Mera island and Pokalde Climbing via Ambulapcha Pass

Namaste and welcome to the land of the Himalayas. Our team member will be at the airport with a board with your name on it. After dropping you off at your respective hotel, you will freshen up and visit us at our office in Thamel to further discuss on the climb. You will also meet your climbing Sherpas and guides provided by us to help you during the climb. You can discuss and brainstorm further on the expedition. 

The quickest way to reach Khumbu is through flight which operated everyday in the morning. On the start of trek, our guide will pick us up from the airport and take us to the airport. We board on the plane to Lukla and thus start our climbing/trekking adventure. We will fly from Kathmandu to Tenzing Hillary Airport in Lukla. The flight will be 40-45 minutes during which we will be able to see the glorious mountains and the valley from up above. Upon landing in Lukla we will start our trek towards Chutanga. From Lukla we descend down to Nangbu and finally reach Chutanga and spend the night here.

On the second day of our expedition, we will descend down to Zatrwa La at 4610m from Chutanga. Zatrwa La is a pass connecting two passages; one to Thuli Kharka and the other to Chetarwa. We will take the route on the left that traverses to Chetarwa. We pass the prayer flags and Manis which will welcome us to the region. The pass usually doesn’t need any crampons or fixed ropes. Nevertheless, it can get slippery as snow starts to build up during winter. The night will be spent at Chetarwa.

We rise up early morning to embrace the view and on clear sunny days we can also see the pass we left behind. After enjoying our breakfast with a view, we ascend towards Kote. Kote lies at Hinku Valley in an elevation of 3691m. The trail is steep and narrow followed by a river. Nonetheless, the rhododendron and moss-covered pines accompany us through the forest as we reach Kote (also known as Ghotey). Overnight at Kote.

After breakfast in Kote, we move towards our destination for today. Tagnag is a small settlement recently gaining its popularity among trekkers and climbers who pass through Mera. From Kote, the forest disappears after some time and the path becomes wider. Walking along the west of Hinku Khola (river) we ascend towards our destination for today. Upon walking for about 4 hours we reach the small settlement of Tagnag. Overnight at Tagnag.

Today will be our rest day. It is very important to acclimatize during the entire expedition as we ascend further up. Thus, our rest day will actually turn into a day of hiking and exploring around the Tagnag settlement. Acclimatization can cause serious injuries or even cause fatality. We need to adapt to the elevation and let our body get used to the surrounding. Thus, we can visit the ridges near the settlement to view the spectacular view from here to warm up our bodies and also enjoy. Overnight at Tagnag.

After acclimatizing, we leave Tangnag and move towards our destination for today. Khare is also considered as the old Base Camp of Mera since the view is magnificent from here the walk from Tangnag to Khare is relatively easy with alluring view surrounding us as a backdrop. From Tagnag we will ascend and walk along the Dig Glacier and Dig Kharka until reaching Khare Camp. We can enjoy the view of Mera Peak and Kusum Kangru. Overnight at Khare

As we will be at an elevation of above 5000m, it is essential for us to get used to the altitude and acclimatize our body and mind to stop from any kind of disruption. Thus, we will have another rest day at Khare Camp. Since we are so close to the peak, we will walk the Mera La Pass today to get the feel of the summit walk. The view of the mountains is mesmerizing as we walk along the rocky trails covered in snow (depending on the season, the path might be perilous. Thus, guidance will be of uttermost importance). Walking back, we will have a difficult descend back to Khare Camp as the path will be treacherous. Overnight at Khare.   

From today, we will finally start ascending towards the Mera climb. Walking the same path as we walked yesterday, we reach the Mera Glacier following the Mera La Pass. The view from the pass is simply rewarding. We make a short descent to set up our camp and then set off to attend the ice climbing training provided by the climbing guide. The trail is rock- strewn for about two hours, which gets a bit risky in case of recent snow due to the presence of a number of crevasses. We set our tents and spend the night at High Camp.

