GUNUNG · Nepal

Manaslu

मनास्लु (Manaslu) / Kutang

Information

Elevation: 8.163 m
Country: Nepal (NP)
Location / Range: Mansiri Himal (Gurkha Himal), Himalaya
Mountain type: Himalayan orogenic peak (non-volcanic)
Volcanic?: No (non-volcanic)
Coordinates: 28.5494, 84.5617
Difficulty: Extreme (8,000 m)
Best Season: April–May & September–October
Permits & Rules: Nepal government expedition permit + Manaslu Conservation Area permit + guide
Hazards: Avalanches, crevasses, extreme altitude, monsoon weather

Description

Manaslu is the world's 8th-highest mountain at 8,163 metres, in the Gorkha District of Nepal within the Mansiri Himal. A non-volcanic orogenic peak whose name derives from Sanskrit 'manasa' (soul), it was first climbed by a Japanese expedition in 1956 and lies within the protected Manaslu Conservation Area.

Gallery

Foto bersumber dari Wikimedia Commons — klik untuk memperbesar & lihat sumbernya.

Routes

Jalur Normal (Northeast Face / Northeast Ridge) dari Samagaon

Relatif moderat untuk 8.000-an; kesulitan utama adalah ketinggian ekstrem (tali tetap)

Ekspedisi ~30–45 hari pulang-pergi

Rute standar menanjak melalui Northeast Face dan Ridge dari Base Camp (~4.800 m) di atas Samagaon, dengan empat high camp hingga sekitar Camp 4 di ~7.450 m sebelum dorongan summit. Pendakiannya didominasi lereng salju dengan beberapa bagian es curam (crux di sekitar Camp 2) yang nyaris seluruhnya dipasangi tali tetap, menjadikannya salah satu 8.000-an paling terjangkau secara teknis. Bahaya utamanya adalah cuaca, salju tebal, dan risiko longsor di bagian atas.

Manaslu Circuit Trek lewat Larkya La

Trek berat; ketinggian tinggi, tanpa keterampilan memanjat (butuh izin kawasan terbatas)

~14–18 hari (umumnya 12–16 hari trekking)

Jalur trekking non-teknis yang mengelilingi massif Manaslu, dimulai di lembah Budhi Gandaki (Soti Khola/Machha Khola) dan melewati desa-desa seperti Namrung, Samagaon, dan Samdo yang kental budaya Tibet. Titik tertinggi sekaligus crux-nya adalah Larkya La di sekitar 5.106 m dengan panorama Himlung Himal, Cheo Himal, dan Annapurna II sebelum menurun ke kawasan Annapurna. Kawasan terbatas ini dibuka untuk asing sejak 1991 dan lebih sepi dibanding sirkuit Everest atau Annapurna.

Pendakian speed / FKT jalur normal

Garis Northeast Ridge yang sama; tuntutan fisik ekstrem di ketinggian

Di bawah 10 jam Base Camp ke puncak (gaya rekor); didukung ekspedisi yang sudah teraklimatisasi

Varian dalam gaya, bukan jalur baru: pendakian cepat menempuh garis jalur normal Northeast Ridge yang sama tetapi mendorong dari Base Camp ke puncak dalam satu upaya kilat. Pada 2024 Tyler Andrews mencatat waktu Base Camp–puncak 9 jam 52 menit, memperbaiki rekor sebelumnya. Upaya seperti ini bergantung pada aklimatisasi sebelumnya dan infrastruktur tali tetap yang sudah terpasang, serta tetap sangat langka dan menuntut fisik luar biasa.

Safety Statistics

High risk

Aggregated for prevention and awareness — not a casualty list. Read alongside the safety tips below.

9.8% Fatality rate per successful summit

65 Recorded deaths

661 Summits

Period 1950–2012 · Eight-thousander death-rate table (8000ers.com data via Wikipedia), 1950 through March 2012: 661 successful ascents / 65 deaths = 9.8% deaths per person reaching the summit. Manaslu (8,163 m, world's 8th-highest) ranks among the deadliest eight-thousanders — in 2008 it was called the 4th most dangerous after Annapurna, Nanga Parbat, and K2. Avalanche is the dominant cause.

Causes of death

Avalanche

💡 Avalanche is the leading killer on Manaslu — the 1972 and 2012 disasters both buried high camps. Watch avalanche forecasts, avoid siting camps or routing beneath loaded slopes, and delay movement right after fresh snowfall or storms.
Source
Altitude illness (AMS/HACE/HAPE)

💡 Above the death zone (>8000 m) the body keeps deteriorating. Acclimatise gradually, limit time at extreme altitude, and descend immediately if severe headache, ataxia, or breathlessness appears.
Source
Fall

💡 Manaslu's true summit is a narrow, exposed snow ridge; many climbers stop at the fore-summit. Stay roped on technical sections and save energy for the descent, when fatigue triggers slips.
Source
Severe weather

💡 Late-monsoon and snow storms load slopes, trigger avalanches, and trap teams high. Respect the weather window and turnaround time; retreating early beats being trapped.
Source

Notable incidents

1956 First ascent of Manaslu (1956)

On 9 May 1956, a Japanese expedition made the first ascent of Manaslu — a milestone that led to Manaslu often being called 'the Japanese mountain'. It opened the climbing era on one of the hardest, most avalanche-prone eight-thousanders.
Source
1972 1972 avalanche — 15 dead at ~6,500 m

On 10 April 1972 an avalanche buried an expedition camp at around 6,500 m, killing 15 people including ten Sherpa porters. One of the worst avalanche disasters in Manaslu's history — a stark lesson on camp placement in avalanche paths.
Source
2012 2012 avalanche — 11 dead near Camp III

On 23 September 2012 an avalanche swept a high camp area, killing 11 climbers of several nationalities; five were rescued. It struck during the busy commercial season, underscoring crowding risk on avalanche-prone slopes.
Source
2022 2022 season avalanches — guide fatalities

In late September–early October 2022, a series of avalanches killed Nepali guides and injured over a dozen climbers ferrying loads to high camps. A recent reminder that Manaslu's avalanche hazard remains very much active.
Source

Statistics source: Source Source

Climbing Experiences

Manaslu (8,163 m), the world's 8th-highest peak, is increasingly popular as a 'first' 8000er because its normal route is technically gentler, though it still demands full acclimatisation and faces heavy-snow and avalanche risk up high. The films and vlogs below show commercial Base Camp-to-summit expeditions, a no-supplemental-oxygen ascent, and a speed/FKT attempt, alongside its non-technical side: the Manaslu Circuit Trek over the Larkya La (~5,106 m).

References

The summary above is compiled from the following sources. Click to explore them yourself.