For the second year in a row, three Nepalese guides are using their off time to target an unclimbed peak in their home country.
Prakash Gurung, Yukta Gurung, and Sandesh Sherpa are on their way to Khayang Peak (6,186m) in the Manaslu region, aiming for a first ascent.
“This peak has not been summited by anyone before, at least officially,” Prakash Gurung told ExplorersWeb. “A Japanese team attempted it in October 2023 but didn’t make it to the top.”
Khayang lies northeast of Manaslu, on the border with Tibet. Map: Peakvisor
Local power
Prakash Gurung and Yukta Gurung met while guiding commercial expeditions. Together, they started Project Together to promote a different kind of climbing in Nepal: small, off-the-beaten-track expeditions with a leave-no-trace ethic.
The pair launched their first one in December 2023, during a low-work time of year, and made the first ascent of Khumjungar (6,759m) in the upper Mustang.
“We wanted to go alpine style, in the hope of reducing waste materials left on the mountain,” Prakash told ExplorersWeb at the time.
Alpine-style
Their current climb follows the same approach. The team plans a single, alpine-style push, although they admit that weather and conditions will have the last word.
“We had planned to launch the summit attack from base camp on March 16, but weather forecasts show heavy snowfall, so we are checking conditions every day,” Prakash said.
The amount of snow on the route may force the team to adapt their strategy.
The project reminds us how quickly Nepalese climbers have upped their professional game. Prakash is an accredited IFMGA guide and both his partners are aspiring guides who hope to obtain their accreditation by 2026.
In the process, they are shining a spotlight on climbs done by locals. And not only by Sherpas — Prakash and Yukta both belong to the Gurung ethnic group. They are also happy to join forces with a Sherpa colleague on this expedition.
On the way
Part of their approach is to hike rather than helicopter to their base camp. The expedition drove to Tatopani, in the lower Manaslu region, last Sunday, then began their approach trek the following day, with an eight-hour hike to Deng village. Spring has not yet arrived, and they are dealing with some rough weather and terrain damaged by recent rock slides.
For this climb, Project Together found some international sponsors, including their hiring agency, EliteExped, and Nepal’s Mountaineering Association. They also have a grant from the Mount Everest Foundation to promote local climbing in Nepal.
Prakash Gurung guides for commercial expeditions but opts for leave-no-trace expeditions on personal projects. Photo: Prakash Gurung
