Mera Peak, Nepalese Himalaya
The North Face of Mera Peak from Base Camp, Nepal
The whole expedition is assembled at Mera High Camp (5800m). 12 Members, Sherpas and cook staff. Sherpa stew is served and across the Hongu Valley the snowy pyramidal bulk of Chamlang (7200m) is turning from white to Gold. The stew is finished quickly. It’s getting both dusky and cold. The Sherpa team bustle around serving tea and desert. The peaks are turning from Gold to Pink. Cho Oyu, Makalu, Kanchenjunga and Everest. They say Concordia in the Pakistani Baltoro is the throne of the Mountain Kings but this open Himalayan amphitheatre rivals it both for sheer mountain aesthetics and a tick-list of famous 8000m peaks.
Nepalese Himalaya, October 12th - November 4th 2007.
The team has come a long way to get here. 10 Days of trekking through a variety of climate zones. From thick Rhododendron forest to open heathland and culminating in a fine glacial journey taking an interesting and objectively safe route up through the complicated Mera Massif.
These 10 days of jungle, high passes, rest days and sleeping above 4000m are the reason we are not only here, but here happy and healthy. A classic acclimatisation profile ensuring the worst symptoms of AMS encountered are the odd headache.