Today will be our 1st summit. From high camp we start early, when the light has still not entered through the mountains we start climbing up the mountain. We ascend towards the summit with our crampons and ropes. The route is not very technical and we can easily ascend it. After a short steep slope we finally reach the summit. The first sunray hits the land through the mountains and the view is truly mystical. After enjoying our time at Mera we descend down to the Base Camp and start our journey towards the second mountain Island Peak via Ambulapcha. Overnight at Base Camp.

After the thrilling experience of accomplishing the Mera expedition, we move towards our second destination, Island Peak. But before reaching the Base Camp we will have to cross the famous Ambulapcha Pass. Kongme Dingma is a small campsite situated at the foothills of glaciers and just towards the Honku Khola (river). From the Mera Base Camp we move towards the Kongme Dingma situated at the foothills of the Ambhulapcha Pass. We can get the view of the several lakes formed by the glaciers and also of the many unnamed peaks  reaching high up towards the sky. We will finally feel like we are in the Himalayas at this point. We would also request you to be flexible with the camp and cooperate with your guide. Overnight at Kongme Dingma.

The Ambulapcha Pass is more technical compared to Mera Peak. If necessary, we will have to fix a rope to pass Ambulapcha. Nevertheless, before even crossing the Pass to summit the Island Peak, we will be camping along the Hinku Khola (River) overlooking the Hinku Glacier. The Hinku valley area is remote and supports only camping because of the extreme conditions. After ascending to our campsite, we will spend the night in the Camp and prepare to cross the pass tomorrow.

Early in the morning, we settle our tent and head towards the Ambulapcha La Pass. Infamous for its technical difficulty, we will use fixed rope to cross the pass whenever necessary. Ascending towards the pass, the Hinku valley looks magnificent with its mountain massif and glaciers that provides us as a backdrop to our journey. Finally, we will cross the pass and overlooking the Ambulapcha Glacier we will head west towards the Island Peak Base Camp. Considered as one of the most climbed peaks of Nepal Island Peak earns its name from the view from Dingboche where it clearly stands out as an island amidst layers of ice. Island Peak is located in the North of the Imja valley in the Khumbu region and is the 2nd climb of our expedition. Upon reaching the Base Camp we can enjoy the view and prepare for the upcoming days.

From Island Peak Base Camp to High Camp is a 5520m altitude difference. Most climbers opt to stay at Base camp and attempt to climb Island peak in a day. But we will take our time and spend a day in Base Camp and one more day in the High camp juts to get used to the surrounding and acclimatize properly. With Lhotse Glacier on our West and Lhotse Shar on our east, the trail moves up for several hundred meters until we will finally reach the narrow steep climb if the High Camp which welcomes us with the view of various glory mountains. Overnight at High Camp.

On this day, we will finally reach the Island peak Summit. From high Camp, we start ascending early in the morning to avoid traffic or any other kind of disturbance. From the High Camp, it is a straight forward rocky ascend with short steps, crevasses, glaciers and icy slopes which are inclined towards the summit. The summit is on a small sloppy area and upon finally on reaching the summit we can get a view of the alluring mountains like Lhotse, Middle Peak, Lhotse Star, Nuptse, Makalu and Ama Dablam. After enjoying the captivating beauty of the Himalayas we head back down to Chukkung, returning to High Camp, Base Camp and taking the west route to Chukkung.

Along the south side of the Lhotse Nup Glacier lays the small settlement of Chukkung at 4730m. Chukkung is a lodge village several trekkers and climbers pass through. We will be spending a day acclimatizing and prepping ourselves for the last climb of the expedition towards Pokalde. On our rest day, we can either choose to rest our body or hike around and explore the area while also being acclimatized to the elevation. We can spend the day exploring Chukkung with its magnificent Himalayas surrounding. Overnight at Chukkung.

Pokalde is situated 12kms south from Everest. Climbing Pokalde with or without climbing gears depends on various factors such as weather conditions. Nevertheless, we will stay on the safe side and carry all our climbing gears with us. From Chhukhung we walk towards the Pokalde Base Camp with Ama Dablam Glacier on our west. From the Base Camp, Pokalde is only about 650m away. We might face some loose rocks and some slippery steps due to bad weather in which case we will be using ropes to climb the Peak. Nevertheless, today we will spend the night at the Base Camp.

