Nepal Hiking Team did an amazing job taking care of me and my wife from start to finish. We made the decision to attempt Mera Peak about a year in advance of our Trek and Nepal Hiking was consistently helpful with prompt email replies as we planned our details over the course of that year.
Once arriving in Kathmandu we were introduced to our guide Vishma Bhatta who went above and beyond over the next 14 days of our trek to ensure we were taken care of so we could just focus on trekking and preparing to challenge the summit of Mera Peak.
We specifically chose to trek from Lukla to Paiya and Panggom (the southern route) to give us as many days to prep as possible. We did not go over Zatrwa La Pass to start and having seen the pass on our way out I would highly discourage trekkers from starting over the pass. It would shorten your trip but would be a really difficult way to start. It is challenging enough going down the pass at the end of your trek and I would not want to start going up it.
Doing the trek in the Spring allowed us to see so many flowers in bloom and we had clear skies for the mornings till about 2-3pm every day when the clouds would naturally move in. While it was cold for the peak, I believe temps in the fall are colder so make sure to have good layers for either season.
We happen to own all our own mountaineering gear (helmets, plastic double boots, ice axes, crampons, etc) but even if you do also we would highly recommend just renting it on this trek. There are strict weight limits flying into Lukla and having that gear restricts other things you could have packed. When renting the technical gear you do it at Khare to go up to high camp, so the bonus renting is your porter doesn't have to carry that weight for 14 days either. We took our own gear and if done again would just rent it.
We spent a lot of time researching this trek and Nepal Hiking Team, in our opinion, was the best company to plan your trip in Nepal. They make everything smooth so you can focus on your trip and having a great time. Their recommendations for what to bring as well as how much cash for your trek make sure you have enough and don't have to worry. We ended up spending about half of their cash recommended for our 14 days at tea houses on extra drinks and snacks, but the surplus was just used on souvenirs in Lukla and Kathmandu.
If you choose to book with Nepal Hiking we highly recommend you request your trek guide be Vishma Bhatta. I cannot stress how amazing he was taking care of us so we were successful summitting Mera Peak. He cares about the clients and will do everything he can to ensure you have the best trip possible!!
Date of experience: April 2023
