Logbook: climbing Manaslu (8,163 m)

At the beginning of September, Expeditions Unlimited completed its first expedition to Manaslu, the eighth highest peak on the planet at 8,163 meters. A team of nine participants, including French mountain guide Clément Flouret, undertook the ascent with the support of a Nepalese team of around fifteen people. Eric Bonnem, founder of Expeditions Unlimited and Secret Planet, was part of this extraordinary adventure. It is he who brings this climb to life for us through the images and texts he sent us every day. A fascinating and particularly human expedition.

See all our climbs above 8,000 meters.

15th September

We left Samagaon in the rain at around 7am this morning and reached the Manaslu base camp in the snow! It took us around five hours to climb the 1,400 meters. It's great to be back in our cocoon for the next 3.5 weeks. Our camp is very comfortable, and our individual tents are spacious enough to hold all our gear. We are the highest camp and overlook the entire base camp from our promontory (see photo). The advantage of being the highest camp is that we save half an hour on our rotations compared with those at the bottom of the base camp. We are therefore at an altitude of 4,950 meters of altitude, while the bottom of the base camp is at 4,800 meters. Covid test for our entire Expeditions Unlimited camp this afternoon and, tomorrow, rest and preparations for our first rotation to camp 1. 

 

16th September

Non-stop snow. The first night at 5,000 meters went well for the whole team. Clément and Dipen went up this morning to identify the position of camp 0.5 on the glacier leading up to camp 1. Mission accomplished. This afternoon, oxygen briefing followed by a glacier equipment briefing and what to pack for our first acclimatisation rotation up tomorrow. We don't want to be too heavy but at the same time we don't want to forget anything. The plan is as follows. Snowy ascent tomorrow afternoon to camp 0.5 at 5,300 meters. Overnight in tents. On Saturday, the weather is expected to be fine. Ascent to camp 1 at 5,600 meters. Overnight in tents. On Sunday, ascent to camp 2, to be determined according to our fitness, return and overnight at camp 1. Return to base camp on Monday. Rest time. 

 

17th September

This morning was the Puja. The blessing ceremony for our expedition. A lama came and read the Tibetan book to the sound of a small drum and Tibetan cymbals. As always, it was a good time with a touch of emotion. Offerings were made to Mount Manaslu. In a scent of incense and other aromatic woods. A shower of rice and flour for all the participants. A nice hazing, we're all white. You can't help but succumb to the charm, so true are these traditions here in the Himalayas. The snow is still falling. We can't wait for it to stop, though, so that we can appreciate the scale of the grandiose landscape around us. Now that the Puja is done, we can start climbing. This afternoon's objective is an intermediate camp before camp 1, a camp we've christened 0.5, at around 5,400 meters. Departure early this afternoon. 

18th September

We left base camp at around 3pm and made good progress through the snow to reach camp 0.5 at almost 5,300 meters. Warm water. Freeze-dried food. And so on. Then bed. Not a very deep sleep, but no headache. We go up to camp 1 this morning. 

For the first time since the start of the expedition, the sun shines brightly this morning. We can see all the way to the summit. This morning we set off for Camp 1 at 5,700 meters. Most of us are pretty exhausted. We spend two nights at camp 1 before returning to base camp. The route to camp 2 has not yet been decided. Probably today or tomorrow. Our expedition seems to be ahead of schedule. Camp 1 is fairly sparse.

 

September 19th

This morning, we set off to acclimatize above Camp 1 at around 6,000 metres. Magnificent weather, sublime high-altitude scenery. A lot of tough steep climbs to negotiate, slowly. Above Camp 1 and up to Camp 4 (7,400 m), there are a few vertical passages to be climbed with a jumar and abseiled down. There are a few traffic jams at the top and bottom of these somewhat technical passages, where breath is short given the altitude. A cute little local dog is keeping us company at Camp 1, and accompanied us this morning. It's great. He runs as if nothing had happened. 

 

September 20th

We left Camp 1 at around 5,750 meters this morning at 8 a.m., in glorious weather, and arrived at Base Camp at 4,950 meters at 10 a.m.. It's the first time we've seen the base camp clear. To the west/southwest of the camp, Manaslu and the route to the summit in its entirety. Camp 1 (5,750 m), camp 2 (6,400 m), camp 3 (6,800 m), camp 4 (7,400 m) and secondary summit (because the real summit, at 8,163 meters, is not visible from here). Excitement and humility. The group is in excellent shape overall, and not overly affected by the altitude at nearly 6,000 meters. Fingers crossed it lasts. We're only at the beginning. Tomorrow's a rest day and, normally, we're off to camp 1, 2 then 3 for our second acclimatization rotation.

