Peak climbing

Between trekking and mountaineering sit Nepal's trekking peaks — summits from 5,500 to 6,500 m such as Island Peak, Mera Peak and Lobuche East that a fit trekker can climb with a climbing sherpa, fixed ropes and a few hours of instruction. The days are long and the air is thin, but the skills are learnable and the reward is a true Himalayan summit.

Every climb runs on an NMA permit with a qualified climbing guide, full glacier equipment and a training session at base camp before the summit push. Most itineraries fold the climb into a classic trek, so you acclimatize on the trail for days before you ever rope up.