Manaslu Expedition News

Manaslu Expedition News

 

Blog posts: Scroll down for day by day news of our climbing and trekking teams.

Oct 11 - In Kathmandu, most of our team members have returned home and the last two will leave tonight for Turkey & USA. We look forward to keeping in touch and seeing them in the mountains again!

 



Oct 10 - our Sherpas tried to cross Larkya La today with the Donkeys but were unable to cross and had to return to Samagaon, there was too much snow. Omg












October 07 - After several days waiting for the rain/snow to lighten in Samagaon, we made an early even exit by helicopter to Arughat. The ride brought us down a tight canyon of high waterfalls and rock faces. We made a quick transition to bus and are on the way to Kathmandu! Our sherpa team remained in Samagaon awaiting good weather for hiking over Larke La with the bulk of our equipment.



October 05 - Our team is enjoying the comforts of the village of Samagaon as wait for clearing skies to travel by helicopter to Arughot and then by jeep to Kathmandu. The mountain is now under continual blankets of new snow and our basecamp staff & sherpa team returned yesterday before the snow started. Now all our equipment is off the mountain and basecamp is cleaned up. We are heading out!



October 03 - Team members arrived to Samagaon today under clear skies. We all had a big dinner and are excited to be in a warm bed tonight. Over the last month, we have become a close-knit group between members and Sherpas and are happy to be safe and sound. We send our deepest condolences to those who lost loved ones in the three fatal avalanches that occurred on the mountain. Tomorrow team members will return to Kathmandu.



October 02 - SummitClimb members + sherpa descended to basecamp today and our entire team is safe and sound. Last night, a storm came to the mountain and deposited at least 1 meter of new snow. We have made the decision to end our expedition due to avalanche danger, incoming weather, and it being the last days before we are supposed to return to Kathmandu. While we give up the summit, we embrace our collective well-being and look forward to returning home to our loved-ones with stories of the great mountain!



October 01 - Our team is in Camp 3 and resting before attempting the summit. Temperatures are cooler now and team members await calmer winds before going up higher. Camp 3 is 6700m.









September 25 - We are back in Camp 1 and moving higher tomorrow. The weather here on Manaslu has changed for the better. We are psyched to be moving up and looking forward to some time in the sun. The mountain is busy and full of excitement for the days ahead! i Leader Ben



Photo Credit : Jacqueline



Photo Credit : Jacqueline









September 20 - All members are warm and cozy at Camp 2 (6,300m). Everyone worked hard today to navigate the fixed lines up the glacier, at times the rope went up vertical ice shelves. Myself and the sherpa team are very proud of their efforts! We are now above the clouds in mountaineering paradise. Our Sherpa team worked extremely hard to set up this camp and help team members reach it today. Very proud!



September 19 - Today we woke to clear skies and comfortable temperatures! We enjoyed a day climbing above Camp 1 to about 6000m and back . Tomorrow We are moving up to sleep at Camp 2. Everyone is very excited!



September 18 - Our team is in Camp 1 for the night. We enjoyed a winding walk up the glacier crossing many crevasses in a light snowfall.  Now getting ready to sleep at 5600m, we are filling our stomachs with tea & hot noodles before tucking away into warm sleeping bags



September 17 - Our team is happy and healthy and patiently waiting for good weather. In the mean time, we have become fully acclimated to 5000m. Today we stayed warm and dry in basecamp during a heavy snowfall. Tomorrow we are hoping to head uphill for nights at camp 1 and 2.  Our Sherpa team has been hard at work stocking Camp 1 with everything we need for the upper mountain. We are proud of their efforts!



September 15 - Fresh snow today. We are happy to be warm and dry in basecamp! Yesterday we hiked to camp 1. Tomorrow we will begin sleeping high!



September 13 - Hi guys, same grey weather today. we did our technical training on the glacier and tomorrow we will make a day trip to camp 1




September 12 - Our first full day in basecamp was exciting as team members got their first view of the mountain when the clouds parted. We had a beautiful Puja ceremony with two Lamas and are now prepared to do some technical training tomorrow on the glacier beside camp. Our basecamp sits on a lofty rocky perch between two glaciers and overlooking other camps. Our amazing cook staff has been keeping us well fed and three of our climbing sherpa will go to Camp 1 tomorrow to set up our tents! Ben, Expedition Leader



September 11 - Today we arrived in basecamp after a long uphill hike from the Samagaon . The trail was steep and for much of the day we walked grassy rocky slopes above a an active glacier tongue. Our camp is located at about 4965m (16300ft). We are all so happy to be here and are ready for a big sleep after a delicious first dinner. Ben, Expedition Leader


