Manaslu climbers are now arriving in Kathmandu, about to make their way to waiting base camps. The first batch of permits, issued on September 1, features a record 120 foreign climbers from 31 countries, especially the U.S., Japan, the UK, and China.
Last year at this time, there were just 64 climbers. Outfitters told The Himalayan Times that they expect the final tally to be over 200 foreigners. The number of Sherpa guides will more than double that number. This suggests that Manaslu will once again be the most popular 8,000’er in Nepal.
The first fall climbing permits, issued by Nepal’s Department of Tourism.
Fall climbing permits also include two rather quiet 7,000m peaks, sometimes visited by commercial teams: Putha Hiunchuli, also known as Dhaulagiri VII, and Annapurna IV.
Seven Summit Treks with the ropes ready to fix the route on Manaslu. Photo: Seven Summit Treks
As in previous years, Nepal’s Expedition Operators Association has assigned Seven Summit Treks with the task of fixing the ropes up the normal route. The 2024 climbers can only hope for as good a season as last year. Three weeks of good weather in 2023 resulted in 468 total summits — an unprecedented success ratio — and no serious accidents. It was also a fast season. By the end of September, everyone had done their climbing and gone home.
Last year, many climbers also headed to the Tibetan 8,000’ers, Cho Oyu and Shisha Pangma. This year, they will also attract a lot of attention, as long as they open to foreign expeditions as expected. In 2023, the most memorable event of the season was not the great weather or the many successful summits but the tragedy on Shisha Pangma.
