Simone Moro is now in Nepal, ready to start acclimatizing in the Khumbu Valley with Nima Rinji Sherpa, his climbing partner on winter Manaslu. The pair will climb 6,476m Mera Peak before moving on to Manaslu.
They flew to Lukla yesterday and reported today from Khote, the closest village to Mera.
“The plan is to climb the mountain and remain a couple of nights on the summit,” Moro explained.
The team will attempt Manaslu within astronomical winter (starting on December 21), with no support staff, no supplementary oxygen, and in alpine style.
Two generations
Simone Moro, 58, is the only climber who has made four first winter ascents on 8,000m peaks: Shisha Pangma (2005), Makalu (2009), Gasherbrum II (2011), and Nanga Parbat (2016). Moro has attempted to climb Manaslu in winter six times.
Last year, Nima Rinji Sherpa, 19, became the youngest to summit the 14 8,000’ers , but this will be his first experience climbing one of the bigger peaks in alpine style.
Manaslu. Photo: Simone Moro
This is their second attempt on winter Manaslu together. Last year, they acclimatized on Ama Dablam, but conditions were not right on Manaslu to launch their alpine-style summit push.
So far, Moro and Nima Rinji’s is the only confirmed expedition to a winter 8,000m peak. Jost Kobusch of Germany won’t return to winter Everest this year, and there is no news yet from winter regulars such as Alex Txikon of Spain.
