Trail conditions in April
By April the whole route is in full spring condition. Zatra La has usually shed most of its snow by the second half of the month, and the 1,600m climb from Chutang runs faster than it did in March. Approaching Kothe and Thangnak, the Hinku Valley is green again, buckwheat terraces starting their season and Mera Peak itself standing at the head of the valley in full view for days before you reach it.
The summit dome is where spring shows its real character. Snow sits deeper and softer than the wind-scoured autumn surface, which makes for gentler footing on the ascent but a slower, more tiring push, especially in the final hour before the top. Crevasse bridges on the glacier between Base Camp and High Camp are well tested by April, climbing Sherpas from multiple operators have usually been up and down the route for weeks by the time your group arrives, and the fixed line on the final dome sits on a track already broken by earlier climbers.
One detail few climbers expect: April’s softer snow means poles sink further at Base Camp’s tent platforms than they do in October, and the skills session there sometimes runs a few minutes longer, self-arrest practice on soft snow just takes more repetitions to feel automatic.
