Mera Peak Climb with International Mountain Guides
The Mera Peak Express program climbs 21,246ft (6,476m) Mera Peak in less than three weeks, including travel time and contingency days. This program features a fantastic trek and a spectacular climb with world class summit views of five 8000-meter peaks clearly visible (East to West: Kangchenjunga, Makalu, Everest, Lhotse and Cho Oyu).
We have also scheduled this program so climbers who wish to do some additional acclimatization and climbing can head to Ama Dablam after the Mera Peak Climb.
Using modern helicopters, like the AS350B3, enables us to avoid the tough decision that has historically faced prospective Mera Peak climbers: how do we get into the Hinku Valley? To access the Hinku Valley on foot, you must either tackle the high Zwatra La pass very early in the trip (quite difficult) or take a much longer and more circuitous approach around from the south. Now, by flying via helicopter to Khote, we can save time and focus on a nice gradual acclimatization trek up the beautiful upper Hinku Valley. The small villages along the way (Khote, Thagnak, and Khare) are inviting to visit, and the scenery is absolutely first class.
Our trek route to Mera essentially wraps around the south, west, and north sides of the peak with the high camp on the Mera La (the 17,767ft / 5415m pass which leads to the Hongu Valley). We will practice our crampons and fixed rope technique before we move up to high camp, as we may need to cross some icy slopes to reach the pass. Near the pass we will erect our tents in a sheltered spot and prepare for our summit ascent. This climb is perfect for people with Mt. Rainier type skills. We will rope-up and use crampons and ice axes as we ascend the glacier. The final pitch is a short steep ice step which we will fix with climbing ropes if our Guide Staff believes it to be necessary.
Expedition Organization and Leadership
International Mountain Guides (IMG)
IMG is the oldest and most respected high-altitude climbing service in the world and its Himalayan mountaineering programs are organized and directed by Eric Simonson. Their teams include a group of professionals and Sherpas who are the best in the business. Since 1990, we have conducted over 60 Himalayan 8000 meter expeditions and over 800 IMG team members have summited the world's classic 8,000-meter peaks, including Everest, Lhotse, Cho Oyu and Shishapangma.
The Guides
IMG leaders are professionals and are great teachers as well as strong climbers. All have done numerous high-altitude expeditions. Our clients enjoy the immense benefit of a core group that has climbed together extensively, producing a team that knows how to work well together.
IMG's Philosophy
IMG leads the way! Our goal is to minimize risk while helping as many members as possible reach their goal, and we invest in the logistics and manpower to make this possible. We will not sit back and let other teams do the work. Invariably, our IMG Sherpas are part of the rope fixing efforts and the first team to the summit, preparing the route for future summit bids. We value our reputation as one of the premiere international climbing companies. If you would like to join a world-class team on Everest, we encourage you to contact us to discuss your goals and qualifications for membership in the IMG Everest team!
Ang Jangbu and the IMG Sherpa Team
A veteran of dozens of expeditions and an Everest summiter, Ang Jangbu has worked on every IMG Himalayan program since 1991 and is a very popular leader. Ang Jangbu Sherpa and his staff put together one of the very best Sherpa teams for IMG. We are proud to have a group of Sherpas working for us who are among the best paid, best led, best equipped, and best trained in the business.
References
Joining a high-altitude trek or expedition is a serious decision. You should be completely confident in the organization and leadership before you make that decision. Many of you have climbed with us before, and because your experience with us was good, you're considering another climb with us. For those of you who haven't climbed with us before, we strongly encourage you to interview us thoroughly and also talk to our past clients. When you're ready to make the decision, we'll be happy to provide you with a complete list of references. In the meantime, please browse a few comments from past climbers.