From the Base Camp we will ascend towards the High Camp today. Our first encounter will be crossing the Kongma La Pass from where we can enjoy the view of the various mountain vistas. After crossing the path, we will walk further along the basin of the lakes which are frozen due to the immense cold. The view of the Pokalde Peak from the high pass is truly beautiful which is enjoyed by us until we reach the High Camp. Overnight at high Camp.

Being the last climb in the expedition, we will leave High camp early in the morning to summit Pokalde. From the High Camp, we walk towards the Summit which some rocky trails which might be difficult to climb. Pokalde stands proud at 5693m, surrounded by other glorious mountains such as Cholatse, Nuptse, Lhotse and Ama Dablam. After the successful ascend, we will enjoy our time there and get back to the Base Camp where we will spend the night.

After the successful summit of all three climbs, we will now explore more of the Khumbu region, heading towards the Everest Base Camp. Everest Base camp is visited by hundreds of national and international tourists every year. From Pokalde Base Camp, our destination for today will be Lobuche. We walk along the Konga Glacier and after crossing the famous Khumbu Glacier we will reach Lobuche. Lobuche is a famous settlement amidst the trekkers and climbers for being a center point for rest days. The Lobuche west and Lobuche east are also climbed by mountaineers. Overnight at Lobuche.

Today we will reach the Everest Base Camp. From Lobuche we will walk along the Lobuche Glacier on the west and Khumbu Glacier on the east. Crossing the Pyramid (an Italian Research Center) and the Lobuche Pass, we will we will head towards Lake Camp from where we take the route that takes us to the Everest Base Camp. Guided by prayer flags we will finally reach the Base Camp at 5364m. The view is magnificent with many tents settled down by the climbers and trekkers. We will head back to Gorak Shep after enjoying the accomplishment in the Everest Base Camp. Overnight at Gorak Shep.

Early in the morning after breakfast, we will head down towards Pheriche today. The walk will be long as we will cross various glaciers, settlements, passes and mountain peaks. After enjoying the sun rays we start walking back and retrace the path to Pheriche coming down to Lobuche, Thokla and finally reaching Pheriche where we will spend the night.

From Periche we will aim to reach Namche today. Heading down from Pheriche, we will cross the stone wall, Pheriche Pass and head towards Orso. From Orso the trail is quite easy till Pangboche. From Pangboche the trail drops to the riverside to cross the Imja River at Phungi Thenga. We enjoy the water driven prayer wheels as we leave Phungi Thenga and walk towards the village of Khyangjuma. Walking down from Khyangjuma, we get the view of Ama Dablam, Lhotse Shar, Taboche and Thamserku. Walking along the view as a backdrop we finally reach Namche where we will spend the night. Namche also has various communication facilities. Thus, we can also talk to our friends and family. Overnight at Namche.

From Namche we will walk down to Lukla which will be around 7-8 hours of walking. After enjoying the last view of Mt. Everest on the way to Larja Dobhan, we will walk down to this settlement and towards Monjo. Getting out of the Sagarmatha National Park Entrance Gate we walk towards Monjo. Cross the bridge over the Monjo Khola, we walk amidst the Rhododendron and Magnolia Forest along the Bhote Khosi River. From here, we walk down to Phadking, Nurning, and Chheplung and finally reach Lukla. Since the establishment of Tenzing Hillary Airport in Lukla, the village has been a gateway to the many trekkers and climbers visiting the Khumbu region every year. After reaching Lukla we will rest for a while and prepare to fly to Kathmandu today.

We will fly back to the capital city today. After packing, we will board on the plane and bid farewell to the Khumbu region. From Lukla, it is a 40-45 minute flight back to Kathmandu and during the flight, we can enjoy the scenic beauty of the mountains. Back in Kathmandu we will be escorted to our Hotel by the team representative where you can either choose to rest and reminiscence the adventure you had or go out and explore the city of Kathmandu as well as buy souvenirs. Overnight at Kathmandu.

On the day of departure we will we dropped at the international airport. Before leaving, you can drop us feedback and suggestions to help us improve. Thank you and have a safe journey back home!