsho and Shomare and reach Pangboche that is located at the base of Ama Dablam. Crossing the bridge over Imja River, we will walk through pretty Deboche village and arrive at Tengboche. We will visit Khumbu’s largest Tengboche Monastery and pass through rhododendron forest to Dudh Koshi River. We will cross Dudhkoshi River and reach Phunki Tenga. Walking through Sansa village, we will reach Kyangjuma. The campsite in Kyangjuma allows views of Ama Dablam, Thamserku and other mountains.

Our last day of trek following the Dudh Kosi River down to Lukla. It’s only a gradual walk along the Dudhkhosi river after our steep descent from Namche. We’ll have lunch on our way and we make the final climb up to the airstrip at Lukla. Rest of the day is free and you can relax under the warm sun & reflect on the emotional experiences we had while hiking through these massive mountains that have probably helped us re-discover ourselves in ways least expected. This is our final day on these fantastic mountains. Later we celebrate our successful completion of trek & climb with our Sherpa guides and porters who we’ve got to know so well & are now good friends. It’s a pleasure to end this wonderful trip on a happy note. We then slumber into blissful sleep.

Take an early morning flight from Lukla to Kathmandu. We will be transferred to hotel in a private vehicle in Kathmandu. Take leisure and soothe your aching limbs after our successful climb.

Enjoy a leisure day. You are on your own. Participating in a day tour in Kathmandu is a pleasant plan. You can also go for shopping in Thamel, a tourist hub where you can buy souvenir items like handicrafts and arts to your family.Please do not hesitate to let us know if you would like to extend your stay.

Finally, the undeniable day of departure arrives. Thank you for joining us on this climb and it has been a pleasure getting to know you during this time. We hope this venture has enriched your experience with happy memories. You will be assisted in your last minute preparation. Our representative will take you to Tribhuvan International Airport three hours before your scheduled flight. Keep in touch and hope to hear from you soon. Bon voyage for a safe and pleasant trip home.