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Indian-German Climber and Guide Killed in Mount Manaslu Avalanche
Confirmed
In Short: An Indian-German climber and his Nepali guide were found dead after an avalanche buried their tent at Camp III on Mount Manaslu.
An Indian-German climber and his Nepali guide were buried beneath seven feet of snow as persistent snowfall and strong winds disrupted the autumn climbing season 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.
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, according to Mohan Lamsal, managing director of Makalu Adventure, the expedition organiser.
Heavy snowfall began on Friday evening and continued through Sunday, raising the risk of further avalanches on the mountain. The six climbers who remained at Camp II descended to base camp and were safe, Lamsal said.
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, expedition operators said.
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. A total of 480 climbers have obtained permission to climb Mt Manaslu for this season.
The name Manaslu is derived from a Sanskrit word meaning “mountain of the spirit,” PTI reported.
Fursemba Sherpa was an experienced mountain guide from Nepal’s Makalu, while Guha was a resident of Germany.
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, expedition operators said.
What this adds
The incident highlights the risks climbers face during adverse weather conditions on Mount Manaslu.
What's confirmed
- 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.
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.
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- With today’s casualties, Manaslu has recorded four deaths this season.
- Earlier, Singaporean climber Lau Wee Seng died just below Camp 2, and Tashi Sherpa, a local porter, died in a tent at base camp.