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Indian-German Climber and Guide Die in Mount Manaslu Avalanche
Confirmed
In Short: An Indian-German climber and his Nepali guide were killed after being buried in a snow avalanche at Camp III of Mount Manaslu.
An Indian-German climber and his Nepali guide were found dead after an avalanche buried their tent at Camp III on Mount Manaslu, expedition organisers said on Sunday. The climbers were identified as Dhruba Jyoti Guha and Phursemba Sherpa, from Makalu district in eastern Nepal.
Heavy snowfall began on Friday evening and continued through Sunday, raising the risk of further avalanches on the mountain. While the other six climbers remained at Camp II, Guha and Sherpa decided to continue to Camp III to rest ahead of a planned summit attempt.
The six climbers who remained at Camp II descended to base camp and were safe, according to Mohan Lamsal, managing director of Makalu Adventure, the expedition organiser. Lamsal said he had instructed the rescuers to descend to lower camps as a precaution against further avalanches.
Persistent snowfall and strong winds have already disrupted summit attempts, with up to 60cm of snow reported at base camp and growing concern over avalanche conditions higher on the mountain. Some climbers nevertheless began moving towards the higher camps on Saturday, hoping to take advantage of a forecast improvement between September 21 and 23.
Four Sherpa climbers were sent to search for them and dug through several feet of snow and ice before finding their bodies. With this, the number of climbers who have died in Mt Manaslu reached four this season.
According to the expedition organiser, a Singaporean climber and a Nepali guide had earlier died in separate incidents on the mountain. The rescue team was sent to Camp 3 after the two climbers stopped communicating with expedition organisers.
Efforts were underway to bring the bodies down to the mountain’s base camp. Meanwhile, a few climbers have already headed to the high camp to try to summit Mt Manaslu, as the weather forecast shows a relatively favorable weather window from September 21 to 23.
Mount Manaslu, the world’s eighth-highest peak, is often the climbers’ dream from September to November as the perilous path becomes less scary with the Autumn setting in.
What this adds
The exact cause of the avalanche remains under investigation, and the full extent of the weather conditions leading up to the incident is still being assessed.
What's confirmed
- Four Sherpa climbers were sent to search for them and dug through several feet of snow and ice before finding their bodies.
- Two climbers died after being buried in a snow avalanche at Camp III of Mt Manaslu on Saturday night.
- Dhruva Jyoti Guha and Fursemba Sherpa had moved towards a higher camp from Camp 2 despite adverse weather conditions and were caught in the avalanche on Saturday night, Mohan Lamsal, managing director of Makalu Adventure, which organised the expedition, said.
- “Six other climbers who decided to retreat from Camp 2 are safe, but Guha and Sherpa decided to make an early summit attempt and headed for Camp III last evening,” Lamsal said, quoting fellow climbers.
What's still developing
- Kami Rita Sherpa, the legendary guide who has summited Mount Everest more than any other human in recorded history, is planning to climb the world’s highest peak one more time.
- A total of 480 climbers have obtained permission to climb Mt Manaslu for this season.
- The Annapurna Express is your one-stop guide to all the important developments in politics, business, society, entertainment, technology, automobiles, travel and more.
- The name Manaslu is derived from a Sanskrit word meaning “mountain of the spirit,” PTI reported.
- With today’s casualties, Manaslu has recorded four deaths this season.
- In a tragic turn of events, two climbers recently lost their lives in an avalanche on the treacherous slopes of Mount Manaslu as weather conditions deteriorated.
- In a similar incident, when the two climbers decided to go higher in the heart of the mountain, tragedy struck.