The Department of Tourism (DoT), under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, has issued the first climbing permit of the autumn season for Mt. Manaslu. The permit was granted to a 14-member international team from 8K Expeditions. Rakesh Gurung, Director of DoT, handed over the permit and extended his best wishes to the team, encouraging them to promote tourism in Nepal.
Isabella Maria Hassmann, a 25-year-old climber from Germany, will lead the 8K Expedition. The team includes climbers from various countries, including Belarus, India, the UK, Singapore, South Korea, the USA, France, Switzerland, Belgium, and more. Lakpa Sherpa, Managing Director of 8K Expeditions, stated that the company expects to have over 40 international climbers attempting to summit Mt. Manaslu this season.
Expedition operators estimate that more than 200 foreign climbers will attempt to scale the 8,163-meter peak this autumn. Chhang Dawa Sherpa, Expedition Director at Seven Summit Treks (SST), mentioned that his company will be organizing expeditions for over 70 climbers on Mt. Manaslu. SST has already begun preparations, including mobilizing a rope-fixing team, as they have been assigned the responsibility of fixing the summit route by the Expedition Operators Association Nepal.
The SST rope-fixing team, led by Chhang Dawa Sherpa, includes experienced climbers such as Tenging Gyaljen Sherpa, Pemba Tashi Sherpa, Dawa Sherpa, Pam Dorjee Sherpa, Namgel Dorjee Tamang, and Angdemba Sherpa. The team has already arrived at the base camp to ensure smooth operations for the upcoming expeditions.
With international climbers arriving in Kathmandu, the climbing season on Mt. Manaslu is set to begin, contributing to Nepal’s thriving adventure tourism sector.
