Gokyo Trek and Mera Peak (6,654 m), March 2014
Report
28 March – 24 April 2014
At last! A dream had come true. After endless weeks of preparation, we were finally on our way. Sifting through mountains of literature on altitude medicine, Nepal and Buddhism had come to an end. The lengthy assembly of the mountain medicine kit and emergency altitude-sickness medication was done; all necessary vaccinations completed. The gear had been packed and repacked to my satisfaction through countless attempts.
We were off to Nepal!
Our journey began in Kathmandu. We used the first few days to get to know our guide Surcha Tamang and ease ourselves in gently. A little sightseeing was part of it – including the Monkey Temple – but after that things got serious quickly.
Our goal was the 6,654 m Mera Peak, located in the Makalu-Barun National Park. But before heading to the target mountain, we started with a ten-day acclimatisation trek. From the very beginning we travelled as a small, tight-knit group: my climbing partner Tom, our Nepali guide Surcha, and me. Our porter Milan joined us later. The great advantage of such a small group is flexibility and independence – decisions are made quickly.
The Gokyo Trek took us from Lukla, with one overnight stop in Phakding, to Namche. On arrival, given the nearly 800-metre gain in elevation, we immediately took an acclimatisation day. We hiked up to the Everest View Hotel and enjoyed the spectacular views of Everest and Ama Dablam, then visited the Hillary Secondary School in Khumjung. The next stop before heading back to Namche was the Hillary Hospital in Khunde. The following day we left the busy, comfortable and tourist-packed Namche and headed into Sherpa territory.
In two days, with one overnight stop in Thame, we reached the last “outpost” of civilisation in the Thame Valley: Lungden, at 4,370 m. An unplanned acclimatisation day became necessary when I began suffering mild altitude-sickness symptoms – loss of appetite and headaches. This was a reminder that at altitude you can’t force anything. By the following morning everything was fine again, and we were able to tackle the Renjo La Pass at 5,340 m. Around midday we reached the pass and were treated to a truly awe-inspiring panorama of Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Makalu, Kangchungtse, Pumori, Changtse and many other famous peaks.
We had slightly underestimated the descent – it was longer than expected and not entirely without hazard. After a night in Gokyo, the Cho Oyu greeted us with its summit glowing in the morning sun. Before breakfast, for training purposes, we rushed up the 5,320 m summit of Gokyo Ri, which we reached in just under two hours. The view surpassed even the Renjo La vista of the previous day, and you simply couldn’t get enough of it. Three eight-thousanders, countless world-famous seven-thousanders, and at our feet the Ngozumba Glacier – the largest glacier in Nepal – whose lateral moraine we of course also climbed after returning to Gokyo.
We continued the roughly 16 km to Dole. At the truly excellent lodge “Dole Resort” we seized the opportunity to enjoy the best hot shower so far. The effect of a warm shower on morale is remarkable.
Once again the next morning favoured us, and in brilliant sunshine we headed back to Namche. The Wi-Fi there was immediately put to use for a Skype call home, as making phone calls had been impossible the week before. In one go – with the training mindset firmly in place – we covered the roughly 22 km from Namche to Lukla. We latched on to a group of young local porters and tried not to get dropped, which we managed. We pushed through the stretch at a deliberate pace – partly as a kind of stress test for what was still to come.
After a rest day in Lukla – spent watching the airport traffic, exploring the shops and visiting the German Bakery – the second phase of the tour began: the journey to Mera Peak.
The Zetra La (Chetrala) Pass had featured only as a footnote in our planning, but the seven Austrian mountain rescuers we met at our overnight stop in Chutanga had nothing good to say about that section. Only two of them had reached the summit of Mera Peak three days earlier. We refused to let their horror stories get us down, and the next day we set off in good spirits on the steep path.
The ascent to the pass went on endlessly. Above 4,000 metres the path became increasingly steep and was permanently iced. Every step had to be carefully considered, and there was a serious drop below. We asked ourselves more than once why we hadn’t packed crampons. Our guide Surcha was better prepared – he had them. Our porter Milan, however, was in trainers.
