Himalaya Autumn 2025: Climbers Face Storms and Push Ahead

Manaslu,Photo: Ben Tubby – flickr.com

Manaslu: Heavy Snow, Avalanches, and Delays

Bad weather and heavy snowfalls have disrupted plans on Manaslu (8,163m). The Russian Friends Team (RFT), which had originally scheduled its summit attempt for September 18, has postponed the push by several days. For now, the fixed ropes only extend up to the top of Camp 3.

A member of 7SummitClub described the tense conditions:

“On 16/09 we reached Camp 2 (6,300m). In the afternoon, heavy snow began; the tents were shaking and we had to shovel wet snow all night. By morning the snow hadn’t stopped, covering the ropes and tracks knee-deep. All night long we remembered the tragedies of 2008, when an avalanche buried 22 people in C2, and later another 16 in C3. Finally, we decided to descend before it buried us too.” (source: alpymon)

Back in Base Camp, climbers endured alternating rain and wet snow, leaving gear and clothing soaked. Despite this, the acclimatization plan was completed, with the team spending a night at 6,300m – though many struggled with headaches and altitude sickness. They now plan to rest three days in Base Camp before attempting another push after September 20, depending on weather.

Other climbers on Manaslu this season include Nicole Kovalchuk, attempting the peak without supplemental oxygen, and the experienced Kazakh trio of Pivtsov Vassiliy, Peter Shulgin, and Mikhail Tarasov. The three, currently in Camp 2, are climbing independently following their aborted Makalu expedition earlier this spring.

Makalu, Photo: Ben Tubby – flickr.com

Makalu: Alone on the Mountain

On Makalu (8,485m), Denis Aleksenko and Artem Tsentsevitsky reached Advanced Base Camp (5,700m) on September 16. They reported:

“We are all alone on the mountain. Aside from mice, there is not a soul in dozens of miles around!”

Despite problems with their generator, the pair remain in touch via Garmin. They climbed today to 6,325m for acclimatization, continuing their solitary campaign on the world’s fifth-highest mountain.