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NEPAL
ITINERARY
TREKKING
ALTITUDE
2023 & 2024
This classic Himalayan ascent that takes you through quiet and remote valleys, over high passes and right to the breath taking summit of Mera Peak at 6461m. Over 15 days of trekking you will see the mighty peaks of the Himalayas, experience the incredible Sherpa culture, and will finish with a chance to explore the bustling Kathmandu and enjoy a traditional Nepali celebration.
If you’ve summited Kilimanjaro and caught the mountaineering bug, then Mera Peak is the ideal next mountain for you – amazing cultures, stunning scenery & a new challenge at over 6,000m – make Mera your next goal!
The Challenge
On this 20 day Himalayan adventure we spend 15 days trekking. We start our challenge with a flight into Lukla, before trekking through beautiful forested hillsides and over several passes before climbing up to the Mera La. At our base camp we are instructed in the use of ice-axe and crampons before we establish a high camp on the Mera Glacier at 5,800m. The summit climb takes the north face glacier in a steady, exposed and exciting rise to the final ridge and onto the top. The views from Mera’s upper slopes include 5 of the highest 8000m peaks, it’s simply breath taking. After the climb we descend by the direct route across a dramatic ridge to Lukla and fly back to Kathmandu for our group celebrations.
The Experience
On an Action Challenge trip you’ll be part of a team which takes on an adventure together – and that’s what makes the experience so special. Getting to know others, supporting each other when the going gets tough, laughing together, and sharing those special moments & the new friendships that will stay with you for many years. Led by a UK Mountain Leader and supported by a Medic overseeing the group’s wellbeing – you’ll be in safe hands, and our expert local logistics team & guides will ensure it all runs like clockwork. These are ‘fully inclusive’ trips – leaving you to focus on your challenge, and to enjoy it!
An Action Challenge trip is much more than a holiday! It brings like-minded people together in fantastic landscapes, provides the best support & great hospitality, and enables the group to take on a tough & unforgettable challenge which forges new friendships, broaden horizons, and leaves you wanting more of life’s adventures!
The blueprint for Action Challenge trip is based on delivering a high quality enjoyable experience – and doing it all safely. An experienced UK Mountain Leader ensures that all aspects of the challenge run to plan – and one of our UK Medics with an expedition med kit is on-hand to look after the group’s wellbeing – enabling everyone to have the best chance of successfully competing their challenge.
We go to great lengths to ensure that we only use the best local organisations to supply the all-important ground logistics and the on-challenge support, catering, and hospitality teams – with experienced guides leading the way on the trails with their deep local knowledge and authentic style.
Like minded people with a similar sense of adventure – but often from very different backgrounds, and with a wide range of experience, ages, levels of fitness, and personal ambitions. Our trips are perfect for individuals, couples, and small groups of friends to join – and then to take on a unique challenge as part of a larger group which shapes & bonds as the adventure unfolds!
Whether its’s the hotels, restaurants & transfers before & after the main challenge – or the challenge accommodation & meals whilst out on the trails – our all inclusive packages mean that you will get a top quality experience at a great value price! Flights are generally included, but there’s a ‘land only’ option if you’d prefer to book your own – and single supplement accommodation upgrades are available.
The group comes together – takes on a tough challenge together – and then celebrates its achievements in style on the final night of the trip in a local restaurant or hotel, with medals, awards, and a maybe a bit of a party! Many of our participants make new special friends on our trips – and quite a few come back together for another challenge in the following years!
A successful challenge starts with good preparation. The better prepared you are the more confident you’ll be, and the more you’ll enjoy it! Our ‘Challenge App’ will have all the info & details of what to expect on your challenge – and how to prepare for it – and we have optional training walks, training weekends , and a place on one of our UK Ultra Challenge events to get out on the tails and test your fitness, kit, & equipment.
Itinerary & Route
Please note that some details of the itinerary may change, you will be provided with a detailed itinerary once you are signed up to the challenge.
Depart on our flight to Kathmandu Airport. Once arrived in Kathmandu airport on day 2 we transfer by coach to our comfortable Hotel. On arrival we have a briefing from our guides and a last check over our kit.
