With eight of the highest peaks in the world, Nepal has been the focus of some of the most outstanding achievements in the world of mountaineering. For many decades the dauntless icy peaks have posed as challenge to those who dare. There are some 326 peaks in Nepal open for mountaineering today. His Majesty's Government of Nepal opened around 175 peaks in the last two years to mark the Mount Everest Golden Jubilee Celebrations.

Climbing permit to scale the Nepal Himalayas is issued in all seasons by the Mountaineering Section of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation. Certain official documents are required to seek permission for climbing peaks. Around 121 peaks do not require liaison officer for expedition. Fees or royalties depend upon the altitude of the peak starting at US $ 1,000 for peaks below 6,501 meters and rising by US $ 500 for every 500 meters.

Climbing gears and equipments can be bought or rented in Kathmandu. Many mountaineering and trekking agencies also offer packages that take care of needs like gear, food, transportation, guide and porter services. They also arrange insurance. Visitors should choose an agency that has good track record.

ISLAND PEAK TREK
Grade: 4

The Island Peak trip combines an ascent of Island Peak with a visit to the famous lakes of the Gokyo area. Island Peak was the name given to the mountain in 1952 by Eric Shipton's party who thought it to be reminiscent of an island in a sea of ice. It is also known by it's Nepali name of Imja Tse. Island Peak is an extension of Lhotse Shar, and is located between the Lhotse and Imja glaciers, standing at 6,189m/20,305ft. We ascend by the standard route and although the summit can be reached in one day from base camp, we make use of a high camp. The final ridge is a classic of it's kind and from the summit fabulous views can be enjoyed of many Himalayan giants including the immense south face of Lhotse and the huge peak of Ama Dablam.

DETAILED ITINERARY:

DAY 01 : Fly to Lukla, trek to Phakding
Fly to Lukla. Start trek setting off for a gentle walk to Phakding (2800m), a further 3 hours to the north. The trail leads through Lukla, past hotels, shops and airline offices to the edge of the Lukla plateau where the trail drops to meet the intersection of the Jiri trail at Chablung. From here the trail follows the Dudh Kosi north through the village of Ghat and then finally to Phakding for the overnight stay.

DAY 02 : Phakding - Namche Bazaar
The trail heads beside the Dudh Kosi and continues upstream along the banks to the confluence of the Bhote Kosi and Dudh Kosi. After crossing the large suspension bridge, the trail starts ascending through pine tree forests to reach the distinctive horse-shoe shaped bowl village of Namche Bazar where you stop for your overnight. There are fantastic photographic opportunities on the way as the peaks of Everest (8848m), Lhotse (8511m), Nuptse (7879m), Arna Dablam (6856m) and Taweche (6542m) come into view for the first time.

DAY 03 : Rest day in Namche Bazaar
Rest day for acclimatization at Namche Bazaar. As the name suggest, Namche is famous for its local market or bazaar. Rising early, those who climb to the ridge above Namche will be rewarded with the stunning dawn and sunrise over the panorama of the Khumbu peaks. The day can be spent exploring this colorful village or walk along the Thami Valley in the afternoon or visit the National Park Headquarters to see the interesting displays of Sherpa lifestyle and culture, mountaineering in the park, flora and fauna.

Day 04 : Namche Bazaar to Phortse Thanga
From Namche the trail leads north-east on a direct line to Everest, starting up the hill to the Visitor Centre and continuing on a reasonably flat easy trail high above the Dudh Kosi. Ahead one can see one of the most beautiful mountains in the Khumbu - Ama Dablam (6856m), as well as Everest still far off in the distance. At Sanasa we branch off the Everest trail and head up the hill to the small settlement of Mong. From here it is a steady descent to the Dudh Kosi at Phortse Thanga (3500m) for the overnight stay.

Day 05 : Phortse Thanga to Dole
From the river the trail initially climbs steeply out of the valley through rhododendron forest and then continues high above the Dudh Kosi, steadily gaining height. The trail passes through the settlements of Tongba (3950m) and Gyele (3960m) and eventually reach our camp site for the evening at Dole (4200m) for the overnight stay. All through the day one can have fantastic views of the surrounding mountains.

