Mera Peak
Encyclopedia
Mera Peak is a mountain which lies in the Himalayas
, in the Sagarmatha
region of Nepal
. At 6476 metres (21,247 ft) it is classified as a trekking peak
.
The first ascent was on May 20, 1953 by Col. Jimmy Roberts
and Sen Tenzing. The region was first explored extensively by British expeditions in the early 50s before and after the ascent of Everest. Members of those teams included Edmund Hillary
, Eric Shipton
and George Lowe
.
Jimmy Roberts (1916-1997) was probably the person who can take most of the credit for establishing the trekking industry in Nepal in the early 1960s. He was posthumously awarded the "Sagarmatha (Everest) National Award" by the government in May 2005.
The view from the summit is one of the finest in the Himalaya with five 8,000m peaks visible: Mount Everest
, Lhotse
, Cho Oyo, Makalu, and Kanchenjunga, as well as other Himalayan peaks linked below. The standard route from the north involves high altitude glacier walking. The ease of reaching this elevation may be its biggest danger but good weather and snow conditions are, of course, necessary for safety and success. The west and south faces of the peak offer more difficult technical routes.
For experienced climbers it is a technically straightforward ascent, the main hurdle being proper acclimatization
to the high altitude. These reasons make Mera Peak a very popular destination, with many adventure tour companies offering guided trips to the mountain http://www.guidenepal.com/nepal/peaks/index.php?page=mera_peak_20days.php&folder=1 for clients with little or no mountaineering experience. All climbers are recommended to partake in preparative fitness and altitude training before attempting an ascent.
File: View from the summit of Mera Peak|View from the summit of Mera Peak
In 1986 Mal Duff and Ian Tattersall made the first ascent of the south west pillar. The route is approximately 1800 metres (5,905.5 ft) in length and graded at ED inf. The approach to the base of the pillar is extremely exposed to serac
fall.
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
, in the Sagarmatha
Sagarmatha Zone
Sagarmāthā zone in the north, hill districts in the center, and valley districts of the Terai in the south. The borders of this zone are China to the north, India to the south, the Koshi Zone to the east and the Janakpur Zone to the west....
region of Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
. At 6476 metres (21,247 ft) it is classified as a trekking peak
Trekking peak
The Nepal Mountaineering Association has categorized the mountains of Nepal into various classifications, one of these being called trekking peak or Group B Climbing Peak as per the NMA. A trekking peak is a mountain under that is considered climbable by anyone with a moderate amount of...
.
The first ascent was on May 20, 1953 by Col. Jimmy Roberts
J. O. M. Roberts
James Owen Merion Roberts was one of the greatest Himalayan mountaineer-explorers of the twentieth century, a highly decorated Army officer who achieved his greatest renown as "the father of trekking" in Nepal...
and Sen Tenzing. The region was first explored extensively by British expeditions in the early 50s before and after the ascent of Everest. Members of those teams included Edmund Hillary
Edmund Hillary
Sir Edmund Percival Hillary, KG, ONZ, KBE , was a New Zealand mountaineer, explorer and philanthropist. On 29 May 1953 at the age of 33, he and Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers known to have reached the summit of Mount Everest – see Timeline of climbing Mount Everest...
, Eric Shipton
Eric Shipton
Eric Earle Shipton CBE was a distinguished British Himalayan mountaineer.-Early years:Born in Ceylon in 1907 where his father, a tea planter, died before he was three years old. His mother buried her grief by taking Eric and his sister Marge and travelling constantly for the next five years...
and George Lowe
George Lowe (mountaineer)
Wallace George Lowe, CNZM, OBE , known as George Lowe, is a New Zealand-born mountaineer, explorer, film director and educator...
.
Jimmy Roberts (1916-1997) was probably the person who can take most of the credit for establishing the trekking industry in Nepal in the early 1960s. He was posthumously awarded the "Sagarmatha (Everest) National Award" by the government in May 2005.
The view from the summit is one of the finest in the Himalaya with five 8,000m peaks visible: Mount Everest
Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
, Lhotse
Lhotse
Lhotse is the fourth highest mountain on Earth and is connected to Everest via the South Col. In addition to the main summit at 8,516 metres above sea level, Lhotse Middle is and Lhotse Shar is...
, Cho Oyo, Makalu, and Kanchenjunga, as well as other Himalayan peaks linked below. The standard route from the north involves high altitude glacier walking. The ease of reaching this elevation may be its biggest danger but good weather and snow conditions are, of course, necessary for safety and success. The west and south faces of the peak offer more difficult technical routes.
For experienced climbers it is a technically straightforward ascent, the main hurdle being proper acclimatization
Acclimatization
Acclimatisation or acclimation is the process of an individual organism adjusting to a gradual change in its environment, allowing it to maintain performance across a range of environmental conditions...
to the high altitude. These reasons make Mera Peak a very popular destination, with many adventure tour companies offering guided trips to the mountain http://www.guidenepal.com/nepal/peaks/index.php?page=mera_peak_20days.php&folder=1 for clients with little or no mountaineering experience. All climbers are recommended to partake in preparative fitness and altitude training before attempting an ascent.
File: View from the summit of Mera Peak|View from the summit of Mera Peak
In 1986 Mal Duff and Ian Tattersall made the first ascent of the south west pillar. The route is approximately 1800 metres (5,905.5 ft) in length and graded at ED inf. The approach to the base of the pillar is extremely exposed to serac
Serac
A serac is a block or column of ice formed by intersecting crevasses on a glacier. Often house-sized or larger, they are dangerous to mountaineers since they may topple with little warning...
fall.