So as not to go back up with too much weight, which we did three days ago, we've left a lot of stuff at camp 1 that's useless at base camp or between base camp and camp 1: sleeping bag minus 40 degrees Celsius, down jacket minus 20 degrees Celsius, mattress, headlamps, book! Too much food, shovel, Arva avalanche probe. In short, when we go back up to camp 1 in two days' time, we should have 8 kilos on our backs instead of 15. That's better!

 

September 21st

Today was a rest day for the group, as our Nepali leaders headed off to Camp 2 to set up collective - and a little individual - equipment to relieve us. Our expedition is unique in that our team of guides, porters and cooks is made up of several Nepalese ethnic groups. Sherpas, of course, but also Tamang, Gurung, Rai, Bothe and others. Hence the notion of “Nepali leaders” instead of the classic “Sherpas”, whose function matches the ethnic group. Yesterday, a Covid test for everyone, some thirty tests carried out in half an hour. Thanks to Alex and his assistants Diphen and Pierre. All the best! A bit of snow today and Yan (Giezendanner), our well-known meteorologist, giving us a decent forecast for our second rotation starting tomorrow (photo taken yesterday at the “crampons point”, the lower limit of the glacier where you can take off your crampons and untie yourself).

 

September 22nd

We left base camp around midday and arrived at Camp 1 between four and five hours later, depending on the rope. This was the first time we'd done the whole thing in one go, and it was very tiring. A drizzle towards base camp and a mist on the way up to camp 1 accompanied us. Tomorrow, take-off around 8 a.m. for camp 2 at around 6,400 meters.

 

 

September 23rd

We left camp 1 at around 9 o'clock this morning, the first arriving at camp 2 at around 3 o'clock and the last an hour later. Painful for most of us. Vertical after vertical, negotiated with our thighs and a lot of jumar. But it's the altitude that makes these exercises painful, at between 5,700 and 6,400 meters. Despite the help of our Nepali leaders, who do an exceptional job, we're still carrying a lot of weight. We drop loads at camps 2 and 3. Tomorrow, we continue to camp 3. We'll sleep at camp 3. Then we return to base camp, finally on Saturday.

 

September 24th

Less arduous than yesterday between Camp 1 (5,750 m) and Camp 2 (6,350 m), our progress between Camp 2 and Camp 3 (6,750 m) was far from a walk in the park, and took us just under three hours for the former. Several vertical walls stood in our way. The altitude forced us to progress very slowly, and the slightest effort, such as climbing a 30-centimeter step, left us breathless. The “secondary” summit in our progress is getting closer. The weather is extraordinary. Not a breath of wind. A sea of clouds at our altitude. Next important night at almost 7,000 for our acclimatization. Back to base camp tomorrow. Then, all our vertical walls on the way up will be a joy to abseil down. Climbing from base camp to C3 took us about fifteen hours. How long do you think it will take on the way down?

 

September 25th

A total of six hours. That's how long it took us to descend from camp 3 (6,750 m) to base camp (4,950 m), compared with fifteen hours on the way up. Quite a bit of fog below camp 3. The first summit of Manaslu, for the autumn 2021 season, was reached yesterday by the Nepalese teams and this morning by the first Westerners. As far as we're concerned, we returned to base camp at around 3pm today in the rain, and will be analyzing the weather to launch what we call the “summit push”. In theory, 6 days CB/CB.

• Day 1: C1 climb and C1 night (5,750 m)
• Day 2: climb C2 and night C2 (6,350 m)
• Day 3: ascent C3 and night C3 (6,750 m)
• Days 4/5: ascent C4, evening C4 (7,400 m) then night departure for the summit (8,163 m), descent C2 and night C2
• Day 6: return CB

On our descent today between C2 and C1, we bumped into Frenchman Jonathan Lamy, whom we had already followed to Everest last spring. A very friendly guy, he did Everest + Lhotse. Now it's time to introduce you to our extraordinary local team: today Dipen, our expedition sirdar. A very strong guide, he manages the team of guides and coordinates tasks and logistics (setting up collective equipment from camp to camp, such as tents, stoves, oxygen, etc.) with another guide, Dukes. Thanks and bravo to them. Tomorrow, it's Dawa's turn, expedition leader on the Nepalese side and Clément's particular right-hand man. 