Day 06 : Dole to Machhermo
From Dole the trail continues high above the west bank of the Dudh Kosi and one can obtain tremendous views of the mountains at the northern end of the valley, including Cho Oyu, as well as back down the valley to Ama Dablam, and across the valley to Tawachee and Cholatse. Machhermo our overnight stay at 4410m is a pleasant camp site with several tea-houses.

Day 07 : Machhermo to Gokyo
Beyond Machhermo the valley widens and the trail passes through the settlement of Pangka before descending to the river. From here it is a steep ascent up the terminal moraine of the Ngozumpa glacier to the first of the Gokyo lakes at 4650m. The trail then levels off and passes the second lake at 4690m, eventually making it's way to Gokyo at 4750m for the overnight stay.

Day 08 : Climb Gokyo Ri, trek to Chhugyuma
The trail ascends to the top of Gokyo Ri at 5350m, for magnificent views of Everest to the east and Cho Oyu to the north. The trail then retraces to the area between the first and second lakes and takes a trail eastwards across the Ngozumpa glacier to reach Dragnag. From here the trail continues upwards for the overnight stay at Chhugyuma at approx. 5000m.

Day 09 : Cross Cho La to Dzongla
The trail continues upwards towards the pass that links the Gokyo and Everest valleys - the Cho La. It is then about 3-4 hours of slow walking to the pass at 5420m offering fabulous views on both sides of the pass. From the pass the trail descends slowly on a rough trail to the small settlement of Dzongla for the overnight stay.

Day 10 : Dzongla to Chhukung
From Dzongla the trail descends steadily to the main Everest trail at Duglha, and continues to descend to the ridge above Dingboche for the first view of Island Peak as it dominates the end of the Imja valley to the east. The trail then continues up the Imja valley to Chhukung at 4730m for the overnight stay.

Day 11 : Chhukung to Island Peak Base Camp, then on to High Camp
From Chhukung the trail follows the moraine of the Lhotse glacier to the snout of the Imja glacier where it branches to the east and skirts around the base of Island Peak. The main camp is made at a spot known as Pareshaya Gyab at 5087m. After taking lunch and resting we continue up to our high camp, a further hour or so up the mountain. The trail is well defined until the area of our high camp at approx. 5500m.

Day 12 : Ascent of Island Peak and return to Base Camp
Set off early for the summit at about 3.00 am, and scramble up in the dark to the snow-covered glacier above. From here the trail leads up the glacier until a broad snow basin which leads up to the final section of the climb. Ahead is the main summit ridge and we climb a steep snow and ice slope, using fixed ropes, for approx. 100m to access the ridge. The ridge is a classic and leads quickly to the east up to the main summit at 6189m. From the summit there are fantastic views across to Lhotse to the north, the Amphu Labsta and Mera Peak to the south, and Ama Dablam to the west. Return back to the Base Camp.

Day 13 : Spare Day
A spare 'buffer' day is allowed in case of bad weather.

Day 14 : Island Peak Base Camp to Dingboche
The trail leads back down the Imja valley, firstly to Chhukung and on to Dingboche for the overnight stay.

Day 15 : Dingboche to Namche Bazaar
From Dingboche the trail heads down the main Everest trail, passing through the settlement of Pangboche, before reaching the famous Tengboche monastery. Visit the monastery before continuing on to Namche Bazaar. From Tengboche the trail drops steeply to the river at Phunki Thanga, and then rises again to traverse high above the river on a winding trail into Namche Bazaar.

Day 16 : Namche Bazaar to Lukla
The trail starts by descending steeply out of Namche and shortly before we cross the suspension bridge below Namche we get a last chance to see Everest before it is out of sight until the next time. Lunch at Phakding to arrive in Lukla by mid-afternoon.

Day 17 : Lukla to Kathmandu
Fly back to Kathmandu and transfer to the hotel.

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MERA PEAK TREK
Grade: 4

This is the highest trekking peak in Nepal, standing at 6,476m/21,246ft, and is situated in an uninhabited and unspoilt part of Nepal to the south-east of Everest. Whilst the summit of Mera is our ultimate goal, the outstanding feature of this trip is the trek through the Hinku valley which is one of the wildest and most beautiful in Nepal. The steady climb to the summit provides with one of the finest viewpoints in Nepal, giving fantastic views of five 8,000m peaks, Everest and Lhotse to the north, Kanchenjunga and Makalu to the east, and Cho Oyu to the west.

