Basic alpine
PD — high but technically straightforward glacier
Glacier travel: crampons, ice axe, rope teams.
14–18 days
Permit or guide required
NMA climbing permit plus local fees, arranged through an agency.
Lukla / Khare
Crowds: medium · most parties climb guided
Spring and autumn windows, like all of the Khumbu. October–November gives the famous five-8,000er summit panorama its best odds.
Mera is the altitude collector's peak: at 6,476 m it is higher than anything in five continents, yet its north-side glacier is a steady cramponed walk with only a short fixed-rope step to the summit dome. The challenge is the height itself and the wild, quiet Hinku valley approach. The summit panorama — Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Kangchenjunga, Cho Oyu — may be the best 'easy' view in the Himalaya.
The Khumbu's favourite first 6,000er — a trek through Everest country capped by a real summit morning.
The classic first 7,000er — technically moderate slopes where altitude and weather do all the fighting.
The most beautiful mountain in the Khumbu — and a genuinely technical prize for experienced alpinists.