September 26th

The weather must have been fine below 5,000 meters for one or two days since we left, i.e. more than three weeks ago... At base camp, the cold, which is not so intense (around zero degrees), is becoming rather unpleasant, as it's very damp. And nothing is heated, neither our snow-covered tents every morning nor the mess tents. In short, today, as yesterday and probably tomorrow, it's “raining” (a personal contraction of “raining-snow”). Our feet are frozen. We can't wait to go back up... or down! And so... Dawa (cf. photo)... he's our Nepalese expedition leader. He co-manages the expedition with Clément. He has all the necessary qualities: the roundness to lead the Nepalese team, exceptional technical skills, physical ease at any altitude, unfailing availability and the ability to anticipate all our problems thanks to his experience. As a UIAGM guide, he has completed several seasons and climbs in Switzerland. Apart from that, he's climbed Everest 7 times from the north and south, Manaslu twice, Ama Dablam, which he equipped right up to the summit, Denali, etc. What an asset to have him with us. Presentation of the seven other heroes tomorrow, and the program for the next few days takes shape...

 

September 27th

Just as I was complaining yesterday about the weather at base camp, we woke up to glorious weather this morning. Amen to that. The “summit push” pairs have been formed. Each member of the expedition will be with a Nepali leader from Camp 3. So, nine times two, eighteen people. An incredible team. Dawa and Dipen, whom I've already introduced. Then there's Karma, Pasang, Suzan, Sajjan, Dukchung, Guru and Sonam. Between them, they represent 16 Everests, 3 Manaslu, 4 Makalu, 1 Cho Oyu, numerous Ama Dablam and other 7,000. 

So, how about it? We leave tomorrow. Objective: summit attempt on Friday morning, October 1. So tomorrow, camp 2 from 5,000 to 6,400 meters (big day), Wednesday, camp 3 at 6,800 meters (light day), Thursday, camp 4 at 7,400 meters (the unknown), a few hours' rest, then summit attempt (even more the unknown at over 8,000 meters) on Thursday night, then back to camp 2. Saturday, back to base camp.  

The group is well concentrated and as friendly as ever. Cross fingers, folks. News soon!

 

September 28th

When we woke up this morning, ready to leave, our Nepali leaders weren't too happy. Several of them had stomach problems. So we logically decided to postpone our summit push by a day. The weather window seems to allow it. Up until then, we'd gone ahead with our plans and were even well ahead of schedule. But, of course, it's always a little frustrating, especially as we'd prepared ourselves for this departure, with all the excitement and anxiety that this type of adventure generates. Come on, a day at base camp isn't all that bad here! The food is excellent and varied. The cook and his helpers are great. A bit of reading, podcasts and pinochle, and the day will soon be over.

 

September 29th

Today we climbed directly from base camp at 5,000 to camp 2 at 6,400. I arrived during the night, accompanied by the phenomenal Dipen, who never let me out of his sight! But the weather was perfect. The crevasses are starting to widen. The last one on the C3 path was impassable. So I had to take the vertical step that it had previously allowed me to avoid. About ten meters of ice climbing, which was no problem at all, even at night. In the photo, Dipen and me.

September 30th

This morning we set off for Camp 3. Relatively short, but a tough C2 C3 route at this altitude. Above the altitude of base camp and camp 1 (5,800), the weather is sublime above the sea of clouds. At camp 3, where we are tonight at 6,800 meters, there aren't many teams left. The mountain is ours! There's a Russian with amputated legs. We were behind him on a vertical wall... What courage! We got here in three hours. Tomorrow, we're off to camp 4 at 7,400 meters, early in the morning. We'll spend the day up there, then attempt the summit on Friday night. Back to camp 3 in the middle of the day, then camp 2 to pick up our belongings as we go along.

 

October 1st

We set off around 8am from Camp 3 for the climb to Camp 4 (7,400m). We're a bit nervous, as this is the first time we'll be reconnoitring this route. The theory is that it's fairly easy, with a final vertical climb to the summit plateau. In fact, if nothing was vertical, everything was steep from start to finish, with the snow accumulating little by little and slowing the pace of the group, especially as we are now at 7,000 meters.

The whole group decided to reach camp 4 without Ox. For my part, I've taken a bottle just in case. My aim remains to accompany the group as high as possible and to experience this incredible adventure as closely and lucidly as possible. I also want to test this device I've been hearing about for so long. I'm a bit claustrophobic and the idea of progressing with a mask over my nose and mouth makes me a little anxious. I don't want to discover all this at night during the summit assault. Weighed down by my 4 kilos of full bottle, I leave camp 3 with a weight handicap...

