Manaslu Expedition

High altitude climbs like Manaslu require previous mountaineering experience and it is expected that the climber has at least 6000m of previous climbing experience before attempting Manaslu. Therefore, you will spend 45 days on Manaslu mountain, determination, strong mental health and a burning desire to climb the mountain are the necessary prerequisites to join this expedition. Prepare yourself to face high altitude sickness, difficult weather conditions and fatigue. Must have access to climbing equipment, snow and ice walking and a good level of fitness. You should be familiar with rope skills, ice wash arrest and crampon skills, the use of climbers (jumpers) and descenders, and how to use your special harness.

The use of oxygen equipment plays a major role in high mountain climbing and helps to avoid many critical situations and save your life. We provide 4 bottles of Poisk oxygen to each climber using a mask and regulator (top out or summit oxygen system).

Our journey begins with a trek to the Manaslu base camp. Gain altitude gradually on the way to base camp. From the base camp we will set up 4 camps before climbing to the peak of Manaslu. Camp 1 (5500m), Camp 2 (6,250m), Camp 3 (6,800m), Camp 4 (7,450m).

We subscribe to weather forecast services during the peak period of the campaign to provide the best weather forecast for the peak push.

Our Manaslu expedition group will be equipped with satellite phone throughout the expedition for emergency purposes. Cell phone network is available at the trekking section and base camp but service is not reliable and may depend on weather conditions. Satellite internet is available at the base camp at an additional cost. If you need to make a personal call, you can use a sat phone for $3 per minute. Also we will provide radio communication system to communicate between camps.

Rescue insurance is a must before embarking on adventure activities like high altitude travel. We advise all our clients to obtain emergency helicopter evacuation insurance which may be required in the event of AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) at high altitudes where other means of transport are not available. Medical expenses, lost luggage, delays and cancellations, death and repatriation are other important factors to include when purchasing your insurance. So it is advisable to carefully review the insurance and its coverages before making a final decision.

We provide each climber with a personal tent at the base camp during the entire expedition. Each tent will have plenty of space, comfortable mattresses, carpeted floors and more for your comfort. From base camp up, a high quality extreme weather tent will be provided for every 2 climbers.

We consider delicious and nutritious food to be the key ingredient for the overall success of our campaign. We charter food by flight and pay a lot of attention to quality and hygienic preparation. Our High Altitude Chef will be with us for all meals at Base Camp and Camp 2. During the trek, your meals will be served at the teahouse/lodge where you will stay and lunch will be provided en route.

The gear listed below is essential for the expedition. We encourage you to get all the tools listed below and please check and try each tool. Can also be bought or rented in Kathmandu.

Head:

• A warm hat
• Baseball cap or other sun hat
• Thermal balaclava
• Buff X 3
• Sunglasses/glacier glasses (high quality, UV-blocking sunglasses with good all-around protection)
• Ski goggles (anti-fog and good ventilation)
• Headlight X 2 with extra batteries

Upper Body:

• Base layer top
• Long sleeve shirt
• T-shirts
• Warm jacket/sweater/pullover
• Primaloft or light down jacket
• Hardshell jacket with hood
• Down jacket with hood (800m fill)
• Down suit (light weight, comfortable fit and 800m fill) (for summit climb only)

Lower Body:

• Below the base layer
• Trekking trousers/pants
• Mid-weight trousers/pants
• Hardshell Gore-Tex pants (non-insulated and waterproof)
• Insulated down pants

Legs:

• Warm socks (4 pairs of thin socks and 4 pairs of thick socks)
• Trekking shoes (with padding to protect/support your knees)
• 8000m mountaineering boots (light weight and comfortable size)
• Camp shoes
• Low shoes

Hands:

• Liner gloves
• Medium weight gloves
• Heavyweight gloves (leather palm)
• Down Mittens / Summit Gloves

Climbing Equipment:

• Climbing helmet
• Harness
• Ascender/Jumar (large handle)
• Descender /Figure 8
• ATC Guide
• Carabiners (4 screw gates and 4 snap gates)
• Prussik Cord X 2
• Slings X 2
• Ice Ax
• 12-point steel crampons

Gear/Personal Equipment:

• Lightweight backpack (45-55 L) for both trekking and climbing
• Inflatable sleeping mattress
• Sleeping bag – 20C rated for base camp
• Sleeping bag – 40C rating for high camps
• Trekking pole
• Water bottle one (1) liter X 2 with insulated cover
• Thermos
• Multi-tool knife
• A bottle of urine
• Laundry bag to keep dirty clothes
• Large plastic bags to keep clothes dry
• Lock
• Binoculars
• Sewing kit
• Duct tape
• Reading materials, notebooks and pens
• Camera with charger or extra battery
• Snack Foods (Energy Gels for Summit Day)

Toilets and hygiene

• Quick drying towels
• Small face towel
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Deodorant, soap and shampoo (small bottle)
• Face and body moisturizer, sunscreen and lip balm
• Hand sanitizer/antiseptic wipes
• Hygiene products
• Basic first aid kit

Important Documents

• Passport with visa and 6 months validity from the end of your trip
• 4 copies of passport size photographs for permission and official formalities
• Travel insurance (please see general information page for more details on this)
• Flight tickets
• Credit cards in case of emergency
• Driving ID or any other ID if you lose your passport.

Your safety is of imperative concern while traveling. Please take care to note that your mountaineering leader, guide has the authority to amend or cancel any part of the itinerary if it is deemed necessary due to your safety concerns. Every effort will be made to keep to the above itinerary; however, since this adventure entails travelling in remote mountainous regions, we cannot guarantee that we will not deviate from it. Weather or health condition of a group, unexpected natural disasters, etc., can all contribute to changes in the itinerary. The mountaineering leader, guide will try to ensure that the trip runs according to plan, but please be prepared to be flexible if required.