Trip Reports

Mera Peak - 21 Oct to 13 Nov '05

Written by Leader Rolf Oostra, December 2005

Three team members reached the summit of Mera Peak on this expedition, with four deciding to turn round from 6,410m, just below the final summit and one member reaching high camp at c5,800m. It may seem unusual but the main objective for this Jagged Globe Mera peak expedition of post-monsson 2005 was to "bimble about" the hills . This phrase was coined by way of introduction to our future endeavours and I am happy to report that this team of burly men did not hold back when it came to doing just that.

The team consisted of eight climbers from various backgrounds and each had wildly different experience levels. The common denominator was the fact that Mera would be the highest Himalayan peak climbed by all. And for some, this was their first big mountain trip ever.

Being an expedition and not a package tour, we threw out the itinerary on the first day and deviated from the "voie normal" by reports of Maoist activity and fresh snow ahead. To outsmart the first, we climbed up a spectacular high ridge dotted with local villages and several tiny monasteries. This ascent provided an ideal test for our fitness; to sleep at 4,000m and to get those boots broken in.

Early on the views had promised to be great, but for the first four days we woke up to see little more than thick cloud and a little rain. Luckily this nonsense stopped when we crested the ridge at 4,250m and descended into the much sunnier Hinku Valley. It stayed clear from then on until our return to Kathmandu.

Once in the Hinku Valley we could see the enormous bulk of Mera Peak and progressively began to work our way around it. Surrounding us were the summits of "Peak 39" and "Himal Kanguru" and the teams spirits rose considerably to finally be able to see what we had come here for. A rest day (which wasn’t at all restful) was declared at this point. This day started with the team heading off to all points of the compass for private exploring and ended up by all practising "dry" glacier rescue techniques on a grassy slope.

As we got higher up the valley and reached the settlement of Tagnag, we had our first run in with the mighty Maoist rebels. Although this may sound scary it was all quite mellow. In fact, the first time we saw them they were sat around a table, mirror in hand, surrounded by make up and doing their hair! The poor lads had quite a fright when they saw us, but quickly reverted to type by showing us their grenades and kindly requesting a donation to the cause of 5000 rupees each. Since these things appeared to be held together by sticky tape, we did not push the point for long and paid up. At this stage in the trek, we had begun to meet other teams coming from the hill. Everyone had experienced a different level of success but each had one common tale to tell: the mountain was cold. Very cold.

So up we went. The country surrounding us growing more spectacular by the hour. Huge serac walls would collapse regardless of day or night and one night we woke up to find our tents covered in snow. It hadn’t snowed that night but a huge avalanche had poured from Mera’s South Face and our camp was just within its snow dust limit. At the Khare Base Camp we could for the first time catch glimpses of the summit.

Time to get serious and an afternoon of climbing vertical ice walls had us feeling like "Ice Warriors" and that nothing would stand in our way and the summit. So after an early start we climbed up to the Mera La Glacier and roped up as massive crevasses yawned all around. The views as we ascended to high camp were nothing short of jaw dropping and the rewards for our efforts so fully realised. Surrounding us in the clear blue sky were the giants of Makalu, Cho Oyu, Everest complete with plume, Lhotse, Ama Dablam and in the distance, Kanchenjunga.

We settled into camp and nervously tried to get some rest before the 2am wake up call. 2 am is never a great time to wake up for anyone, but you would have thought otherwise by the cheerfulness of our amazing porters as they brought in breakfast and tea. How these guys can be perpetually happy especially when the temperature is reading somewhere around -20 C is anyone's guess, but this attribute, let alone their capacity to carry enormous loads, endeared them immensely to all of us.

The climb: Everyone wrapped up warm, with strong winds and Arctic temperatures keeping us company. Everyone was sort of stunned and no doubt wondering what the hell we were doing. In fact, after 20 minutes Peter, the most sensible man on the planet, said that he had had enough and decided to opt for warmth of bed. It gradually became lighter and soon we were able to see the giants surrounding us and to recognise the beauty of our situation. Our path lay above us winding between large crevacces, some steep icy bits and onto the broad snowy shoulder upon which stood the 40m-high summit knol.

As we crested the summit ridge, Tim said he wanted down. A great shame as we were within spitting distance, but as he hadn’t been able to feel his feet for a while and he had begun to reconsider his future walking ability. So down he went. Adie and Karl followed soon. Both too exhausted to try the final obstacle. Next was Hugo who was daunted by the technical nature of the last 40 meters and by the fierce icy wind which screeched over it.

Each of these guys had climbed to 6,410m and each had a good reason to turn around. But all were satisfied by what had been achieved. The final knol was left to be climbed by Paul, Kev and Tim (Senior), which they did without lingering on the top for long and soon the team was reunited at high camp once again.

When we were all safely back in Kathmandu, we had a great final celebration with our Sidar and friend Lhakpa. The fact that we had been invited to eat a huge mountain of food and drink ourselves silly on Everest Beer at his tiny flat, goes a long way to confirm the successful nature of our expedition. If only counting the many friends made and great experiences shared.

Rolfe Oostra
Expedition Leader « Previous report | Next report »

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