The mask doesn't fit properly, and I have trouble breathing. Set at 0.5 l / minute, the lowest flow rate, I find no advantage and remove it. We're making slow progress. It's been 7 hours since we set off. Regularly, I put my mask back on to test the difference... which I don't notice. I set the flow rate to 1 liter / minute (the max is 4 liters / minute). However, I'm moving faster than some of my comrades who have always been in the lead up to now.

Roughly speaking, over a nine-hour ascent, I'll arrive half an hour before some of those who generally arrived half an hour before me on average on previous stages. So, all things being equal, at an altitude of 7,000 meters, with an Ox flow rate of 0.5-1 l / min, you gain 1 hour over 9 hours, i.e. a little over 10% in speed compared to people without Ox. Is it in the effort (when I take a step) or in the recovery (when I stop between several steps), I can't say? Certainly both. We finally arrive at Camp 4 around 5pm.

Only half a dozen tents remain: ours and those of the Russians. The other expeditions have deserted the site, so we're practically the only ones left. Time to rest. It's all going to be decided in the next few hours. The three of us rest in our VE25. Hot water, try to swallow something. We set off again around midnight for the summit. The group seems to be doing just fine. No MAM, no headaches for most of us. Despite Dawa's recommendations, feeling very well, I stopped the Ox. Given the low flow rate I was at, and the fact that we're not moving at the moment, I just don't feel the need. And everything's going well.

 

October 2nd

At midnight, all hell breaks loose as we start to get our gear on. Yan sent me some weather updates in the evening. Slight snow forecast. All the indicators are green. There's no question of staying another 24 hours at this altitude anyway. We need an hour to get geared up, and so at 1am our single file starts, a sort of glow-worm thanks to our headlamps! I put on my mask and carry my bottle of Ox in my bag. I set the flow rate to 1.5 liters, then 2 liters / minute to swallow the gas thickly, to feel its effect spreading. It's no use, I don't feel much more than my throat, which dries out to the point of creating a tracheitis-type pain point. Very unpleasant. And I'm increasingly thirsty, a thirst that water doesn't quench... Incidentally, the Russian Ox system features a small bottle of colorless liquid - water, I imagine (!) - integrated close to the mask, which should moisten the system... To be studied. Jérôme and Patrick also started the Ox from Camp 4. All our Nepali leaders use Ox for safety reasons. I'm convinced they could all climb without it. Pascal, Alexandra and Pierre will try to climb as high as possible without Ox. The advantage of night climbing is that you lose track of time. No anticipation. You live the effort in the moment. The hours tick by faster. 

Our eyes are focused on the point of illumination of our headlamps. From time to time, a check upwards, hoping for the end of a slope in the stars that would mean the end of the effort towards the sky. Our gaze also settles on the horizon, watching for a point of light that would signify the end of the night and, consequently, the approach of the rendezvous with history, our history. It's snowing, but visibility remains decent. There will be no thunderous sunrise, but rather the transition to a gray, pallid light. Better than nothing. Pierre turns around at 7,600 meters, a new personal best, and heads back down alone to C4, allowing his Nepalese partner to keep his chances of reaching the summit alive. A real class act. Exhausted, Alexandra decides to take some Ox around 7,800 meters, a superb performance all the same. Pascal, the gifted member of the group, continues without Ox at the same pace as the others, which impresses everyone. Our nine Nepali leaders are there too, most of them roped up with a group member. As for me, my senses are incredibly heightened, as I've been dreaming of since the start of the adventure, I feel everything... the environment, the situation of my companions, the state of mind of our Nepali leaders... And in theory, the summit is approaching.

A few steeper sections are in store, and just as daylight dawns, we begin a steady, fairly wide slope, a bit like a ski jump. Sonam and Jérôme, who are ahead of me, start to shift to the left.

We follow them. We've been at it for six hours, it must be 7 a.m. and, while it looks like we've got 200 meters to go, it'll take us an hour and a half to reach the successive small mounds of snow that mark the arrival at the summit. The first flock of Tibetan flags almost at the end of the ascent welcomes us, probably as a waiting point, as the rest of the climb gets narrower and narrower...