When we reached the pass at around 4,600 m, just how close the call had been became clear: a thunderstorm followed by a snow squall rolled in, and the two-hour walk to the next lodge was accompanied by more than a little unease. From this point the weather had definitively turned.
The next day we trudged through the snow down to Khote, and the day after that up through the enormous river bed to Tangnag, where we met our climbing guide Lakba Sherpa. The weather had deteriorated noticeably over the last few days, and we heard that nobody had reached the summit for several days. Some roped parties were stuck; others had had to turn back. The mood was understandably tense.
The full-moon night before our ascent to the Khare Base Camp was clear again – and incidentally one of the most beautiful nights I have ever experienced.
In brilliant sunshine the next morning we climbed to Khare at 4,900 m. After a final gear check we faced the decision: wait, or seize the first weather window. Most groups wanted to wait another day. We deliberately chose the bolder option.
On the way to High Camp we passed some truly emaciated and frustrated figures who had been stranded up there for days or had been defeated by the soft new snow.
The ascent to the Mera La Glacier commanded real respect – a steep field of rock and seracs that gave an overall impression of considerable instability. Then we crossed the glacier, past the Base Camp (which we didn’t need thanks to our good acclimatisation), up to High Camp at approximately 5,800–5,900 m. There we found only two American roped parties – plenty of space for our two tents.
The weather was not yet perfect, but at least it had stopped snowing. Instead it was bitterly cold and windy.
At 1 AM we set off. Cold, wind and darkness set the rhythm from then on: walk, breathe, stop. Together with the two American roped parties of three, we worked our way upward step by step. The trail-breaking was hard work – at times you sank in up to your knees. Every step cost energy, and with increasing altitude the pace slowed inevitably.
After countless rest breaks we finally reached the summit structure of Mera. Lakba and the Americans’ guide fixed the rope for the final metres.
On 17 April 2014, just before seven in the morning, we stood on the 6,654 m summit of Mera Peak.
The Mera fully lived up to its reputation as the “most beautiful viewpoint mountain in the world” that day.
We couldn’t linger long. The descent demanded everything we had left. In one long, exhausting push we came down all the way to Tangnag – a real slog.
In the days that followed, the return route took us via Khote and Thuli Kharka back to Lukla. With every metre of descent the tension faded a little more. Three days ahead of schedule we arrived back in Lukla – the reserve days we had built in had not been needed.
After the flight back to Kathmandu, two days remained to process everything before the journey home.
Day Stages
Day 3 – Sightseeing Kathmandu
We used the first day in Kathmandu to get to know our guide Surcha Tamang and ease ourselves in gently. A little sightseeing was on the agenda – including the Monkey Temple, the narrow alleys of Thamel and the bustling life of Kathmandu.
Day 4 – Flight to Lukla, Lukla to Phakding
The flight to Lukla in a small aircraft is an experience in itself. The famous runway with its 12% gradient and 460 m length leaves little time for second thoughts. Then the first stretch on foot, descending to Phakding.
Day 5 – Phakding to Namche
The ascent from Phakding to Namche (3,440 m) is a first real test with nearly 800 metres of elevation gain. Suspension bridges, yaks, colourful prayer flags – the EBC Trail shows its most characteristic sides early on.
Day 6 – Acclimatisation at Namche
Golden rule: sleeping altitude should not increase by more than 300 metres per day! After gaining nearly 800 metres the previous day, a mandatory acclimatisation day in Namche followed. We used it to hike up to the Everest View Hotel with its stunning views of Everest and Ama Dablam, then on the descent visited the Hillary Secondary School in Khumjung and the Hillary Hospital in Khunde.
On 18 April 2014 – the very day we came back down from our summit – seracs broke away from the western spur of Mount Everest, triggering an ice avalanche that killed sixteen Sherpas in the Khumbu Icefall. A large number of those Sherpas came from Khumjung.