September 10 - Today we walked down a long and widening valley that brought us to Samagaon. Since beginning our trek 5 days ago, we have circumnavigated the North side of Mt Manaslu and covered approximately 59 kilometers (30+ miles). During this time our legs have been working hard with an elevation gain of approximately 4,500 meters and loss of 2,750 meters. (In Feet: gain of 13,800ft+ and loss of 8,600ft+). Our trek brought us within 12 kilometers of the Tibetan border and we were proud to touch our high point of Larke La- a 5,100m+ pass North of Manaslu. The clouds have acted as a cloak that comes and goes and keeps us hungry for more views of the great 7000m peaks to the North and of course our ultimate goal- Mt Manaslu, the world’s eighth highest mountain. Now here in Samagaon, we are looking forward to our first rest day before heading up to basecamp where several of our Sherpa staff have been hard at work to set up before our arrival.




Photo by Jacqueline



Photo by Jacqueline



Video by Eren



Video by Eren









Photo by Jacqueline








Photo by Chris



Photo by Jolanda




September 9 - Good morning! We are heading to Samagaon today. The team is happy and healthy. Spirits are high and we are looking forward to arriving in basecamp as well.



September 8 - our team is on top of Larke Pass! Soon we will begin the descent.



September 7 - Hi everyone, nice acclimatization day to the lake. Then relaxing in town.  - B Limbering



September 6 - Our team is now at about 3,700m (12,200ft) in the village of Bimthang. We had a big hike to get here, traveling from Gowa at 2,500m through beautiful thick forests and finally the trees got smaller as we neared our destination. Everyone looked strong- including the Tibetan Sheep Dog that followed us from our lunch spot in Kharka all the Bimthang. Time for a big sleep! ✍️Ben, Expedition Leader



September 5 - Today we left the road and began our trek. With wheels behind us, our feet will lead us from here on. It was a beautiful sunny day and we are staying in the village of Gowa at around 2,500m, just some 13 miles from Tibet. The trail brought a new wave of energy to us and as we passed by waterfalls and over suspension bridges. Here in Gowa, team members are enjoying a relaxing afternoon before our big hike to Bimthang tomorrow. ✍️ Ben, Expedition Leader.




 




September 4 - We are now in the village of Dharapani at a great river junction of the Marsyangdi & the Dudh Kohla. Tomorrow we will leave the jeep behind and continue on foot, heading Northeast up the Dudh Kohla toward Larke La, a 5160m pass just north of Mt Manaslu. Our hotel is a colorful building and donkeys wait outside for our duffels which they will carry to basecamp. The team is happy and hungry after an exciting jeep ride that followed a winding road up a marvelous canyon. The canyon splits the massifs of Annapurna & Manaslu and is defined by vertical rock walls, jungled forest, and gigantic waterfalls. It was a truly spectacular ride and suddenly we find ourselves in the Himalayas… ✍️ Ben, Expedition Leader.



 



September 3 - Our team is settled into the hotel at Besisahar. Big lunch, showers, soft beds. We are enjoying the warm air and quiet streets. Mountainsides covered by thick jungle tower over us and clouds drift along them revealing the sun. On our bus ride, we drove West on a busy highway that followed the Trisuli River before turning to the North. Beautiful waterfalls cascaded beside the road and at times across it. Villages of lush green terraces above the Marsyangdi River defined the landscape. We are looking forward to our jeep ride tomorrow which will bring us to the start of our trek. -Ben, Expedition Leader.



 



September 3 - Ride a bus 9-12 hours to Besisahar, 760 metres (2,493 feet.). Stay at tea house. After a few days in Kathmandu, our team was up early for breakfast and we are on the bus. Heading for the mountains, our ride will take us out of the Kathmandu valley and northwest towards Mt Manaslu. Spirits are high and the team is full of excitement! -Ben Expedition Leader.



September 2 - Orientation, training, and equipment review at hotel in Kathmandu (KTM), renting and buying gear at KTM equipment shops, group dinner. Stay at hotel.



Team Roster -


Benjamin L (Leader) , USA
Jacquline D , Netherlands
Jolanda K, Netherlands
Eren G., Turkey
Chris B., USA
Markku K., Finland
Dmitri N., USA


Climbing :


Tenji Sherpa
Ang Dorjee Sherpa
Pema Renji Sherpa
Pemba Sherpa


Cook:


Jay Bahadhur Nagarkoti

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