September 14, 2012

Mike Hamill reports that the team all made it back to Base Camp after their trip up to Camp 2.  Now they have a couple well-earned rest days to look forward to.  Timing is good, because we may have a bit of bad weather coming.

The plan for the second acclimatization is for the team to head back up to Camp 1 on Sunday, and then on to Camp 2, and then eventually up to Camp 3 (weather permitting).  We’ll just have to see how it goes—staying flexible is always a big part of 8000m peak climbing.

Eric Simonson

September 12, 2012

The Manaslu team made it up to Camp 2 today for acclimatization, and then returned to Camp 1 for sleeping tonight. Mingma Tenzing and Chewang carried up another ladder to help fix the route below Camp 2.  Sounds like the weather is OK, but we are keeping out eye on the forecast…there might be some snow coming later this week.  Lopsang, Jor Bahardur and Dhansher got back to Kathmandu yesterday evening with the trekking gear. Lobsang said they met countless number of porters on the way to Sama and that there was a porter shortage in Arughat, so some teams were delayed getting to Base Camp. Good thing we were ahead of the main crowd!  Here are some photos of the trek that Lopsang took.

Ang Jangbu Sherpa

September 9, 2012

View from Manaslu Base. (Robert Kay)

IMG guide Mike Hamill reports that the team is doing well.  Yesterday they climbed to lower Camp 1 (5700m/19695ft) for acclimatization, then returned to Base Camp for a rest day today.  Tomorrow they are all moving up to Camp 1 to sleep, do a recon to Camp 2 (6400m/20992ft), and then move up to sleep at Camp 2.  In the meantime, the sherpas have now done two carries to Camp 1, and are also taking a rest day today.  Tomorrow two sherpas will carry up to Camp 1 while four will carry to Camp 2.  Sounds like the route is looking good, with about 600m of rope fixed on the way to Camp 1 with another 600m fixed between Camps 1 and 2.

Eric Simonson

Septemeber 6, 2012

Puja Time. (Mike Hamill)

We had our Puja this morning and all the sherpas and climbers enjoyed it.  We had a lama come up from Sama Gaon and had a very good ceremony followed by some sherpa dance. Phunuru and I have worked out a tentative schedule for climbers and sherpas.  Tomorrow we plan to take a shorter acclimatization hike and do some training in the afternoon and the sherpas are going to take a first trip up to Camp 1.  The following day we will try to tag C1 and descend back to Base Camp, before taking another rest day.

Mike Hamill

September 5, 2012

IMG Manaslu Base Camp (Phunuru Sherpa)

IMG guide Mike Hamill called to report they made it to Base Camp (4,800m/15,744ft) at around 12:30 this afternoon, just in time for lunch. Mike says the sherpa crew have done a great job setting up a very nice camp. The team have been relaxing after lunch and everyone is doing really well and feeling strong.  Mike said he chatted with Russell a little bit this afternoon.  Sounds like the Himex sherpas made it up to Camp 1 today and they report that the mountain is much drier (less snow) compared to the conditions last year.  So far so good!

Ang Jangbu Sherpa

September 4, 2012

IMG leaders Mike Hamill and Peter Anderson report that the team made it to Sama Gaon, the village at the base of Manaslu.  Well done!  Today they took a well-deserved rest day, including a tour of the local monastery.  Tomorrow the plan is to head up to Base Camp, with the puja scheduled the following day (the 6th) which is an auspicious day for the sherpas (using the Tibetan calendar).  Up at Base Camp, the sherpas have been busy and they have the camp all set up and ready to go.

Eric Simonson

September 2, 2012

Descending from Base Camp to Sama Gaon, looking at the 6000m peaks to the north, which are near to the China/Tibet border (Robert Kay)

IMG guide Mike Hamill called this morning (evening in Nepal).  The team is in Namrung and all are fit, healthy, and doing well.  They are on schedule to reach Sama Gaon tomorrow.   He says the weather had been pretty good for them, with rain during the night but mostly dry during the day time for the trekking.  Trail has been a bit muddy in places and they have crossed several landslides, but no big issues.  Mike says it has been a strenuous trek, with plenty of ups and downs to get everyone toughened up for the climb ahead!

Up on the mountain Phunuru reports that the Base Camp construction is almost finished, and that he had hiked up to the crampon point to check the route and snow condition, which he said looked OK.    He says they have an excellent BC camp location with a clean water source.  Headcook Kaji has now moved up to BC from Sama Gaon and the porters with all the fresh food will go to BC tomorrow.  The plan is for the members to take a couple rest days in Sama Gaon, then move up to BC on Wednesday the 5th .

Eric Simonson

August 31, 2012

The trek in. (Phunuru Sherpa)

Ang Jangbu dropped us a line from Nepal this morning to report that the Manaslu team is doing well. They’re a strong crew and have made it to Jagat. There was a landslide nearby and a few porter loads from another expedition were lost, but thankfully nobody was hurt. It doesn’t appear to have hindered anybody from getting to or fro so the team continues their march to Base Camp.

Tye Chapman

August 30, 2012

Base Camp of Manaslu.

We got word from Ang Jangbu last night that things are coming together nicely for our Manaslu team.  The Sherpas have been hard at work making platforms for all of the tents. Next on the to do list is the Puja altar.

Hamill and the crew are well on their way to Base Camp, (15750 ft.) a 6 day trek in.

Tye Chapman

August 28, 2012

Ang Jangbu reports that the IMG climbers successfully reached Arughat today by bus.  Sounds like the road conditions had improved, and they only had to switch buses once along the way.  Tomorrow they are ready to start the trekking to Sama Gaon.  For the trek up to Sama, (camping along the way) they will be accompanied by 6 trek sherpas, 4 kitchen boys, and 34 porters.  Right now, up in Sama, Phunuru reports that the first group of sherpas and porters have now reached Base Camp and the second team is heading up tomorrow.  Kaji Sherpa is en route to Sama right now with another porter team, and we have 50 Sama porters ordered for them to go up to BC on September 2.  So far, so good!

Before leaving Kathmandu, Mike and the team did their required briefing at Ministry of Tourism and also met with legendary Himalayan historian Liz Hawley.  Liz estimates there will be 21 teams on Manaslu this autumn, including all the “usual suspects”  (many of these teams also switched over from Cho Oyu, due to the current permit issues in Tibet).

Eric Simonson