Day 7 – Namche to Thame
Away from the tourist bustle of Namche into the quieter Sherpa country. The Thame Valley welcomes us with impressive views of the surrounding peaks.
Day 8 – Thame to Lungden
Ascending to the last traces of civilisation in the Thame Valley – Lungden at 4,370 m. The landscape grows more barren, the air thinner.
Day 9 – Acclimatisation at Lungden
An unplanned acclimatisation day in Lungden. Mild altitude-sickness symptoms on my part called for patience. At altitude you can’t force anything.
Day 10 – Lungden to Gokyo (via Renjo La, 5,340 m)
Around midday we reached the pass and were rewarded with a breathtaking panorama of Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Makalu and many other ice giants. The descent to Gokyo was longer than expected.
Day 11 – Gokyo Ri (5,320 m) and Descent to Dole
Since we would be dropping our sleeping altitude considerably that day, we could afford to build in some acclimatisation training – so before breakfast we set off at a brisk pace in perfect weather to the 5,320 m summit of Gokyo Ri. Three eight-thousanders and the Ngozumba Glacier at our feet – a view that topped everything. Then 16 km down to Dole.
Day 12 – Dole to Namche
Return march from Dole to Namche. Back in Namche at last – time for a Skype call home.
Day 13 – Namche to Lukla
In one go – the roughly 22 km from Namche to Lukla. We tagged along with a group of young local porters and refused to be shaken off – a genuine endurance test.
Day 14 – Rest Day in Lukla
Rest day in Lukla. Watching the airport traffic, exploring the shops, visiting the German Bakery – and mentally preparing for the start of phase two.
Day 15 – Lukla to Chutanga
Start of phase two: heading for Mera Peak. In Chutanga we met seven Austrian mountain rescuers who had nothing good to say about the Zetra La. We remained undaunted.
Day 16 – Chutanga to Thuli Kharka (via Zetra La, approx. 4,600 m)
The ascent to the Zetra La went on endlessly. Above 4,000 m the path was permanently iced. Every step had to be carefully considered. When we reached the pass, a thunderstorm rolled in – a deeply unsettling experience.
Day 17 – Thuli Kharka to Khote
Descent through the snow to Khote. The weather had turned definitively after the pass crossing.
Day 18 – Khote to Tangnag
Ascent through the enormous river bed to Tangnag, where we met our climbing guide Lakba Sherpa. Nobody had reached the summit for days – the mood was tense.
Day 19 – Tangnag to Khare Base Camp (4,900 m)
In brilliant sunshine we climbed to Khare at 4,900 m. The full-moon night before had been one of the most beautiful I have ever experienced. Final gear check before the big decision: wait or seize the weather window.
Day 20 – Khare to Mera Peak High Camp (approx. 5,800–5,900 m)
Ascent to High Camp. On the way up we passed emaciated, frustrated climbers who had been stuck up there. The climb to the Mera La Glacier commanded real respect. Alone on the mountain with two American roped parties. Surcha waited at Base Camp for our return.
Day 21 – Summit Day! Mera Peak (6,654 m) and Descent to Tangnag
At 1 AM we set off shortly after the two American roped parties. Cold, wind and darkness set the rhythm: walk, breathe, stop. On 17 April 2014 just before seven we stood on the 6,654 m summit of Mera Peak. The descent demanded everything we had left – one long, gruelling push all the way down to Tangnag.
Day 22 – Tangnag to Khote
The return journey was accompanied by an indescribable sense of happiness. With every metre of descent the tension fell away.
Day 23 – Khote to Thuli Kharka
Continuing on the return route via Thuli Kharka. The landscape that had seemed so threatening on the way up now revealed a different side.
Day 24 – Thuli Kharka to Lukla
The final descent back to Lukla. Three days ahead of schedule we reached our destination – the reserve days we had built in were not needed.
Day 25/26 – Sightseeing Kathmandu
Two final days in Kathmandu to process everything. Temples, streets, smells – everything feels different now compared to the beginning.
