Page 31 - 2021 AMA Summer

At 6476m Mera Peak is one of the highest trekking peaks in Nepal. Standing on its summit provides unrivalled 360-degree views of 5 of the worlds highest mountains including Everest, Kanchenjunga, Lhotse, Makalu and Cho Oyu.
With itineraries of less than 21 days you can dash out to Nepal and bag Mera Peak in just three weeks.
These factors make climbing Mera Peak extremely tempting and every year, hundreds of ‘trekkers’ set out to stand on its summit. Statistics obtained from the NMA (Nepal Mountaineering Association) show that in 2019 there were 1707 permits issued for Mera Peak so there’s no doubt that it’s a popular objective.
The term ‘Trekking Peak’ though can be misleading. Trekking Peak is the name generally given to all the peaks on the NMA Group B Climbing Peaks list. There are some awesome peaks on this list and many of them require more than just the ability to be able to trek. Some of them, such as Kusum Kanguru and Singu Chuli are pretty technical, requiring solid moun- taineering skills and even then, strong teams often struggle to summit.
Plenty of companies offer ascents of Mera Peak, many claiming success rates in excess of 80%. Whilst there are no official statistics available, analysis of the data provided by the NMA shows that in 2019 only 428 people were issued with summit certificates, equating to a shockingly low 25% success rate. I don’t believe success rates are so low and instead attribute this to the fact that some people don’t want a certificate and others aren’t aware certificates are available. That said, there’s plenty of anecdotal evidence that suggests success rates are lower than 80% with 50-60% being a more realistic estimate.
From my perspective, you want to give yourself the best possible chance of standing on that summit and feeling great whilst doing it. I’ve made some basic assumptions that you have some previous experience at altitude from having perhaps climbed Kilimanjaro or trekked to Everest Base Camp. I’ve also assumed that you have chosen to climb in either the main spring or autumn climbing seasons and
you have the technical skills to safely use crampons, ice axe and work as a member of a roped team whilst in glaciated terrain. With this in mind, below I’ve detailed what I see as the five most important things that you can do to give yourself the best chance of success on Mera Peak.
ONE - ITINERARY IS CRUCIAL.
There are numerous ways to approach Mera Peak. The route selected impacts on journey time, acclimatisation and ultimately summit success. The shortest route includes a crossing of the Zatrwa La within the first few days of the trek.
Short itineraries are popular, reducing the amount of time you need to take off work and offer, in theory, the same outcome as longer itineraries as well as generally being cheaper.
The Wilderness Medical Society suggest the best approach to avoiding the problems of altitude related illness is to follow a gradual ascent profile. They advise ‘...above an altitude of 3000m, individuals should not increase the sleeping elevation by more than 500m per day and should include a rest day (ie, no ascent to higher sleeping elevation) every 3 to 4 days ’.
A short itinerary is unlikely to follow these guidelines and significantly reduce your chances of summit success. They also increase the likelihood that you will develop AMS, HACE and/or HAPE. These conditions will curtail your trip and according to the UIAA , ‘...each year, fatalities from these conditions are reported amongst mountaineers and local workers who cross the Zatrwa La’.
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