The few climbers who had hoped to climb Manaslu after the storm have finally called it quits. Their Base Camp tents are buried in snow, and the mountain is in terrible shape. But while Manaslu is definitely over, Dhaulagiri climbers are still patiently waiting, encouraged by the upcoming arrival of Andrzej Bargiel’s team.
Dhaulagiri in waiting mode
The 8K Expeditions crew is keeping fit by shoveling snow off their tents at the base of Dhaulagiri. Paul Clarke told ExplorersWeb that massive avalanches recently fell down the slopes. The one in the video above was well off the normal route. “We’re going to wait four to five days before venturing up to Camp 1 and checking the route above,” he said.
That route is not visible from Base Camp, so to get an early preview, Clarke flew a drone 1,000 vertical meters above them. “There’s still a huge amount of snow on the North Face, but you can see strong winds ripping across the summit, so hopefully between the wind and the avalanches, the mountain [will] continue to clear,” he wrote on social media.
The upper half of Dhaulagiri looked like this yesterday. Drone image by Paul Clarke/@outdoorpirate
Andrzej Bargiel, aiming to ski down Dhaulagiri, landed with his team in Kathmandu yesterday but has not shared his schedule.
Makalu and Everest
The Russian team that confirmed a no-O2 attempt on Everest off the normal route is on its way to Namche Bazaar. Another three-member team also plans an alpine-style attempt on Makalu — likely Russians Denis Aleksander and Artem Tsensenivski, also from Russia. Earlier, they had hoped to acclimatize on Manaslu, but now they will need to find an alternative.
No hope on Manaslu
Remarkably, over the last few days, the number of Manaslu permits has continued to swell, reaching an all-time record of 500. As we previously wrote, it is unclear whether these guided climbers will recover any of their money because of the early cancellation.
A completely buried dome tent at Manaslu Base Camp. Photo: Summit Force
Summit Force clung to hope until yesterday. “If weather and mountain conditions allow, our team will make another attempt during the next suitable summit window,” Miles Sherpa had posted last weekend. On Monday, he confirmed his dome tents were still standing. Some of the gear had been damaged, but “their team [which stayed in Base Camp during the storm] is safe,” he wrote.
Instagram post by Miles Sherpa of Summit Force on Monday, September 28.
However, the company’s head, Nga Tenji Sherpa, said yesterday that they had finally called off their expedition. “At this stage, continuing…is no longer safe or practical,” he wrote. Like other outfitters, he cited safety reasons.
“All our team, climbers, guides, and staff are now safely back home,” Caroline Pemberton of Summit Force told ExplorersWeb. “The conditions that ensued with the storm made it unsafe to continue. Safety is always our first priority.”
Chhepal Sherpa, leading a small team and supported by Alex Txikon of Spain, has also left the mountain.
Madison Mountaineering called their Manaslu expedition off last Saturday. They are focusing instead on Ama Dablam in late October.
Trekking routes opening
Trekkers are back on the trails. They are moving more slowly on the snowed-up paths but are enjoying a pristine white environment under bright sun:
The Manaslu Circuit, including the highest point at Larke Pass, is also open again, according to tourism associations. So are the trails in the Khumbu. The way to Everest Base Camp is doable, and a number of climbers are landing in Lukla this week and trekking to Namche Bazaar before tackling one of the region’s 6,000m peaks.
The Thorong La, the highest pass in the Annapurna Circuit, is still closed, according to The Tourism Times, as is the Tilicho Lake Trek in Manang.
