Pete Royall explains new refinements to this fabulous trek and climbing holiday.

Climbing to nearly 6500 metres in the Himalaya on Nepal’s highest ‘walk-up’ peak is a much sought after challenge whose success depends more than anything else, on good preparation and acclimatisation. We have refined our Mera Peak adventure to give the best acclimatisation trek possible within the realistic time frame of a 3 week holiday.

Rather than the normal approach to the mountain from Lukla, we start from the lower airstrip of Paphlu located in the southern part of the Solu-Kumbu region. As a gateway to the Sherpa homeland, Paphlu also has the advantage over Lukla that it is less subject to flights delays.

From here we walk through a quiet and magical landscape of terraced hillsides and lush forest, where traditional, centuries-old farming methods are still practiced and where the frenetic pace of modern Nepal is soon forgotten.

As well as getting fit while enjoying a beautiful trek through Nepal’s middle hills, the main benefit of our refined approach route to Mera Peak is the gradual gain in sleeping altitude, combined with daily exposure to higher elevations.

This combination of ‘trekking high and sleeping low’ is the perfect method of acclimatisation and as any expedition leader will tell you, it is the key to a successful ascent.

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