Manaslu drew a record 493 climbers this autumn, then the mountain shut it down

Records & People Updated 2 October. A record 493 climbers held Manaslu permits, but storms closed the season on 22 September with no summit reported and four deaths. By Dawa Sherpa · Aug 22, 2026 Read the full story

How the season ended — updated 2 October 2026 The biggest Manaslu season on record ended early, with no summit reported and four people dead. Permits reached a record 493 climbers from 41 teams , worth about $1.48 million in royalties (The Himalayan Times)… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Why so many people go to this mountain

Manaslu is not the easiest 8,000 m peak. It is the one that is available. Cho Oyu and Shishapangma sit on the Tibetan side and are shut to foreign expeditions, and those two were for years the standard first 8,000er. With them closed, the traffic goes to… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

The schedule the mountain runs on

Rope-fixing decides the season. A seven-member team under Chhiring Bhote is on the route. Once the line reaches the summit, everyone moves at once in the first clear window, and that is why summit day on Manaslu looks like a procession rather than a climb… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

The part nobody has solved yet

Everything above assumes people can reach the mountain. On 28 August the Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal listed the Manaslu region, Tsum Valley and the Larke Pass as cut off, because the Malekhu—Dhading Besi road lost a bridge in the 26 August floods… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

What this means for trekkers

What this means for you You do not need a climbing permit to feel this season. The Manaslu Circuit shares its lower valley with every one of these expeditions, so Samagaon and Samdo fill with climbers, base-camp staff and porters through late September and… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Do I need a permit to trek the Manaslu Circuit?

Yes, and more than one. The circuit needs a Restricted Area Permit as well as the Manaslu Conservation Area Permit, and a licensed guide is mandatory — Manaslu had that rule before Nepal extended it more widely. Our cost and permit breakdown has the current… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Is the Manaslu Circuit the same as climbing Manaslu?

No. The circuit is a trek that crosses the Larke Pass at just over 5,100 m (about 16,700 ft) and never goes on the mountain itself. The expedition goes to 8,163 m. They share a valley and nothing else. Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Will the crowds spoil the trek?

Not in the way people fear. The expedition traffic branches off toward base camp above Samagaon, so the circuit beyond that point stays quiet. What it affects is lodge availability in two villages for about three weeks. The mountain will be busy, then it will… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

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