Climbers go to Manaslu to regain lost recognition

Renowned German climber Ralf Dujmovits has returned to Mt Manaslu after his summit of 8,163-metre peak in 2007 was questioned by the world climbing fraternity.

Like 50 other climbers, who were once crowned the 14-peak summiteers, Ralf had only reached the fore summit of Mt Manaslu in 2007. “Ralf is now at the Manaslu base camp and will attempt to climb the true peak this season to remain in the list of 14-peak summiteers,” according to an official at the Department of Tourism.

Not only Ralf, Mingma Sherpa of Nepal, once crowned as the first South Asian climber to join the 14 8,000er-club, has also decided to re-attempt to scale Mt Manaslu this season. “His brother Chhang Dawa Sherpa will also attempt to scale Manaslu this season to make the real summit.”

“Among 53 climbers, who were earlier listed as 14-peak summiteers, the feat of only three has been recognised,” Eberhard Jurgalski, said in a report on 8000ers.com. According to a report, only US climber Edmund Viesturs, Veikka Gustafsson from Finland, and Nirmal Purja ‘Nimsdai’ from Nepal have scaled all 14 peaks above 8,000m.

Celebrated climber Nimsdai had rescaled Mt Manaslu and Mt Dhaulagiri in 2021 to reach the true summits. Nimsdai had completed all 14 peaks in two years, five months and 15 days, the report said.

Sanu Sherpa, who made a headline recently for being the first person in the world to climb 14 peaks twice, said he would also attempt to climb Manaslu this season to stand atop the real summit. The report prepared by a team of researchers led by Jurgalski invalidated Sanu’s previous Manaslu summits.

From Reinhold Messner to Peter Hamor, all renowned climbers have been removed from the list of 14-peak summiteers. Messner hadn’t reached the summit of Annapurna I while Peter had only reached the Manaslu fore summit, the report claimed. Nepali climbers Mingma Gyabu Sherpa and Nima Gyalzen Sherpa have also decided to reattempt on mountains to remain in the list of 14- peak summiteers. Mingma Gyabu, who was a part of Nimsdai expedition, has also decided to re-attempt to climb Mt Dhaulagiri to reach the real summit this season.

With the world climbing fraternity, along with mountain researchers, expressing serious concern over 14- peak records for a long time, renowned climber Mingma Gyalje Sherpa-led team from Imagine Nepal Treks reached the true summit of Mt Manaslu last year. The team made it to true summit 45 years after the first true ascent on Mt Manaslu in autumn season by Iranian and Japanese joint expedition in 1976. Till 2020, all climbers stood at fore-summit, about 10m below the real summit of Mt Manaslu, in autumn. The Department says there will be more than 600 climbers, including Sherpa guides, who will be trying to climb Manaslu this season. “It’s quite difficult for all climbers to make it to the tiny summit at 8,163 m in a very short window as the real summit point can accommodate only two persons at a time,”. pointed out climbers.