MANASLU EXPEDITION (8163m)

Trip Introduction

Manaslu is known as 8^th world highest mountain. The name of Mt Manaslu means “mountain of spirit”. Manaslu was first climbed on May 9, 1956, by Toshio Imanishi and Gyalzen Norbu, members of Japanese expedition. The popular Manaslu trekking route of 177 kilometers skirts the Manaslu massifs over the pass down to Annapurna. Manaslu is a serrated “wall of snow and ice hanging in the sky”.

Climbing Route:
From Base Camp (4,800m/15,750ft) to Camp (5,700m/15,750ft) involves climbing over rock slabs and moraine, followed by a crevassed glacier with occasional small ice steps to Camp I. The route continues up steep slopes which lessen as the route progresses, weaving between seracs. This is the most technical section of the climb and takes between 3-6 hours.

From Camp I to Camp II (6,400m/21,000ft) is considered as the technical crux of the climb with some steep sections fixed with ropes and occasionally ladders. It is located at the top of the serac section of the climb on a somewhat flat area safe from danger, although this campsite can receive a lot of snow accumulation the terrain features long 40 degree snow slopes with a few vertical ice steps where front-point cramponing is required. Acclimatized climbers can complete this leg in approximately 3-4 hours. The route continues up the upper glacier before increasing in steepness as we start to approach camp three.

From Camp II to Camp III (6,800m/22,310ft) the route continues up the upper glacier before increasing in steepness as we start to approach camp three. This camp is notorious for experiencing strong winds and we need to make sure our tents have bombproof anchors. The climb from camp two to camp three is one of the shortest on the mountain and takes between 1.5-3 hours.

From III to Camp IV (7,450m/24,445ft) there is 550m of strenuous climbing to Camp IV. The route continues up the remaining glacier weaving through seracs with some short steep sections of ice and snow which will have fixed rope in place for safety. There is an exposed traverse with remains of past expeditions in the shape of old abandoned and destroyed tents which takes us to high camp, camp four. The climb from camp three to camp four takes between 4-8 hours.

From camp IV to the Mt. Manaslu (8,163m/26,781ft). Summit day will start well before dawn and the climb should take about 6-7 hrs. The climbing is not technical, but any summit day on an 8000m peak is unforgettable. The conditions and the route heads up a moderate slope immediately out of high camp before arriving at the first of the summit plateaus. The route climbs three separate tiered plateaus before arriving at the final pyramid slope. From here another short steep slope below the immediate summit is climbed until reaching the fore summit. The true summit is reached with an exposed technical traverse for around 70 meters in linear distance and this section needs to have fixed rope in place. The climb from camp four to the summit takes between 4-8 hours with 2-4 hours for the descent to camp four.

Itinerary

• Day 1

  Arrival at Kathmandu (1300m)

• Day 2

  Full day Guided Tour in Kathmandu Valley with City Tour Guide

• Day 3

  Expedition briefing at Department of Tourism

• Day 4

  Kathmandu to Gorkha (1,300m)

• Day 5

  Gorkha to Barpak (1,945m)

• Day 6

  Barpak to Laprak (2,200m)

• Day 7

  Laprak to Khorlabenshi (970m)

• Day 8

  Khorlabenshi to Jagat (1,370m)

• Day 9

  Jagat to Deng (1,865m)

• Day 10

  Deng to Ghap (2,165m)

• Day 11

  Ghap to Lho (3,180m)

• Day 12

  Lho to Samagaon (3,525m)

• Day 13

  Acclimatization day

• Day 14

  Samagaon to Manaslu BC (4,850m)

• Day 15-40

  Mt. Manaslu Climbing period

• Day 41

  Manaslu BC clean up

• Day 42

  Manaslu BC to Samdo (3,800m)

• Day 43

  Samdo to Dharamshala (4,460m)

• Day 44

  Cross Larkya La Pass (5,170m). Trek to Bhimtang (3,590m)

• Day 45

  Bhimtang to Gowa (2,515m)

• Day 46

  Gowa to Tal (1,700m)

• Day 47

  Tal to Kathmandu by Private Jeep and transfer to Hotel

• Day 48

  Expedition debriefing at Department of Tourism

• Day 49

  Free day in Kathmandu for self-shopping and other activities

• Day 50

  Transfer to Kathmandu International airport for departure

Cost Includes & Excludes

Glimpse of MANASLU EXPEDITION (8163m)

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