A summit push is imminent on Manaslu’s normal route and should happen in the next day or two. Climbers have finished acclimatizing as well as they could in the non-stop snow and rain. The monsoon simply refuses to leave.
Nevertheless, some teams are already in Camp 3, poised to begin the final sections before the weather worsens again on Friday. Those in Camps 1 and 2 report loads of soft snow, which has buried or damaged quite a few tents in Camp 1.
Get out the shovels: A buried tent in Camp 1 on Manaslu. Photo: Kami Rita Sherpa.
Skier Hilaree Nelson was among the few who shared her plans before leaving for her summit push on Sunday. She and partner Jim Morrison had previously set up and supplied their Camp 3. Their preliminary plan sees them topping out today or tomorrow. But it remains unclear if they have managed to get as high up as they intended.
“Conditions are really difficult due to loads of fresh snow,” 8K Expeditions leader Lakpa Sherpa told ExplorersWeb. “Yesterday, I sent 25 of my Sherpa force to set up Camp 4, but they were unable to reach [it] because of deep snow and missing ropes.”
Lakpa added: “Luckily, there was some sunshine today, and forecasts announce clear weather tomorrow from 6,600m upward. This will permit some of our climbers to aim for the summit on Thursday.”
How will deep snow affect the final section?
Given the amount of soft new snow, climbers will need well-fixed ropes on the final section. Traffic jams will be hard to avoid, especially if there is only one line of ropes. The Elite Exped team who fixed the route to the summit is back in Base Camp, but its members did not share photos of the final ridge. They did, however, post a video of the team in deep snow:
The vast quantities of soft wet snow along the route are also a concern for those lower down. Some avalanches have released near the route, and a number of climbers have expressed concerns about too many people clipped together on the hardest sections, especially in the serac area between Camps 1 and 2.
Climbers between Camp 1 and Camp 2 on Manaslu. Photo: Lakpa Dendi
Harila for her 12th
Norway’s Kristin Harila is currently in Camp 2 with her usual guides Pasdawa Sherpa and Dawa Ongchu Sherpa. She hopes to reach Camp 3 tomorrow and set off that night to reach the summit on Thursday.
Beyond Manaslu, Harila has a reason to be anxious. She has not yet managed to obtain a special permit to enter China to climb Shishapangma and Cho Oyu, the two final peaks after Manaslu in her attempt to climb all 14 8,000m peaks in record time.
“Every effort so far has not led to success, even though I have had tremendous help from all over the world, including the Chinese ambassador in Norway,” Harila admitted on social media. She has asked for ideas from the global climbing community.
Kristin Harila manages a smile in the relentless rain during the puja ceremony in Base Camp. Photo: 8K Expeditions
Nirmal Purja has recovered from the mishap that occurred while paragliding in Base Camp yesterday. He says that he is ready to lead his team to the summit. However, client Victoria Bonya won’t be with them. The controversial Russian influencer (she openly supports Putin’s invasion of Ukraine) came to Manaslu as a first climbing experience. She was airlifted to Kathmandu yesterday with symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness.
