Rope fixing team members have become the only climbers to summit Manaslu this year as other teams were forced to retreat due to bad weather. The team reached the summit and opened the route up to the peak despite snowfall, high winds, and heavy snow coverage on the mountain. Other expedition teams failed to utilize the route as conditions deteriorated, making it unsafe for future climbers to continue. Consequently, the rope fixing team accomplished the only seasonal summit on the mountain.
The teams climbed Manaslu during the 2026 autumn season, where hundreds of climbers and high altitude guides are encountering challenging conditions. Some teams that managed to reach Camp III had to descend to Base Camp and Samagaun due to strong winds and snowfall. Operators decided to cut their losses and bring down their teams after almost two weeks of poor conditions that made climbing impossible. The deteriorating conditions hindered most climbing activities, despite the rope fixing team’s summit on the mountain.
Route Fixing Team Completes Key Summit Mission
The summit by the route fixing team was a significant achievement for the climbers as they managed to accomplish one of the critical objectives for the mountain. Their task involved clearing a route for other climbers, which the team achieved on their way to the top of Manaslu. The team climbed the mountain to the top, which was a crucial endeavor for the climbing season. They summited the mountain at 8,163 metres despite the poor conditions, which eventually halted most of the climbing activities. The team’s success therefore became the standout achievement of this year’s autumn climbing season.
The ascent took place amid increasingly unstable weather in the Manaslu region, with a deep low pressure system moving toward Nepal from the Bay of Bengal contributing to continued snowfall and strong winds. The weather system affected climbing conditions across the mountain and significantly narrowed the opportunity for expedition teams to make safe summit attempts. As the situation worsened, teams at higher camps were compelled to abandon their plans and begin descending. The rope fixing team’s successful climb consequently stands apart from the unsuccessful summit attempts of the other expedition groups.
Other Expedition Teams Forced To Retreat
The expedition teams that reached Camp III were forced to descend due to the adverse conditions brought about by heavy snowfall and strong winds. Operators opted to bring down their teams rather than risk their safety on the upper mountain due to the deteriorating conditions. Most climbers are now set to descend to Kathmandu after the poor weather conditions stalled their climbing endeavors and hindered them from continuing their ascent. Consequently, the rope fixing team becomes the only team to summit the mountain during the 2026 autumn season.
Some operators are still contemplating October summits, given the poor weather conditions that hinder climbing activities on the mountain. However, any further attempts to climb Manaslu will be dependent on the weather and the conditions of the mountain. Therefore, most expedition teams will most likely utilize the rope fixing team’s route as the only successful endeavor of the climbing season as they prepare to descend the mountain due to the bad weather.
