Manaslu climbers increased for this reason

• CB Adhikari

The eighth highest mountain in the world and the seventh highest mountain in Nepal, Manaslu (8,163 meters) has seen the highest number of climbers.

In this year’s fall season (autumn season), the increased attraction of climbers has been seen in Manaslu climbing, as in previous years. According to the Tourism Department, a total of 237 climbers from 25 climbing groups have taken permission to climb Mount Everest (8,848.86 meters) this season.

Most of the climbers have come to climb Mt Manaslu.  The data details released by the mountaineering branch of the department said that up to August 19, a total of 214 climbers including 160 women and 50 men from 19 climbing groups have taken permission to climb Mt Manaslu.

Autumn is considered to be the best season for climbing Manaslu, so it is preferred by most climbers.  Kul Bahadur Gurung, the former general secretary of the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), informed that climbers are enthusiastically coming to climb Manaslu this time as in previous years.

He said that since autumn is the suitable season for climbing Manaslu, every year a significant number of climbers come to climb during this season. On May 9, 1956, Japanese citizen Tosio Imanisi and Nepali Galgen Norbu Sherpa successfully climbed the 8,163-meter high Manaslu.

Two days after that, on May 11, there was a record that Japanese Norbu Higeta and Kiichiro Kato climbed Manaslu.  On May 18, 1956, Manaslu was climbed by Swiss nationals Anse Rage and Ritz Lucchisinger.

Mingma Sherpa, managing director of Seven Summit Treks Pvt said that climbers for Manaslu are on the rise this season. According to him, about 60 climbers have come to climb Manaslu on behalf of the company. He expressed his belief that the number of climbers will increase in the next month.

The Managing Director Sherpa further added that the highest number of climbers come to climb Manaslu every year as it is considered a suitable season for climbing. During the 66 years of climbing Manaslu, a significant number of climbers have climbed it.

According to the ‘Mountaineering in Nepal Facts and Figures 2020’ published by the Department of Tourism, 1,856 people have climbed Manaslu Himal by 2018. Since the details of Manaslu climbing in the last three years are not certain, this number is expected to increase.

The 60-year diamond festival was celebrated in the year 2073 on Manaslu mountain located in Gorkha, which has a long climbing history. Manaslu is also known as Kutang in the far western part of Nepal. This mountain is also called the mountain of the heart in the Mansiri mountain range.

In 2077 BS, a team of 21 people, including Sheikh Mohammed Hamad Mohammed Al Khalifa, the prince of Bahrain, climbed Manaslu and Nepal became the talk of the world. On this occasion, NMA stated that this climb has further promoted Nepal’s mountaineering in the world market.

According to the latest climbing permit ‘Expedition Permit’ issued by the Tourism Department, a total of 237 climbers including 54 women and 183 men from 45 countries have come to Nepal to climb mountains and peaks including Everest, Dhaulagiri (8,167 meters).

Similarly, five people from a climbing group have received permission to climb Mount Everest. Five climbers have taken permission to climb Dhaulagiri.

Seven climbers from two groups have taken permission to climb Himlung Himal (7,126 m), five from one group to climb Nupse (7,855 m), and only one climber to climb Saribung (6,346 m). In this season, Rs 2.9 million royalties have been collected from mountain climbing.