DETAILED ITINERARY :
Day 01 : Fly to Lukla, trek Chutanga
Fly to Lukla and start trek heading south-east towards Chutanga (3100m), for the overnight stay.

Day 02 : Acclimatisation day at Chutanga
Day at leisure or climb up towards Zatrwa La before returning to back to Chutanga for lunch.

Day 03 : Cross Zatrwa La to Tuli Kharka
The trail crosses the Zatrwa La into the Hinku Valley. At 4,600m the pass is high thus making the ascent slow before continuing down the hillside into the Hinku valley, to Tuli Kharka (4,400m) for the overnight stay.

Day 04 : Tuli Kharka to Tashing Ongma
From Tuli Kharka the trail traverses the hillside, crossing several spurs, and eventually reaching a point that provides first view of Mera. From here the trail descends steeply through forest to reach the river and continues up the west side of the Hinku Drangka to Tashing Ongma (3,600m) for the overnight stay. This is a delightful spot by the river with fantastic views up the valley.

Day 05 : Tashing Ongma to Tangnag
The trail follows the west bank of the Hinku Valley northwards; the trail is straightforward and it is a gentle climb through a wide valley to reach Tangnag (4,350m) for the overnight stay.

Day 06 : Acclimatisation Day at Tangnag
Acclimatisation day. The day can be spent exploring or simply resting for the climb ahead.

Day 07 : Tangnag to Khare
From Tangnag the trail turns eastwards where it follows the lateral moraine of the Dig glacier. The trail passes the stunningly beautiful glacial lake of Sabai Tsho and continue upwards to Khare (5,100m), situated below the Mera glacier for the overnight stay. The distance from Tangnag to Khare is short, but as the altitude is above 5000m for the first time and hence the trek is very slow up to Khare, stopping often to take in the stunning views.

Day 08 : Acclimatisation Day at Khare
Acclimatisation day. The day can be spent exploring or simply resting for the climb ahead.
Day 09: Khare to Mera La From Khare the trail climbs upto the Mera glacier and follows it to the Mera La pass (5,415m). Again this is a short day in terms of distance but it is necessary to adopt a steady pace. The Mera La is a spectacular camp-site that provides great views up to Mera Peak.

Day 10 : Mera La to High Camp
From the base camp at the Mera La it is possible to make the summit and return in one day in good conditions, however we will establish a high camp at 5,800m near a rocky outcrop on the Mera glacier. From here there are superb views of many of the Himalayan giants in the surrounding region. Above us, one can see the Central Summit which stands at the head of a wide glacier flanked by two ridges.

Day 11 : Ascent of Mera Peak, return to Base Camp at Mera La Set off early in the morning for the ascent of Mera. Although, technically, Mera is a relatively straight-forward ascent, it still takes between 6-7 hours to reach the higher Northern Summit at 6,476m. The hard walk is rewarded with one of the finest mountain views in the world giving fantastic views of five 8,000m peaks - Everest and Lhotse to the north, Kanchenjunga and Makalu to the east, and Cho Oyu to the north-west. Return to Base Camp on the Mera La.

Day 12 : Spare Day
We allow a spare 'buffer' day in case of bad weather.

Day 13 : Mera La to Tangnag
Retrace our steps back down the Hinku Valley.

Day 14 : Tangnag to Tashing Ongma
Continue to retrace our steps and make an easy descent to Tashing Ongma for the overnight stay.

Day 15 : Tashing Ongma to Tuli Kharka
The trail climbs up the side of the Hinku Valley to Tuli Kharka. From high upon the ridge one can obtain final view of Mera.

Day 16 : Tuli Kharka to Lukla
The final day of the trip - ascend to the Zatrwa La and cross the pass, leaving the Hinku Valley behind. From here it is all downhill as the trail descends back to Lukla.

Day 17 : Lukla to Kathmandu
Fly back to Kathmandu and transfer to your hotel.