Manaslu - 8163m - #8 In The World

Manaslu (8163m), with the emphasis on the second syllable, is the eighth highest mountain in the world, located to the east of Annapurna, with the summit a shattered rock tower.

Peak XXX of the Indian Survey, the name Manaslu is derived from the Sanskrit word Manasa and can be roughly translated as Mountain of the Spirit. Manaslu was previously known as Kutang l, tang being the Tibetan word for flat place which describes the summit area.

The 177km trek Around Manaslu was only opened for trekking in 1991. It's a fantastic trek from the lowlands to the mountains, and quite literally goes Around Manaslu, with excellent views of Manaslu's east, north, west, and south faces. The region is still relatively untouched because it is a closed region of Nepal requiring a special permit. There are also great views of Himal Chuli (7893m), Ngadi Chuli (Peak 29, 7871m), and Shringi Himal (7187m). The highest point of the trek is the Larkya La (5213m).

Manaslu First ascent:

The Japanese made the first summit attempt on Manaslu in 1953 via the northeast face, reaching 7750m before turning back. The Japanese attempt in 1954 was stopped by villagers who refused to let them enter the area.

In the spring of 1956, the Japanese were back with a 12-member team led by Yuko Maki. After establishing Camp VI at 7800m, Manaslu was first climbed on May 9, 1956 by Toshio Imanishi and Gyalzen Norbu Sherpa, who had already climbed Makalu with the French in 1955. On May 11th, Kiichiro Kato and Minoru Higeta reached the summit via the same route.

Other notable ascents:

On May 17, 1971 Kazuharu Kohara and Motoyoshi Tanaka, part of an 11 man Japanese team, reached the summit via the precipitous and dangerous northwest wall of rock and ice.
On April 25, 1972 Messner completed the third ascent of Manaslu, via the south face to the west ridge. Messner's second 8000er ended in tragedy when a fierce storm came up and he had to fight for his life to reach their high camp. Franz Jager, who turned back, was caught out in the storm and died. Andi Schlick and Horst Fankhausen braved the storm to try and find Franz, but Andi got lost and also died.

My Top 5 Memories Of Manaslu

Manaslu East Face - perfect sunrise view from Syala as the sun slowly streaks down the face.
Manaslu East Face - another perfect sunrise view from Sama, just up the trail from Syala.
Manaslu West Face - I was treated to an unexpected view of the summit plateau area from Bimtang.
Manaslu Southwest Face - Chame on the Annapurna Circuit has a great view of the South Face.
Manaslu People - I met many extremely compassionate and hospitable local people, especially an older woman who treated me to boiled potatoes.