Being alone, the Russians are at least 2 hours behind us, so we carry on excitedly. We then come to a summit ledge with 5 or 6 small bumps in succession, which we leave to our right. The passage over the cornice is impressive, but poses no technical problems. We finally reach the summit of Manaslu, marked by flags attached to one of the bumps. Fourteen of us at the summit! It's incredible! I'm overcome with emotion. And then there's a kind of obviousness in being here with such a team, with such a group, united to the end, with what we've endured. We've dreamed of it so much.  From where we stand, two more bumps linked by an unstabilized, unequipped ridge seem to finish the cornice and summit ridge. Pascal reached the summit without oxygen, a tremendous achievement. It took us around 7 hours to complete this last stage.

 

Message from Secret Planet 02/10/21: We've had some news from the group: Eric, Jérôme, Pascal, Alexandra and Patrick, along with Dipen Nappa Bhote, Dawa Bhote, Sujan Gurung, Chhetar Sherpa, Sajjan Ghale, Karma Sherpa, Pasang Anjuk Bhote and Guru Bhote reached the summit of Manaslu this morning. Well done to them!  More information and pictures soon.

Time for the descent - it must be 9:30. We come across our Russian friends waiting further down the mountain for us to leave and climb up onto the ledge. The descent in fairly heavy snow with few tracks will take us less than 3 hours. By the time we reach camp 4, everyone is pretty washed out, and it takes Dawa's strength of conviction to get everyone back on course for camp 3 (6,800 m), the safe limit for a night's sleep, as no one in the group has ever felt altitude sickness at this altitude. We set off around 2pm. A laborious descent, given the route and our tired bodies. Most of our Nepali leaders uninstall Camp 4 before joining us. Visibility is abysmal from camp 4, we can't see 20 meters, and given our surroundings, it takes all Dawa's control and our confidence in him to make headway in this pea soup. 

Then, below 7,200 meters, the weather turned fine, and we discovered just how far we still had to go. Quite a lot of snow all the same. It doesn't look like it, but it's beginning to accumulate well, and it wouldn't take much more than that for the slopes we're carefully scanning to start getting really heavy. In the meantime, with the heat of the day, it's quite humid, completing our exhaustion. I didn't note our arrival time at Camp 3, probably around 5pm. We're in for a good night's sleep at 6,800 meters! It's amazing how our bodies have adapted after 4 weeks of gradual acclimatization. The work we've been doing with Ifremmont for several years has paid off.

 

October 3rd

Staying focused despite the euphoria. The descent between Camp 3 and Camp 1 remains the technical crux of the climb, even if the abseils on the way down are a far cry from the laborious vertical ascents.

And at the same time, they're much riskier. Our legs carry us a little more mechanically. The crevasses are thinning out everywhere, but remain passable.

We're absolutely alone on our Manaslu (with the Russians!).

The end of the descent poses no problem. I take my time and enjoy these last moments. Retrieving the equipment left at camp 3, then camp 2, then camp 1... Our bags are getting heavier, but the load is no longer too heavy... and then it's downhill.

Arrival at “Crampons point” greeted by fruit juice brought up from base camp by the kitchen crew. The end is near. Everyone is in good health. That's the main thing. Since Friday morning, we've climbed for twenty-seven hours, mainly between 6,800 and 8,000 meters.

October 4th

An (interminable!) descent to the village of Samagaon. I don't recognize a thing of the landscape or the itinerary - quite astonishing! This stay at high altitude seems to have washed away all memories of the valley. We are among the last to leave base camp. Many porters from the valley have come up to lend a hand to the last remaining teams. The women come and go, carrying fridges, radiators and incredible loads on their backs. I'm embarrassed with my 15-kilo backpack. I sprawl on my buttocks as I approach a ford. Nothing broken. “Bistārai” they tell me in a hearty voice - gently. What an incredibly caring and endearing people.

Late afternoon arrival in the village. Tonight, it was party time with the team at the Manaslu lodge in Samagaon. The whole expedition was there and it was a great party, with a good cake to blow out the candles and beer - fortunately not too strong - flowing freely. Our Russian friends were also present at the lodge... Much more discreet than us!

We'll be back with more details of our adventures in Manaslu. In the meantime, many thanks to David Ducoin of Secret Planet for his meticulous preparation of the expedition. Many thanks to Bishal Rai for his kindness and efficiency. He put together a top-notch team for us and organized everything with a master's hand. Thanks to Yan Giezendanner for his excellent weather forecasts and his intelligence in high-altitude situations.

Finally, and this is something I'm very proud of, we weren't just another expedition on this great mountain, we were a group of twenty or so extraordinarily close-knit people, happy to be together. So, if success comes along...

Climb Manaslu at 8,163 meters in Nepal.