Early morning of Day 3 we head again to the airport, this time to take our short and scenic flight into Lukla, the gateway to the Khumbu Valley. This is the start of the 15 days trekking towards our ultimate goal- the summit of Mera Peak. We trek past small communities and villages, crossing high wire bridges over the raging river, surrounded by towering peaks. By day 5 we arrive in Najing Dingma, in the Hinku valley. Already, far in the distance, Mera will be visible if conditions are clear.
Meals: All meals starting from dinner on day 2
Accom: Hotels and Teahouses
Leaving Najing Dingma we head further up the Hinku Valley towards Khare, the small settlement beneath the slopes of Mera Peak. The winding trails are very quiet, passing through small hamlets, alongside raging rivers with high peaks towering above and even past holy shrines and lakes of spiritual significance. Each night we’ll stay in a local teahouse, and experience the famous Sherpa Hospitality.
Meals: BLD Accom: Teahouses
Days 12 and 13 are spent heading towards Base Camp and onwards to High Camp. It’s on these days that we learn and fine tune our crampon and ice axe skills in preparation for the summit push. Upon arriving at the Mera La and High Camp the views really open up; with Kanchenjunga, Makalu, and Chamlang to the East, Kantega and Cho Oyu to the West and Everest rising up to the north.
On day 14 we start the extremely long summit attempt with a hot cup of tea at around 2am, before heading out with our ice axes and crampons ready. The Mera Peak glacier is like an ice cap and proves an exhilarating summit day. The going is slow with the altitude as you traverse the wide, open glacier. We then reach a snow ridge before the slope steepens just before dawn and the peak comes into view. At the base of the summit, we may attach to a fixed rope depending on conditions. The summit is only a few metres away, we make the final ascent and take in an unforgettable moment. We have a panorama across the Himalayan peaks, which can only be seen from this peak with 5 of the 6 highest peaks visible. We spend a short time taking it all in, before descending down to our base camp at Khare around late afternoon where we celebrate and all sleep well at lower altitude.
Meals: BLD Accom: Tents
Three long trekking days take us back down towards Lukla. It’s tough going, but the breath taking views and cultural sights take your mind off the challenge. The thicker air of lower altitudes is very welcome, but the Zatrwa La Pass give us one more spectacular challenge before arrival to the comforts (and bakeries) of Lukla!
Meals: BLD Accom: Teahouses
The adventure isn’t over yet, as we again take the short flight back to Kathmandu, where we stay in our comfortable hotel. Any down time can be spent exploring this incredible bustling city, full of history, culture, great shopping and incredible foods. The evening of day 18 is set aside for out traditional Nepali celebration meal in the Thamel district of the old city. Day 19 may, in the event of bad weather earlier in the trip, be absorbed as a contingency day, otherwise you’re free to explore the city further with a number of great things to do and see. We depart on our flight back to the UK on Day 20.
Meals: BLD day 18, B only day 19 & 20 Accom: Hotel/flight
Costs & Fundraising
We’ve three payment & fundraising options for you to take on this challenge.
Sign up with a £295 online deposit & balance payment due 12 weeks before, with no fundraising target.
Sign up with a £295 online deposit & fundraise for a charity of your choice, with different target options.
The Challenge brochure details the full itinerary, inclusions, dates & prices – download for a full run down of the challenge details.
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It’s like paying for an all-inclusive holiday.
You pay the registration deposit. The final balance for the trip cost will be due no later than 10 weeks before your departure date
If you want to fundraise for charity, you may still do this separately – either on or offline. All fundraising will be a direct donation to your chosen charity. Please contact them for more information.
Take on one of our challenges and support a charity of your choice. You can choose how much of the trip cost you want to pay, and support your charity by fundraising the rest.
You pay the registration deposit, then fundraise double the remaining trip cost for a charity of your choice.
Action Challenge will invoice your charity for your final balance 12 weeks before departure.
You must complete 80% of your fundraising by 12 weeks before departure, with the remaining 20% completed 4 weeks after departure.
Let us know what charity you want to support when registering so that we can set up your challenge agreement.