MANASLU, NEPAL – 8163M

Manaslu is the eighth highest mountain in the world, the name actually comes from the Sanskrit word ‘manasa’, which means “intellect” or “soul”.

Manaslu was first scaled by Toshio Imanishi and Gyalzen Norbu, who were part of a Japanese expedition which reached the top of the mountain on 9 May 1956. Their ascent was controversial. Locals of the area had prevented a Japanese team from reaching the top in 1954, believing that previous attempts had displeased the Gods and caused avalanches that destroyed a monastery in the area, killing 18 people. The Japanese made a substantial donation to rebuild the monastery, but this didn’t restore goodwill towards the expeditions and as a result, the second ascent of Manaslu didn’t take place until 1971, when another Japanese team completed the ascent.